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Sarah Starr Murphy

@sarahstarrmurphy.bsky.social
494 followers 461 following 220 posts

Managing editor @theforge.bsky.social Words Threepenny, Epiphany, elsewhere. Marathoner with #epilepsy ⚡️ starrmurphy.com she/her

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Reposted by Sarah Starr Murphy
The Forge Literary Magazine @theforge.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
Blue and white graphic with text that reads: Forge Best of Net Noms 2026.Red Clay, Pink Stucco – Seth R. Merritt 
It Shall Prosper in the Thing – Andi Shapiro 
Consider Richard M. Nixon Drinking Navy Grog at Trader Vic’s, Capital Hilton, July-Something, 1974, Washington, D.C. – Leslie Pietrzyk 
Things You Lose – Kelli Dianne Rule
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Sarah Starr Murphy @sarahstarrmurphy.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
www.memezinelit.com/spring-2026/...
memezinelit.com
"Ursa Major, or, The Story of a Girl" by Sarah Starr Murphy — MEMEZINE
Ursa Major, or, The Story of a Girl She cried in metaphor and orgasmed in geometry. This was very inconvenient. Her rivers were full of gasping trout and skipping stones and water striders and microp...
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Sarah Starr Murphy @sarahstarrmurphy.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Thanks so much to the delightful folk at Memezine for this nomination! They’re truly great people to work with and this story found its perfect home. Congrats everybody!
Graphic that reads:

