TRossi (she/her)
@trossiwriter.bsky.social
Writes. Professes. Edits.
Issue 22 will rock your world!
Check out our issue 22 prose contributors!
Joey Hedger / S. H. Woodgeard / Rowan MacDonald / Nicholas Claro / Christian Fuller / Elizabeth Rosen / S. L. Johnson / Chrissy Stegman / Rebecca van Laer / Gerardo J. Mercado
variantlit.com/issue-twenty...
Joey Hedger / S. H. Woodgeard / Rowan MacDonald / Nicholas Claro / Christian Fuller / Elizabeth Rosen / S. L. Johnson / Chrissy Stegman / Rebecca van Laer / Gerardo J. Mercado
variantlit.com/issue-twenty...
February 14, 2026 at 2:11 AM
Issue 22 will rock your world!
@megjnic.bsky.social and the wonderful folks of Lemon Grove Writers are hosting—come for the prompts, stay for the community!
Free 2-hour writing sprints are open to writers at any stage! Join us at 11:00 AM CT (9:00 AM PT) on the following Saturdays:
Feb 28th
March 7th
March 21st
Sign up at lemongrovewriters.com
Hosted by writers Megan Nichols, Jessica Lohafer, and Caitlin Morris.
Feb 28th
March 7th
March 21st
Sign up at lemongrovewriters.com
Hosted by writers Megan Nichols, Jessica Lohafer, and Caitlin Morris.
February 12, 2026 at 8:04 PM
@megjnic.bsky.social and the wonderful folks of Lemon Grove Writers are hosting—come for the prompts, stay for the community!
Meet me at the intersection of FREE! POETRY! under the the tutelage of the wonderful @ashlogophile.bsky.social
We're excited to announce a FREE poetry workshop! Ashley Kim @ashlogophile.bsky.social will lead The Weight of Small Moments: A Jane Kenyon Study on Feb 26th at 6PM PT
variantlit.com/kenyon-works...
variantlit.com/kenyon-works...
February 12, 2026 at 8:01 PM
Meet me at the intersection of FREE! POETRY! under the the tutelage of the wonderful @ashlogophile.bsky.social
Want to know if we can go home again? Read this gem from @joeyhedger.bsky.social in the new issue of @variantlit.bsky.social
I've got a new story out in @variantlit.bsky.social called "The Gunshine State." It's kinda about hating your hometown from someone who kinda hates his hometown and kinda also loves it. Thanks so much to the editors for giving it a home!!! variantlit.com/the-gunshine...
The Gunshine State
Visit the post for more.
variantlit.com
February 12, 2026 at 7:59 PM
Want to know if we can go home again? Read this gem from @joeyhedger.bsky.social in the new issue of @variantlit.bsky.social
Don’t miss this bittersweet and timely story from @thewritelifeliz.bsky.social in the new issue of @variantlit.bsky.social
What’s up, Bluesky asks? Just the appearance of one of my Maryland stories in a journal I really admire: @variantlit.bsky.social.
variantlit.com/beacon/
variantlit.com/beacon/
Beacon
Visit the post for more.
variantlit.com
February 12, 2026 at 7:56 PM
Don’t miss this bittersweet and timely story from @thewritelifeliz.bsky.social in the new issue of @variantlit.bsky.social
Alligator by David Ryan is out today from Cash4Gold Books. Can’t wait to read!
November 30, 2025 at 6:13 PM
Alligator by David Ryan is out today from Cash4Gold Books. Can’t wait to read!
