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Helen Rye

@helenrye.bsky.social
1.1K followers 1K following 566 posts

Writer, editor. UEA Prose MA and fledgling PhD researcher. Won some writing things. Published some writing things. @smokelong.bsky.social senior ed. She/her. AuDHD

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Reposted by Helen Rye
onion person @junlper.beer · 06/10/2026
one of the deepest sicknesses in the world are the people who feel personally attacked over other people getting the same rights as them
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Helen Rye @helenrye.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
That's just so gross.
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Helen Rye @helenrye.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Ahh, the daily chronic migraine choice between a functioning, pain-free brain and a functioning, pain-free stomach 👌
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Helen Rye @helenrye.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Meanwhile, there are tools to evade AI detectors. Do they work? Who knows. For sure, some tech people who care zero about the arts are making a fuck ton of money from all this. Please don't use churn other people's stolen, regurgitated work into this literary sausagemeat and think it's a win.
screenshot of TextGuard offering a tool to evade AI detectors.
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Helen Rye @helenrye.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
www.alphaxiv.org/abs/2607.14729
alphaxiv.org
The Misclassification of Autistic Writing as AI-Generated
Recent findings suggest that detection models for artificial intelligence (AI) cannot accurately identify AI-generated text and may exhibit bias against certain minority groups. In the present...
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Helen Rye @helenrye.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Legit do not know what we're supposed to do, Kathy 💙. I hope we all figure it out soon.
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Helen Rye @helenrye.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
What are we supposed to do? Honestly, I have no idea. We're all, already, I think it is fair to say, quite tired.
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Helen Rye @helenrye.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
I haven't had time or headspace to write or submit anything since the release of generative AI, but if I had, it's clear from this result that someone would have accused me of using it, even if I only sent out the languishing stories I wrote in 2018-20. I hate generative AI too. We have a problem.
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Helen Rye @helenrye.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
But it seems to me very clear that AI detectors are wildly unreliable. I promise I did not time travel from 2019 to use generative AI to write a story that had my whole heart. Let's exercise caution before declaring someone's work to be stolen via these gross AI creativity voids on flimsy evidence.
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Helen Rye @helenrye.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
If you're writing AI and sending it to literary journals, please, for the LOVE OF GOD, stop. Lots of us give our every last bit of energy to supporting other people's art by working for them for free or for virtually nothing but the love of it. AI subs for real could be the thing that breaks us.
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Helen Rye @helenrye.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Gang. We need to stop with the AI tools and take a breath. Research shows they flag up autistic people's writing as AI, for starters. I just ran my 2019 matchbook story The Diamond Factory through this popular one and it said it was 73% AI. This was published 3 years before the release of Chat GPT.
AI detector result showing my own story, written and published several years before the invention of generative AI, as 73% AI.
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Reposted by Helen Rye
SmokeLong Quarterly @smokelong.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Sherrie Flick has now been with us for ten years! We are so very lucky to have her. Thank you for all you do, Sherrie. @sherrieflick.bsky.social
Background image of Sherrie Flick in a bright yellow cardigan with superimposed images of her book covers. Inset graphic with a black and white picture of Sherrie and text saying Sherrie Flick: 10 Year Smokeyversary. Celebrating Senior Editor Sherrie Flick: ten years at SmokeLong. 5,700 stories read. 3,650 days of insight, wisdom, and friendship. Thank you, Sherrie!
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Helen Rye @helenrye.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Awww, thank you!
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Helen Rye @helenrye.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Hahahaha. I only just saw this. Bit belated for killing. 💗
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Reposted by Helen Rye
SmokeLong Quarterly @smokelong.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
We are beside ourselves with glee to bring you Issue 93 of SmokeLong Quarterly. 12 amazing flash narratives by 12 amazing writers and cover art by Victoria Ojo. www.smokelong.com/issue-ninety...
Cover for SmokeLong Quarterly Issue 93. Journal title in light red. Names of contributors, date, logo, artist name, and Issue number in white. Image: shadow image of a young person or child with hair tied back raising their hands open in front of their face. Their shadow is in a pool of pale light surrounded by darkness.
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Ani King (they/them) @aniking.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Hi y’all! You know what would be rad? If you came to my remote launch party for Family Night on Oct 24 @1pm ET. More info in the alt text and at the registration link below. aniking.net/launchparty/
Image depicts event date information for the remote launch of Family Night by Ani King and features a full color picture of the book cover and black and white photos of Ani and their special guest readers. Event information is below: 

