Penmen Review
@penmenreviewsnhu.bsky.social
Southern New Hampshire University's Online Literary Journal. Submissions always open. https://penmenreview.com/
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About The Penmen Review
The Penmen Review is Southern New Hampshire University’s online journal for creative writers, featuring resource articles, spotlight interviews and writing in all genres, selected by our editorial boa...
penmenreview.com
Hello, Bluesky! We are The Penmen Review, Southern New Hampshire University's Online Literary Journal, where submissions are always open. Check us out!
penmenreview.com
penmenreview.com
Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at The Penmen Review!
November 27, 2025 at 12:24 PM
Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at The Penmen Review!
Happy Monday! Here's "Despite the Wild Wind," by Mike O'Brien. Enjoy! #litmag #poetry
penmenreview.com/despite-the-...
penmenreview.com/despite-the-...
Despite the Wild Wind
by Mike O'Brien Despite the wild wind, I will clingWhen all that’s around meis losing its grip,being torn from its mooringsand carried awayin madness and mayhemto God alone knowsDespite the wild wind,...
penmenreview.com
November 24, 2025 at 12:51 PM
Happy Monday! Here's "Despite the Wild Wind," by Mike O'Brien. Enjoy! #litmag #poetry
penmenreview.com/despite-the-...
penmenreview.com/despite-the-...
Just for you. Yes, YOU! From the Penmen Review, "The Silver Bell," by J. Caleb Thomas. Enjoy! #litmag #shortstory
penmenreview.com/the-silver-b...
penmenreview.com/the-silver-b...
The Silver Bell
by J. Caleb Thomas For as long as I can remember, Mother rang a silver bell every morning at six. It was small enough to fit in her palm but loud enough to wake the dead. Even when she was bedridden a...
penmenreview.com
November 20, 2025 at 6:33 PM
Just for you. Yes, YOU! From the Penmen Review, "The Silver Bell," by J. Caleb Thomas. Enjoy! #litmag #shortstory
penmenreview.com/the-silver-b...
penmenreview.com/the-silver-b...
Wednesday night from 8-9 pm ET. Be there or be square!
This Wednesday marks the return of Word for Word, SNHU's online literary salon, with our annual Instructor Spotlight event, featuring @tracycrow.bsky.social and Dan Gleason reading from their work and answering questions--maybe even yours!!
Register here: events.blackthorn.io/1N1TpJJ7/4a3...
Register here: events.blackthorn.io/1N1TpJJ7/4a3...
November 17, 2025 at 7:44 PM
Wednesday night from 8-9 pm ET. Be there or be square!
Happy Monday! Here's "Cigarette Breaks," by Sam Hendrian. Enjoy! #litmag #poetry
penmenreview.com/cigarette-br...
penmenreview.com/cigarette-br...
Cigarette Breaks
by Sam Hendrian Needed to cut her nails For three weeks now But also needed a new clipper And didn’t want to waste the dough. Sat on the curb outside of Ralph’s Dreaming of the afterlife Not carin...
penmenreview.com
November 17, 2025 at 1:48 PM
Happy Monday! Here's "Cigarette Breaks," by Sam Hendrian. Enjoy! #litmag #poetry
penmenreview.com/cigarette-br...
penmenreview.com/cigarette-br...
Up today, a timely short story! Here's "Together You Will Survive Winter," by @johnbrantingham.bsky.social. Enjoy! #litmag #shortstory
penmenreview.com/together-you...
penmenreview.com/together-you...
Together You Will Survive Winter
by John Brantingham The first good day of the year finds you sitting on the bench outside the building where you work. You’re eating your sandwich across from the crow who is watching you and having w...
penmenreview.com
November 13, 2025 at 3:28 PM
Up today, a timely short story! Here's "Together You Will Survive Winter," by @johnbrantingham.bsky.social. Enjoy! #litmag #shortstory
penmenreview.com/together-you...
penmenreview.com/together-you...