Reposted by TRossi (she/her)
We’re thrilled to announce our Pushcart Prize nominations for 2026:
“On Craft” by Erica Dawson
“Clutch” by Stephanie Frazee
“Holes” by Nicole Desjardins Gowdy
“Cooking Lesson” by Shira Haus
“Five O’Clock Shadow in Philly” by Allen Means
“The Opposite of Dusk” by Ron Riekki
“On Craft” by Erica Dawson
“Clutch” by Stephanie Frazee
“Holes” by Nicole Desjardins Gowdy
“Cooking Lesson” by Shira Haus
“Five O’Clock Shadow in Philly” by Allen Means
“The Opposite of Dusk” by Ron Riekki
November 17, 2025 at 11:26 PM
We’re thrilled to announce our Pushcart Prize nominations for 2026:
“On Craft” by Erica Dawson
“Clutch” by Stephanie Frazee
“Holes” by Nicole Desjardins Gowdy
“Cooking Lesson” by Shira Haus
“Five O’Clock Shadow in Philly” by Allen Means
“The Opposite of Dusk” by Ron Riekki
“On Craft” by Erica Dawson
“Clutch” by Stephanie Frazee
“Holes” by Nicole Desjardins Gowdy
“Cooking Lesson” by Shira Haus
“Five O’Clock Shadow in Philly” by Allen Means
“The Opposite of Dusk” by Ron Riekki
It’s that time of year again!
October 22, 2025 at 12:41 AM
It’s that time of year again!
Can’t wait to read this! Out 11/30 from Cash4Gold books. Preorder here: bookshop.org/p/books/alli...
October 9, 2025 at 7:20 PM
Can’t wait to read this! Out 11/30 from Cash4Gold books. Preorder here: bookshop.org/p/books/alli...
“Poor Historian” by @rriekki.bsky.social haunts long after the read.
"I mean that they would tie us to fences
and there were so many fences
because it was a military base
where they were practicing the art of borders"
—Ron Riekki
anmly.org/ap40/ron-rie...
and there were so many fences
because it was a military base
where they were practicing the art of borders"
—Ron Riekki
anmly.org/ap40/ron-rie...
Ron Riekki – ANMLY
anmly.org
August 21, 2025 at 2:51 PM
“Poor Historian” by @rriekki.bsky.social haunts long after the read.
New remote classes starting this week with David Ryan: Studies in Shadow Form (starts tomorrow, Thursday, 7/24) and Irrealism: Surrealism and the Lyric Essay (starts Sunday, 7/27). His classes are so inspiring and generative! More info and signup here:
curiovox.com/185-2/
curiovox.com/185-2/
CurioVox offers education and consulting services from writer David Ryan, author of the forthcoming collection, Alligator (C4G Books). His earlier, Animals in Motion: Stories (Roundabout Press), Kirkus reviewed as “A debut collection of stories—one of the best in recent memory…. Ryan has plainly been honing his craft, because the 13 tales here are the work of a writer who knows exactly what he’s doing—and challenges the reader to figure out how he’s doing it…”
curiovox.com
July 23, 2025 at 8:07 PM
New remote classes starting this week with David Ryan: Studies in Shadow Form (starts tomorrow, Thursday, 7/24) and Irrealism: Surrealism and the Lyric Essay (starts Sunday, 7/27). His classes are so inspiring and generative! More info and signup here:
curiovox.com/185-2/
curiovox.com/185-2/
Reposted by TRossi (she/her)
What's in the box?
July 9, 2025 at 1:25 PM
What's in the box?
@variantlit.bsky.social’s own @barbaralockmd.bsky.social Her story’s sunlit-subtle menace will have you looking over your shoulder in a literary way!
It was my great honor to guest edit the Summer 2025 issue of Ploughshares.
It’s got so much great writing, I can’t wait for you all to see.
To celebrate, we’re having a reading in Boston on July 16.
You will love hearing Nadia, Carolyn, and Barbara read. I promise you.
Register now!
It’s got so much great writing, I can’t wait for you all to see.
To celebrate, we’re having a reading in Boston on July 16.
You will love hearing Nadia, Carolyn, and Barbara read. I promise you.
Register now!
