I’m easier to manage in bitesize chunks by Zoë Davis
“under nightshade we hold hands / kiss with foxgloved mouths” – excerpt from “I’m easier to manage in bite-size chunks” #poetry by Zoë Davis
Author: The Metaworker
We are The Metaworker, an online literary magazine where great stories are forged.
Our mission is to publish great things to read. Send us the stuff you don’t think will be published anywhere else. We want new ideas, words that make us ponder, narratives that upend stereotypes. We don’t care if you’re an established writer or someone who’s never been published before, if you're a student or returning to writing after a career in something else, if you're 16 or 80, if you live in the United States, in India, in New Zealand, in Mexico – if you’ve got something you think needs to be shared with the world, submit it to us!
We publish prose, poetry, art, and more on our website every Monday at noon PST, plus we sometimes post fun extras (like our podcast episodes) on Wednesdays or Fridays.
Triptych by Tim Love
“Life looked ahead long before it could remember. The better we could anticipate the future, the better our chances of survival.” – excerpt from “Triptych” by Tim Love.
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 reform and for compassion towards those less fortunate.
The Needle Man by Clint Sabom
[1291 words] In my …
Desiccation Daze by Marla Dial Moore
“I used to believe / in water– / even when the world / told me blood / is thicker…” – excerpt from Dessication Daze, a #poem by Marla Dial Moore #MetaworkerMonday #TheMetaworker
Field on Butternut by Max Newman
“We could have climbed into the moon. Instead / we biked in the metalshadows beneath Ohioan / hills everything hung still in the air” – excerpt from Field on Butternut, a #poem by Max Newman #MetaworkerMonday #TheMetaworker
The Memory House by Maddison Scott
“I sit beside [my mother], pull out a bag of chips and open a word puzzle on my phone. She reaches over and places her hand atop mine. I freeze. It’s been years since she’s initiated a touch.” – excerpt from The Memory House, fiction by Maddison Scott #TheMetaworker #MetaworkerMonday
Seeing the Eclipse at Sheetz by Eleanor Levine
“Seeing the Eclipse at Sheetz / Is perfect for a working class / girl like me” – excerpt from Seeing the Eclipse at Sheetz, a #poem by Eleanor Levine and featuring artwork by Meghan Reynolds #TheMetaworker #MetaworkerMonday #writingcommunity #artists
Micro Poetry by David A. Goodrum
Micro Poetry by David A. Goodrum #TheMetaworker #MetaworkerMonday
A Slush Reader’s Journey by M.R. Lehman Wiens
Slush reader M.R. Lehman Wiens shares his writing journey, plus a poem by the slush reading team. #TheMetaworker #ForgeFriday
February Submissions Update
Announcement: We will be closing submissions early on Feb 14 at 11:59pm PT. We will reopen on April 1st.
Dadless by Elise Glassman
“Dad was on his way, said, Trust me, Elise. Said stop your bellyaching, said For crying out loud I’m on my way.” – excerpt from Dadless, a poem by Elise Glassman #TheMetaworker #literarymagazines #poetrycommunity
Unbound by Maudie Bryant
“The typeface begins to rise from the aged paper. …They stretch and coalesce into an undulating vortex, spiraling around my outstretched finger like a tiny tornado.” – excerpt from Unbound, fiction by Maudie Bryant @maudiemichelle #TheMetaworker #literarymagazines
Dancing Like Mother by Nadim Silverman
“Mother would stand barefoot in the living room and amuse six million lonely souls from around the world.” – excerpt from “Dancing Like Mother”, fiction by Nadim Silverman #TheMetaworker #MetaworkerMonday #literarymagazines
Micro Poetry by Mykyta Ryzhykh
Micro Poetry by Mykyta Ryzhykh #TheMetaworker #MetaworkerMonday #literarymagazine #writingcommunity
that slow DRAGGED END. by Devayani Anvekar
“the sky no more cerulean blue – soused in black ink, with it its moon and stars too. It is forever pit dark.” – excerpt from poem “that slow DRAGGED END.” by Devayani Anvekar #TheMetaworker #MetaworkerMonday
