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paulwrites7.bsky.social
Paul Rousseau
@paulwrites7.bsky.social
1.2K followers 810 following 670 posts
Twin Cities, MN writer. Invisible disability.

Debut FRIENDLY FIRE: A FRACTURED MEMOIR (HarperCollins 2024)

Also in Roxane Gay's The Audacity, Newsweek, SmokeLong, Wigleaf, San Francisco Chronicle.

Read my stories & essays at https://paul-rousseau.com
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Paul Rousseau @paulwrites7.bsky.social · Feb 8
My college roommate shot me in the head through two walls in our on-campus apartment so…

bookshop.org/a/106296/978...
Friendly Fire: A Fractured Memoir
A Fractured Memoir
bookshop.org
paulwrites7.bsky.social
All set for tomorrow 🫡
Me nonchalantly looking off to the side sitting at my booth the day before the book fest Me pointing at my book with a silly face Me hooking my banner into place on a chalk board “mn author book signing. True story. Darkly funny. Energetic page turner. Union depot featured. Website Paul-Rousseau.com”
November 8, 2025 at 1:34 AM
paulwrites7.bsky.social
People always ask to buy my little skeletons but they work very hard and are not for sale
A magazine rack of friendly fire with a crosslegged skeleton reading a book My booth at the twin cities book fest with many skulls and yellow font and stuff about surviving a gun shot to the head
November 8, 2025 at 12:12 AM
paulwrites7.bsky.social
A chapter of my memoir actually takes place at this book fair venue which is a fun little synchronicity!
paulwrites7.bsky.social Paul Rousseau @paulwrites7.bsky.social · 20d
This weekend—the twin cities book event of the year.

Come to union depot in St. Paul. I’ll be at table 317 offering you know what.

Make it happen!
Booth map of twin cities book fest Rousseau, Paul table 317 at twin cities book fest
November 7, 2025 at 3:02 PM
paulwrites7.bsky.social
This weekend—the twin cities book event of the year.

Come to union depot in St. Paul. I’ll be at table 317 offering you know what.

Make it happen!
Booth map of twin cities book fest Rousseau, Paul table 317 at twin cities book fest
November 6, 2025 at 8:50 PM
paulwrites7.bsky.social
Hunting ghosts this weekend with a team of paranormal investigators and let me tell you dreams really do come true
October 23, 2025 at 8:23 PM
paulwrites7.bsky.social
My appearance kicks off Season 3 of the Lived to Tell Podcast, where Caitlin and I discuss the events and fallout of my memoir, FRIENDLY FIRE.