Had your morning smoothie yet? We've got you covered! Here's "Smoothie," by Michael Sandler. Enjoy! #litmag #poetry
penmenreview.com/smoothie/
penmenreview.com/smoothie/
Smoothie
by Michael Sandler I usually begin with almond milk(from orchards siphoning the Colorado?)then plunk in yoghurt, banana, a few berriespossibly picked by migrants—I’ve seen them stoopedand wish there w...
penmenreview.com
November 10, 2025 at 1:46 PM
Had your morning smoothie yet? We've got you covered! Here's "Smoothie," by Michael Sandler. Enjoy! #litmag #poetry
penmenreview.com/smoothie/
penmenreview.com/smoothie/
Reposted by Penmen Review
Got Wireside Chat if you want it! And why wouldn't you? Here's our October event featuring Online MFA instructor Jerico Lenk. Enjoy!
youtu.be/l5rSow95P_U?...
youtu.be/l5rSow95P_U?...
Wireside Chat, Featuring Special Guest Jerico Lenk, 10/13/25
YouTube video by SNHU Academic Support
youtu.be
November 6, 2025 at 4:50 PM
Got Wireside Chat if you want it! And why wouldn't you? Here's our October event featuring Online MFA instructor Jerico Lenk. Enjoy!
youtu.be/l5rSow95P_U?...
youtu.be/l5rSow95P_U?...
Reposted by Penmen Review
Be like Online MFA instructor @sidneyw.bsky.social. Vote!
I voted early, but it’s Election Day from California to the New York Island and here in Virginia where my family first landed as immigrants. Hope you’re getting out today if you haven’t cast your ballot yet!
November 4, 2025 at 1:38 PM
Be like Online MFA instructor @sidneyw.bsky.social. Vote!
Happy Tuesday--don't forget to vote! Here's "Idle Flier," by @craigproffittus.bsky.social. Enjoy! #litmag #shortstory
penmenreview.com/idle-flier/
penmenreview.com/idle-flier/
Idle Flier
by Craig Proffitt Eating lunch in my crappy car. Staring at the Swamp’s glass door with the peeling tinted film. Don’t want to be around my coworkers in the lunchroom. Can’t afford to eat out. So many...
penmenreview.com
November 4, 2025 at 1:28 PM
Happy Tuesday--don't forget to vote! Here's "Idle Flier," by @craigproffittus.bsky.social. Enjoy! #litmag #shortstory
penmenreview.com/idle-flier/
penmenreview.com/idle-flier/
Psst! How about a poem? Here's "5:59AM," by Sam Hendrian. Enjoy! #litmag #poetry
penmenreview.com/559am/
penmenreview.com/559am/
5:59AM
by Sam Hendrian Bed sheets wet againFrom tears and solo gearsCranking away at fantasies,The last remaining safe space.Sunrise is mercilessly early—6 AM to be exact—And there’s a suffocating pressureTo...
penmenreview.com
October 30, 2025 at 2:56 PM
Psst! How about a poem? Here's "5:59AM," by Sam Hendrian. Enjoy! #litmag #poetry
penmenreview.com/559am/
penmenreview.com/559am/
Reposted by Penmen Review
Don’t miss on Planetside…
Wondering what SFWA’s most casual event is? Writing Dates might be your new favorite habit.
Check out “SFWA Presents: Get to Know…Our Writing Dates Program,” an interview with the volunteers who run it: @kristinosani.bsky.social @cjlavigne.com @meagenvoss.bsky.social
Wondering what SFWA’s most casual event is? Writing Dates might be your new favorite habit.
Check out “SFWA Presents: Get to Know…Our Writing Dates Program,” an interview with the volunteers who run it: @kristinosani.bsky.social @cjlavigne.com @meagenvoss.bsky.social
SFWA Presents: Get to Know…Our Writing Dates Program - SFWA - The Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers Association
SFWA’s Writing Dates Program offers weekly online co-writing sessions that foster connection, support, and productivity. In this interview, volunteers share how it began, how it works, and why writers...
www.sfwa.org
October 27, 2025 at 4:31 PM
Don’t miss on Planetside…
Wondering what SFWA’s most casual event is? Writing Dates might be your new favorite habit.
Check out “SFWA Presents: Get to Know…Our Writing Dates Program,” an interview with the volunteers who run it: @kristinosani.bsky.social @cjlavigne.com @meagenvoss.bsky.social
Wondering what SFWA’s most casual event is? Writing Dates might be your new favorite habit.
