kara oakleaf @karaoakleaf.bsky.social · 05/10/2026love @kathyfish.bsky.social ‘s newsletter and get a bit of a thrill seeing my name in there alongside so many favorites ♥️ 262
kara oakleaf @karaoakleaf.bsky.social · 02/07/2026very excited to have this story on the wigleaf top 50 longlist this year! 😊 160
kara oakleaf @karaoakleaf.bsky.social · 03/06/2026excited to see this little book of love from @wwph.bsky.social out in the world, and to have a story in here alongside some of my favorite dc writers ♥️ 010
kara oakleaf @karaoakleaf.bsky.social · 08/05/2026“Kevin and I laughed at our feral little animal, this creature who was loud and determined and afraid of nothing.” @emilyrinkema.bsky.social and @dawnsteffler.bsky.social with this total knockout of an apocalypse story in cutleaf 💔 241
Reposted by kara oakleafJason Koebler @jasonkoebler.bsky.social · 12/03/2026I met with AI data labelers in Kenya who are organizing their colleagues to fight the brutal working conditions and horrible pay given to the workers at the "bottom of the AI supply chain." They believe the NDAs they've signed are unenforceable so are speaking out: www.404media.co/ai-is-africa...404media.co'AI Is African Intelligence': The Workers Who Train AI Are Fighting BackKenyan workers are still the underpaid labor behind AI training, moderation, and sex chatbots. The Data Labelers Association is fighting back. 3563183015
kara oakleaf @karaoakleaf.bsky.social · 08/03/2026i didn’t get a lot of photos, but i heard good stories, hugged a lot of people i adore, and brought home some gorgeous books. til next year, friends. ♥️ #awp26 021
kara oakleaf @karaoakleaf.bsky.social · 16/02/2026so much fun to read at the 804 lit salon this weekend - huge thanks to @andrewbertaina.bsky.social for including me with this absurdly talented group of writers ♥️ @margarethutton.bsky.social @janinalapapita.bsky.social @ambersparks.bsky.social @danilabotha.bsky.social @tmcallister.bsky.social 0122
kara oakleaf @karaoakleaf.bsky.social · 30/01/2026lots of bookish things up for auction to support minnesota (and just a good list of resources that could use your donations if you aren’t bidding on anything here) ❤️🩹 www.32auctions.com/publishingfo...32auctions.comPublishing for MinnesotaSilent auction 'Publishing for Minnesota' hosted online at 32auctions. 010
kara oakleaf @karaoakleaf.bsky.social · 09/01/2026matt this is such a compliment 😊 thank you so much for reading it! 010
Reposted by kara oakleafNew Flash Fiction Review (subs closed) @nffr.bsky.social · 26/12/2025We will be open for submissions 1 to 15 Jan. For inspiration, read our winning stories from last issue by @karaoakleaf.bsky.social @emilyrinkema.bsky.social @belindarowe.bsky.social @jaimegill.bsky.social @theodora.bsky.social @kathrynsilverhajo.bsky.social newflashfiction.com/issue-39/newflashfiction.comIssue 39: 2025 New Flash Fiction Prize | New Flash Fiction ReviewFeaturing new work by Belinda Rowe, Jaime Gill, Emily Rinkema, Theodora Sutcliffe, Kara Oakleaf, Leigh Ann Ruggiero, Kathryn Silver-Hajo, Brigid M. Hughes, and Jess Richards 02916
kara oakleaf @karaoakleaf.bsky.social · 15/12/2025“I asked Dad once, What goes on in Olive’s head? He said, Believe whatever thing seems nicest.” leigh ann ruggiero’s “iron shoes” in @nffr.bsky.social 🤍 newflashfiction.com/iron-shoes/newflashfiction.comIron Shoes | Issue #39My parents, Olive, and I arrive at Uncle Don’s Memorial cookout after a day spent laying flowers at graves. 121
Reposted by kara oakleafClaudia Monpere @claudiamonpere.bsky.social · 13/12/2025The long hallways of my arms, where sometimes, I swear I can feel their footsteps, where I look down and expect to see the skin rise up, something pushing against me from the inside." Brilliant unforgettable winning story@karaoakleaf.bsky.social @nffr.bsky.social newflashfiction.com/body-as-a-si...newflashfiction.comBody as a Single-Family Home | Issue #39My ribcage must be the foyer, all high ceilings and wasted space and a place for the air to circulate. Small voices echoing off the walls of my lungs. 4106