“Paul was unintentionally shot in the head by his best friend. What happened after would change Paul’s life forever.”
gray background black outline of a brain from sideview. PAUL is white front, bold. A quote "The bullet bounced off my head" Episode 30 October 22. @Livedtotellpod Wherever you get your podcasts.
October 22, 2025 at 5:55 PM
paulwrites7.bsky.social
Am in Spokane for a concert and found this amazing indie where I of course picked up a copy of @ambersparks.bsky.social’ new book!!
The facade of auntie’s books in Spokane Washington downtown The new hardback arrivals section at Auntie’s bookstore in Spokane Washington featuring amber sparks’ book happy people don’t live here Happy people don’t live here by amber sparks Red cover with ghostly black font. An old candle and a key ring with pine lake sanitarium printed on
October 17, 2025 at 11:56 PM
paulwrites7.bsky.social
Neighbor’s haunted trail is pretty good
Four zombie figures by vats of toxic waste. One is crawling from the barrel with a gas mask on. They wear white hazmat garb that is caked with blood. A rabbit/humanoid figure with bloody ears holding a hammer in each hand. Wearing white coveralls spattered with blood. Two clown figures—one in a pink dress and one in blue. Perhaps bridesmaids? Faces are discolored, rotten, insidious contortion of smiles. Little girl zombie with weirdly adult demonic face. White coat and hat. Walking her zombie coyote like a dog by a blood spattered and timeworn fence.
October 15, 2025 at 2:50 AM
Reposted by Paul Rousseau
ambersparks.bsky.social
Going on tour next week! Come say hi please don’t make me read to myself and that one guy who’s actually got earbuds in
October 8, 2025 at 11:33 PM
paulwrites7.bsky.social
Happy to announce I’m an exhibitor at Rain Taxi’s 25th annual Twin Cities Book Festival. I’ll be slinging copies of my memoir, Friendly Fire. The participating author list is also bonkers good. November 8th at the Saint Paul Union Depot (a location featured in my book!). Give it a gander
Illustrated ceiling of the Saint Paul union depot "find me at rain taxi's twin cities book fest" in large blue and purple font. "nov. 8 Union depot" in yellow font along the bottom
October 9, 2025 at 4:47 PM
paulwrites7.bsky.social
Choo choo
October 5, 2025 at 5:49 PM
paulwrites7.bsky.social
Here’s what’s pulling us this weekend
The 261 steam engine next to a food distribution plant
October 5, 2025 at 5:46 PM
paulwrites7.bsky.social
A small portal to hell
October 5, 2025 at 5:44 PM
paulwrites7.bsky.social
Tough to beat this train car
The skytop back of the Cedar Rapids train car operated by the friends of the 261 to Arlington, MN. Curved, segmented windows, red carpet with floral design. Green upholstery. Cocktail tables. All very 1948. The skytop back of the Cedar Rapids train car operated by the friends of the 261 to Arlington, MN. Curved, segmented windows. With me throwing up a peace sign. Wearing a white dress shirt
October 4, 2025 at 9:23 PM
paulwrites7.bsky.social
Love visiting book clubs that read friendly fire!!
A beer, my book, and a name tag that says “hello my name is friendly fire”
September 28, 2025 at 9:19 PM
paulwrites7.bsky.social
Cheers!
September 10, 2025 at 6:38 AM
paulwrites7.bsky.social
Friendly Fire turns 1 today! Grateful for every unexpected happening and all the book’s lovely readers.
September 10, 2025 at 6:37 AM
Reposted by Paul Rousseau
hexliterary.bsky.social
psst: if you’d like email notice about our next submission period (very soon), please join our NEW mailing list! sign-up link is under the “Future” tab on our website!
Future
Guidelines hex publishes flash literary fiction and prose poetry with speculative elements. We welcome the surreal, the weird, and the uncanny. Scare us, surprise us, take us to space. Show us how ...
hexliterary.com
August 26, 2025 at 7:23 PM
paulwrites7.bsky.social
If you haven’t read the pieces in this issue, you’re seriously missing out. Also, selfishly, read my piece!!
adroitjournal.bsky.social The Adroit Journal @adroitjournal.bsky.social · Aug 14
Issue Fifty-Four is here! Explore new poetry, prose, and art at the link in our bio. 🌺
August 23, 2025 at 6:25 PM
Reposted by Paul Rousseau
adroitjournal.bsky.social
Issue Fifty-Four is here! Explore new poetry, prose, and art at the link in our bio. 🌺
August 14, 2025 at 5:09 PM
paulwrites7.bsky.social
Hell of a way to close a paragraph!
The ritual of the fall had started, as if the proximity of death activated reserves of extraordinary energy in these trees that, instead of continuing to support life, allowed them to celebrate dying. From the Empusium by Olga Tokarczuk
August 19, 2025 at 11:00 PM
paulwrites7.bsky.social
Tuxedo jam
Me with a 61 custom shop reissue SG on a couch in black and white with my tuxedo cat Mira on the cushion ledge above my head. We both have plain verging on melancholic expressions.
August 17, 2025 at 2:33 PM
paulwrites7.bsky.social
Teenage cringe and angst?

Team Vampire VS. Team Werewolf?

Tarot card readings and monumental blizzards?

Slow dancing and guitar strumming?

Both kissing and distinctly not-kissing?

READ ME: theadroitjournal.org/issue-fifty-...
Paul Rousseau
Visit the post for more.
theadroitjournal.org
August 15, 2025 at 4:43 PM
paulwrites7.bsky.social
In case you missed it, ya dingus!
paulwrites7.bsky.social Paul Rousseau @paulwrites7.bsky.social · Aug 14
NEW NEW nonfiction check it
The adroit journal WE STILL DON'T KISS BY PAUL ROUSSEAU In the hall after homeroom Kate says we should hang out sometime and I like some bubbly elfish quality about her like her face looks like a masquerade mask of an owl but a very cute owl that must blow through a tube of liquid eyeliner almost every other day of the week and one of her canine teeth comes to a fine point like she has a single fang aka half werewolf or half vampire whatever team she's on all I know is the way her blond hair swoops across her eyes each like a diorama of an enchanted woodland enshrined in glass is as magical as any fairy tale l've seen. I tell Kate my mom can make eggplant parmesan well she can make a lot of things but if you were to come over tomorrow after school that is technically something she could make and Kate thinks that sounds great.
August 15, 2025 at 12:25 PM
Reposted by Paul Rousseau
paulwrites7.bsky.social
NEW NEW nonfiction check it
The adroit journal WE STILL DON'T KISS BY PAUL ROUSSEAU In the hall after homeroom Kate says we should hang out sometime and I like some bubbly elfish quality about her like her face looks like a masquerade mask of an owl but a very cute owl that must blow through a tube of liquid eyeliner almost every other day of the week and one of her canine teeth comes to a fine point like she has a single fang aka half werewolf or half vampire whatever team she's on all I know is the way her blond hair swoops across her eyes each like a diorama of an enchanted woodland enshrined in glass is as magical as any fairy tale l've seen. I tell Kate my mom can make eggplant parmesan well she can make a lot of things but if you were to come over tomorrow after school that is technically something she could make and Kate thinks that sounds great.
August 14, 2025 at 9:04 PM