Check out “SFWA Presents: Get to Know…Our Writing Dates Program,” an interview with the volunteers who run it: @kristinosani.bsky.social @cjlavigne.com @meagenvoss.bsky.social
A new week beckons! Here's "Poverty," by David Armand. Enjoy! #litmag #poetry
penmenreview.com/poverty/
penmenreview.com/poverty/
Poverty
by David Armand Most of my childhood I lived in a singlewide trailer,which was in the middle of a clearing in the woodsjust north of a little town in Folsom, Louisiana.But it wasn’t even a town. It wa...
penmenreview.com
October 27, 2025 at 12:39 PM
A new week beckons! Here's "Poverty," by David Armand. Enjoy! #litmag #poetry
penmenreview.com/poverty/
penmenreview.com/poverty/
Spare a moment for a poem this Thursday! Here's "A Moment Depends Not Just on Its Moment," by D. R. James. Enjoy! #litmag #poetry
penmenreview.com/a-moment-dep...
penmenreview.com/a-moment-dep...
A Moment Depends Not Just on Its Moment
by D.R. James You’d like to move on beyond mean memory,skirt that peopled, hollow squalor, pack upyour numerous mind encampments whose smokycook fires now flicker, now flare on this or thatnostalgic h...
penmenreview.com
October 23, 2025 at 2:26 PM
Spare a moment for a poem this Thursday! Here's "A Moment Depends Not Just on Its Moment," by D. R. James. Enjoy! #litmag #poetry
penmenreview.com/a-moment-dep...
penmenreview.com/a-moment-dep...
Reposted by Penmen Review
Thank you to @locusmag.bsky.social for spreading the word! We are so excited to keep the spirit of the Nebulas going this November, through events celebrating professional writing communities, *in* community with @sciencewriters.org and @hwany.org!
Grand Master chats & Nebula secrets too! 👀👇 #Soon!
Grand Master chats & Nebula secrets too! 👀👇 #Soon!
October 21, 2025 at 11:24 PM
Thank you to @locusmag.bsky.social for spreading the word! We are so excited to keep the spirit of the Nebulas going this November, through events celebrating professional writing communities, *in* community with @sciencewriters.org and @hwany.org!
Grand Master chats & Nebula secrets too! 👀👇 #Soon!
Grand Master chats & Nebula secrets too! 👀👇 #Soon!
Happy Monday! Here's "Waiting for Hunter," by Jackie Tricolli. Enjoy! #litmag
penmenreview.com/waiting-for-...
penmenreview.com/waiting-for-...
Waiting for Hunter
by Jackie Tricolli I am slow to rise in the morning, no urgency to start the day, no task to get me moving. I am slow to rise from a bed I just bought in a home I just made my own, daylight peeking th...
penmenreview.com
October 20, 2025 at 12:45 PM
Happy Monday! Here's "Waiting for Hunter," by Jackie Tricolli. Enjoy! #litmag
penmenreview.com/waiting-for-...
penmenreview.com/waiting-for-...
Happy Friday! How about a poem? Here's "A Farm in Ohio," by William Heath. Enjoy! #litmag #poetry
penmenreview.com/a-farm-in-oh...
penmenreview.com/a-farm-in-oh...
A Farm in Ohio
by William Heath I remember Aunt Hazel’s two-story wooden farmhouse by the roadside, the flat fields of northwestern Ohio stretching out in all directions until they hit a tree line left on purpose to...
penmenreview.com
October 17, 2025 at 2:00 PM
Happy Friday! How about a poem? Here's "A Farm in Ohio," by William Heath. Enjoy! #litmag #poetry
penmenreview.com/a-farm-in-oh...
penmenreview.com/a-farm-in-oh...
Reupping this one. Submission open through the end of the month!
SNHU is excited to announce its 11th Annual Fall Fiction Contest! Submissions are open from Oct. 1-31. Enter for a chance to win up to $3,000 in SNHU scholarships, have your short story featured in The Penmen Review, and more!
penmenreview.com/fall-fiction...
penmenreview.com/fall-fiction...
SNHU Fall Fiction Contest Guidelines
Calling All Writers! 11th Annual SNHU Fiction Contest Southern New Hampshire University’s (SNHU) 11th annual Fall Fiction Short Story Contest kicks off on Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2025. Writers can gain mor...
penmenreview.com
October 16, 2025 at 12:01 PM
Reupping this one. Submission open through the end of the month!
