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Steve C

@stevexisxok.bsky.social
265 followers 102 following 381 posts

Fiction Editor: @okaydonkeymag.com Co-person: @litmatchcollective.com stevehasawebsite.com

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Reposted by Steve C
Okay Donkey Magazine @okaydonkeymag.com · 05/10/2026
This month’s newsletter features OKD Lead Fiction Reader Rina Palumbo on “Open Mic Nights.” Plus, another interview with Poetry Editor Erin Malone, but this time it’s all about her upcoming project as Bainbridge Island Poet Laureate! Read the full newsletter at buff.ly/6gw32ZJ
Red stage curtains and three separate spotlights frame Sad Jack performing in the middle of the stage, where he wears pink cowboy boots and a white-blue tutu.

TEXT: To Open Mic or Not to Open Mic
by Rina Palumbo

Okay Donkey
Newsletter
October 2026
@okaydonkeymag.com
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Okay Donkey Magazine @okaydonkeymag.com · 02/10/2026
“She was beautiful in an intimidating sort of way, and though only a few years older than me, she had the confidence of a grown woman, something I kept forgetting I was as well.” “For a Limited Time Only” by Meghan Proulx, new flash fiction out today at OKD: buff.ly/qz75twQ
The background is a dark purple and magenta cross-over and there's a gradually fading analog clockface with roman numerals instead of Arabic numbers. Sad Jack is tinted cerulean blue and wears a long wig of straight, black hair.
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Steve C @stevexisxok.bsky.social · 03/10/2026
icons never looked juicier🧑‍🍳🤌gummymaxxed about to burst like Gushers
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Steve C @stevexisxok.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
do we... know of any central database for gathering names of AI writers? don't wanna do a witchhunt thing but it's getting ridiculous for mags / editors
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J. D. Hellen @jdhellenwrites.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
In my quest to find a short story I read years ago, this awesome flash by Anna Vangala Jones was shared. 🥃
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Lit Match Collective @litmatchcollective.com · 02/10/2026
It’s officially 👻spooky🎃 season! But there’s nothing spooky about all our upcoming *free* events, from our guided writing studios and firelight readaround, to tarot as storytelling, a poetry salon, and Friday happy hours. Check out the full October schedule at buff.ly/5edjLvN.
*Open to everyone!

10/4, 10/11, 10/18, 10/25 at 8-9 am ET and 7-8 pm ET: Momentum Groups - Weekly check-ins to set writing goals, track your progress, and build accountability

10/2, 10/9, 10/16, 10/23, 10/30 at 8-9 pm ET: Friday Happy Hours with AFB - Chat & connect with fellows writers every Friday, hosted by Allison Field Bell

10/14 at 9-10 am ET and 8-9 pm ET: Guided Writing Studio - Generative group writing sessions hosted by Autumn Watts, now in the AM and PM!

10/11 at 8-9 pm ET: Poetry Salon - Discuss poems by writers who dazzle us, hosted by Dani Kuntz. All levels welcome!

10/18 at 8-9 pm ET: Tarot as Storytelling - Discuss poems by writers

10/21 at 8-9 pm ET: Craft Quickie with Steve Chang - A generative writing masterclass on converting description into plot

