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Leon Literary Review

@leonliteraryreview.bsky.social

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Leon Literary Review @leonliteraryreview.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

Issue 36 is live! And cool enough to beat this heat? Find out! Adam Berlin Andrew Bertaina Christie Chapman Amrita Chowdhury Heather Emmanuel Zary Fekete Kelsey Flaherty Richard Leise & Lillian Taylor Catherine O'Brien Eric Roller Mary Magdalen Smihula leonliteraryreview.com

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LEON Literary Review

Leon Literary Review @leonliteraryreview.bsky.social · 04/06/2026

Getting some gorgeous submissions...but where is yours? Please send us your heartbreaking, hilarious, harrowing, honestly human-made poetry, flash, fiction, and nonfiction. Our reading period is open until June 30th. We can't wait to read your work! leonliteraryreview.com/submit-2/

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Submit – LEON Literary Review

Leon Literary Review @leonliteraryreview.bsky.social · 01/05/2026

We are open for submissions May 1st through June 30th! Send us your one-of-a-kind, human generated, fiction, flash, cnf, and poetry. We're excited to read your work! leonliteraryreview.com/submit-2/

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Submit – LEON Literary Review

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Leon Literary Review @leonliteraryreview.bsky.social · 31/03/2026

Oh my! This is a gorgeous new issue, if we say so ourselves! New poetry from: Cynthia Dewi Oka Debra Allbery Jonathan Fletcher Paul Ilechko Dara Laine Katelyn Grimes Grace Lynn Bridgette James Cecilia Savala Michael Lauchlan Hayley Phillips Joemario Umana leonliteraryreview.com

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LEON Literary Review

Leon Literary Review @leonliteraryreview.bsky.social · 31/03/2026

Oh my! This is a gorgeous new issue, if we say so ourselves! New poetry from: Cynthia Dewi Oka Debra Allbery Jonathan Fletcher Paul Ilechko Dara Laine Katelyn Grimes Grace Lynn Bridgette James Cecilia Savala Michael Lauchlan Hayley Phillips Joemario Umana leonliteraryreview.com

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LEON Literary Review

Leon Literary Review @leonliteraryreview.bsky.social · 19/03/2026

"...Georgia Jamaica had been his faith for nearly a decade nonstop, his crescent moon and stars. Much like the art of boxing, she destroyed him every time he saw her, only to rebuild him.." "Shotgun — Jr. Walker & The All-Stars (1965)" N. Jamiyla Chisholm leonliteraryreview.com/issue-34-n-j...

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Issue 34 | N. Jamiyla Chisholm – LEON Literary Review

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Leon Literary Review @leonliteraryreview.bsky.social · 27/02/2026

If you haven't already, please check out the truly outstanding fiction in our special issue, showcasing the writers of Kimbilio! With an introduction by Board Chair David Haynes! kimbilio.com leonliteraryreview.com

Leon Literary Review @leonliteraryreview.bsky.social · 09/03/2026

"Patsy threw the first punch. It took Betty by surprise, and she fell on one knee. Patsy was about to kick Betty when Rhonda came from behind and pulled Patsy’s fake ponytail and ran towards the basketball court..." fr "Betty in Trouble: " by Debra Stone leonliteraryreview.com/issue-34-deb...

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Issue 34 | Debra Stone – LEON Literary Review

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Leon Literary Review @leonliteraryreview.bsky.social · 05/03/2026

"I woke with a start, clutching Uncle Morris’s body like to protect it. I hadn’t been outside since the whitemen dragged me into the cave. The cool air blowing in and the blackness at the opening..." from "Uncle Morris’s Body" by Camille F. Forbes leonliteraryreview.com/issue-34-cam...

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Issue 34 | Camille F. Forbes – LEON Literary Review

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Leon Literary Review @leonliteraryreview.bsky.social · 27/02/2026

If you haven't already, please check out the truly outstanding fiction in our special issue, showcasing the writers of Kimbilio! With an introduction by Board Chair David Haynes! kimbilio.com leonliteraryreview.com

Leon Literary Review @leonliteraryreview.bsky.social · 25/02/2026

"...Shutting the door hard, she listened for the bolt to click into place. For a moment, it was like the knock never happened. The silence returned. Neat, heavy. But it felt wrong this time..." from "15D" by Victoria Palmer leonliteraryreview.com/issue-34-vic...

