Episode Description:

Elena, Mel, and Cerid speak with Kathryn Temple and Matthew Smallwood about unfinished work—those ‘buried’ drafts—and what they do with them. Kathryn reads two unfinished poems, “The Lawyer Reads Yeats” and “Dis: A Dictionary Entry” while Matthew explains why he deletes all of his unfinished and unwanted drafts. The five go on to discuss different approaches to works in progress, the potential of the written “junk pile” vs the value of starting fresh, as well as the role of perfectionism in art.

Author Bios:

Kathryn D. Temple teaches and writes at Georgetown University. Her latest work has appeared in Streetlight, Fauxmoir, Delmarva Review, and 3Elements, among others. She was a funded finalist for the Lori White Nonfiction Fellowship in 2023. In addition to her creative work, she has published two academic books on law & emotions and many essays in academic journals. Find her on the Chesapeake Bay or at https://georgetown.academia.edu/KathrynTemple and https://medium.com/@templek

Matthew Smallwood is a 43 year old horror author living in West Virginia. He has a collection of tuxedo cats and has been published in numerous anthologies. His first novel Immortal Again is available on Amazon. 

Referenced in this episode: 

Numbers by Kathryn D. Temple on The Metaworker website

Amongst the Clouds by Matthew Smallwood on The Metaworker website

Explanation about The Grind writers group

About Robert Louis Stevenson’s writing—and burning of the first draft—of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Keith Haring, “Art is for Everybody”

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Episode Description:

In Part 2 of our Pushcart Prize Nomination podcast series, we review three pieces: one of poetry, one of creative nonfiction, and one of fiction. Our editors Elena, Mel, and Cerid share their reasons for nominating these pieces, and we hear each author's background and reason for writing, in their own words. Stories here include "Sharh on Sunan an-Nasa'i 736" by Reyzl Grace; "Rubies" by Carol E. Anderson; and "Ashmedai and the Hairdresser" by Allister Nelson. Part 1 can be found here.

Featured Authors:

Reyzl Grace is a writer, librarian, and translator whose work has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and featured in Room, Rust & Moth, So to Speak, and other periodicals. Currently a poetry editor for Psaltery & Lyre, she lives as an expat in Minneapolis with her novelist girlfriend, arguing over which of them is the better writer. (It’s her girlfriend.) Find more of her at reyzlgrace.com and on social media @reyzlgrace

Nominated Poetry: "Sharh on Sunan an-Nasa'i 736" by Reyzl Grace on the Metaworker website

Carol E. Anderson is a life coach and former organizational consultant whose passions are writing, women’s empowerment and travel photography. She is the founder of Rebellious Dreamers, a twenty-five year strong non-profit organization that has helped women over thirty-five realize dreams they’d deferred and women of all ages come into their own. Carol holds a doctorate in spiritual studies, and master's degrees in organizational development, and creative nonfiction. She is the author of the award-winning memoir, You Can’t Buy Love Like That: Growing Up Gay in the Sixties. Her work has been published in The Metaworker, Across the Margin, Bending Genres, Hippocampus, Lit Break and others. Her goal at this stage is to live with a peaceful heart – a state regularly cultivated through walks in nature, meditation, and heartfelt conversation with friends. She lives with the love of her life and their sassy pup in a nature sanctuary in Ann Arbor, MI.

Nominated Creative Nonfiction: "Rubies" by Carol E Anderson on the Metaworker website

Allister Nelson is a technical writer who has been published in Apex Magazine, Eternal Haunted Summer, FunDead Publication’s Gothic Anthology, Sudden Denouement, the Showbear Family Circus, and more.

Nominated Fiction: "Ashmedai and the Hairdresser" by Allister Nelson on the Metaworker website

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Episode Description:

Elena, Mel, and Cerid review and discuss three of their nominees for the 2024 Pushcart Prize. Part 1 of this podcast includes readings of "Parteada por el Fuego/Twice Born" by E.N. Diaz, "December Rain" by Subarna Mohanty, and "Heavy" by Shaun Anthony McMichael. You’ll also hear reflections from each author on their piece, their craft, and what drives their creative process. Congrats to each of these three nominees!

