Ploughshares Literary Journal
@pshares.bsky.social
The award-winning literary journal based at Emerson College. Publishing established and emerging writers since 1971. mtr.bio/pshares
"Maybe the Hindus got it right with their burning pyres. Maybe it's the smoke that reaches God, just enough to sting His all-seeing eyes."
Read Andrea Thurairatnam Imdacha's story, "Seven Urns," from the Fall 2025 issue of Ploughshares, free this week! https://bit.ly/47EFRHx
Read Andrea Thurairatnam Imdacha's story, "Seven Urns," from the Fall 2025 issue of Ploughshares, free this week! https://bit.ly/47EFRHx
November 13, 2025 at 5:31 PM
"Maybe the Hindus got it right with their burning pyres. Maybe it's the smoke that reaches God, just enough to sting His all-seeing eyes."
Read Andrea Thurairatnam Imdacha's story, "Seven Urns," from the Fall 2025 issue of Ploughshares, free this week! https://bit.ly/47EFRHx
Read Andrea Thurairatnam Imdacha's story, "Seven Urns," from the Fall 2025 issue of Ploughshares, free this week! https://bit.ly/47EFRHx
"The feeling of being lucky can sometimes subsitute for the feeling of being good."
Read Heather Thompson-Brenner's story, "Junk Truck," in the Fall 2025 issue of Ploughshares. https://pshr.us/fall25
Read Heather Thompson-Brenner's story, "Junk Truck," in the Fall 2025 issue of Ploughshares. https://pshr.us/fall25
November 12, 2025 at 5:36 PM
"The feeling of being lucky can sometimes subsitute for the feeling of being good."
Read Heather Thompson-Brenner's story, "Junk Truck," in the Fall 2025 issue of Ploughshares. https://pshr.us/fall25
Read Heather Thompson-Brenner's story, "Junk Truck," in the Fall 2025 issue of Ploughshares. https://pshr.us/fall25
Fall in love with our new hats! Grab your exclusive Ploughshares merch today: https://pshr.us/newmerch
November 10, 2025 at 5:33 PM
Fall in love with our new hats! Grab your exclusive Ploughshares merch today: https://pshr.us/newmerch
Love Ploughshares? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter for announcements, blog articles, events, and more! https://pshr.us/2w9Dg5w
November 8, 2025 at 5:32 PM
Love Ploughshares? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter for announcements, blog articles, events, and more! https://pshr.us/2w9Dg5w
"Your daddy's choices have got nothing to do with yours. You've your own course to chart. And don't you forget it."
Read Devon Walker-Figueroa's story, "Hold Harmless," from the Fall 2025 issue of Ploughshares, free this week! https://bit.ly/47uMxbg
Read Devon Walker-Figueroa's story, "Hold Harmless," from the Fall 2025 issue of Ploughshares, free this week! https://bit.ly/47uMxbg
November 6, 2025 at 5:41 PM
"Your daddy's choices have got nothing to do with yours. You've your own course to chart. And don't you forget it."
Read Devon Walker-Figueroa's story, "Hold Harmless," from the Fall 2025 issue of Ploughshares, free this week! https://bit.ly/47uMxbg
Read Devon Walker-Figueroa's story, "Hold Harmless," from the Fall 2025 issue of Ploughshares, free this week! https://bit.ly/47uMxbg
There’s nothing better than staying in with a good book as the leaves fall outside. Curl up with our Fall 2025 issue today. https://pshr.us/fall25
November 4, 2025 at 5:37 PM
There’s nothing better than staying in with a good book as the leaves fall outside. Curl up with our Fall 2025 issue today. https://pshr.us/fall25
There’s only two weeks left until our Regular Reading Period closes! Submit your fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and longform works before it’s too late. https://pshares.org/submit/
November 1, 2025 at 4:02 PM
There’s only two weeks left until our Regular Reading Period closes! Submit your fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and longform works before it’s too late. https://pshares.org/submit/
"I will go to the archives. What will I look for? Another place, simply, where the past speaks?"
Read Corinna Cook's piece, "Chooutla," from the Spring 2025 issue of Ploughshares, free this week! https://bit.ly/3Wyp6ZD
Read Corinna Cook's piece, "Chooutla," from the Spring 2025 issue of Ploughshares, free this week! https://bit.ly/3Wyp6ZD
October 31, 2025 at 4:34 PM
"I will go to the archives. What will I look for? Another place, simply, where the past speaks?"
Read Corinna Cook's piece, "Chooutla," from the Spring 2025 issue of Ploughshares, free this week! https://bit.ly/3Wyp6ZD
Read Corinna Cook's piece, "Chooutla," from the Spring 2025 issue of Ploughshares, free this week! https://bit.ly/3Wyp6ZD
"Maybe the Hindus got it right with their burning pyres. Maybe it's the smoke that reaches God, just enough to sting His all-seeing eyes."