-- Saturday, October 24, 2026 at 1pm Eastern
-- Event Link to be provided after registration

Join Ani King for the launch of their debut flash fiction collection, Family Night: Stories (Mason Jar Press). Preorders are available at https://masonjarpress.com/chapbooks-1/family-night.

FAMILY NIGHT is by turns a lyrical celebration of queerness and an exploration of family and loss, often through a lens of magical realism. Ani King’s collected flash fiction stories explore relationships and connections: a teen girl attempting to summon her missing mother home with cigarette smoke and yacht rock songs; two sisters disputing how to care for an unhealthy elderly unicorn; a woman accidentally raising two daughters from the bones of her long-dead pet rabbits.

Ani will be joined by emcee and guest reader Katherine Plumhoff, with additional guests Claudia Monpere, Dawn Tasaka Steffler, Allison Field Bell, and Elizabeth Deanna Morris Lakes. Come hang out with us and enjoy conversation, readings, and giveaways as we celebrate Family Night!

-- Please note we are only collecting your email in order to send the calendar invite and event link.

-- This event will also be recorded.
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Reposted by Helen Rye
Radiant G🌈 @radiantg.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Sometimes my feed is just: [amazing art] looking for work [goated resume] looking for work [great writing] looking for work [banger music] looking for work Dave Slutbutt, CEO of Game Dev, has laid off 9000 people to buy a 4th house in Bora Bora. [industry veteran] looking for work
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SmokeLong Quarterly @smokelong.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Issue 93 cover reveal! Available to read on Monday September 21. Cover art by Victoria Ojo
Cover for SmokeLong Quarterly Issue 93. Journal title in light red. Names of contributors, date, logo, artist name, and Issue number in white. Image: shadow image of a young person or child with hair tied back raising their hands open in front of their face. Their shadow is in a pool of pale light surrounded by darkness.
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Reposted by Helen Rye
SmokeLong Quarterly @smokelong.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Promptember is coming. October 11th to November 2nd. An in-between sort of almost month of prompts, webinars, open mics. And Promptember is free. Yep. Zero dolares. This one is on us. Stay tuned for details.
Against a prairie landscape with horses dancing through the sky, the text reads "another mysterious, in-between month of live write-ins, workshops and prompts"
PROMPTEMBER
October 11 - November 2 2026
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Chris Terry-Enescu @cjterry.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Truly wild to have lived through moral panics about teenagers wearing hoodies and Muslim women wearing the head dress to now experience 'but is a large group of organised far right activists in balaclavas really that scary'
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Reposted by Helen Rye
SmokeLong Quarterly @smokelong.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Join us and Sarah Fawn Montgomery on September 12 for the webinar/workshop "Discovering Disabled Forms and Structures"! www.smokelong.com/product/disc...
smokelong.com
Discovering Disabled Forms and Structures with Sarah Fawn Montgomery - SmokeLong Quarterly
The writing workshop is a space where power and privilege often demand disabled, chronically ill, and neurodivergent writers translate our lived experiences for abled audiences in order to be valued. ...
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Reposted by Helen Rye
TechnicallyRon @technicallyron.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
Took a picture of my friends dog at the train station and may have created the best horror movie poster ever
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SmokeLong Quarterly @smokelong.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Congratulations to our Best Small Fictions nominees!
Against a dark background with a setting sun at the bottom and a rising sun at the top, the text reads 
The
SmokeLong Quarterly
BEST SMALL
FICTIONS
Nominations 2026
"Mojave Drive" by Margaret Dunn
"Jigger" by John Dufresne
"On Trees and Treefrogs" by L.A. Strycker
"Sutures" by Murray Dunsmore
"Mouth-Feel" by Sarah Juma
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Helen Rye @helenrye.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
My privilege to learn more about this artist and his work ❤️
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Reposted by Helen Rye
SmokeLong Quarterly @smokelong.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
Sarah Fawn Montgomery will be joining us on September 12th at 10am ET to lead the 90-minute online workshop "Discovering Disabled Forms and Structures," and you can come even if you're not in SmokeLong Fitness. www.smokelong.com/september-on...
Text on the left half of the graphic: SMOKELONG LIVE WORKSHOP