Featured Authors:

E. N. Díaz (México, 1995) es poeta y cuentista. Sus escritos han aparecido en las revistas BULL Magazine, Letralia Tierra de Letras, Babab, The Café Irreal, Clarkesworld Magazine, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, y en el blog Jóvenes en la Revista de la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México.

E. N. Díaz (México, 1995) is a bilingual poet and short story writer. Their writings have appeared in BULL Magazine, Letralia Tierra de Letras, The Café Irreal, Clarkesworld Magazine, The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, Revista Casapais, Revista Larus, Strange Horizons and others. You can find more of their work at Bluesky: @endiaaz.bsky.social  WordPress: https://endiaazblog.wordpress.com

Nominated Poetry: Parteada por el Fuego / Twice Born by E. N. Díaz on The Metaworker website

Subarna Mohanty writes poetry and short stories that explore the intricacies of human relationships. An avid reader and movie enthusiast, she prefers fiction to reality and draws inspiration from the stories that surround her. Her work has been featured in Sparks Magazine and Alipore Poetry Post, among others. Through her writing, she aims to inspire readers to see the world from fresh perspectives, fostering empathy and a deeper connection to the human experience.

Nominated Short Story: December Rain on The Metaworker website

Since 2007, Shaun Anthony McMichael has taught writing to students from around the world, in classrooms, juvenile detention halls, mental health treatment centers, and homeless youth drop-ins throughout the Seattle area. He is the editor of The Shadow Beside Me (2020) and The Story of My Heart (2021), anthologies of poetry by youth affected by trauma, mental illness, and instability. Over 85 of his works have been published, including the forthcoming short story collection The Wild Familiar (Fall, 2024; CJ Press). Keep up with him at shaunanthonymcmichael.com.

Nominated Poetry: Heavy on The Metaworker website

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Elena, Mel, and Cerid are back with updates. Elena asks Mel how it feels now that River and Stone is out in the world, Cerid discusses the fun challenge of arranging the order of pieces in her anthology Artificial Sweetener, and the trio discuss the thought and care that goes into book design and illustration.

Mel’s anthology, River and Stone, is now available for purchase as an e-book or physical book on Amazon or Barnes & Noble. Cerid’s anthology, Artificial Sweetener, will be available in November.


Referenced in this episode:

River and Stone Anthology, edited by Mel Reynolds, is available to purchase!

Buy River and Stone in print or Ebook on Amazon

Buy River and Stone in print from Barnes & Noble

Buy River and Stone Ebook from Barnes & Noble

Cerid’s project – Speculative Fiction New Zealand’s anthology, Artificial Sweetener – will be out later this year!

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Elena, Mel, and Cerid get technical and discuss the software Mel used to create her books, plus the benefit of hiring a professional book designer, and fostering a community of new and seasoned writers and editors who can learn from each other. Mel and Cerid also share their marketing plans, as well as their hopes and projections for the projects once they are released into the world. 

Mel’s anthology, River and Stone, is now available for purchase as an e-book or physical book on Amazon or Barnes & Noble. Cerid’s anthology, Artificial Sweetener, will be available in November.


Referenced in this episode: 

River and Stone Anthology, edited by Mel Reynolds, is available to purchase!

Buy River and Stone in print or Ebook on Amazon

Buy River and Stone in print from Barnes & Noble

Buy River and Stone Ebook from Barnes & Noble

Cerid’s project – Speculative Fiction New Zealand’s anthology, Artificial Sweetener – will be out later this year!

Support the show

Listen to the podcast on The Metaworker's website!

Episode Description:

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. They also discuss editor/author dynamics and the joys of creating the anthologies for their communities. 

Referenced in this episode: 

River and Stone Anthology, edited by Mel Reynolds, is available to purchase!

Buy River and Stone in print or Ebook on Amazon

Buy River and Stone in print from Barnes & Noble

Buy River and Stone Ebook from Barnes & Noble

Cerid's project -- Speculative Fiction New Zealand’s anthology, Artificial Sweetener -- will be out later this year!