10/25 at 8-9 pm ET: Firelight Readaround - Bring your spookiest campfire stories: Share your work + hone your stagecraft!
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Steve C @stevexisxok.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
so many where i'm at: Rosemead, El Monte, South El Monte, Alhambra it's nuts
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Anton Hur @antonhur.com · 01/10/2026
They did not even refund her tuition!!!
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Steve C @stevexisxok.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
love how Vincent Valdez and Bryan Washington both got that MacArthur money. their work is great
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BassToad @basstoad.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
This is the woman in dragon quest 1 that is mad at her husband for running off to find magic key
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Steve C @stevexisxok.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
taking an animal photo is like creating a Pokemon card and when you send it to someone you play it
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Steve C @stevexisxok.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
saw 1 glowing firefly in the SGV the other night! and they.. have never existed here? like what timeline is this help
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Okay Donkey Magazine @okaydonkeymag.com · 21/09/2026
Congratulations to OKD’s Best Small Fictions 2027 nominees! Read the nominated pieces in the thread below.
A mountain landscape that is tinted cotton-candy pink is the background of this image. In the foreground is a gold-foiled Sad Jack silhouette holding a gold trophy, and Sad Jack is being pushed up the mountain by a human silhouette. The names of the nominees are also present in the foreground.
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Steve C @stevexisxok.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
loser move. zero heart. worst Laker
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Steve C @stevexisxok.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
this is a baby snakerock before it grows an adult tail to become a snake
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Steve C @stevexisxok.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
they have invoked my True Name and summoned me from The Void big fan of many names here. very honored 🙏thank you @macdowell1907.bsky.social
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Anton Hur @antonhur.com · 16/09/2026
Got to very edit the remaining 200 manuscript pages of a novel I translated in seven hours (or more). Thought it might be fun to livesky how a book is edited while I do it. A thread!
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Steve C @stevexisxok.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
years ago i was chided by an Irish venue owner for booking a punk band whom he determined had Ulster ties (?) and i was like o my bad i dunno about inter-white feuding. and he yelled i'm not white i'm IRISH i didn't understand what he meant but i know a little better now🙏
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Eleanor Ball @eleanorball.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Good morning! Last night I was trying to schedule a Backlist Lit post and accidentally published it LOL, so you get this review of Larks by @hanvanderhart.bsky.social a few days early!! Larks was the best book I read last year, and I hope you love it too. backlistlit.wordpress.com/2026/09/10/b...
backlistlit.wordpress.com
Book Review: Larks by Han VanderHart
*Author’s note: This review was originally published in the fall 2025 issue of Door = Jar, which shuttered this month after eleven years. When I heard the news, I decided to rehome this piece on Ba…
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Steve C @stevexisxok.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
the dragon ball z guy got dumped 😭
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Steve C @stevexisxok.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
gentrification in the SGV really hitting home as yummy/sketchy aunty + uncle shops keep converting to Instagram cafe vibes Asian America 2.0 aesthetic you know what i mean kinda sterile, soulless, streamlined, AI coded etc
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Steve C @stevexisxok.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
my favorite NFL football team: the Seattle Aquaboys
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Dan Crawley @danbillyc.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
"The truth is, I’ve had time to think about my past, to stare it in the face. The truth is, I’ve set it adrift." My lord, a brilliant piece of writing by @belindarowe.bsky.social in @okaydonkeymag.com 💙💙💙
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Okay Donkey Magazine @okaydonkeymag.com · 07/09/2026
This month’s newsletter features OKD Poetry Reader Liz Kingsley on “Poetry As Unserious Business.” Plus, an interview with one of our new Associate Fiction Editors– Eleanor Ball! Read the full newsletter at buff.ly/ORkQKok
Paper collage style-- to the right side, a cut-out donkey head wears a yellow and pink polka-dotted hat with a blue halftone cut-out of a woman's eyes overlay his, bordered by spiky pink. His angular, flannel-covered arms hold a blue book  with Sad Jack alone on the cover. In the bottom center, pink halftone hands form a heart with the index fingers and thumbs.
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Steve C @stevexisxok.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
trynna outslop AI is kind of nuts *hold my beer joke*
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Lit Match Collective @litmatchcollective.com · 05/09/2026
Be sure to join us on Sept. 13th from 8–9 pm ET for another FREE tarot writing workshop led by Samantha Borek! This group writing session will use a three-card tarot spread as a generative prompt. All LMC events take place on our Discord at discord.gg/cxSdvE2EfN. 🔮
This image is defined by deep blue and yellow-gold, with astrological-themed framing on each corner and outlined tarot cards in the center with Sam's headshot.
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Lit Match Collective @litmatchcollective.com · 03/09/2026
Need some time to write? Join our free guided writing studio on September 9th from 9–10 am and 8–9 pm ET. Led by Editor Autumn Watts @autumnwatts.bsky.social. Invite your friends and sign up on Discord at discord.gg/cxSdvE2EfN.
At the center of the image is a pile of three books, two green and one orange, surrounded by fall foliage. Each element is stylized such that it looks like it was watercolored.
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Lit Match Collective @litmatchcollective.com · 02/09/2026
We’ve got another month filled with free events, from a generative workshop using tarot and a new poetry salon, to guided writing studios, a public readaround, and Happy Hours every Friday with AFB. Check out the full September schedule at litmatchcollective.beehiiv.com/p/september-...
9/01 at 7-8 pm ET: Mentored Milestones Check-in - Convert your writing goals into plans ft. milestones journals & trackers

9/4, 9/11, 9/18, 9/25 at 8-9 pm ET: Friday Happy Hours with AFB - Chat & connect with fellow writers every Friday, hosted by Allison Field Bell

9/9 at 9-10 am and 8-9 pm ET: Guided Writing Studio - Generative group writing sessions hosted by Autumn Watts, now in the AM and PM!

