The Milk House
LightNews LightNews
banner
themilkhouse.bsky.social
The Milk House
@themilkhouse.bsky.social
630 followers 60 following 61 posts
Literary journal of rural writing and experience, edited by @penofryandennis.bsky.social
Posts Replies Media Videos
Pinned
themilkhouse.bsky.social
The Milk House @themilkhouse.bsky.social · Dec 16
The results of the 2025 Best in Rural Writing Contest are in.

Who has won the grand prize and title of overall Best in Rural Writing, presented by #TheMilkHouse and @dailyyonder.bsky.social?

www.themilkhouse.org/2025-best-in...
themilkhouse.bsky.social
In July, a rush to get dry harvest in the barn
before a summer storm, our family of girls
pirouetted from housework to hay wagons...

This week on #TheMilkHouse: "In Long Exhale and Other Poetry" by Nancy Huxtable Mohr.

www.themilkhouse.org/in-long-exha...
In Long Exhale and Other Poetry by Nancy Huxtable Mohr – The Milk House
"Our farm in long exhale—heat beats harder / on these acres. Fickle rain. Dormant acres / of wild grass..." Nancy Huxtable Mohr.
www.themilkhouse.org
February 12, 2026 at 4:51 PM
themilkhouse.bsky.social
Congratulations to @williamburtch.bsky.social on an excellent collection of rural short stories, titled #OtherwiseWretched.

Available from Sunbury Press: www.sunburypress.com/collections/...
February 11, 2026 at 10:56 AM
themilkhouse.bsky.social
This week on #TheMilkHouse:

Two young boys are forced to reckon with adult matters, in the short story "Nameless" by Daniel Heila.

Read it here: www.themilkhouse.org/nameless-by-...
Nameless by Daniel Heila – The Milk House
Young boys are forced to confront serious matters sooner than they expected, in the short story "Nameless" by Daniel Heila.
www.themilkhouse.org
February 5, 2026 at 5:17 PM
themilkhouse.bsky.social
"The cattle have grazed through the wait
anxious at the gate getting noisy..."

This week on #TheMilkHouse: Made in Milk and Other Poems by James Walton.

Read them here: www.themilkhouse.org/made-in-milk...
Made in Milk and Other Poems by James Walton – The Milk House
"The cattle have grazed through the wait / anxious at the gate getting noisy..." Enjoy three poems by James Walton.
www.themilkhouse.org
January 29, 2026 at 4:26 PM
themilkhouse.bsky.social
This week on #TheMilkHouse:

A farming family contends with a changing world, in Brian Reisinger's short story "Rats in the Corncrib."

Read it here:

www.themilkhouse.org/rats-in-the-...
Rats in the Corncrib By Brian Reisinger – The Milk House
They sure didn’t need her there—Beulah knew that without being told. Hunched over the steering wheel of her Buick, peering through the haze as the wipers whisked the snow from her windshield, she coul...
www.themilkhouse.org
January 9, 2026 at 8:48 AM
Reposted by The Milk House
dsart.bsky.social
I made the cut! (Not a bad way to start the new year.)
#MilkHouse #BestInRuralWriting #Anthology #Rebounders
www.themilkhouse.org/anthology @themilkhouse.bsky.social
Photo of a computer keyboard, a ballpoint pen, and a copy of the 2026 Best in Rural Writing, including Don Stewart's essay "Rebounders" about city dwellers returning to the country
January 2, 2026 at 6:19 PM
themilkhouse.bsky.social
The results of the 2025 Best in Rural Writing Contest are in.

Who has won the grand prize and title of overall Best in Rural Writing, presented by #TheMilkHouse and @dailyyonder.bsky.social?

www.themilkhouse.org/2025-best-in...
December 16, 2025 at 6:28 PM
themilkhouse.bsky.social
We're grateful to @dailyyonder.bsky.social for publishing the finalists of the #BestinRuralWriting Contest. Vote for overall winner on #TheMilkHouse's contest page.