Support the show

Listen to the podcast on The Metaworker's website!

Episode Description:

In this two-part series, we celebrate our Pushcart Prize nominees. This episode features Chris Cooper, Frank Njugi, and Linda Lacey. We asked each author to read an excerpt from their poetry or prose and to share some insights about their piece and themselves as writers. Elena, Mel, and Cerid also discuss what we loved about each piece and why we chose to nominate it. 

Featured Authors:

Chris Cooper is a fiction author from New Jersey; his short story “Bleed” was listed among the “Best Summer Reads” for 2021 at Hash Journal; his 2020 short story "Finn Almost Buys a Goldfish" won the 'Emerging Writer’s Award' at Spank the Carp Magazine; and his short story “The Swim” was recognized as the Best in Fiction for 2019 at Across the Margin. Chris' work has also been featured in Expat Press, Bookends Review, and elsewhere.

Nominated fiction:  Thirst by Chris Cooper on The Metaworker website 

Frank Njugi (he/him) is a writer and poet from Kenya. He currently serves as a poetry Reader for Salamander ink Magazine & His work has appeared on platforms such as Roi Feineant press, Olney Magazine, Kikwetu Journal, Fiery scribe Review , Konya Shamrusmi and others. He tweets as @FrankNjugi

Nominated poetry:  Desquamation by Frank Njugi on The Metaworker website 

Linda Lacy is a short story writer from Salem, Oregon. She worked at a homeless shelter for many years and now a men’s prison for the last decade. Her writing mirrors these career paths. Her work has been published in the Avalon Literary Review, Geez, Country Woman, North Dakota Quarterly, The Magnolia Review, Heart of Flesh Literary Journal, Universalist, The Adventist Review, Imperfect Women and The Anglican Digest.

Nominated fiction:  For Thea by Linda Lacy on The Metaworker website

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Episode Description:

In this two-part series, we celebrate our Pushcart Prize nominees. This episode features Amita Basu, Daniel Brennan, and Marie-Louise McGuinness. We asked each author to read an excerpt from their poetry or prose and to share some insights about their piece and themselves as writers. Elena, Mel, and Cerid also discuss what we loved about each piece and why we chose to nominate it. 

Featured Authors:

Amita Basu's fiction has appeared or is forthcoming in over sixty magazines and anthologies including The Penn Review, Bamboo Ridge, Another Chicago Magazine, The Dalhousie Review, and Funicular. She’s a reader at The Metaworker, sustainability columnist and interviews editor at Mean Pepper Vine, and submissions editor at Fairfield Scribes Microfiction. She lives in Bangalore, uses her cognitive science PhD to work on sustainable behaviour, and blogs at http://amitabasu.com/

Nominated fiction: Retreat by Amita Basu on The Metaworker website 

Daniel Brennan (he/him) is a queer writer and resident of New York City, but spent much of his youth in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Pennsylvania (an early ecological inspiration for his work). As a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, Brennan hopes to capture and juxtapose the vastness we experience within our rapidly changing natural world with the often daunting intimacies the queer body presents. His poems have been published or are forthcoming in Passengers Journal, The Garfield Lake Review, ONE ART, and Feral: a Journal of Poetry & Art, among others. Instagram/Twitter @dannyjbrennan

Nominated poetry: The Beach by Daniel Brennan on The Metaworker website

Marie-Louise McGuinness comes from a wonderfully neurodiverse household in rural Northern Ireland. She has work published or forthcoming in Roi Faineant Press, Bending Genres, Intrepidus Ink, Flash Fiction Magazine and The Airgonaut amongst others. She enjoys writing from a sensory perspective.

Nominated creative non-fiction: Lives of Dust and Ashes by Marie-Louise McGuinness on The Metaworker website

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Episode Description:

Elena, Mel, and Cerid talk with former Metaworker Editor in Chief Matthew Maichen about writing rituals, how they create characters, and the benefits and drawbacks of writing with or without a plan. They discuss the importance of respecting readers and doing research when writing about vulnerable topics, then Matthew shares an excerpt (rated NC-17) from one of his published stories and encourages any writers listening to join The Metaworker’s weekly Discord writing group.