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Issue 34 | Victoria Palmer – LEON Literary Review

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Leon Literary Review @leonliteraryreview.bsky.social · 16/02/2026

"Steam is rising off the shores of Limbe as the surf rushes forward. The beach is in an uproar, which is a surprise to me, because I was told it isn’t tourist season. The early morning fishermen are yelling and pointing..." from "Komba" by Jason Harris leonliteraryreview.com/issue-34-jas...

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Issue 34 | Jason Harris – LEON Literary Review

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Leon Literary Review @leonliteraryreview.bsky.social · 08/02/2026

"It was often like that on the island; talking to one was talking to all. Indeed, held aloft on the white-shirted shoulders of six men in flowing robes and matching turbans was balanced a silvery blue casket..." from "Digging Two Graves" by Denise Laidler leonliteraryreview.com/issue-34-den...

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Issue 34 | Denise Laidler – LEON Literary Review

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Leon Literary Review @leonliteraryreview.bsky.social · 02/02/2026

"...Winter is the only season in that part of the country, so he looked forward to parking his car inside. Except there was a dream in there. A big one. Nestled as comfortable as swallows under the eaves..." fr "Where Dreams Go" by Mary McLaughlin Slechta leonliteraryreview.com/issue-34-mar...

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Issue 34 | Mary McLaughlin Slechta – LEON Literary Review

Leon Literary Review @leonliteraryreview.bsky.social · 26/01/2026

"The thought of souls in a tree filled me with more wonder than dread. It seemed farther away than before but when I got to it, breathing heavily, I put out my hands. I touched the bark with my palms... from "The Silk Cotton Tree " by Wandeka Gayle leonliteraryreview.com/issue-34-wan...

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Issue 34 | Wandeka Gayle – LEON Literary Review

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Leon Literary Review @leonliteraryreview.bsky.social · 19/01/2026

"Something has been nagging her all morning, something just beyond her clear knowing, something almost imperceptible, like dissipating smoke or a shift in temperature" fr "The Visitation (Chapter 2 from “Of Mothers & Daughters”)" by Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa leonliteraryreview.com/issue-34-dah...

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Issue 34 | Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa – LEON Literary Review

Leon Literary Review @leonliteraryreview.bsky.social · 16/01/2026

"You remember exiting JFK from Kingston into your first snow at 10 years old, and you remember that no matter how thick your coats got every winter, you still felt emotionally ill-equipped for Brooklyn’s coldness..." from "Balance" by Leesa Fenderson leonliteraryreview.com/issue-34-lee...

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Issue 34 | Leesa Fenderson – LEON Literary Review

Leon Literary Review @leonliteraryreview.bsky.social · 08/01/2026

"She stared at the wide miles of carpeted hallway that led, she knew, to more carpeted hallways, to escalators and conference rooms and throngs of people talking about writing. The baby kicked her bladder. ..." from "Not Today" by Shinelle L. Espaillat leonliteraryreview.com/issue-34-shi...

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Issue 34 | Shinelle L. Espaillat – LEON Literary Review

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Leon Literary Review @leonliteraryreview.bsky.social · 05/01/2026

"There are ways in which I think I can shut the door on your existence. I do not choose those. I am the snake, charmed by the melody of your admitted wrongs when all I have known is silence..." from "How I Love My Neighbor" by Tara Baldridge leonliteraryreview.com/issue-34-tar...

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Issue 34 | Tara Baldridge – LEON Literary Review

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Leon Literary Review @leonliteraryreview.bsky.social · 01/01/2026

Special Issue 34 featuring Kimbilio Writers! Intro: David Haynes Tara Baldridge N. Jamiyla Chisholm Shinelle L. Espaillat Leesa Fenderson Camille F. Forbes Wandeka Gayle Jason Harris Denise Laidler Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa Victoria Palmer Mary McLaughlin Slechta Debra Stone leonliteraryreview.com

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LEON Literary Review

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Leon Literary Review @leonliteraryreview.bsky.social · 31/12/2025

"Without thinking, you’ve waded deep into the pond, turned your back on the comforts of the tranquil hillside to face the astonishing sun..." from "Anger" by Susan Trofimow leonliteraryreview.com/issue-33-sus...