2575 by Tess Hart
“The first set of numerals fell silently. They fell slowly and gently, tumbling like autumn leaves.” excerpt from “2575”, short fiction by Tess Hart #TheMetaworker #MetaworkerMonday
Artwork by Gregg Williard, from “Scared Boy with Theory and Mask”
Artwork by Gregg Williard, from “Scared Boy with Theory and Mask” #TheMetaworker #MetaworkerMonday
Fugal Variations of a Marital Theme by Utkarsh Adhrit
“I raise the cup to her and grittily, proudly, intelligently say: ‘this right here is the metaphor for our marriage’.” – excerpt from Fugal Variations of a Marital Theme by Utkarsh Adhrit #TheMetaworker #MetaworkerMonday
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 goes into book design and illustration. #TheMetaworker @SpecFicNZ
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 Captive Monsters Sleeping by @BradyMichelleR
#TheMetaworker #MetaworkerMonday
2024 Pushcart Prize Nominations
Announcing our 2024 #PushcartPrize nominees! #TheMetaworker
December Rain by Subarna Mohanty
“Your gaze was fixed on something in the front, not on any person or any seat or fixture in the bus, but probably on a ghost that only you could see.” – excerpt from December Rain by Subarna Mohanty #MetaworkerMonday #TheMetaworker
7th Grade Sleepover by Caitlin O’Halloran
7th Grade Sleepover, a poem by Caitlin O’Halloran @selfcaremaven #TheMetaworker #MetaworkerMonday
Other People by Marco Etheridge
“It is this exact reasoning, and its endpoint, that caused Giles to flee the city for this lonely meadow. Escape other people while there is still time.” – excerpt from Other People by Marco Etheridge #TheMetaworker #MetaworkerMonday
New Submissions Schedule and Call for Slush Readers
Announcement: Submissions will close Nov. 30, new schedule for the new year, and open call for slush reader applications. #TheMetaworker
Amoral Familism by Sophia Carroll
“When I was ten my mother fell in love with someone who was not my father.” – excerpt from Amoral Familism by Sophia Carroll @torpor_chamber
Numbers by Kathryn D. Temple
“At 4 months, a baby in the womb is 6 and a half to 7 inches long. A medium cantaloupe measures 15 to 25 centimeters. If an ovarian cyst is over 6 centimeters, it should be removed.” – excerpt from Numbers by Kathryn D. Temple #TheMetaworker #MetaworkerMonday
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 your hands into the mud and bring up whatever you can catch.” – excerpt from The Last Tree by Victoria Meyer #TheMetaworker #MetaworkerMonday
Be Prepared To Modify Your Plan. It Will Be Good For You. by Brenda Kilianski
“The truth is, after twenty-four years of marriage, six kids and two extramarital affairs, Marilyn had had enough. She decided… she’d run away.” – excerpt from Be Prepared To Modify Your Plan. by Brenda Kilianski #TheMetaworker #MetaworkerMonday
Walking the Parks by Seth Wright
“I’d gone to Pinkerton since I was born, but I never noticed the trees until that spring day, when my mind finally cleared of distractions to notice nature’s beauty.” – excerpt from Walking the Parks by Seth Wright #TheMetaworker #MetaworkerMonday
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
Art Dept by Sean Bw Parker
Art Dept (Watercolour, acrylic, pencil and ink on canvas) by Sean Bw Parker @seanbwparker #TheMetaworker #MetaworkerMonday
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 started, how they chose pieces to publish, and the process of editing those pieces into a book. #TheMetaworker #ForgeFriday
Suckers by Campbell Brown
“I used to think that love was a kind of violence… Because tonight I’m hooked on you like a knife caught in my throat.” – excerpt from Suckers by Campbell Brown @p0cketwatch3s #TheMetaworker #MetaworkerMonday
A History of Women by Julia S. Maron