Author Bio:

Matthew Maichen typically writes as Johnathon Heart, and is the former editor-in-chief of the Metaworker. He is dedicated to writing stories for anyone who thinks that Halloween is better than Christmas, that love is worth believing in, and that all the best love stories are at least a little bit sad. Clearly enough people think this for him to get published. He has appeared in a variety of anthologies and is slated to appear in more. His hobbies include arguing with imaginary people and wasting the entire day. He does not actually enjoy these things, but he does them anyway.

Referenced in this episode: 

Ants by Johnathon Heart

sensitivity readers, #OwnVoices, and doing your research when writing about sensitive or unfamiliar topics

I Sexually Identify as an Attack Helicopter by Isabel Fall in Clarkesworld and details about the backstory

Feed by M.T. Anderson

The Marigold by Andrew F. Sullivan

Matthew Maichen (aka Johnathon Heart) Publication List:

"To Summon Her" from Pressfuls (as Matthew Maichen)

"Woman Made of Stars" from Factor Four

"The Mourner" in Depths of Love, Love Thy Enemy

"My Darling Girl" in It Calls from Below: Anthology of Horror

"Tacos" in The Best of Bizarro Fiction: Volume 2

"Dorian" in The Devil Who Loves Me

"(im here)" in Bleed Error, Vol. 2

"Lorelai" in the Thirteen Podcast (Patrons only) and in Wicked Shadow Press

"The Door People" in the Nosleep Podcast (as Matthew Maichen)

"Like the Devil" in Collage Macabre: An Exhibition of Art Horror (as Matthew Maichen)

“THREEFOLD.WMV” by Johnathon Heart in

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Listen to the podcast on The Metaworker's website!

Episode Description:
Elena, Mel, and Cerid talk with former Metaworker Editor in Chief Matthew Maichen about his writing and publishing journey since he stepped away from leading the magazine. They discuss writing query letters, the challenges of marketing a novel and finding stories you didn’t know you were looking for. They also discuss what goes on behind the scenes in the slush piles, and Matthew shares what motivates him to continue slogging through those query trenches.


Author Bio:

Matthew Maichen typically writes as Johnathon Heart, and is the former editor-in-chief of the Metaworker. He is dedicated to writing stories for anyone who thinks that Halloween is better than Christmas, that love is worth believing in, and that all the best love stories are at least a little bit sad. Clearly enough people think this for him to get published. He has appeared in a variety of anthologies and is slated to appear in more. His hobbies include arguing with imaginary people and wasting the entire day. He does not actually enjoy these things, but he does them anyway.


Referenced in this episode: 

Switchyard Tulsa and The Switchyard Podcast

Mermaids Monthly

George Lies Morgantown Writers Group

Super Eyepatch Wolf, Influencer Courses are Garbage: The Dark Side of Content Creation

Dick Pig by Ian Muneshwar, published in Nightmare Magazine



Matthew Maichen (aka Johnathon Heart) Publication List:

"To Summon Her" from Pressfuls (as Matthew Maichen)

"Woman Made of Stars" from Factor Four

"The Mourner" in Depths of Love, Love Thy Enemy

"My Darling Girl" in It Calls from Below: Anthology of Horror

"Tacos" in The Best of Bizarro Fiction: Volume 2

"Dorian" in The Devil Who Loves Me

"(im here)" in Bleed Error, Vol. 2

"Lorelai" in the Thirteen Podcast (Patrons only) and in Wicked Shadow Press

"The Door People" in the Nosleep Podcast (as Matthew Maichen)

"Like the Devil" in Collage Macabre: An Exhibition of Art Horror (as Matthew Maichen)

“THREEFOLD.WMV” by Johnathon Heart in From Beyond the Threshold: Cosmic Horror Anthology

Support the show

Listen to the podcast on The Metaworker's website!