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Issue 33 | Susan Trofimow – LEON Literary Review

Leon Literary Review @leonliteraryreview.bsky.social · 30/12/2025

"...the snow geese, warblers and wrens will fly home for the winter. those things like starfishes in air, called daffodils will bloom in spring, the world didn't wait for my father..." from "We Laughed" by Abiodun Salako leonliteraryreview.com/issue-33-abi...

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Issue 33 | Abiodun Salako – LEON Literary Review

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Leon Literary Review @leonliteraryreview.bsky.social · 29/12/2025

"I’m on the phone with the mental health nurse talking about the weather when I first learn of the lambing snow..." from "Sneachd beag nan uan" by Laura Mills leonliteraryreview.com/issue-33-lau...

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Issue 33 | Laura Mills – LEON Literary Review

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Leon Literary Review @leonliteraryreview.bsky.social · 27/12/2025

"...we never jumped off the cliffs at 1:37 AM in Avignon; you never reached out for me; the water was never cold; the world was never dark; you never told me me i’m certain, i’ll never love like this again..." from "Never Never" by Jamie Kim leonliteraryreview.com/issue-33-jam...

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Issue 33 | Jamie Kim – LEON Literary Review

Leon Literary Review @leonliteraryreview.bsky.social · 22/12/2025

"...worrying’s all abstract til you’re pacing the ward waiting out the ectomy and suddenly you’re filthy stinking rich with time diving in scrooge mcduck and drowning in it..." from "nine thousand nine hundred ninety nine days" by Zachary Lorico Hertz leonliteraryreview.com/issue-33-zac...

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Issue 33 | Zachary Lorico Hertz – LEON Literary Review

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Leon Literary Review @leonliteraryreview.bsky.social · 18/12/2025

"...your gabardine pockets gleam. Empty them of offerings: paperclip, wrapper or use your flashlight to show your heart beneath the couch cushions were you left it last night..." from "A Sign From the Gods via WhatsApp" by Ashley Oakes leonliteraryreview.com/issue-33-ash...

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Issue 33 | Ashley Oakes – LEON Literary Review

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Leon Literary Review @leonliteraryreview.bsky.social · 15/12/2025

"...Watch steam wither. Wonder if I can bring anything back with held breath, if I can hold together long enough..." "At 23, I Reported a Case of Sexual Harassment and Was Asked to Meet About It a Week Later" by Dana Tenille Weekes leonliteraryreview.com/issue-33-dan...

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Issue 33 | Dana Tenille Weekes – LEON Literary Review

Leon Literary Review @leonliteraryreview.bsky.social · 11/12/2025

"My grandmother has known war as a staple in the pantry you never run out of, like jasmine rice or green lentils, or the thick viscous olive oil she harvests which doubles as ointment for deep wounds..." from "Something Useful" by Moudi Sbeity leonliteraryreview.com/issue-33-mou...

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Issue 33 | Moudi Sbeity – LEON Literary Review

Leon Literary Review @leonliteraryreview.bsky.social · 03/12/2025

"...the band, more southern rock than country twang, sings of first kisses and beer and church, the words land soft and sweet—expected but lovely, like the snow falling beyond these walls..." "At the Cotillion Ballroom in Wichita, Kansas" Janice Northerns leonliteraryreview.com/issue-33-jan...

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Issue 33 | Janice Northerns – LEON Literary Review

Leon Literary Review @leonliteraryreview.bsky.social · 29/11/2025

"And for so long I wasn’t anything. A pile of rocks to the side of the trail, might be a tiny grave or some kid’s collection. Circles in the mushrooms at the edge of the woods. Heartbeats through clothes..." from "The Wild Hunt" by Jasmina Kuenzli leonliteraryreview.com/issue-33-jas...