BEST OF THE NET
MEMEZINE
2027 nominees 
• Jiayi Liu, "Hard-Boiled" (Spring 2026)
poetrg
• Erik Kennedy, "Aphorisms on Forbes Rich List Day"
(Spring 2026)
• Keith Kopka, "A Toast at Your Wedding" (Spring 2026)
• Madison Lazenby, "Critters" (Spring 2026)
• Alex Tretbar, "Field 104" (KAKISTOCRACY)
• Sarah Starr Murphy, "Ursa Major, or, The Story of a Girl" (Spring 2026)
• Lily Sanders, "Google Search Astral Projection"
(Spring 2026)
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Reposted by Sarah Starr Murphy
The Forge Literary Magazine @theforge.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Our nonfiction story of the week is Post Roller Derby Stress Disorder by Vita Tate.
forgelitmag.com
Post Roller Derby Stress Disorder - The Forge Literary Magazine
Post Roller Derby Stress Disorder, a short essay by Vita Tate
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Sarah Starr Murphy @sarahstarrmurphy.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
@ancaszilagyi.bsky.social is my favorite foodie writer and she strikes again here with a fitting tribute to garlic. I love garlic, and now I am hungry.
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Sarah Starr Murphy @sarahstarrmurphy.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
I have some great print resources as well but nothing beats BT for speed and convenience! (It’s not their fault some OE words have absurdly varied meanings.)
bosworthtoller.com
Bosworth-Toller's Anglo-Saxon Dictionary online
The dictionary records the state of the English language as it was used between ca. 700-1100 AD by the Anglo-Saxon inhabitans of the British Isles.
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Sarah Starr Murphy @sarahstarrmurphy.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Bopping along in my quick and dirty translation of an Old English text and come across “sceat.” Turn to my trusty Bosworth-Toller online dictionary to discover it means: a corner, a projection, a region, a bosom, a bay, a garment, a cloth napkin, a lap, a fold in a cloak. That clears it up!
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Reposted by Sarah Starr Murphy
The Forge Literary Magazine @theforge.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Our short story of the week is Volcano by Erin Williamson.
forgelitmag.com
Volcano - The Forge Literary Magazine
Volcano, a short fiction by Erin Williamson
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Reposted by Sarah Starr Murphy
The Forge Literary Magazine @theforge.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Our story of the week is Maintenance by Sarp Sozdinler.
forgelitmag.com
Maintenance - The Forge Literary Magazine
Maintenance, a flash fiction by Sarp Sozdinler
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Reposted by Sarah Starr Murphy
The Forge Literary Magazine @theforge.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Our nonfiction story of the week is Valet by Ralph James Savarese.
forgelitmag.com
Valet - The Forge Literary Magazine
Valet, a creative nonfiction by Ralph James Savarese
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Sarah Starr Murphy @sarahstarrmurphy.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
😂 delightful!
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Reposted by Sarah Starr Murphy
The Forge Literary Magazine @theforge.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Our story of the week is The Way We Were by Erin Finnerty.
forgelitmag.com
The Way We Were - The Forge Literary Magazine
The Way We Were, a short fiction by Erin Finnerty
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Sarah Starr Murphy @sarahstarrmurphy.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
“We’d hunch forward on that pink sofa, plastic plates in our laps, forlornly cutting beef sausage with inadequate plastic knives. Oh, that sausage, seemingly squat, never seemed to end!” No one writes food like @ancaszilagyi.bsky.social - what a great little trio of micros!
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Reposted by Sarah Starr Murphy
Anca L. Szilágyi @ancaszilagyi.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
"At Mars Cheese Castle in Wisconsin, beef summer sausage is the purchase I always feel compelled to buy yet immediately regret." ICYMI, I'm happy to have three micro nonfiction pieces in Bluestem's summer issue. bluestemmagazine.com/s26/anca-szi... #foodwriting #amwritingmemoir
bluestemmagazine.com
Three Micros: Soup Baths, Children's Food, Beef Sausage on a Pink Leather Couch — Bluestem Magazine
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Sarah Starr Murphy @sarahstarrmurphy.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
I saw Coyote vs. Acme yesterday and it’s fantastic. Very funny, unrelenting in its critique of monopolies and the systems that enable them, and full of intriguing stylistic and craft choices. I found myself strongly identifying with Coyote - well worth dragging yourself out of the house to see!
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Reposted by Sarah Starr Murphy
The Forge Literary Magazine @theforge.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Our story of the week is The Spontaneous Dehusbanding of Maeve Smith by Wendy Elizabeth Wallace.
forgelitmag.com
The Spontaneous Dehusbanding of Maeve Smith - The Forge Literary Magazine
The Spontaneous Dehusbanding of Maeve Smith, a short fiction by Wendy Elizabeth Wallace
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Reposted by Sarah Starr Murphy
Sara Crowley @saracrowley.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
Just a reminder - we truly want to be a litmag anyone who wants to can sub to, but if the same names get in first every time that doesn’t work.
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Reposted by Sarah Starr Murphy
The Forge Literary Magazine @theforge.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
Our story of the week is The Wheel of the Year by Justine Gardner.
forgelitmag.com
The Wheel of the Year - The Forge Literary Magazine
The Wheel of the Year, a short fiction by Justine Gardner
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Reposted by Sarah Starr Murphy
The Forge Literary Magazine @theforge.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
Our story of the week is The Drop by David Brinson.
forgelitmag.com
The Drop - The Forge Literary Magazine
The Drop, a short fiction by David Brinson
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Reposted by Sarah Starr Murphy
Liz Rosen @thewritelifeliz.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
“My name is ancient, like my magic, like the core of the earth, like faith.” How @sarahstarrmurphy.bsky.social finds these extraordinary Saints to write about so gorgeously. Find a copy of @blackwarriorreview.bsky.social and check this story out.
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Sarah Starr Murphy @sarahstarrmurphy.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
Thank you so much Liz!! Means a lot! (The answer is an incredibly nerdy amount of research.) 😂
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Reposted by Sarah Starr Murphy
The Forge Literary Magazine @theforge.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
Our short story of the week is Bye, Benny by Róisín Burke.
forgelitmag.com
Bye, Benny - The Forge Literary Magazine
Bye, Benny, a short fiction by Róisín Burke
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Reposted by Sarah Starr Murphy
Dr. Thing Learner @drthinglearner.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
I wrote an article about atomic grapefruits for @popsci.com and you can read it here: www.popsci.com/health/radia... Learn what red grapefruits and the Incredible Hulk have in common! #scicomm #atomic #science #food #fruit
popsci.com
Radiation fruit: How 1950s 'gamma gardens' created today's grapefruit
But don't worry: Grapefruits can't hurt you.
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Sarah Starr Murphy @sarahstarrmurphy.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
Isn’t it??
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Sarah Starr Murphy @sarahstarrmurphy.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
"Pete, always the doctor, wheeled Cathy into her bedroom’s en suite to brush her teeth after dinner. She let him. If dying taught her anything it was that kindness was often a selfish act." So excited to bring you Cheyenne Mann's story this week - a painful and funny work about modern dying.
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Reposted by Sarah Starr Murphy
The Forge Literary Magazine @theforge.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
Our nonfiction story of the week is The No-Cry Zone by Ellen Notbohm.
forgelitmag.com
The No-Cry Zone - The Forge Literary Magazine
The No-Cry Zone, a creative nonfiction by Ellen Notbohm
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Sarah Starr Murphy @sarahstarrmurphy.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
Thanks Sara!!
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Reposted by Sarah Starr Murphy
The Forge Literary Magazine @theforge.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
Our story of the week is Belly of the Beast by Daniel Rousseau.
forgelitmag.com
Belly of the Beast - The Forge Literary Magazine
Belly of the Beast, a short fiction by Daniel Rousseau
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Reposted by Sarah Starr Murphy
Sarah Starr Murphy @sarahstarrmurphy.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
I’ve read, loved, and admired @blackwarriorreview.bsky.social for a very long time, and it’s a tremendous honor to be included in their latest issue. Many thanks to all the wonderful people behind the scenes who brought this beautiful magazine to life!
Photo of a copy of Black Warrior Review, a literary magazine, resting on a table. The cover art is delightfully bizarre, an artistic representation that combines an infant human with that of an infant elephant in alternating stripes. It makes one whole. The human parts are in color, the elephant bits in grayscale.Text reads:

Sarah Starr Murphy

A Medieval Saint Addresses Their Children Through the Centuries

How do you speak to someone you don't know?
First you weave a flower into your hair. Any sort of flower, a damp violet, a tissue-paper tulip, an imaginary hibiscus. Any kind of hair, short and textured, long and tangled, none at all.
You must then walk, climb, roll, or otherwise hoist yourself to the highest point you can see. The branches of a white pine, swaying dangerously in the breeze as nuthatches chatter. The swift steel and glass penthouse of a skyscraper, easily accessible by elevator. The second floor of your childhood home, standing on the bed where you lost your virginity. A snow-capped mountain.
Then you call my name.
My name is ancient, like my magic, like the core of the earth, like faith itself.
My name has been stricken from the list of saints, erased by the Brothers Grimm from their second edition of fairy tales, suppressed and ignored through the centuries.
In your high place with your flower, wish for someone to see you in a way that other saints cannot, and my name will come to you. Two names, actually.
St Wilgefortis, St Uncumber.
Let me unencumber you, my darling.
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Sarah Starr Murphy @sarahstarrmurphy.bsky.social · 12/07/2026
Oh that is so sweet of you!! Hope you enjoy it - I’ve just started reading through and there’s a lot of great work in there!
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Sarah Starr Murphy @sarahstarrmurphy.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
Thank you!! I’m very excited about it!
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Sarah Starr Murphy @sarahstarrmurphy.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
Thanks!!
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Sarah Starr Murphy @sarahstarrmurphy.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
I’ve read, loved, and admired @blackwarriorreview.bsky.social for a very long time, and it’s a tremendous honor to be included in their latest issue. Many thanks to all the wonderful people behind the scenes who brought this beautiful magazine to life!
Photo of a copy of Black Warrior Review, a literary magazine, resting on a table. The cover art is delightfully bizarre, an artistic representation that combines an infant human with that of an infant elephant in alternating stripes. It makes one whole. The human parts are in color, the elephant bits in grayscale.Text reads:

Sarah Starr Murphy

A Medieval Saint Addresses Their Children Through the Centuries

How do you speak to someone you don't know?
First you weave a flower into your hair. Any sort of flower, a damp violet, a tissue-paper tulip, an imaginary hibiscus. Any kind of hair, short and textured, long and tangled, none at all.
You must then walk, climb, roll, or otherwise hoist yourself to the highest point you can see. The branches of a white pine, swaying dangerously in the breeze as nuthatches chatter. The swift steel and glass penthouse of a skyscraper, easily accessible by elevator. The second floor of your childhood home, standing on the bed where you lost your virginity. A snow-capped mountain.
Then you call my name.
My name is ancient, like my magic, like the core of the earth, like faith itself.
My name has been stricken from the list of saints, erased by the Brothers Grimm from their second edition of fairy tales, suppressed and ignored through the centuries.
In your high place with your flower, wish for someone to see you in a way that other saints cannot, and my name will come to you. Two names, actually.
St Wilgefortis, St Uncumber.
Let me unencumber you, my darling.
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Sarah Starr Murphy @sarahstarrmurphy.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
Friday’s mail excitement!! Going to read this beautiful little chapbook by @thewritelifeliz.bsky.social so fast it won’t know what hit it!
Photo of the chapbook Survival Skills by Elizabeth Rosen, propped up on brick steps with jungly greenery behind.
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Sarah Starr Murphy @sarahstarrmurphy.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
This was a great event with so many talented writers and it’s cool to see some of our writing collected here! Thanks @turnandwork.com and especially thanks to @thewritelifeliz.bsky.social - go buy her book it’s amazing!!
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Reposted by Sarah Starr Murphy
The Forge Literary Magazine @theforge.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
Our story of the week is Clothesline by Jo Axolotl.
forgelitmag.com
Clothesline - The Forge Literary Magazine
Clothesline, a flash fiction by Jo Axolotl
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Sarah Starr Murphy @sarahstarrmurphy.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
Very excited to celebrate the release of Liz’s chapbook at her reading tonight - this should be quite fun!! Link on the event page should you want to join!
sandandgravelpress.com
Elizabeth Rosen Chapbook Release — SAND AND GRAVEL PRESS
Sand and Gravel is a small but mighty press dedicated to the miniature. We publish pocket-sized collections of flash fiction, standalone stories, and poetry.
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Sarah Starr Murphy @sarahstarrmurphy.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
So excited for it!!
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Sarah Starr Murphy @sarahstarrmurphy.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
Aww, we always love to hear that!! Thanks!
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Sarah Starr Murphy @sarahstarrmurphy.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
- Everything else is in our guidelines, and if it’s not, feel free to reach out to me with questions anytime! forgelitmag.com/submit/
forgelitmag.com
Submit - The Forge Literary Magazine
Submit your prose to The Forge Literary Magazine
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Sarah Starr Murphy @sarahstarrmurphy.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
- We’re all volunteers, and we’re all writers too. We know how much it takes to send out your work. Thanks so much for letting us read - we promise to do so with the utmost care.
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Sarah Starr Murphy @sarahstarrmurphy.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
- Speaking of, we’re hitting our submission caps extremely quickly these days - do submit early if you can.
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Sarah Starr Murphy @sarahstarrmurphy.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
- If you accidentally send the wrong file, or a draft with your name on it, send us a Submittable message instead of withdrawing. We’ll open it for editing and you can upload a new file. It’s easier for you and keeps a submission slot open for another writer!
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Sarah Starr Murphy @sarahstarrmurphy.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
It’s July and @theforge.bsky.social is open to submissions! As we gear up to read, I thought I’d share some quick, hopefully helpful tips for submitters. 🧵 - You don’t need to pitch us or summarize your story in the cover letter - we won’t see it anyway! Your work speaks for itself.
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Reposted by Sarah Starr Murphy
The Forge Literary Magazine @theforge.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
Our story of the week is Caving In by Evan Parker.
forgelitmag.com
Caving In - The Forge Literary Magazine
Caving In, a short fiction by Evan Parker
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Sarah Starr Murphy @sarahstarrmurphy.bsky.social · 28/06/2026
Aw, thank you so much!
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Sarah Starr Murphy @sarahstarrmurphy.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
Oh, thanks Jacky, that means a lot!
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Reposted by Sarah Starr Murphy
Liz Rosen @thewritelifeliz.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
“Perhaps Amen lies in the hillside with all the waiting cicadas, their hushed breaths rasping through tiny spiracles.” @sarahstarrmurphy.bsky.social writing and ideas take my breath away. www.thimblelitmag.com/2026/04/18/m...
thimblelitmag.com
Mislaid
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Sarah Starr Murphy @sarahstarrmurphy.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
Awww, thanks Liz!!
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Sarah Starr Murphy @sarahstarrmurphy.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
Happy to have a very very short flash in the lovely Thimble today! Big thanks to @thimblelitmag.bsky.social for publishing it - the whole issue is full of beautiful art and poetry and worth a read on a summer morning!
thimblelitmag.com
Mislaid
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