Ninth Letter
LightNews LightNews
banner
ninthletter.bsky.social
Ninth Letter
@ninthletter.bsky.social
2.8K followers 250 following 64 posts
Ninth Letter is a literary magazine edited and produced at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. We aim to present original literary writing of exceptional quality, illuminated by cutting-edge graphic design.
*
https://linktr.ee/ninthletter
Posts Replies Media Videos
Pinned
ninthletter.bsky.social
Ninth Letter @ninthletter.bsky.social · Dec 5
Volume 22, Issue 1 is in PRINT! ✨ Featuring work from 23 writers, this is an issue you want on your book shelf. Check out the contents list on our website, and order your copy today! Link in bio 💚
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#litmag #poetry #creativenonfiction #shortstory #creativewriting #literaryjournal
ninthletter.bsky.social
Ninth Letter reviews the exciting new collection LETTERS OF THE ALPHABET GO TO WAR (Sarabande 2026) by Lesyk Panasiuk trans. by Katie Farris and Ilya Kaminsky. Link in bio!
February 10, 2026 at 8:45 PM
ninthletter.bsky.social
Ninth Letter is pleased to present an excerpt from RANGE OF MOTION (@acrebooks.bsky.social) by former 9L contributor Brian Trapp (@btrapperkeeper@bsky.social)! Plus, 9L staffer Nathan Metz chats with the author for an exclusive interview. Check it out on our website. Link in bio.
Text overlayed on a photo of camp bunk beds. Contributor Book Feature: RANGE OF MOTION by Brian Trapp. Brief excerpt from book reads: So far, Camp Cheerful seemed to be mostly about singing. You sang for your breakfast. You sang for your lunch. When you tried to fall asleep, good luck. Someone was singing. The morning they drove across the bridge and into camp, the very first activity was to gather around the flagpole and sing about baby sharks and a-bear-way-up-there and the spelling out of b-a-n-a-n-a. The camp had a distinct feel of a cult, with lyrics designed to break the will. Author photo of author Brian Trapp.
January 20, 2026 at 7:07 PM
Reposted by Ninth Letter
lowermelody.bsky.social
Ellie Black's "S L A S H E R" in @ninthletter.bsky.social
good /girl / girl / green / girl / glow / on / screen / smart / girl / girl / clean ] girl I feel/ un / seen girl / observed / girl / selected / killer / watch / girl / cathected / camera / watch / switch perspective / jump / scare / girl / scream/ make / good / scream / queen / girl / strangled I girl slashed / drip / gore / gush / gash / girl / fucked / systematic / hard / core / pornographic / girl chosen /sacrifice / girl stagger / girl / sliced / girl/ see / behind I mask / massacre / remain intact / abject /object / girl / subjected / brutal/ specter / resurrected / error / message / girl/ reflected camera / eye / girl / I / girl / you / not / true / psycho / sexual / meta / textual / girl trapped in / effectual / girl / endangered / not / real / girl / fake / girl / feel / girl / think / girl / am girl / was / girl / damned I girl I freak ] fucked / up / girl / remain / un / fucked / penetrated /by/ blade chain / saw / virgin / flayed / shock / splatter / no / matter / blood / glisten / guts / glitter /. blood red / cherry / sweet / fake / cloying / dead / meat / girl/ meet / slow / fate / see / killer mutilate |girl / halt / killing / spree / girl / realize / never / free / girl / become / cult / classic/ monster-/ movie / cinematic / feed / fear / fantasy / girl / inhabit /TV / static / girl / victim / girl victor I girl / know / being / watched / girl / suffer / every / loss / girl / survive / what / cost Ninth Letter fall / Winter 2023-24 Vol. 20 No. 2
December 13, 2025 at 3:33 PM
ninthletter.bsky.social
Ninth Letter’s latest feature is from Maternal Mitochondria, the mother-daughter duo of Miriam Sagan and Isabel Winson-Sagan. Their collaborative piece is a ghostly tale of a deserted house that may or not be haunted, a story that may or not be true. Link in bio!
Photo Miriam Sagan and Isabel Winson-Sagan, newest Ninth Letter featured artists. Title: Maternal Mitochodria. Text reads: "New ghost story from artistic mother-daughter duo Miriam Sagan and Isabel Winson-Sagan live now! ninthletter.com" Feature #125 excerpt from short story "Homeless Ranch/Threshold Anxiety" by Miriam Sagan and Isabel Winson-Sagan. Excerpt reads: "What can you do to protect yourself? If I were you, I'd just go home. Like right now. And take a long shower. When you go to bed, try not to think about beetles with baby faces or beautiful women whose nipples shoot fire. I think you should leave. And check your shoes."
December 22, 2025 at 5:15 PM
ninthletter.bsky.social
Ninth Letter is pleased to present Anne Menasché's poem "My Father Cooks My Mother Breakfast," the 2024 Regeneration Honorable Mention selected by Stephanie Anderson. Read it now at ninthletter.com. Link in bio.
December 12, 2025 at 4:55 PM
Reposted by Ninth Letter
cherrypoppunk.bsky.social
New poem out from the wonderful @ninthletter.bsky.social!