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Issue 33 | Jasmina Kuenzli – LEON Literary Review

Leon Literary Review @leonliteraryreview.bsky.social · 24/11/2025

"Our Pacific’s a pizzazz of suds and anchovies, the sky of stars and sprites. What am I yapping about? Everyone wants something— brain, heart, courage. Family in Kansas. The Cairn Terrier once between us." fr "The Second State of Matter" Kenton K. Yee leonliteraryreview.com/issue-33-ken...

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Issue 33 | Kenton K. Yee – LEON Literary Review

Leon Literary Review @leonliteraryreview.bsky.social · 16/11/2025

"...You love dorks. Geeks that smell like pimple cream and have large glasses that make their eyes bob and bulge like silky Betas. You count the pleats on their tan pants and their tight white briefs consume your nightlife..." "Crushing on Nerds" Amanda Chiado leonliteraryreview.com/issue-33-ama...

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Issue 33 | Amanda Chiado – LEON Literary Review

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Leon Literary Review @leonliteraryreview.bsky.social · 10/11/2025

"...Vietnam was burnt foliage and fracture, bright birds I had no names for, dank smoke we couldn’t exhale. All those still bodies floating facedown downstream, husks of belief. My hand unsteadied..." from "Argosy" by Debra Allbery leonliteraryreview.com/issue-33-deb...

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Issue 33 | Debra Allbery – LEON Literary Review

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Leon Literary Review @leonliteraryreview.bsky.social · 31/10/2025

It's alive! Issue 33 has frighteningly good new poetry from: Debra Allbery Ashley Oakes Amanda Chiado Zachary Lorico Hertz Jamie Kim Jasmina Kuenzli Laura Mills Janice Northerns Abiodun Salako Moudi Sbeity Susan Trofimow Dana Tenille Weekes Kenton K. Yee leonliteraryreview.com

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LEON Literary Review

Leon Literary Review @leonliteraryreview.bsky.social · 26/10/2025

"...When he has the coffee in his hand he turns and looks at me. I can feel his eyes on me as he walks by, but not in the way that you look at a face you recognize. No narrowed eyes or tilted head. He just looks..." from "Mug" by Tali Libenstein leonliteraryreview.com/issue-32-tal...

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Issue 32 | Tali Libenstein – LEON Literary Review

Leon Literary Review @leonliteraryreview.bsky.social · 22/10/2025

"My grandfather sits in his eroded fabric chair, drinking tea from the pot I unearthed from the pantry. His fingers rest like sardines between where the handle detached from the mug..." from "Mona Lisa" by Claire Breslow leonliteraryreview.com/issue-32-cla...

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Issue 32 | Claire Breslow – LEON Literary Review

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Leon Literary Review @leonliteraryreview.bsky.social · 17/10/2025

"For our sixth date, I take him to the field behind my home where the music grazes, swirls of song hovering over patches of grass. “They need the energy to grow,” I explain..." from "Prelude" by Chelsea Hanna Cohen @chelseahannac.bsky.social leonliteraryreview.com/issue-32-che...

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Issue 32 | Chelsea Hanna Cohen – LEON Literary Review

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Leon Literary Review @leonliteraryreview.bsky.social · 14/10/2025

"It was the 90s, baby. My first job was wearing a fire hydrant suit for a short-lived novelty shop in the mall called District Red. I was supposed to stand out at the entrance, but I had just enough pride to not do that. fr "District Red" by Andy Bodinger leonliteraryreview.com/issue-32-and...

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Issue 32 | Andy Bodinger – LEON Literary Review

Leon Literary Review @leonliteraryreview.bsky.social · 10/10/2025

"The story, over, before it was finished. No words like butterflies flitting around the edges of the sentences. No embellished sensory details..." from "Laconic" by Wendy BooydeGraaff @BooyTweets leonliteraryreview.com/issue-32-wen...