Reposted by kara oakleafJames Montgomery @jamesmontgomery.bsky.social · 11/12/2025‘…knowing they were safe, that they were surrounded only by their own histories.’ Beautiful, heartbreaking framing to this prize-winning @nffr.bsky.social story from @karaoakleaf.bsky.social 🏠 newflashfiction.com/body-as-a-si...newflashfiction.comBody as a Single-Family Home | Issue #39My ribcage must be the foyer, all high ceilings and wasted space and a place for the air to circulate. Small voices echoing off the walls of my lungs. 2153
kara oakleaf @karaoakleaf.bsky.social · 05/12/2025“My Uncle Louie beat a man to death with his bare hands, the same hands that now hold my baby in the living room of my newly dead grandmother’s house.” been reading through the @nffr.bsky.social issue this week and man, @emilyrinkema.bsky.social’s piece is a stunner. ♥️ 111
Reposted by kara oakleafMeg Pillow @megpillow.bsky.social · 04/12/2025This is one of the most damning arguments against AI and one of the most damning indictments of the university admins who gleefully jumped on this bandwagon without once thinking about the long-term damage it might cause. Everyone should read this. 23620
kara oakleaf @karaoakleaf.bsky.social · 02/12/2025thank you belinda! so glad to be in your company in this issue 😊 010
kara oakleaf @karaoakleaf.bsky.social · 02/12/2025emily! thank you so much 😊 slowly making my way through the issue and wow that opening line in yours (and the way it comes back)… it’s such a good story. ♥️ 110
kara oakleaf @karaoakleaf.bsky.social · 02/12/2025huge thanks to the editors and @gfaulknerwriter.bsky.social for selecting this story, and to the @smokelong.bsky.social summer for helping me get this piece started ♥️ 151
kara oakleaf @karaoakleaf.bsky.social · 02/12/2025very surprised and grateful to see this little story win the 2025 new flash fiction review prize! the whole @nffr.bsky.social issue is phenomenal and i’m so glad to be in such good company 🥰 newflashfiction.com/body-as-a-si...nffr.bsky.socialNew Flash Fiction Review (subs closed) (@nffr.bsky.social)New Flash Fiction Review is an online magazine devoted to flash fiction. Read more: https://newflashfiction.com 7222
kara oakleaf @karaoakleaf.bsky.social · 21/11/2025“This is precisely how it is every Tuesday. The egg. The soldiers. Mrs White in a fluster.” beautiful story from @mattkendrick.bsky.social in milk candy review 💔 120
kara oakleaf @karaoakleaf.bsky.social · 07/11/2025"In cutting literature programs, universities...are dismantling the intellectual infrastructure that enables young people, and particularly the least advantaged, to become critical subjects capable of engaging with the all-too-many systems of power around them." lareviewofbooks.org/article/lite...lareviewofbooks.orgLiterature Is Not a Vibe: On ChatGPT and the Humanities | Los Angeles Review of BooksRachele Dini discusses OpenAI’s “A Machine-Shaped Hand” and an academic sector in crisis. 010
kara oakleaf @karaoakleaf.bsky.social · 28/10/2025look at this little piece of wonderful news in the midst of all the mess. ♥️ 000
kara oakleaf @karaoakleaf.bsky.social · 20/09/2025another i love and use in class is “sea air” by matt sailor but i can’t find it anymore - will come back with a link if i can track it down! 110
kara oakleaf @karaoakleaf.bsky.social · 20/09/2025loving this whole thread… here’s one of mine: booth.butler.edu/2020/02/07/r... 210
kara oakleaf @karaoakleaf.bsky.social · 18/09/2025“She laughs and her short red hair is an inkblot in the starlight, and you love her and miss her more than you thought was possible, all your feelings driven by this new wild blood. Was this yours, this brain full of such fierce fire?” @ambersparks.bsky.social in short story long 💜 141
