Jeff Sykes
@byjeffsykes.bsky.social
Far western N.C.
jhsykes.substack.com
jhsykes.substack.com
Log line: In a Southern city built on buried harm, a grandmother named Goldie Hayes uncovers toxic runoff in her childhood park—setting off a chain reaction that pulls a disillusioned academic, a conflicted political insider, and a cautious financial analyst into the heart of a cover-up.
November 14, 2025 at 2:31 AM
Log line: In a Southern city built on buried harm, a grandmother named Goldie Hayes uncovers toxic runoff in her childhood park—setting off a chain reaction that pulls a disillusioned academic, a conflicted political insider, and a cautious financial analyst into the heart of a cover-up.
"They crouched there in the shadows, waiting for the moment when the sky would begin to lighten, when the guards would be slow to rouse in that gray hour between night and morning."
From my story "One Way Out" published recently by @gritquarterly.bsky.social
gritquarterly.com#jeff-sykes-o...
From my story "One Way Out" published recently by @gritquarterly.bsky.social
gritquarterly.com#jeff-sykes-o...
October 17, 2025 at 11:43 PM
"They crouched there in the shadows, waiting for the moment when the sky would begin to lighten, when the guards would be slow to rouse in that gray hour between night and morning."
From my story "One Way Out" published recently by @gritquarterly.bsky.social
gritquarterly.com#jeff-sykes-o...
From my story "One Way Out" published recently by @gritquarterly.bsky.social
gritquarterly.com#jeff-sykes-o...
Reposted by Jeff Sykes
Aw yeah. My gritty West Maryland story "Cam" is live at @gritquarterly.bsky.social. Thanks to @danrussell.bsky.social for making it better than it was.
gritquarterly.com#jamey-gallag...
gritquarterly.com#welcome
gritquarterly.com#jamey-gallag...
gritquarterly.com#welcome
Grit Quarterly
gritquarterly.com
May 20, 2025 at 4:09 PM
Aw yeah. My gritty West Maryland story "Cam" is live at @gritquarterly.bsky.social. Thanks to @danrussell.bsky.social for making it better than it was.
gritquarterly.com#jamey-gallag...
gritquarterly.com#welcome
gritquarterly.com#jamey-gallag...
gritquarterly.com#welcome
Reposted by Jeff Sykes
Grit Quarterly launches today—congrats to Ed. Dan Russell. Happy to contribute an icy little chunk of S.E. Manitoba. @gritquarterly.bsky.social @nberlat.bsky.social @dashlarkin.bsky.social @melissacuisine.bsky.social @russellthayer10.bsky.social @byjeffsykes.bsky.social @maudlavin.bsky.social
August 25, 2025 at 2:47 PM
Grit Quarterly launches today—congrats to Ed. Dan Russell. Happy to contribute an icy little chunk of S.E. Manitoba. @gritquarterly.bsky.social @nberlat.bsky.social @dashlarkin.bsky.social @melissacuisine.bsky.social @russellthayer10.bsky.social @byjeffsykes.bsky.social @maudlavin.bsky.social
I published my first short story collection last year, a week before Hurricane Helen struck North Carolina. Ii put all my promotion plans on hold, but you may find it of interest.
shop.ingramspark.com/b/084?App7X1...
shop.ingramspark.com/b/084?App7X1...
July 4, 2025 at 12:01 AM
I published my first short story collection last year, a week before Hurricane Helen struck North Carolina. Ii put all my promotion plans on hold, but you may find it of interest.
shop.ingramspark.com/b/084?App7X1...
shop.ingramspark.com/b/084?App7X1...
Reposted by Jeff Sykes
These mags specifically note in their guidelines that they publish established and emerging writers alike, and placing a piece in one would look reeealll nice on the ol’ (new) literary bio.
Submission info: www.chillsubs.com/lists/New_pr...
Submission info: www.chillsubs.com/lists/New_pr...
June 24, 2025 at 7:38 PM
These mags specifically note in their guidelines that they publish established and emerging writers alike, and placing a piece in one would look reeealll nice on the ol’ (new) literary bio.
Submission info: www.chillsubs.com/lists/New_pr...
Submission info: www.chillsubs.com/lists/New_pr...
Reposted by Jeff Sykes
“Lily was my dog. In Lily were combined the two most beautiful and highest virtues—I’ve thought about this, and I mean it—the two very highest virtues of all conscious life, which are 1) likes to play and 2) gentleness.”
Read James Whorton Jr.’s “Stove City”: www.vqronline.org/winter-2024/...
Read James Whorton Jr.’s “Stove City”: www.vqronline.org/winter-2024/...