Read Andrea Thurairatnam Imdacha's story, "Seven Urns," in the Fall 2025 issue of Ploughshares. https://pshr.us/fall25
Read Andrea Thurairatnam Imdacha's story, "Seven Urns," in the Fall 2025 issue of Ploughshares. https://pshr.us/fall25
October 30, 2025 at 4:40 PM
"Maybe the Hindus got it right with their burning pyres. Maybe it's the smoke that reaches God, just enough to sting His all-seeing eyes."
Read Andrea Thurairatnam Imdacha's story, "Seven Urns," in the Fall 2025 issue of Ploughshares. https://pshr.us/fall25
Read Andrea Thurairatnam Imdacha's story, "Seven Urns," in the Fall 2025 issue of Ploughshares. https://pshr.us/fall25
Ploughshares publishes the leading and rising voices of the literary world. Subscribe today and never miss an issue! https://pshr.us/subscription
October 27, 2025 at 4:33 PM
Ploughshares publishes the leading and rising voices of the literary world. Subscribe today and never miss an issue! https://pshr.us/subscription
"Your daddy's choices have got nothing to do with yours. You've your own course to chart. And don't you forget it."
Read Devon Walker-Figueroa's story, "Hold Harmless," in the Fall 2025 issue of Ploughshares. https://pshr.us/fall25
Read Devon Walker-Figueroa's story, "Hold Harmless," in the Fall 2025 issue of Ploughshares. https://pshr.us/fall25
October 26, 2025 at 4:38 PM
"Your daddy's choices have got nothing to do with yours. You've your own course to chart. And don't you forget it."
Read Devon Walker-Figueroa's story, "Hold Harmless," in the Fall 2025 issue of Ploughshares. https://pshr.us/fall25
Read Devon Walker-Figueroa's story, "Hold Harmless," in the Fall 2025 issue of Ploughshares. https://pshr.us/fall25
Thanks to everyone for celebrating the launch of our Fall 2025 issue with us and enjoying the amazing stories read by Juliana Lamy, Heather Thompson-Brenner, and Devon Walker-Figueroa. Thank you to our friends at Trident Books, and our staff and community members for supporting 🎉
October 24, 2025 at 4:38 PM
Thanks to everyone for celebrating the launch of our Fall 2025 issue with us and enjoying the amazing stories read by Juliana Lamy, Heather Thompson-Brenner, and Devon Walker-Figueroa. Thank you to our friends at Trident Books, and our staff and community members for supporting 🎉
"If he can no longer conceive of a way out, and I'm the one remaining tether he has to his life, can I really let him go?"
Read Eric McMillan's story, "Gripped," in the Fall 2025 issue of Ploughshares, free this week! http://bit.ly/4n74EK0
Read Eric McMillan's story, "Gripped," in the Fall 2025 issue of Ploughshares, free this week! http://bit.ly/4n74EK0
October 22, 2025 at 4:34 PM
"If he can no longer conceive of a way out, and I'm the one remaining tether he has to his life, can I really let him go?"
Read Eric McMillan's story, "Gripped," in the Fall 2025 issue of Ploughshares, free this week! http://bit.ly/4n74EK0
Read Eric McMillan's story, "Gripped," in the Fall 2025 issue of Ploughshares, free this week! http://bit.ly/4n74EK0
There’s nothing better than staying in with a good book as the leaves fall outside. Curl up with our Fall 2025 issue today. https://pshr.us/fall25
October 20, 2025 at 4:36 PM
There’s nothing better than staying in with a good book as the leaves fall outside. Curl up with our Fall 2025 issue today. https://pshr.us/fall25
"Please, as long as I'm pouring
my heart out, withhold your good opinions."
Read Jody Gladding's story, "Squash (Cucurbite)," in the Winter 1997-8 issue of Ploughshares, free this week! http://bit.ly/43piBfl
my heart out, withhold your good opinions."
Read Jody Gladding's story, "Squash (Cucurbite)," in the Winter 1997-8 issue of Ploughshares, free this week! http://bit.ly/43piBfl
October 18, 2025 at 4:41 PM
"Please, as long as I'm pouring
my heart out, withhold your good opinions."
Read Jody Gladding's story, "Squash (Cucurbite)," in the Winter 1997-8 issue of Ploughshares, free this week! http://bit.ly/43piBfl
my heart out, withhold your good opinions."