Discovering
Disabled
Forms and
Structures
Sarah Fawn
Montgomery

On the right side of the graphic: 
A photo of Sarah Fawn Montgomery, a woman with short brown hair, glasses, an intriguing smile and yellow-beige sweater. She's standing in a wooded area. 
Below the photograph: 
Saturday
Sept 12
10AM ET
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Reposted by Helen Rye
SmokeLong Quarterly @smokelong.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
Come and hear Amy Hempel read and talk about her work! Support rescue dogs in the NYC area through www.everylastonerescue.org with your ticket! What a day. Sunday July 26, Noon NYC online.
Images and descriptions of rescue dogs looking healthy and adoptable
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Reposted by Helen Rye
SmokeLong Quarterly @smokelong.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
This Sunday July 26, a special 90-minute live interview and reading with Amy Hempel! Included with A SmokeLong Summer/$19 tickets available to anyone via link: www.smokelong.com/product/smok... Proceeds to NYC dog rescue, Every Last One www.everylastonerescue.org. Noon NYC online. Don't miss this.
Graphic with image of Amy Hempel; some covers of Amy Hempel's books; a dog with pleading eyes. Text: SmokeLong Master Series: Amy Hempel interview and reading, July 26, Noon NYC, online
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Helen Rye @helenrye.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
I’m so glad ❤️🎸🎤
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Reposted by Helen Rye
SmokeLong Quarterly @smokelong.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
Join SmokeLong on July 26th as we spend 90 minutes with Amy Hempel! Even if you're not doing A SmokeLong Summer 26, you can still attend for $19. All proceeds will go to Every Last One, dedicated to rescuing dogs in NYC. www.smokelong.com/product/smok...
smokelong.com
SmokeLong Master Series Interview and Reading with Amy Hempel - SmokeLong Quarterly
Date: July 26th Time: Noon NYC Zoom Link sent upon purchase. This is done by a human who occasionally sleeps. We send the link asap.  We’ll be donating all proceeds from this event to a charity chosen...
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Helen Rye @helenrye.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
Ahhhhh! I love this ❤️
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SmokeLong Quarterly @smokelong.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
Delighted to announce our nominations for the Best of the Net Anthology @sundresspub.bsky.social: Non-fiction: "Organs" by Aimee Bender; "How To Mourn Your Mother" by Suzanne Biro Fiction: "Jigger" by John Dufresne; "On Trees and Treefrogs" by L.A. Strycker Art: Cover art, Issue 92 by Martins Deep
Text based graphic saying The SmokeLong Quarterly Best of the Net Nominations

Non-fiction: "Organs" by Aimee Bender; "How To Mourn Your Mother" by Suzanne Biro