Celebrate Halloween early with Ploughshares! Join us at 6pm on July 16th at Trident Booksellers in Boston, MA, for the launch of our sinister Summer 2025 issue, guest-edited by Victor LaValle and filled with werewolves, monsters, and more. Register here: https://pshr.us/sinistersummerlaunch
July 9, 2025 at 2:16 PM
@variantlit.bsky.social’s own @barbaralockmd.bsky.social Her story’s sunlit-subtle menace will have you looking over your shoulder in a literary way!
Reposted by TRossi (she/her)
What an honor! Thanks @variantlit.bsky.social for seeing something in this story!
Congratulations to the Variant writers on the Wigleaf Top 50 2025 Longlist!
@danbillyc.bsky.social "Kilter" (Spring 2024)
@courtludwick.bsky.social "Quarter" (Spring 2024)
@emilyrinkema.bsky.social "The Interview" (Fall 2024)
@sarahroth.bsky.social "Postnatural" (Winter 2024)
@danbillyc.bsky.social "Kilter" (Spring 2024)
@courtludwick.bsky.social "Quarter" (Spring 2024)
@emilyrinkema.bsky.social "The Interview" (Fall 2024)
@sarahroth.bsky.social "Postnatural" (Winter 2024)
new on our mainpage: THE WIGLEAF TOP 50 VERY SHORT FICTIONS 2025 (selecting editor @samanito.bsky.social )
June 30, 2025 at 8:19 PM
What an honor! Thanks @variantlit.bsky.social for seeing something in this story!
Reposted by TRossi (she/her)
A delightful and tender piece that I could read over and over and over again.
Is Harry Styles bagging groceries at a Trader Joe's in Indiana? Read this funny, tender story by Andrew Graham Martin to find out.
"My Teenage Daughter" variantlit.com/my-teenage-d...
"My Teenage Daughter" variantlit.com/my-teenage-d...
My Teenage Daughter
Visit the post for more.
variantlit.com
July 2, 2025 at 1:26 AM
A delightful and tender piece that I could read over and over and over again.
Congratulations Elijah! In case you missed it, read this @wigleaf.bsky.social Top 50 here:
We're so excited to see "The Proposed" by Elijah Sparkman in The @wigleaf.bsky.social Top 50! Read it here: variantlit.com/the-proposed/
June 28, 2025 at 9:02 PM
Congratulations Elijah! In case you missed it, read this @wigleaf.bsky.social Top 50 here:
Reposted by TRossi (she/her)
"The mouse in the grass gains confidence, and it is harder and harder to keep track of her. She runs around and starts to remember herself, the part of her that ran through grasses in past lives."
Read "Red White Fur" by Sonny Fillmore, about a snake, a mouse, a boy
variantlit.com/red-white-fur/
Read "Red White Fur" by Sonny Fillmore, about a snake, a mouse, a boy
variantlit.com/red-white-fur/
Red White Fur
Visit the post for more.
variantlit.com
June 23, 2025 at 2:14 PM
"The mouse in the grass gains confidence, and it is harder and harder to keep track of her. She runs around and starts to remember herself, the part of her that ran through grasses in past lives."
Read "Red White Fur" by Sonny Fillmore, about a snake, a mouse, a boy
variantlit.com/red-white-fur/
Read "Red White Fur" by Sonny Fillmore, about a snake, a mouse, a boy
variantlit.com/red-white-fur/
Reposted by TRossi (she/her)
"She presses her glossy lips together over a folded white napkin. When she pulls the paper from her mouth, there’s a perfect print of two coral lips—a Rorschach test: a butterfly. a boy. a blowfish. an ocean."
Read this Micro Series by Laci Mosier from issue 21
variantlit.com/micro-series/
Read this Micro Series by Laci Mosier from issue 21
variantlit.com/micro-series/
Micro Series
Visit the post for more.
variantlit.com
June 20, 2025 at 2:17 PM
"She presses her glossy lips together over a folded white napkin. When she pulls the paper from her mouth, there’s a perfect print of two coral lips—a Rorschach test: a butterfly. a boy. a blowfish. an ocean."
