Brendan Stephens
@bstephens.bsky.social
writer | assistant professor | nonfiction editor for Aquifer: Florida Review Online | metal head
brendanstephenswriting.com
brendanstephenswriting.com
Ethical question: if a student sends me an AI email, should I give an AI reply? I just spent twenty minutes responding point by point to an AI email, pretending not to notice, and I kind of resent exerting any effort.
November 13, 2025 at 9:33 PM
Ethical question: if a student sends me an AI email, should I give an AI reply? I just spent twenty minutes responding point by point to an AI email, pretending not to notice, and I kind of resent exerting any effort.
Reposted by Brendan Stephens
Please join us in celebrating The Florida Review contributors Naomi Gordon-Loebl and Jason Brown, whose respective essays were honored as "Notable Essays of 2024" by Best American Essays.
#theflreview
#theflreview
November 5, 2025 at 5:46 PM
Please join us in celebrating The Florida Review contributors Naomi Gordon-Loebl and Jason Brown, whose respective essays were honored as "Notable Essays of 2024" by Best American Essays.
#theflreview
#theflreview
I have a graduating student who is interested in being a reader or intern for a literary magazine or small press. Do any of y’all know of anyone looking for readers?
November 4, 2025 at 3:56 PM
I have a graduating student who is interested in being a reader or intern for a literary magazine or small press. Do any of y’all know of anyone looking for readers?
I recently learned that if I’d been a girl, my parents would’ve named me after a ski company called Kastle, pronouncing it Kass-ley. I have no idea what to do with this information and yet it feels very profound.
October 24, 2025 at 7:13 PM
I recently learned that if I’d been a girl, my parents would’ve named me after a ski company called Kastle, pronouncing it Kass-ley. I have no idea what to do with this information and yet it feels very profound.
Bianca: “This song is about losing your virginity by having sex.”
Me: “Is there another way?”
Me: “Is there another way?”
October 15, 2025 at 2:04 PM
Bianca: “This song is about losing your virginity by having sex.”
Me: “Is there another way?”
Me: “Is there another way?”
Backing into a parking spot, I begin singing “What a man, what a man, what a mighty good man.”
October 8, 2025 at 3:04 PM
Backing into a parking spot, I begin singing “What a man, what a man, what a mighty good man.”
It’s me. Really tried to experiment with breaking a rule of fiction with this one. I wanted to try to show an epiphany that ultimately doesn’t provoke a change in the character. Bleak stuff. Enjoy!
Read "Pool Party" written by @bstephens.bsky.social and illustrated by Brett J Barr.
"I was twenty-two, alone at my parents’ Orlando winter home, roughing it without any of our staff. My father had made it known I was not to get too comfortable..."
tinyurl.com/45n5f2xm
"I was twenty-two, alone at my parents’ Orlando winter home, roughing it without any of our staff. My father had made it known I was not to get too comfortable..."
tinyurl.com/45n5f2xm
Pool Party — Ghost Parachute
I was twenty-two, alone at my parents’ Orlando winter home, roughing it without any of our staff. My father had made it known I was not to get too comfortable, saying, Life offered no handouts. A tren...
tinyurl.com
October 2, 2025 at 6:56 PM
It’s me. Really tried to experiment with breaking a rule of fiction with this one. I wanted to try to show an epiphany that ultimately doesn’t provoke a change in the character. Bleak stuff. Enjoy!
I got a story in this issue along with a bunch of my favorite writers. Unreal issue!
We are excited to present the October 2025 issue, which is our Nine Year Anniversary issue. We've put out an issue every month on the first since we started, making this our 108th issue. Cover illustrated by @genevievetyrrell.bsky.social.
tinyurl.com/mtcaexjy
tinyurl.com/mtcaexjy
October 2025 Issue — Ghost Parachute
tinyurl.com
October 1, 2025 at 6:19 PM
I got a story in this issue along with a bunch of my favorite writers. Unreal issue!
Just took some Tylenol so I think this means I’m about to go ASD super Saiyan.
September 28, 2025 at 6:50 PM
Just took some Tylenol so I think this means I’m about to go ASD super Saiyan.
My followers on here skew literary instead of punk/metal, but I feel like it is still worth a little tribute to Tomas Lindberg, the vocalist for At the Gates and Disfear. Slaughter of the Soul was my first death metal listen and Live the Storm is the best dbeat lp ever. What a monster.
September 16, 2025 at 2:59 PM
My followers on here skew literary instead of punk/metal, but I feel like it is still worth a little tribute to Tomas Lindberg, the vocalist for At the Gates and Disfear. Slaughter of the Soul was my first death metal listen and Live the Storm is the best dbeat lp ever. What a monster.
In the middle of a classic DND session where an insulted NPC kindly asks the party to leave his house, so the party had no choice but to escalate to a hostage situation which quickly turned to a kidnapping.