Reposted by kara oakleafFree DC @freedcproject.bsky.social · 06/09/2025This is what democracy looks like! A people united will never be defeated. We want federal forces out of DC NOW! #WeAreAllDC #FreeDC 254168364880
kara oakleaf @karaoakleaf.bsky.social · 01/09/2025“Because the taste of mangoes clings to your teeth like a hymn. Because the boy on the bus folded his laughter into a paper crane & left it on your seat.” an absolutely perfect tiny story in @trampset.bsky.social ❤️🩹❤️🩹❤️🩹 trampset.org/reasons-to-s...trampset.orgReasons to Stay Alive When the World Burnsby Oladosu Michael Emerald 010
kara oakleaf @karaoakleaf.bsky.social · 23/08/2025oh, that’s only one option! writers could also “empower a house of worship,” “foster a skilled trade job,” or “make dc safe and beautiful.” so many opportunities for art!! 010
Reposted by kara oakleafFree DC @freedcproject.bsky.social · 14/08/2025Last night DC neighbors showed up at a police checkpoint at 14th & V ST. NW with handwritten signs warning drivers to avoid the block. After realizing that the community was successfully diverting all traffic, agents packed up the checkpoint and left. #WeKeepUsSafe 14979311
Reposted by kara oakleafBenjamin Dreyer @bcdreyer.social · 27/06/2025"The morning of June 27th was clear and sunny, with the fresh warmth of a full-summer day; the flowers were blossoming profusely and the grass was richly green." Happy Lottery day to you and yours. 421158345
Reposted by kara oakleafMatt Kendrick @mattkendrick.bsky.social · 11/05/2025Thanks to the generous sponsors for my stair climb challenge, I have free spots for low-income writers on all my upcoming #WriteBeyondTheLightbulb courses. Details about the courses: www.mattkendrick.co.uk/courses-work... Sign up to the "lottery": docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F... 12822
kara oakleaf @karaoakleaf.bsky.social · 11/05/2025“in this big house full of small suites, the loneliness of motherhood dissipates, mostly, and the safety net needed to create art becomes visible, connective.” @amiesouzareilly.bsky.social w/a perfect mother’s day essay about isolation, creativity, & the small moments of community we all need. ♥️ 010
Reposted by kara oakleafAnne Applebaum @anneapplebaum.wsocial.eu · 09/05/2025Every book published in the United States is sent to the Library of Congress. Also, if you are under 16 you cannot use the reading room or order books. 669145234840
Reposted by kara oakleafKaren Carpenter’s Halloween @kellylink.bsky.social · 09/05/2025Dr. Carla Hayden has more sense of American history, better bureaucratic understanding & capability, and a stronger sense of justice in her little pinky finger than everyone in the Trump administration & all those aiding and abetting that administration. 0203
Reposted by kara oakleafAmy Stuber @amystuber.com · 09/05/2025Shocked & grateful (thank you Stillhouse Press for giving my book a chance ❤️) 5420822
kara oakleaf @karaoakleaf.bsky.social · 08/05/2025all i can think is chicago pope, thursdays on nbc. 082
Reposted by kara oakleafPoetry Daily @poetrydaily.bsky.social · 07/05/2025Meet our new managing editor, @elenamacdonald.bsky.social ! Elena Macdonald (they/she) is a writer from Virginia. Their work has been featured or is forthcoming in The Ekphrastic Review, Kitchen Table Quarterly, and Twin Bird Review. Elena is grateful and excited to be taking on this role. 1266
Reposted by kara oakleafLauren Beukes @laurenbeukes.com · 29/04/2025So many, many bargains still on the Genre Creators for Trans Rights charity auction, including a just-added-this-minute signed Patrick Rothfuss, as well as handcrafted gems. www.32auctions.com/genrefortrans And here's a statement from our South African beneficary, @triangleprojectngo.bsky.social. 16448