Happy Monday. Let's start the week with a splash! Here's "The Mermaid," by Rebecca Watters. Enjoy! #llitmag #shortstory
penmenreview.com/the-mermaid/
penmenreview.com/the-mermaid/
The Mermaid
by Rebecca Watters Cast adrift with only a pistol and a single lead ball—a small mercy for which Horatio ought to be grateful after a failed mutiny. He should have got a real job, but smuggling was mo...
penmenreview.com
October 13, 2025 at 12:35 PM
Happy Monday. Let's start the week with a splash! Here's "The Mermaid," by Rebecca Watters. Enjoy! #llitmag #shortstory
penmenreview.com/the-mermaid/
penmenreview.com/the-mermaid/
Things are rough out there. Let poetry help. Here's "Lucky," by David Armand. Enjoy! #litmag #poetry
penmenreview.com/lucky/
penmenreview.com/lucky/
Lucky
by David Armand Every time he bought a pack of cigarettes— Camel Special Lights, which I don’t even think they make anymore—my friend Nik would peel off the cellophane, open the box, and pull one out...
penmenreview.com
October 9, 2025 at 3:22 PM
Things are rough out there. Let poetry help. Here's "Lucky," by David Armand. Enjoy! #litmag #poetry
penmenreview.com/lucky/
penmenreview.com/lucky/
How about a poem to start your week? Here's "Epiphany," by Chris Dungey. Enjoy! #litmag #poetry.
penmenreview.com/epiphany-2/
penmenreview.com/epiphany-2/
Epiphany
by Chris Dungey With first light and all through the bitter day, a dandelion ...
penmenreview.com
October 6, 2025 at 12:43 PM
How about a poem to start your week? Here's "Epiphany," by Chris Dungey. Enjoy! #litmag #poetry.
penmenreview.com/epiphany-2/
penmenreview.com/epiphany-2/
Definitely worth your time!
Hot off the presses--September's Wireside Chat, featuring the phenomenal Cynthea Liu!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RgZ...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RgZ...
Wireside Chat, Featuring Special Guest Cynthea Liu, 9/8/25
YouTube video by SNHU Academic Support
www.youtube.com
October 3, 2025 at 1:36 PM
Definitely worth your time!
Reposted by Penmen Review
Creators helping creators is what it's all about - which is why SFWA Indie developed HARP, a digital-publishing training program to help writers with out-of-print catalogs find a "second life" for their work in digital form. Mentee applications are open until Oct 23! 👇👀
www.sfwa.org/harp-mentee-...
www.sfwa.org/harp-mentee-...
October 2, 2025 at 4:51 PM
Creators helping creators is what it's all about - which is why SFWA Indie developed HARP, a digital-publishing training program to help writers with out-of-print catalogs find a "second life" for their work in digital form. Mentee applications are open until Oct 23! 👇👀
www.sfwa.org/harp-mentee-...
www.sfwa.org/harp-mentee-...
SNHU is excited to announce its 11th Annual Fall Fiction Contest! Submissions are open from Oct. 1-31. Enter for a chance to win up to $3,000 in SNHU scholarships, have your short story featured in The Penmen Review, and more!
penmenreview.com/fall-fiction...
penmenreview.com/fall-fiction...
SNHU Fall Fiction Contest Guidelines
Calling All Writers! 11th Annual SNHU Fiction Contest Southern New Hampshire University’s (SNHU) 11th annual Fall Fiction Short Story Contest kicks off on Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2025. Writers can gain mor...
penmenreview.com
October 3, 2025 at 1:27 PM
SNHU is excited to announce its 11th Annual Fall Fiction Contest! Submissions are open from Oct. 1-31. Enter for a chance to win up to $3,000 in SNHU scholarships, have your short story featured in The Penmen Review, and more!
penmenreview.com/fall-fiction...
penmenreview.com/fall-fiction...
How about a short story to close out your week in style? Here's "The Noise," by Annh Browder. Enjoy! #litmag #shortstory.
penmenreview.com/the-noise/
penmenreview.com/the-noise/
The Noise
by Annh Browder I have always hated noise. After the funeral, it seemed like no one ever stopped talking. “I’m so sorry for your loss,” “She would want you to be happy,” and “If you ever need anything...
penmenreview.com
October 3, 2025 at 12:16 PM
How about a short story to close out your week in style? Here's "The Noise," by Annh Browder. Enjoy! #litmag #shortstory.
penmenreview.com/the-noise/
penmenreview.com/the-noise/