September 16, 2025 at 1:00 AM
In the middle of a classic DND session where an insulted NPC kindly asks the party to leave his house, so the party had no choice but to escalate to a hostage situation which quickly turned to a kidnapping.
I had a reader point out that I overused “ever” and “just” in my manuscript, so I literally spent 2 hours with ctrl+f searching and changing wording. Can’t decide if this was my most productive or least productive writing session of 2025.
September 7, 2025 at 5:42 PM
I had a reader point out that I overused “ever” and “just” in my manuscript, so I literally spent 2 hours with ctrl+f searching and changing wording. Can’t decide if this was my most productive or least productive writing session of 2025.
I just found out a picture of me as a child has been sold as a postcard for like 30 years. Where are my residuals?
September 2, 2025 at 7:54 PM
I just found out a picture of me as a child has been sold as a postcard for like 30 years. Where are my residuals?
I have made a grave and terrible error by committing to a show with doors at 9 and music at 10.
August 30, 2025 at 9:50 PM
I have made a grave and terrible error by committing to a show with doors at 9 and music at 10.
A close friend (and former editor of Gulf Coast and Black Warrior Review) was recently diagnosed with ALS. He’s lost most of his mobility and a lot of his medical care isn’t covered by insurance. He’s been a gift to the literary community and he could use your help.
www.gofundme.com/f/support-ry...
www.gofundme.com/f/support-ry...
Donate to Support Ryan's Fight Against ALS, organized by DONNA BOLLENBACH
Support Ryan in his Fight against ALS
At just 37 years old, our youngest son… DONNA BOLLENBACH needs your support for Support Ryan's Fight Against ALS
www.gofundme.com
August 22, 2025 at 6:08 PM
A close friend (and former editor of Gulf Coast and Black Warrior Review) was recently diagnosed with ALS. He’s lost most of his mobility and a lot of his medical care isn’t covered by insurance. He’s been a gift to the literary community and he could use your help.
www.gofundme.com/f/support-ry...
www.gofundme.com/f/support-ry...
The people who most baffle me are those that post online, “I hated this TV show with hundreds of hours of content on my first watch, but I really loved it by my third rewatch.”
August 18, 2025 at 6:57 PM
The people who most baffle me are those that post online, “I hated this TV show with hundreds of hours of content on my first watch, but I really loved it by my third rewatch.”
Bianca hates my faculty headshot, but all I care about is my students knowing I was having a good hair day.
August 13, 2025 at 9:59 PM
Bianca hates my faculty headshot, but all I care about is my students knowing I was having a good hair day.
A note to all unpublished writers: please delete that Byron quote before submitting. Your piece doesn’t need an epigraph.
August 7, 2025 at 2:41 PM
A note to all unpublished writers: please delete that Byron quote before submitting. Your piece doesn’t need an epigraph.
It’s nine in the morning and I’m trying to find box office projections for The Naked Gun because deep down I truly want it to be a blockbuster, and oh my god what have I become?
August 2, 2025 at 2:03 PM
It’s nine in the morning and I’m trying to find box office projections for The Naked Gun because deep down I truly want it to be a blockbuster, and oh my god what have I become?
I’ve been editing out my beloved em dashes, and honestly, I’ll never forgive ChatGPT for making me use parentheses.
July 11, 2025 at 6:23 PM
I’ve been editing out my beloved em dashes, and honestly, I’ll never forgive ChatGPT for making me use parentheses.
This is me after moving back to Texas.
June 26, 2025 at 7:40 PM
This is me after moving back to Texas.
I miss the early seasons of Chopped, before the chefs practiced and cracked the code on transforming ingredients. Those early episodes were so good cause chefs would make a Michelin star seaweed salad and then sprinkle gummy bears on top.
June 3, 2025 at 5:30 PM
I miss the early seasons of Chopped, before the chefs practiced and cracked the code on transforming ingredients. Those early episodes were so good cause chefs would make a Michelin star seaweed salad and then sprinkle gummy bears on top.
Boosting one of my oldest friends.
Looking for some freelance editing/teaching gigs, hit me up!
June 2, 2025 at 10:44 PM
Boosting one of my oldest friends.
Great opportunity for flash writers who want to see behind the curtain of lit mags.
We are looking for submissions editors. If you've been published by SmokeLong already and would love to read for the journal, hit us up. www.smokelong.com/work-with-us/
Work With Us - SmokeLong Quarterly
Are you a workshop leader with at least 5 years of teaching experience, knowledge in the field of the flash narrative, and a connection to the flash community? We are always searching for webinar and ...
www.smokelong.com
June 1, 2025 at 8:04 PM
Great opportunity for flash writers who want to see behind the curtain of lit mags.
Excited to announce I accepted an assistant professor gig at West Texas A&M. Stoked to explore Amarillo and Palo Duro Canyon.
May 31, 2025 at 8:10 PM
Excited to announce I accepted an assistant professor gig at West Texas A&M. Stoked to explore Amarillo and Palo Duro Canyon.