It's from my WIP dealing with my time in the scouts.

Read the whole thing at ninthletter.com/2025/11/25/j...
Jennessa Hester "self-portrait as a boy scout uniform" official tan uniform top made of 100% supplex nylon that does not taper at the waist blue neckerchief with red and white edges held together by a silver, three-hole slide that fits far looser than it used to straight cut olive green uniform pants with no room for hips any wider than a boy’s (they expect nothing else, of course) frayed canvas belt with faux-gold buckle embossed with a bsa logo that locks in the figure of a young man
December 1, 2025 at 4:33 PM
ninthletter.bsky.social
Volume 22, Issue 1 is in PRINT! ✨ Featuring work from 23 writers, this is an issue you want on your book shelf. Check out the contents list on our website, and order your copy today! Link in bio 💚
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#litmag #poetry #creativenonfiction #shortstory #creativewriting #literaryjournal
December 5, 2025 at 3:58 PM
ninthletter.bsky.social
Web Edition: Reversal is now live at ninthletter.com! Featuring work from 13 writers, you can read the entire issue for free today. Link in bio!
Reversal Web Edition. Featuring: Sayuri Matsuura Ayers, A.J. Bermudez, Michael Chang, Joel Fishbane, Laura Glenn, Jennessa Hester, B. Fulton Jennes, Emma Kaiser, Jennifer Maloney, Claudia Owusu, Zoe Reay-Ellers, Tessa Sophia, M.J. Young. ninthletter.com
December 2, 2025 at 9:45 PM
ninthletter.bsky.social
Submissions are FREE until we hit our cap of 300 per genre! Submit now for print consideration. See full guidelines on our website or submittable. Link in bio.
White text on black background. "Ninth Letter December 01 - ??? Free Submissions, 300 limit per genre. Submit early. Guidelines: Submittable and ninthletter.com
December 1, 2025 at 4:26 PM
ninthletter.bsky.social
We're open for print AND web submissions & eager to read your work! No theme for the print edition. "Performance" theme for web edition. Link in bio for guidelines & details!
#creativewriting #fiction #poetry #creativenonfiction #litmag
September 1, 2025 at 12:23 PM
Reposted by Ninth Letter
eleanorball.bsky.social
Day 25: “The Other Things We Swallow” by Natalia Martinez in @ninthletter.bsky.social. I’ve never read an abecedarian quite like this. ninthletter.com/2025/02/28/n...
Natalia Martinez – Ninth Letter
ninthletter.com
August 25, 2025 at 5:34 PM
ninthletter.bsky.social
Ninth Letter is excited to present the poem “The Masks above the Proscenium" by Richard Hoffman as our August feature. Read it on the website for free! Link in bio.
August 12, 2025 at 2:27 PM
ninthletter.bsky.social
🥁Drumroll, please...🥁 We are thrilled to announce the winners and finalists of the 2025 Ninth Letter Literary Awards. Thank you to all submitters for trusting us with your words. And much gratitude to our contest editorial staff and our fabulous guest judges for their hard work! ✨
9L Literary Awards Results 2025. The winners are Maeve Barry for fiction, Leah Mensch for creative nonfiction, and Weijia Pan for poetry. The honorable mentions are Mickie Kennedy for poetry and Julie Marie Wade for creative nonfiction.
August 8, 2025 at 5:23 PM
ninthletter.bsky.social
Check out "Sundogs" by Meghan E. O'Toole live on our website. Meghan was the 2024 Regeneration Contest winner as chosen by Stephanie Anderson, and this story originally appeared in print Vol. 21.2. Link in bio!
July 24, 2025 at 1:41 PM
ninthletter.bsky.social
Ninth Letter is honored to feature Tylea Richard’s essay “Caribbean Gothic,” which is the Disquiet International Literary Award’s Nonfiction Prize winner for 2025. Read it for free at ninthletter.com. Link in bio!
June 24, 2025 at 2:05 PM
ninthletter.bsky.social
Ninth Letter, in partnership with I-Regen, is accepting submissions to the 2025 Regeneration Literary Awards. The great Scott Chaskey serves as our guest judge. Submit work that explores the “regeneration" as it relates to food and food systems. Link in bio! #regenerativeagriculture #writingcontest
Text reads "9L Regeneration Literary Award $1,000 prize" overlayed on a photo of a wheat field. Deadline: June 30 Prize: $1,000 to one winner + print and web publication + two contributor copies Theme: We invite poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction responding to or exploring the subject of "regeneration," specifically as it relates to food and food systems. All interpretations of this theme are welcome. Photo of a wheat field. Text reads: Full details linked in bio. Check out past winners on our website. For accessibility help, please email ninthletter9@gmail.com.
June 9, 2025 at 1:55 PM
ninthletter.bsky.social
We’re back to share more incredible writing! Don’t miss Anne Pritikin’s short story “Hold Hands, Children,” which received an honorable mention for fiction in our 2024 Literary Awards chosen by Lena Valencia. Live now on our website. Link in bio.