Read the nomination for Best Essay, "God, Guns, and Baseball" by Lena (Sunada-Matsumura) Newlin.

dailyyonder.com/2025-rural-w...
2025 Rural Writing Contest Best Essay: 'God, Guns, and Baseball' | The Daily Yonder
Editor’s note: The third annual “Best in Rural Writing Contest” was presented by the rural literary journal The Milk House with promotional support from
dailyyonder.com
December 9, 2025 at 2:10 PM
themilkhouse.bsky.social
Thanks to @dailyyonder.bsky.social for publishing the finalists of the #BestinRuralWriting Contest. Vote for overall winner on The Milk House's contest page.

Read the judge's choice for Best Short Story, "The Escapee's Lover" by Dennis McFadden:

dailyyonder.com/2025-rural-w...
2025 Rural Writing Contest Best Short Story: 'The Escapee’s Lover' | The Daily Yonder
Editor’s note: The third annual “Best in Rural Writing Contest” was presented by the rural literary journal The Milk House with promotional support from
dailyyonder.com
December 7, 2025 at 3:18 PM
themilkhouse.bsky.social
This week on #TheMilkHouse:

Andrew Sharp (@asharpwriter.bsky.social) teases apart a delicate but universal issue, in his essay "On killing."

Read it here: www.themilkhouse.org/on-killing-b...
On Killing by Andrew Sharp – The Milk House
Andrew Sharp approaches death on both the conceptual and practical level, trying to negotiate its necessity in modern life.
www.themilkhouse.org
November 30, 2025 at 12:10 AM
themilkhouse.bsky.social
Announcement!

We can now share which entries @jamesgwriter.bsky.social has selected as Best Essay and Best Short Story in the 2025 #BestinRuralWriting Contest.

Visit themilkhouse.org to read or listen to both entries and lend your vote for the overall prize of $500!
November 25, 2025 at 5:49 PM
themilkhouse.bsky.social
This week on #TheMilkHouse: a man returns to where he grew up with unsettled business on his mind.

Enjoy "A Good Visit Home" by @dantamblyn.bsky.social.

www.themilkhouse.org/a-good-visit...
A Good Visit Home by Dan Tamblyn – The Milk House
A return to the past brings back some unresolved business, in Dan Tamblyn's short story "A Good Visit Home."
www.themilkhouse.org
November 14, 2025 at 11:37 AM
themilkhouse.bsky.social
His mostly bald head bobbled as he talked
and the halting words waited like the holes
to be threaded...

This week on #TheMilkHouse: "Baling Hay with Glen" by Joseph Powell.

Read it here: www.themilkhouse.org/baling-hay-w...
www.themilkhouse.org
November 6, 2025 at 11:11 AM
themilkhouse.bsky.social
This week on #TheMilkHouse:

a hunting trip for brothers turns into a comment on mortality, in the short story "Bug" by John Whittier Treat.

Read it here: www.themilkhouse.org/bug-by-john-...
Bug by John Whittier Treat – The Milk House
An annual camping trip causes one brother to start thinking about what lies ahead of them, in "Bug" by John Whittier Treat.
www.themilkhouse.org
October 30, 2025 at 9:50 AM
themilkhouse.bsky.social
Every so many years I stumble onto a poetry collection that makes me excited about the possibilities of language again.

#ThisMuchVery by @hiramlarew.bsky.social has surprising turns, a unique voice, and is a celebration without a hint of sentimentality.

Highly recommended.
October 27, 2025 at 1:50 PM
themilkhouse.bsky.social
Cover Reveal Alert!

The Milk House is delighted to unveil the cover of its latest project – the 2026 Best in Rural Writing Anthology.

Coming this winter!
October 22, 2025 at 10:17 AM
themilkhouse.bsky.social
The shortlists for the 2025 #BestinRuralWriting Contest is live!