“Mabel brewed the raspberry leaves and you marvelled at how the tea drove away the ache. She smiled and winked before sending you back to bed with a hug and a promise.” – excerpt from by Julia S. Maron @juliasjmaron #TheMetaworker #MetaworkerMonday
Sharh on Sunan an-Nasa’i 736 by Reyzl Grace
“When you ask me to sleep on the couch, / you wince. You know I know / you’ve banished others” – excerpt from Sharh on Sunan an-Nasa’i 736 by Reyzl Grace @reyzlgrace #TheMetaworker #ForgeFriday
Violet’s Breasts by Charlie Fish
“Last year, on an ordinary day in July, at exactly 3:43pm, Dr Antonia Franklin made the worst decision of her life.” – excerpt from “Violet’s Breasts” by Charlie Fish #MetaworkerMonday #TheMetaworker
Unknown Author by Paul Rabinowitz
“I will always return the books you lend me because I know they are important.” – excerpt from Unknown Author, fiction by Paul Rabinowitz #TheMetaworker #ForgeFriday
Parteada por el Fuego / Twice Born by E. N. Díaz
“The smell of trash dripping days in the sun / stains the air with its yellow gunk.” – excerpt from Parteada por el Fuego / Twice Born by E. N. Díaz #MetaworkerMonday #TheMetaworker
Giant Steps by Neil Jefferies
“I met him at a gas station. He was pumping air into the tires on his Pontiac Sunfire and I was vacuuming the inside of my old Ford van.” – excerpt from Giant Steps, fiction by Neil Jefferies #TheMetaworker #ForgeFriday
It Takes a Village Cuts by Angela Townsend
“Our neighbors are here, as real as the promise that hair grows. I am as shy as my long bangs will allow, but at Village Cuts, we see one another.” – excerpt from It Takes a Village Cuts, non-fiction by Angela Townsend #MetaworkerMonday #TheMetaworker
Erik Satie and Me by Ken Been
“Erik Satie and Me”, poetry by Ken Been #TheMetaworker #ForgeFriday
Your Scent by Erin Jamieson
“I trace your name in morning shadows.” – excerpt from “Your Scent”, micro fiction by Erin Jamieson @erin_simmer #MetaworkerMonday #TheMetaworker
Shallow Water by Susan Laurencot
“Planning took a few days. Meanwhile, Emily hadn’t called back. The longer Helen went without hearing from Emily, the more she wanted to call her mother.” – excerpt from Shallow Water, fiction by Susan Laurencot #TheMetaworker #ForgeFriday
Busts by Jennifer Klein
“The jars near the window
Sometimes I mistake them for busts” – excerpt from Busts by Jennifer Klein @JenniferKleinReal #TheMetaworker #MetaworkerMonday
Closer to the Sky by Carolyn R. Russell
“You want the memory to serve you somehow, to mean something that you can make sense of…” excerpt from Closer to the Sky by Carolyn R. Russell #TheMetaworker #ForgeFriday
Grey Autumn by Katie Hughbanks
“Grey Autumn”, underwater photography by Katie Hughbanks @katiehughbankspics #TheMetaworker #MetaworkerMonday
Motel Soap by Bonnie Brewer-Kraus
“I love the little pink soap in its shiny white wrapper that I place on the gleaming porcelain sink of Room 118.” – excerpt from Motel Soap by Bonnie Brewer-Kraus #TheMetaworker #ForgeFriday
Recipe for an Unfinished Book by M. R. Lehman Wiens
“As you stroll along cliffs that grace the tops of Appalachia’s rolling canopy, you’ll notice that the plot of the book becomes more cohesive.” – excerpt from Recipe for an Unfinished Book by M. R. Lehman Wiens #MetaworkerMonday #TheMetaworker
Fiction / Micro / Speculative
Bananas by Jared Cole
“She couldn’t believe it. She looked down at her hands, examining them, turning them back to front and back again.” – excerpt from Bananas by Jared Cole #TheMetaworker #ForgeFriday
this cereal is stale by Marie Magnetic
“this cereal is stale”, acrylic on wooden panel. Artwork by Marie Magnetic #TheMetaworker #MetaworkerMonday
The Bronx Botanical Gardens Orchid Show by Jacqueline S. McCauley
“He on one end, she on the other, they march with purpose to the orchid show. The children between them are bundled so tightly, they waddle like penguins in the winter glow.” – excerpt from The Bronx Botanical Gardens Orchid Show by Jacqueline S. McCauley #TheMetaworker #ForgeFriday