Excerpt from Anne Pritikin's short story "Hold Hands, Children" reads: "The Portuguese man has tightroped in sleet, snow, two cyclones, a sandstorm, dense fog, sunshowers, and boiling heat. But he has never missed a step. He has walked the globe in the air, Georgie thinks, and now he will walk it in my little part of the world.” Live now at https://ninthletter.com/2025/05/09/anne-pritikin/ 2024 Literary Award Honorable Mention - Fiction Anne Pritikin for story "Hold Hands, Children" Selected by Lena Valencia
May 10, 2025 at 12:21 AM
ninthletter.bsky.social
We're thrilled to feature the work of Daniel Uncapher, whose three collage essays won the 2024 Ninth Letter Literary Award in Creative Nonfiction selected by Kristen Millares Young. Check out this genre-bending work live on our website and coming soon in print in Vol. 21.2. Link in bio!
2024 Literary Award Winner - Creative Nonficiton. Daniel Uncapher - Three Essays Selected by Kristen Millares Young Excerpt from Daniel Uncapher's essay "Promiscuous Young Men" reads: "I am writing this anonymously,[2] with phrases and sentences that[3] I have borrowed from the library,[4] so nobody knows who did it.[5] If you recognize me[6]-no, you don't.[7]" Numbers in the text represent footnote citations that are available at https://ninthletter.com/2025/05/07/uncapher/
May 7, 2025 at 3:49 PM
Reposted by Ninth Letter
dmartincampbell.bsky.social
"Three Plagues" up on @ninthletter.bsky.social now is so great and such a wonderful example of how real, immersive world-building is inseparable from line and tone. @ivygrimes.bsky.social sepia old-testament voice makes big, weird things look easy. ninthletter.com/feature/ivy-...
Featured Writer #122: Ivy Grimes – Ninth Letter
ninthletter.com
May 7, 2025 at 12:32 PM
ninthletter.bsky.social
We’re proud to share this fantastic poem by Michelle Phương Hồ which will appear in print in Volume 21, Issue 02. Check out “Facing It,” and stay tuned all week for more work from out 2024 contest winners. Link in bio.
2024 Literary Award Winner - Poetry. Michelle Phuong Ho - "Facing It" Selected by Sara Borjas Excerpt from Michelle Phuong Ho's poem "Facing It" reads: “I can almost say my name. Am almost/someone I know. They say I was sold// by my own mother. Call me traitor, sellout, prostitute/ to the empire. What is a girl but an easy// sin to pin down.”
May 6, 2025 at 6:33 PM
Reposted by Ninth Letter
seanbirnie.bsky.social
Loved this - classic Grimes.
ninthletter.bsky.social Ninth Letter @ninthletter.bsky.social · May 1
New story just dropped! Read "Three Plagues" by @ivygrimes.bsky.social for free on our website. Link in bio!
Quote from story reads "We saw some of our neighbors fly by, and we tried to catch them, but the wind took them just beyond our reach. Finally, we saw Grandmother, clinging to the post of her bed, whipped into our lives again. Her bed settled on the roof beside us, and then her body." Attributed to Ivy Grimes's short story "Three Plagues." Photo of Ivy Grimes with text that reads "Featured Writer #122, Ivy Grimes, live at ninthletter.com"
May 3, 2025 at 3:29 PM
ninthletter.bsky.social
(23 of you) asked, we listened! The 2025 9L Literary Awards deadlines is extended until May 10 at 11:59 p.m. CDT. Last chance to win 1 of 3 $1000 prizes + publication. Stay tuned as we drop free web access to 2024 winners all week. We can't wait to read your work!
Text reads: Ninth Letter Literary Awards in fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction, deadline is extended to May 10. $3,000 in prizes. Entry includes free print subscription.
May 3, 2025 at 2:07 PM
Reposted by Ninth Letter
amityvandal.bsky.social
It’s National Short Story Month and I’ll try to recommend at least one a day. First up is Three Plagues by @ivygrimes.bsky.social in @ninthletter.bsky.social. Mother on the roof, grandmother somewhere. A mystery man. Loved it. ninthletter.com/feature/ivy-...
Featured Writer #122: Ivy Grimes – Ninth Letter
ninthletter.com
May 2, 2025 at 12:09 AM
ninthletter.bsky.social
New story just dropped! Read "Three Plagues" by @ivygrimes.bsky.social for free on our website. Link in bio!
Quote from story reads "We saw some of our neighbors fly by, and we tried to catch them, but the wind took them just beyond our reach. Finally, we saw Grandmother, clinging to the post of her bed, whipped into our lives again. Her bed settled on the roof beside us, and then her body." Attributed to Ivy Grimes's short story "Three Plagues." Photo of Ivy Grimes with text that reads "Featured Writer #122, Ivy Grimes, live at ninthletter.com"
May 1, 2025 at 5:05 PM
ninthletter.bsky.social
Today's the day! Send in your last minute submissions for a chance at $1,000. ✨ Link in bio ✨
Ninth Letter Literary Awards. Today's the day! Send in your last minute submissions for a chance at $1,000. Link in bio. $3,000 in prizes. Deadline April 30th.
April 30, 2025 at 3:43 PM