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Brownie Points by Jennifer Peaslee

“I wish I knew why I didn’t bake Kat those brownies. I only made them once … and she would ask me at least once …

Morning by Anthony ILacqua

microfiction by by Anthony ILacqua #TheMetaworker #ForgeFriday …

Anathematikon, Part III by Lukas Jackson

“a / new / day / dawns / wolves are howling / far / across the moon” – excerpt from “Anathematikon, Part III” #poetry by …
graphic of a cell phone conversation. Texts say: Person 1: I’ve been thinking about Mom and the prognosis she’s received Person 2: Yeah, me too. I’m kind of devastated here. Person 1: I’m gonna suggest something you might not like Person 2: Good start if you’re trying to sell me on an idea. Person 1: I seriously think she might be interested Person 2: In?

Exit Stage Left by Bob Gielow

“Person 1: I’ve been thinking about Mom and the prognosis she’s received. Person 2: Yeah, me too. I’m kind of devastated here.” – excerpt from …
graphic of a cell phone conversation. Texts say: Person 1: I’ve been thinking about Mom and the prognosis she’s received Person 2: Yeah, me too. I’m kind of devastated here. Person 1: I’m gonna suggest something you might not like Person 2: Good start if you’re trying to sell me on an idea. Person 1: I seriously think she might be interested Person 2: In?

Exit Stage Left by Bob Gielow

content warnings references to death, assisted suicide [938 words] Bob Gielow writes fiction using non-traditional formats that he wishes were real. A college administrator by …
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Triptych by Tim Love

[656 words] LEFT PANEL Life looked ahead long before it could remember. The better we could anticipate the future, the better our chances of survival …
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Micro Fiction by Matthew Chamberlin

[76 words] TrucksSometimes I think I too will die or merely come apart in mists,only to curl and re-cohere, as banks of automotive smog, which …
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close up image of a gray Ford pickup truck in a parking lot in front of a Sheetz restaurant that has a pointed red roof and red awnings

Seeing the Eclipse at Sheetz by Eleanor Levine

[113 words] Seeing the Eclipse at Sheetz Is perfect for a working classgirl like me who drinks DietCoke and cheeseburgers …
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Micro Poetry by David A. Goodrum

[34 words] DirectionA mottled leaf caughtin the cement slab gappoints home. Measuring with Both Handshandfuls hand-picked with love from our …
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Dadless by Elise Glassman

[352 words] Dad was on his way.Dad was on his way, said, Trust me, Elise. Said stop your bellyaching, said …
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Podcast

The Metaworker Podcast | 022 Creating Anthologies, Part 3

Elena, Mel, and Cerid discuss Mel’s launch of River and Stone and Cerid’s updates for Artificial Sweetener, as well as the thought and care that …
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The Metaworker Podcast | 021 Creating Anthologies, Part 2

Elena, Mel, and Cerid discuss publishing software, fostering communities, marketing plans, and their hopes for their publications. #TheMetaworker #ForgeFriday …
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The Metaworker Podcast | 020 Creating Anthologies, Part 1

In this podcast episode, Elena talks with Mel and Cerid about their upcoming anthology projects outside of The Metaworker. They discuss how the projects got …
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The Metaworker Podcast | 019 Pushcart Prize Nominees, Part 2

In this two-part series, we celebrate our Pushcart Prize nominees. This episode features @coopd88, @FrankNjugi, and Linda Lacey. #TheMetaworker #PushcartPrize …
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Micro

Micro Poetry by David A. Goodrum

Micro Poetry by David A. Goodrum #TheMetaworker #MetaworkerMonday …
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Micro Poetry by Mykyta Ryzhykh

Micro Poetry by Mykyta Ryzhykh #TheMetaworker #MetaworkerMonday #literarymagazine #writingcommunity …
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Amoral Familism by Sophia Carroll

“When I was ten my mother fell in love with someone who was not my father.” – excerpt from Amoral …
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book cover of Unit 29: Writing from Parchman Prison. The back cover is a black and white image of the Parchman cemetery arch, underneath which is a bare dirt road. The pullquote reads "Books are dangerous where there is injustice." - Jack Henry Abbot. The front cover is another dirt road, lined with telephone wires and prison buildings.

Darkness and Wit, Delusion and Hope: Writing and Art from Parchman Unit 29, a book review by Amita Basu

[2,107 words] This week, we’re presenting you with a book review, written by one of our recent slush readers and Pushcart nominee, Amita Basu. Published …
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Dadless by Elise Glassman

[352 words] Dad was on his way.Dad was on his way, said, Trust me, Elise. Said stop your bellyaching, said For crying out loud I’m …
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Numbers by Kathryn D. Temple

[1,372 words] [ I. ] At 4 months, a baby in the womb is 6 and a half to 7 inches long. 7 inches is …
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Artwork by Gregg Williard, from “Scared Boy with Theory and Mask”

These drawings are part of an unpublished illustrated novella, “Scared Boy with Theory and Mask”, drawn and written by Gregg …
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Walking the Parks by Seth Wright

I stood on the hill gazing down at Pinkerton Park in Franklin, Tennessee, my camera aiming at each piece of …
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Art Dept by Sean Bw Parker

Watercolour, acrylic, pencil and ink on canvas Artist’s note: Art Dept. was painted shortly before the [COVID-19] lockdown struck, in …
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Interviews

book cover of Unit 29: Writing from Parchman Prison. The back cover is a black and white image of the Parchman cemetery arch, underneath which is a bare dirt road. The pullquote reads "Books are dangerous where there is injustice." - Jack Henry Abbot. The front cover is another dirt road, lined with telephone wires and prison buildings.

Darkness and Wit, Delusion and Hope: Writing and Art from Parchman Unit 29, a book review by Amita Basu

A book review of Parchman Unit 29, poems, drawings, and creative non-fiction pieces that constitute a powerful call for systemic …
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Looking Back to Forge Forward: A Catchup Series by Lena Bramsen

“An interview compilation with some of The Metaworker’s first contributors, reflecting upon the past and updating us on their careers.” …
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Profile: Jeremy Bock

Jeremy Bock is a West Virginia native and technologist currently expatting Bangkok with his wife and daughter. His novel, Caroline, …
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Speculative Fiction & Poetry

Unbound by Maudie Bryant

“The typeface begins to rise from the aged paper. …They stretch and coalesce into an undulating vortex, spiraling around my …
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Captive Monsters Sleeping by Michelle R. Brady

“The tantal was there before we were. … It was probably always there, waiting in the sand.” – excerpt from …
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The Last Tree by Victoria Meyer

“There are places in the earth that call to you when you’re that age, and you just have to stick …
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Anathematikon, Part III by Lukas Jackson

[180 words] a new day dawns wolves are howling far across the moon a spun night dark the mighty rapids rise wind beats against the …
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Desiccation Daze by Marla Dial Moore

[247 words] Marla Dial Moore is a recovering journalist who previously worked for The Associated Press and various news publications in Arizona and Texas. She …
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Sharh on Sunan an-Nasa’i 736 by Reyzl Grace

—for E. R. Shaffer Reyzl Grace is a poet, translator, and fictionist with work nominated for the Pushcart Prize, listed as a finalist for the …
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Triptych by Tim Love

[656 words] LEFT PANEL Life looked ahead long before it could remember. The better we could anticipate the future, the …
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The Needle Man by Clint Sabom

content warnings reference to drug use [1291 words] In my worry chamber birds fly east and west but never north …
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Walking the Parks by Seth Wright

I stood on the hill gazing down at Pinkerton Park in Franklin, Tennessee, my camera aiming at each piece of …
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