The Season of Solitude by Jenn Haase Vetter
“Like the Man, she appeared oblivious to the absence of walls. Standing in my usual spot observing the house, I kept willing [the Woman] to look my way.” – excerpt from The Season of Solitude by Jenn Haase Vetter #MetaworkerMonday #TheMetaworker
Micro Poetry by Mykyta Ryzhykh
Micro Poetry by Mykyta Ryzhykh #TheMetaworker #MetaworkerMonday
A Secret Knowledge of How to Love by Kit Willett
“We chanced upon him on our honeymoon. His gallery was empty / but well-lit” – excerpt from A Secret Knowledge of How to Love by Kit Willett #TheMetaworker #MetaworkerMonday
Heavy by Shaun Anthony McMichael
“You carried it kinda heavy though, old Johnny / confided on my last day of a 3 year gig” – excerpt from Heavy by Shaun Anthony McMichael @samcmichael #TheMetaworker #MetaworkerMonday
After Dark, Memorial Park by Neil Ellis Orts
“The woods are dark. The are so very dark and full of sounds.” – excerpt from After Dark, Memorial Park by Neil Ellis Orts @neowrites #TheMetaworker #ForgeFriday
Micro Poems by Chris Bullard
Micro Poems by Chris Bullard #TheMetaworker MetaworkerMonday
Summer Updates
Announcement: We will publish twice a week on Mondays and Fridays at noon PT during July and August! #TheMetaworker #ForgeFridays
Memories of Earth by Felix Anker
“There was no such thing as afternoon here; it was always nighttime. Every day it became murkier. Every day Kivotos-4 moved further from the sun.” – excerpt from Memories of Earth by Felix Anker @bananentupper @schundundsyntax #TheMetaworker #MetaworkerMonday
spring cleaning by Lauren Kells
“some chasms are wider than others / this city is large and so are the windows” excerpt from spring cleaning by @laurenkellls
#MetaworkerMonday #TheMetaworker
On the Shore by GJ Gillespie
A mixed media collage by GJ Gillespie #TheMetaworker #MetaworkerMonday
Only a Witch by Steven Hage
“I’m cursed to know the whereabouts of every small lost thing, even the things I never touch, like your toothbrush.” excerpt from Only a Witch by Steven Hage #MetaworkerMonday #TheMetaworker
Not Done Yet by Nancy Noelke
“Not Done Yet”, a poem by Nancy Noelke #TheMetaworker #MetaworkerMonday
My English Teacher by Bharti Bansal
“It was a kind of transformation we could witness like astral projection but of our entire being. We spoke broken English, which she was proud of.” – Excerpt from “My English Teacher” by Bharti Bansal @useless_thought25 #MetaworkerMonday #TheMetaworker
Grasshopper Looks Up At His Therapist by Jocko Benoit
“After years in the sanitarium, / the grasshopper looks up and sees / his therapist is the ant.” excerpt from Grasshopper Looks Up At His Therapist by Jocko Benoit #TheMetaworker #MetaworkerMonday
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
Creative Non-Fiction Micros by Kevin Browne
Creative Non-Fiction Micros by Kevin Browne #TheMetaworker #MetaworkerMonday
The Metaworker Podcast | 018 Pushcart Prize Nominees, Part 1
In this two-part series, we celebrate our Pushcart Prize nominees. This episode features Amita Basu, Daniel Brennan, and Marie-Louise McGuinness. #TheMetaworker #PushcartPrize
Mars Sunglasses by James Reade Venable
Photo by James Reade Venable #TheMetaworker #MetaworkerMonday
Submissions Pause and New Slush Readers
Announcements: Submissions will close during the month of May, and we introduce our two newest slush readers: Amita and Katie! #TheMetaworker
Rubies by Carol E. Anderson
“I longed to brush my lips next to yours– to taste the tang of rubies on your tongue.” excerpt from Rubies by Carol E. Anderson #TheMetaworker #MetaworkerMonday
Microfiction by F.D. Jackson
Microfiction by F.D. Jackson #MetaworkerMonday #TheMetaworker
Ashmedai and the Hairdresser by Allister Nelson
“Today was the day – the day I’d make three year’s salary in a single evening. The day I met the Spaniard.” excerpt from Ashmedai and the Hairdresser by Allister Nelson #MetaworkerMondY #TheMetaworker