Fiction: "Jigger" by John Dufresne; "On Trees and Treefrogs" by L.A. Strycker

Art: Cover art, Issue 92 by Martins Deep
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Reposted by Helen Rye
SmokeLong Quarterly @smokelong.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
Yay!!! That was a writing task by @helenrye.bsky.social. 😃
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Helen Rye @helenrye.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
So love to see this 💖
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Helen Rye @helenrye.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
Another show where the main characters look too alike for me to follow, does nobody consider the faceblind
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flyingrodent @flyingrodent.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
TL/DR: we are all catastrophically worse off as a result of this bullshit, and our democracy has taken quite devastating damage from it, and all of it is because some of the most selfish and unpleasant people in the country threw a massive hissy fit at not being listened to.
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Dan Sohege @danielsohege.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
Having overseen a massive rollback of human rights, it does feel petty for Starmer to talk about Labour having been "morally bankrupt". especially after calling human rights' supporters "extremists" and a Home Sec who told refugee rights advocates to "fuck off". www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/poli...
independent.co.uk
Emotional Keir Starmer’s resignation speech in full as PM quits
Sir Keir Starmer stepped out of Downing Street accompanied by his wife Victoria to cheers and applause from his team
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Ballot Box Scotland @ballotbox.scot · 22/06/2026
For many LGBT folk like me, and especially trans folk, Keir Starmer will be remembered in the same way as Margaret Thatcher: with deep contempt for having overseen a deeply hostile, queerphobic government, which rolled back human rights and set society back by at least a decade. Good riddance.
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SmokeLong Quarterly @smokelong.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
Issue 92 of SmokeLong Quarterly is live! Featuring the winners and finalists of The SmokeLong Quarterly Award for Flash Fiction 2026 and the winners of the SmokeLong Workshop Prize. All of it is gold. www.smokelong.com/issue-ninety...
SmokeLong Quarterly Issue 92 cover, June 2026. Digital painting on a blue background of a Black man with a sailing ship on his head. Cover art by Martins Deep. Featuring the winners of The SmokeLong Quarterly Award for Flash Fiction and the SmokeLong Workshop Prize.
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SmokeLong Quarterly @smokelong.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
It's cover reveal time! Issue 92 is out on Monday June 15. Including the winners and finalists of The SmokeLong Quarterly Award for Flash Fiction and the SmokeLong Workshop Prize. Cover art by Martins Deep.
SmokeLong Quarterly Issue 92 cover, June 2026. Digital painting on a blue background of a Black man with a sailing ship on his head. Cover art by Martins Deep. Featuring the winners of The SmokeLong Quarterly Award for Flash Fiction and the SmokeLong Workshop Prize.
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matchbook literary magazine @matchbooklitmag.bsky.social · 31/05/2026
Submissions deadline is June 2 at midnight! That's about 57 hours left.
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Helen Rye @helenrye.bsky.social · 24/05/2026
The only way to do the Wheel properly ❤️
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Helen Rye @helenrye.bsky.social · 24/05/2026
If you are ever back here I insist we go to the Catherine Wheel and do Brightly Coloured Shots
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Helen Rye @helenrye.bsky.social · 24/05/2026
❤️Hope you had the absolute best time x
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SmokeLong Quarterly @smokelong.bsky.social · 22/05/2026
We've planned a party. Come dance with us! The registration deadline for A SmokeLong Summer 26 is tomorrow! May 23rd! www.smokelong.com/a-smokelong-...
The image show a six squirrels in party attire dancing in a conga line. The wording "The Conga Line" is in an arc over a sun with "A SmokeLong Summer 2026" in the middle. The background is a beach and a teal sky with a couple of clouds.
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SmokeLong Quarterly @smokelong.bsky.social · 22/05/2026
We have a shortlist! Please help us celebrate the top 23 titles on The SmokeLong Quarterly Award for Flash Fiction 2026 shortlist! Anonymous judging is ongoing. www.smokelong.com/the-smokelon...
smokelong.com
The SmokeLong Quarterly Award for Flash Fiction — The Shortlist! - SmokeLong Quarterly
Thank you to everyone who sent in work for our judges to consider this year. Narrowing down the field from 1200 entries to the list of 23 stories below has been a grand task for our 16 judges, an inte...
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SmokeLong Quarterly @smokelong.bsky.social · 21/05/2026
Two days left to register! We'll be sending out invitations to join the workshop site on May 23rd! A SmokeLong Summer 26! www.smokelong.com/a-smokelong-...
smokelong.com
A SmokeLong Summer 26 - SmokeLong Quarterly
A SmokeLong Summer 26 is closer than you think. This year we’re starting early and staying late. The summer just got longer. As always, at the heart of A SmokeLong Summer is our peer-review workshop i...
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SmokeLong Quarterly @smokelong.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
The SmokeLong Quarterly Award for Flash Fiction Long List is Live! Congratulations to everyone on the list and to everyone who entered this year! Anonymous judging ongoing! www.smokelong.com/the-smokelon...
A poster tacked onto a bulletin board with the wording The SmokeLong Quarterly Award for Flash Fiction LONG LIST. At the center of the image is an old-fashioned polaroid camera.
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