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Issue 32 | Wendy BooydeGraaff – LEON Literary Review

Leon Literary Review @leonliteraryreview.bsky.social · 08/10/2025

"...but her husband seemed so in love with her, always bringing her marigold and holly, and she was afraid to touch that. Afraid it would melt the winter in which they lived." from "Another Winter" by Francine Witt @francinewitte.bsky.social leonliteraryreview.com/issue-32-fra...

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Issue 32 | Francine Witte – LEON Literary Review

Leon Literary Review @leonliteraryreview.bsky.social · 06/10/2025

"My father drives like memory itself: sudden acceleration, unexplained stops. At checkpoints, he switches between Arabic, French, English, calibrating survival to the soldier’s accent. “Canadian passport,” he says" fr "Cartography of Ruin" by Elina Kumra leonliteraryreview.com/issue-32-eli...

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Issue 32 | Elina Kumra – LEON Literary Review

Leon Literary Review @leonliteraryreview.bsky.social · 06/10/2025

There are 10 days left in our fall 2025 poetry reading period. 🍁 Pumpkin-spice pantoums? Apple-cider sonnets?

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Leon Literary Review @leonliteraryreview.bsky.social · 10/09/2025

Intrepid writers of poetry - send us your daring, dreamy, provocative, beautifully unexpected verse! Our reading period is open to Poetry (only Poetry this time) through October 15th. leonliteraryreview.com/submit-2/

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Submit – LEON Literary Review

Leon Literary Review @leonliteraryreview.bsky.social · 02/10/2025

"Something’s bothering my brother and everyone I know is afraid to ask him what’s wrong. He acts like he’s mad at the whole world and flings and hurls things around." from "Smokey Says It’s Up to Us Now to Put Out Fires" by Mikki Aronoff leonliteraryreview.com/issue-32-mik...

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Issue 32 | Mikki Aronoff – LEON Literary Review

Leon Literary Review @leonliteraryreview.bsky.social · 01/10/2025

Wow! The selection process was a challenge! We’ve had the privilege of publishing so many outstanding writers this past year. Thank you, everyone :) Good luck to our 2025 Best of the Net nominees!

Leon Literary Review @leonliteraryreview.bsky.social · 29/09/2025

"...how to find the room, whether to bring a book, whether to call my brother, Sam, now or later, whether I should sneak in a visit to my demented husband on the way home. The crows have given way to songbirds." From "Imposter" by Amy Bates leonliteraryreview.com/issue-32-amy...

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Issue 32 | Amy Bates – LEON Literary Review

Leon Literary Review @leonliteraryreview.bsky.social · 25/09/2025

"...she would try to think about the past, and would only be able to feel twinges and movements in certain parts of her body, as if an insect had landed on her bare arm with its light, spindly little legs..." from "The Other Room" by Fergus Sinnott leonliteraryreview.com/issue-32-fer...

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Issue 32 | Fergus Sinnott – LEON Literary Review

Leon Literary Review @leonliteraryreview.bsky.social · 23/09/2025

"I seen a production of The Crucible one time back home in the community centre, so I know what these Yanks are like when they take agin you. Mad hoors altogether." from "Snapped" by Elaine Maguire O’Connor leonliteraryreview.com/issue-32-ela...

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Issue 32 | Elaine Maguire O’Connor – LEON Literary Review

Leon Literary Review @leonliteraryreview.bsky.social · 20/09/2025

On the night your space shuttle launches, I walk outside to my backyard and tilt my head heavenward. I imagine seeing the stellar nurseries glowing pink and red, pulsing with newborn stars, as heavy as my love.. Ghost Nebula, Elena Zhang @ezhang77.bsky.social leonliteraryreview.com/issue-32-ele...

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Issue 32 | Elena Zhang – LEON Literary Review

Leon Literary Review @leonliteraryreview.bsky.social · 16/09/2025

"He was saying to his daughter, now fourteen, now in the throes of things he didn’t want to write in essays, that the clouds were stunning as they floated across a deep blue sky..." from "Dutch Golden Age" by Andrew Bertaina @andrewbertaina.bsky.social leonliteraryreview.com/issue-32-and...

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Issue 32 | Andrew Bertaina – LEON Literary Review