All You Should Remember by Perry L. Powell
“You wait for the night / below the castle on the mountain.” – Excerpt from All You Should Remember by Perry L. Powell #MetaworkerMonday #TheMetaworker
The Recipe by Annie Borelli
“Where shall they meet? The deli, let’s say. Maybe she works behind the counter. Maybe he comes in for a sandwich.” – excerpt from Recipe by Annie Borelli #TheMetaworker #MetaworkerMonday
Magic Tricks for the Homeless by Kevin Charles
“Magic Tricks For The Homeless”, a web comic by Kevin Charles. #MetaworkerMonday #TheMetaworker
A Knight in Shining Armor for a Dad by Maxine Flam
A Knight in Shining Armor for a Dad by Maxine Flam #MetaworkerMonday #TheMetaworker
“On the Plaza” by Clay Waters
“the recurring colonnades /
offered the illusion / of progress, vital calamity / passed into oblivion…” excerpt from On the Plaza by Clay Waters. #MetaworkerMonday #TheMetaworker
“Cleotis, The Secret Portraitist” by T. G. Metcalf
“Cleotis and I were guards at Parchman… He was a single man, a quiet kind of guy, and an exceptionally talented amateur oil painter.” excerpt from “Cleotis, The Secret Portraitist” by T. G. Metcalf #MetaworkerMonday #TheMetaworker
“typoem” by Michael Betancourt
“typoem” by Michael Betancourt: a visual poem made from collaged typographic fragments. #MetaworkerMonday #TheMetaworker
“Skate Country” by Robin Wyatt Dunn
“…she finds her balance again, inside her head, atop the roller skates.” excerpt from Skate Country by Robin Wyatt Dunn #MetaworkerMonday #TheMetaworker
“In the Mood” by Lucia Owen
“In the Mood”, a poem by Lucia Owen #TheMetaworker #MetaworkerMonday
Micro Poetry by David Capps
Micro Poetry by David Capps #MetaworkerMonday #TheMetaworker
https://themetaworker.com/2024/01/29/micro-poetry-by-david-capps/
“The Inhabitant of the Tower” by Taliesin Gore
“Alone, he paces from room to room,/each room a cabinet of memories,/a diorama of another life.” – excerpt from The Inhabitant of the Tower by Taliesin Gore, featuring art by Cerid Jones #TheMetaworker #MetaworkerMonday
Microfiction by Kathryn Gossow
Microfiction by Kathryn Gossow #MetaworkerMonday #TheMetaworker
“Big, Blue Watery Eye” by Joe Ducato
“Her other big talent was the ability to talk Kit into anything as long as she supplied the courage. That’s how she got him to go into that cave that day.” – excerpt from Big, Blue Watery Eye by Joe Ducato #MetaworkerMonday #TheMetaworker
“Porcelain Sheep” by Jamie Anthony Louis
“Sheep are floating in the ocean, and I’m going to be sick again. Not that those two have much to do with each other.” – excerpt from Porcelain Sheep by Jamie Anthony Louis @jamieanthony187 #TheMetaworker #MetaworkerMonday
Micro Poetry by Michał Zieliński
Micro Poetry by Michał Zieliński #TheMetaworker #MetaworkerMonday
“Last Nights, Dreaming” by Lucia Owen
“Here’s where I was those last nights, / twisting on that rack / of a recliner next to your bed” – excerpt from “Last Nights, Dreaming” by Lucia Owen #TheMetaworker #MetaworkerMonday
Slush Readers, Interns, and Pushcart Prize Nominations
Introducing our new slush readers, intern, and Pushcart Prize nominees! @dannyjbrennan @coopd88 @mlmcguinness #TheMetaworker #ForgeFriday #PushcartPrize
“Our Thoughts Are With You” by Sean Monett
“Our Thoughts lurk in the darkened corner of your bedroom while you sleep. Our Thoughts are watching from outside the window while you enter the coffee shop and ask for a large chai latte with almond milk.” – excerpt from “Our Thoughts Are With You” by Sean Monett @nonsensepoetrycomics #TheMetaworker #MetaworkerMonday
The Metaworker Podcast | 017 A Writer’s Life For Me: Catchup with Matthew Maichen, Part 2
Elena, Mel, and Cerid talk with former Metaworker Editor in Chief Matthew Maichen about their writing rituals, how they create characters, and the benefits and drawbacks of writing with or without a plan. #TheMetaworkerPodcast #TheMetaworker