April 7, 2025 at 5:29 PM
“Lily was my dog. In Lily were combined the two most beautiful and highest virtues—I’ve thought about this, and I mean it—the two very highest virtues of all conscious life, which are 1) likes to play and 2) gentleness.”
Read James Whorton Jr.’s “Stove City”: www.vqronline.org/winter-2024/...
Read James Whorton Jr.’s “Stove City”: www.vqronline.org/winter-2024/...
Reposted by Jeff Sykes
The incomparable Joyce Carol Oates with an epic review of Caroline Fraser’s Murderland: Crime and Bloodlust in the Time of Serial Killers.
www.nybooks.com/articles/202...
www.nybooks.com/articles/202...
Death in the Air | Joyce Carol Oates
In Murderland, Caroline Fraser traces the correlations between rapacious industrial pollution and sadistic serial killers.
www.nybooks.com
July 3, 2025 at 3:05 PM
The incomparable Joyce Carol Oates with an epic review of Caroline Fraser’s Murderland: Crime and Bloodlust in the Time of Serial Killers.
www.nybooks.com/articles/202...
www.nybooks.com/articles/202...
Reposted by Jeff Sykes
Announcing our July First Editions Club pick: PAN by Michael Clune! He’ll be visiting The Lynx on July 23rd—Lauren’s birthday!—to discuss his debut novel with Prof. David Leavitt.
More details and tickets at TheLynxBooks.com/Events.
More details and tickets at TheLynxBooks.com/Events.
June 23, 2025 at 2:57 PM
Announcing our July First Editions Club pick: PAN by Michael Clune! He’ll be visiting The Lynx on July 23rd—Lauren’s birthday!—to discuss his debut novel with Prof. David Leavitt.
More details and tickets at TheLynxBooks.com/Events.
More details and tickets at TheLynxBooks.com/Events.
Reposted by Jeff Sykes
@legroff.bsky.social's new collection of short stories, BRAWLER, is coming out February 2026, and is now available for pre-order on The Lynx’s website. Order through The Lynx for EXCLUSIVE signed and personalized copies, alongside a piece of art commissioned for the book.
July 1, 2025 at 8:33 PM
@legroff.bsky.social's new collection of short stories, BRAWLER, is coming out February 2026, and is now available for pre-order on The Lynx’s website. Order through The Lynx for EXCLUSIVE signed and personalized copies, alongside a piece of art commissioned for the book.
"Still. Phone in hand. Dog at her feet. The silence inside her deeper than before, stretched taut and humming like speaker wire."
jhsykes.substack.com/p/the-cloud-...
jhsykes.substack.com/p/the-cloud-...
The Cloud and Her Mixed
Anxiety ran wild as Kyleena Bradley pulled into the gravel drive of Johnson’s Farm trailer park off Wayehutta Road.
jhsykes.substack.com
July 3, 2025 at 11:47 PM
"Still. Phone in hand. Dog at her feet. The silence inside her deeper than before, stretched taut and humming like speaker wire."
jhsykes.substack.com/p/the-cloud-...
jhsykes.substack.com/p/the-cloud-...
Reposted by Jeff Sykes
Amazing work by Lebanese illustrator Tracy Chahwan in the New York Times this week. This accompanies a review of the new crime thriller by SA Cosby, King of Ashes.
The review is here: www.nytimes.com/2025/06/10/b...
#illustration #art #artsky #litsky #booksky #thriller
The review is here: www.nytimes.com/2025/06/10/b...
#illustration #art #artsky #litsky #booksky #thriller
June 15, 2025 at 7:00 PM
Amazing work by Lebanese illustrator Tracy Chahwan in the New York Times this week. This accompanies a review of the new crime thriller by SA Cosby, King of Ashes.
The review is here: www.nytimes.com/2025/06/10/b...
#illustration #art #artsky #litsky #booksky #thriller
The review is here: www.nytimes.com/2025/06/10/b...
#illustration #art #artsky #litsky #booksky #thriller
Reposted by Jeff Sykes
Don't know what to do this holiday weekend?? How about reading a new book by one of MWA's members - here is the July list - mysterywriters.org/new-books-by...
New Books by MWA Members - July 2025 - Mystery Writers of America
Here are the July 2025 books by some of our members. They may all be found at your local Independent Bookstore. Visit this link...
mysterywriters.org
July 3, 2025 at 4:06 PM
Don't know what to do this holiday weekend?? How about reading a new book by one of MWA's members - here is the July list - mysterywriters.org/new-books-by...
Some good mail I received.
November 20, 2024 at 4:46 AM
Some good mail I received.