Congrats to the 10 shortlisted authors selected by @jamesgwriter.bsky.social. He had tough choices to make!

And thanks to everyone who submitted. You deserve credit for lifting the rural voice.

www.themilkhouse.org/2025-best-in...
2025 Best in Rural Writing Contest: Shortlist – The Milk House
The 2025 Best in Rural Writing Shortlist includes five essays and five short stories by writers from around the world.
www.themilkhouse.org
October 15, 2025 at 1:05 PM
themilkhouse.bsky.social
Announcement:

Tuesday, October 15th (tomorrow) the 2025 #BestinRuralWriting Contest shortlist, as chosen by judge @jamesgwriter.bsky.social, will be announced on The Milk House website at 1pm GMT/ 8am EST.

Stop by for the results!
October 14, 2025 at 1:05 PM
Reposted by The Milk House
penofryandennis.bsky.social
It's great to see that #BarnGothic, my upcoming memoir about the dairy industry (November 13th), is listed in @foodtank.bsky.social's Fall Recommended Reads!

foodtank.com/news/2025/10...
Your Fall Reading List for a Better Food Future
Covering everything from soil to supper, these 26 inspiring books on food, farming, and climate are must-reads this fall.
foodtank.com
October 10, 2025 at 5:15 PM
themilkhouse.bsky.social
Drawn to their sad songs
rolling across the yard like leaves,
I lingered in soft eyes, gazes
never wavering from his window...

This week on #TheMilkHouse: "Grieving Horses" by Julie H. Fonte.

Read it here: www.themilkhouse.org/grieving-hor...
Grieving Horses by Julie H. Fonte – The Milk House
"The last thing I expected / turning into the gravel drive / were four red manes bowing / over a split rail fence..." Julia H. Fonte
www.themilkhouse.org
October 9, 2025 at 11:17 AM
Reposted by The Milk House
jamesgwriter.bsky.social
Reading more submissions this evening for the 2025 #BestinRuralWriting Contest.
Found another few pieces that I just love! 🤩
@themilkhouse.bsky.social
#Judging #Fiction #NonFiction
October 2, 2025 at 9:28 PM
Reposted by The Milk House
jamesgwriter.bsky.social
Reading submissions.
First one I picked up was AWESOME!
#Reading
themilkhouse.bsky.social The Milk House @themilkhouse.bsky.social · Sep 16
The 2025 #BestinRuralWriting Contest is now closed. Thanks for another incredible turnout of submissions.

Good luck to all who have entered! The shortlist announcement is expected for late October/early November.
October 1, 2025 at 6:04 PM
themilkhouse.bsky.social
"Yet there it was,
transferred to my palm like one of those
crazy decalcomanias she adorns herself with..."

This week on #TheMilkHouse: "Dead Owl and Other Poems" by J.R. Solonche.

Read them here: www.themilkhouse.org/dead-owl-and...
Dead Owl and Other Poems by J. R. Solonche – The Milk House
Yet there it was, / transferred to my palm like one of those / crazy decalcomanias she adorns herself with..."Dead Owl and Other Poems"
www.themilkhouse.org
September 25, 2025 at 11:16 AM
themilkhouse.bsky.social
What he feels, he acts upon;
What determines truth describes consequence....

This week on #TheMilkHouse: "The Sugars of Existence by Benjamin Green.

Read it here: www.themilkhouse.org/the-sugars-o...
The Sugars of Existence by Benjamin Green – The Milk House
"What he feels, he acts upon; / What determines truth describes consequence...." The Sugars of Existence by Benjamin Green.
www.themilkhouse.org
September 18, 2025 at 8:36 AM
themilkhouse.bsky.social
The 2025 #BestinRuralWriting Contest is now closed. Thanks for another incredible turnout of submissions.

Good luck to all who have entered! The shortlist announcement is expected for late October/early November.
September 16, 2025 at 12:38 PM