Read Jody Gladding's story, "Squash (Cucurbite)," in the Winter 1997-8 issue of Ploughshares, free this week! http://bit.ly/43piBfl
In celebration of our Fall 2025 issue, we're having a release reading! Join us at Trident Booksellers in Boston on Wednesday, October 22nd, at 6pm, for a reading from Fall 2025 contributors Juliana Lamy, Heather Thompson-Brenner, and Devon Walker-Figueroa. Register here: https://pshr.us/fall25launch
October 16, 2025 at 4:31 PM
In celebration of our Fall 2025 issue, we're having a release reading! Join us at Trident Booksellers in Boston on Wednesday, October 22nd, at 6pm, for a reading from Fall 2025 contributors Juliana Lamy, Heather Thompson-Brenner, and Devon Walker-Figueroa. Register here: https://pshr.us/fall25launch
Lo Naylor and Jonathan Wolf, chosen by Joshua Bennett, are our poetry co-winners for their poems “at the baggage claim in JFK” and “The Hog Farm," respectively.
October 15, 2025 at 4:03 PM
Lo Naylor and Jonathan Wolf, chosen by Joshua Bennett, are our poetry co-winners for their poems “at the baggage claim in JFK” and “The Hog Farm," respectively.
Ennis Smith, chosen by Elisa Gabbert, is our nonfiction winner for his essay, “Happy New Year.”
October 15, 2025 at 4:01 PM
Ennis Smith, chosen by Elisa Gabbert, is our nonfiction winner for his essay, “Happy New Year.”
Max Steiner, chosen by R.O. Kwon, is our fiction winner for his story, “Grace Zeroes Out.”
October 15, 2025 at 3:59 PM
Max Steiner, chosen by R.O. Kwon, is our fiction winner for his story, “Grace Zeroes Out.”
We're excited to announce the winners of the 2025 Emerging Writer's Contest! 🎉
October 15, 2025 at 3:58 PM
We're excited to announce the winners of the 2025 Emerging Writer's Contest! 🎉
"But over Patrick's should and beyond the beam of the headlights was the blackest night Yvonne had ever known, and the and lonely wilderness."
Read Mary Winsor's story "Dasvidaniya" in the Fall 2025 isue of Ploughshares. https://pshr.us/fall25
Read Mary Winsor's story "Dasvidaniya" in the Fall 2025 isue of Ploughshares. https://pshr.us/fall25
October 14, 2025 at 4:32 PM
"But over Patrick's should and beyond the beam of the headlights was the blackest night Yvonne had ever known, and the and lonely wilderness."
Read Mary Winsor's story "Dasvidaniya" in the Fall 2025 isue of Ploughshares. https://pshr.us/fall25
Read Mary Winsor's story "Dasvidaniya" in the Fall 2025 isue of Ploughshares. https://pshr.us/fall25
In celebration of our Fall 2025 issue, we're having a release reading! Join us at Trident Booksellers in Boston on Wednesday, October 22nd, at 6pm, for a reading from Fall 2025 contributors Juliana Lamy, Heather Thompson-Brenner, and Devon Walker-Figueroa. Register here: https://pshr.us/fall25launch
October 12, 2025 at 4:30 PM
In celebration of our Fall 2025 issue, we're having a release reading! Join us at Trident Booksellers in Boston on Wednesday, October 22nd, at 6pm, for a reading from Fall 2025 contributors Juliana Lamy, Heather Thompson-Brenner, and Devon Walker-Figueroa. Register here: https://pshr.us/fall25launch
We're now accepting longform poetry in addition to prose for our fall issues! We define longform poetry as a single long poem, variations on the epic poem, or a sequential poem such as a crown of sonnets or numbered series. Find out more and submit by November 15: https://pshares.org/submit/journal/
October 10, 2025 at 4:30 PM
We're now accepting longform poetry in addition to prose for our fall issues! We define longform poetry as a single long poem, variations on the epic poem, or a sequential poem such as a crown of sonnets or numbered series. Find out more and submit by November 15: https://pshares.org/submit/journal/
Our Fall 2025 issue is out now! Read longform prose by Juliana Lamy, Eric McMillan, Youssef Rakha, Fortunato Salazar, Geetanjali Shree (translated by Daisy Rockwell), Heather Thompson-Brenner, Andrea Thurairatnam Imdacha, Devon Walker-Figueroa, and Mary Winsor. Start reading: https://pshr.us/fall25
October 8, 2025 at 4:03 PM
Our Fall 2025 issue is out now! Read longform prose by Juliana Lamy, Eric McMillan, Youssef Rakha, Fortunato Salazar, Geetanjali Shree (translated by Daisy Rockwell), Heather Thompson-Brenner, Andrea Thurairatnam Imdacha, Devon Walker-Figueroa, and Mary Winsor. Start reading: https://pshr.us/fall25
Love Ploughshares? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter for announcements, blog articles, events, and more! https://pshr.us/2w9Dg5w
October 6, 2025 at 4:36 PM
Love Ploughshares? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter for announcements, blog articles, events, and more! https://pshr.us/2w9Dg5w