Read this Micro Series by Laci Mosier from issue 21
variantlit.com/micro-series/
Read this Micro Series by Laci Mosier from issue 21
variantlit.com/micro-series/
@derekshirae.bsky.social ‘s “Terminal” serves up strange snacks and an unlikely protagonist.
"He dabbed the keys with spit, rubbed each one clean, and tasted his fingers. Not always chocolate, but it would average out. His father had forbidden it, said Q could have all the chocolate he wanted in Heaven." Sit at the terminal in this story by Derek Shirae 🐛🍩
variantlit.com/terminal/
variantlit.com/terminal/
Terminal
Visit the post for more.
variantlit.com
June 19, 2025 at 4:26 PM
@derekshirae.bsky.social ‘s “Terminal” serves up strange snacks and an unlikely protagonist.
Yikes. Wondering where we’ll be even a year from now on this front.
New research from MIT found that those who used ChatGPT can’t remember any of the content of their essays.
Key takeaway: the product doesn’t suffer, but the process does. And when it comes to essays, the process *is* how they learn.
arxiv.org/pdf/2506.088...
Key takeaway: the product doesn’t suffer, but the process does. And when it comes to essays, the process *is* how they learn.
arxiv.org/pdf/2506.088...
June 19, 2025 at 1:40 AM
Yikes. Wondering where we’ll be even a year from now on this front.
Reposted by TRossi (she/her)
“It’s kind of exhausting maintaining everything I have going on, which isn’t that much, but even without ambitions you still have to go and be whoever it is you’ve been for however long you’ve been alive.”
So excited to have this new #flashfiction in Variant Lit.
variantlit.com/sparrows-wor...
So excited to have this new #flashfiction in Variant Lit.
variantlit.com/sparrows-wor...
Sparrow’s Work Song
Visit the post for more.
variantlit.com
June 15, 2025 at 9:41 PM
“It’s kind of exhausting maintaining everything I have going on, which isn’t that much, but even without ambitions you still have to go and be whoever it is you’ve been for however long you’ve been alive.”
So excited to have this new #flashfiction in Variant Lit.
variantlit.com/sparrows-wor...
So excited to have this new #flashfiction in Variant Lit.
variantlit.com/sparrows-wor...
One urgent care visit takes an unexpected turn in @beebs44120.bsky.social ‘s “Nothing Dead in Your Ear.” Read it in Issue 21 from @variantlit.bsky.social here: variantlit.com/nothing-dead...
Nothing Dead in Your Ear
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variantlit.com
June 15, 2025 at 9:31 PM
One urgent care visit takes an unexpected turn in @beebs44120.bsky.social ‘s “Nothing Dead in Your Ear.” Read it in Issue 21 from @variantlit.bsky.social here: variantlit.com/nothing-dead...
Cannot recommend David Ryan’s classes strongly enough! His revision course is 🔥, the craft classes so generative! Check out the what’s starting soon along with other opportunities here: curiovox.com
June 15, 2025 at 5:52 PM
Cannot recommend David Ryan’s classes strongly enough! His revision course is 🔥, the craft classes so generative! Check out the what’s starting soon along with other opportunities here: curiovox.com
Prose, lighthearted and somber—little somethings for everyone in Summer Issue 21!
June 14, 2025 at 4:52 PM
Prose, lighthearted and somber—little somethings for everyone in Summer Issue 21!
This one catches you midsteam and pulls you under. If only it didn’t hit so close to home. 🧚
"The ad for the job caught my eye in the Sunday paper, wedged between a posting for a home health aide and one for a house cleaner. Wanted: Tooth Fairy."
Read this surprising story from our Summer issue! 🦷 by
Nicole Desjardins Gowdy
variantlit.com/holes/
Read this surprising story from our Summer issue! 🦷 by
Nicole Desjardins Gowdy
variantlit.com/holes/
Holes
Visit the post for more.
variantlit.com
June 14, 2025 at 4:50 PM
This one catches you midsteam and pulls you under. If only it didn’t hit so close to home. 🧚