Reposted by Jeff Sykes
We are open for subs! Flash fiction, CNF, poetry, and art and photography. Can't wait to see your wild, wooly, and brightly feathered creations!
third-street-review.org/submissions/
Submissions
Third Street Review Literally On the Edge Located on the Pacific Ocean in the artists’ colony of Laguna Beach, California, Third Street Review lives on the edge, both literally and figuratively. Ca…
third-street-review.org
November 13, 2024 at 11:36 PM
We are open for subs! Flash fiction, CNF, poetry, and art and photography. Can't wait to see your wild, wooly, and brightly feathered creations!
third-street-review.org/submissions/
My latest short story is about domestic violence and its impact on children.
jhsykes.substack.com/p/it-comes-b...
jhsykes.substack.com/p/it-comes-b...
It Comes Back to You
Blake was seven when he began to realize the world was bigger than the parts he knew about. His family lived in a suburban apartment complex carved from pastureland astride a busy thoroughfare. Most o...
jhsykes.substack.com
May 1, 2024 at 5:47 PM
My latest short story is about domestic violence and its impact on children.
jhsykes.substack.com/p/it-comes-b...
jhsykes.substack.com/p/it-comes-b...
"If you know the history of the activist class in Greensboro, then you can see clearly how they pounced on these bureaucratic processes and the failure of civil servants acting under pressure and sculpted them into the malevolent conspiracy of the age."
jhsykes.substack.com/p/review-i-a...
jhsykes.substack.com/p/review-i-a...
Promise unfulfilled: A critical look back at the death of Marcus Smith via 'I Ain't Resisting'
I found it quite impossible to review Ian McDowell’s book, I Ain’t Resisting, at the time of its release. Although I received an advanced copy, and promised to review it, I failed utterly to live up t...
jhsykes.substack.com
February 20, 2024 at 8:05 PM
"If you know the history of the activist class in Greensboro, then you can see clearly how they pounced on these bureaucratic processes and the failure of civil servants acting under pressure and sculpted them into the malevolent conspiracy of the age."
jhsykes.substack.com/p/review-i-a...
jhsykes.substack.com/p/review-i-a...
I wrote this short story about bitterness the the consequences of negativity.
jhsykes.substack.com/p/mariah
jhsykes.substack.com/p/mariah
Mariah
“She brought some complete stranger home from a club last night, and left him here when she went to work,” Carmen said with near fury. “I got up this morning and found a note under my door saying he ...
jhsykes.substack.com
February 20, 2024 at 8:01 PM
I wrote this short story about bitterness the the consequences of negativity.
jhsykes.substack.com/p/mariah
jhsykes.substack.com/p/mariah
“You got my back right? All I said was get out of my face.”
I paused for a second as Lonnie stood there staring at me and shaking his bloodied right hand.
“Sure, Lonnie, I got you. He didn’t have on no mask and you asked him to get out of your face.”
jhsykes.substack.com/p/get-out-of...
I paused for a second as Lonnie stood there staring at me and shaking his bloodied right hand.
“Sure, Lonnie, I got you. He didn’t have on no mask and you asked him to get out of your face.”
jhsykes.substack.com/p/get-out-of...
December 29, 2023 at 3:48 PM
“You got my back right? All I said was get out of my face.”
I paused for a second as Lonnie stood there staring at me and shaking his bloodied right hand.
“Sure, Lonnie, I got you. He didn’t have on no mask and you asked him to get out of your face.”
jhsykes.substack.com/p/get-out-of...
I paused for a second as Lonnie stood there staring at me and shaking his bloodied right hand.
“Sure, Lonnie, I got you. He didn’t have on no mask and you asked him to get out of your face.”
jhsykes.substack.com/p/get-out-of...
Reposted by Jeff Sykes
On 9/16 CJ Press launches our second @danbillyc.bsky.social collection. BLUR is comin':
September 8, 2023 at 2:20 PM
On 9/16 CJ Press launches our second @danbillyc.bsky.social collection. BLUR is comin':
I write things. Some reporting. Some fiction. Here's a short story from my website.
https://jhsykes.substack.com/p/one-night-on-coward-knob
https://jhsykes.substack.com/p/one-night-on-coward-knob
One Night on Coward Knob
Laurel’s face is next to my shoulder. I know she’s only one person but the fractals have started and I see several of her. Each one is outlined in black marker and the movement of her head and ext...
jhsykes.substack.com
August 19, 2023 at 5:53 PM
I write things. Some reporting. Some fiction. Here's a short story from my website.
https://jhsykes.substack.com/p/one-night-on-coward-knob
https://jhsykes.substack.com/p/one-night-on-coward-knob