9/13 at 8-9 pm ET: Woo-shop: Tarot as Storytelling - Crafting the major arcana as characters in our lives, hosted by Samantha Borek

9/20 at 8-9 pm ET: Poetry Salon - Discuss poems by writers who dazzle us, hosted by Dani Kuntz. All levels welcome!

9/27 at 8-9 pm ET: Firelight Readaround - An online community reading series: Share your work + hone your stagecraft!
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Chloe N. Clark @pintsncupcakes.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
For your throwback Saturday story: here's one about plagues and water and wandering through devastations
anmly.org
Chloe N. Clark – ANMLY
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Steve C @stevexisxok.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
substack is a Willy Wonka discourse lab and u guys are missing out (non derogatory)
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Steve C @stevexisxok.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
they found a baby World Turtle!!
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Steve C @stevexisxok.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Something kinda sinister in the etymology of waif: ownerless property -> homeless neglected outcast -> thin woman Bro what
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Lit Match Collective @litmatchcollective.com · 26/08/2026
For many of us, August marks the beginning of “back-to-school” season. But what does that mean now that we’re adults? Oftentimes, it means we’re the ones teaching. So, to all of our dear teacher-writers: How do you juggle being both a writer AND a teacher of writing? Share your tips below!
TEXT: LMC goes... Back to school
To all our teacher-writers:
How do you juggle being both a writer AND a teacher of writing?

IMAGE: The background is a red/orange/yellow blend of colors, with a few LMC "sloth guys" on either side of the image. The bottom of the image is adorned with bright-colored school supplies like notebooks, writing utensils, a protractor, a calculator, an eraser, and a backpack.
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Steve C @stevexisxok.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
"...the first player...to return to play in college after signing with an NFL team" Fellas are we regressing?? Back into the womb?! www.espn.com/college-foot...
espn.com
Agents: Dae'Quan Wright to be waived by Browns, set to join LSU
The Browns are waiving tight end Dae'Quan Wright, who has an agreement in place for the 2026 season to play for LSU if he clears waivers, agents Drew Rosenhaus and Kyle Lincoln told ESPN's Adam Schefter.
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Ruth Joffre @ruthjoffre.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
I’m thinking today about Stephanie Vaughn, my first creative writing teacher, who passed away last year. She was a great mentor to me, and many of my early stories started in her class, including several that appeared in my book Night Beast. My favorite story of hers was “Dog Heaven.” Listen here:
newyorker.com
Tobias Wolff reads Stephanie Vaughn
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Steve C @stevexisxok.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
the blue people AVATAR movies look like they'd be perfect for watching while hungover in a hotel room (non-derogatory) (also i am not hungover in a hotel room i'm just saying)
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Steve C @stevexisxok.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
I love when writers treat revision like a beautiful transformative process, not 'critique,' and this piece was so cool ✨
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Steve C @stevexisxok.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
weird how English departments are collapsing while influencers swarm the feed with 'engagement hacks' that are just narratology + rhetoric tricks feels like there should be a path forward for the humanities there? compromised, sure, but our economy is just ads + gambling atp so
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The Drift @thedriftmag.com · 19/08/2026
Andrew Baker was also a “token black professor” at Bates College. But his perspective on the events Tyler Austin Harper recounts in his Atlantic cover story is very different. Read Baker’s side of the story online today. newsletter.thedriftmag.com/p/racism-and...
newsletter.thedriftmag.com
Racism and labor at Bates: the other side of the story
Andrew Baker responds to Tyler Austin Harper
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Steve C @stevexisxok.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
'expats' and western 'korea experts' love this mode: faux-progressive concern trolling that's really just an excuse to be racist and shit on Asia doing the anthro 'see the self through The Other' thing but just ... refusing to see the self also frustrating cuz libs eat it up
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Okay Donkey Magazine @okaydonkeymag.com · 19/08/2026
Introducing our new Associate Fiction Editor, Gina Thayer @ginathayer.bsky.social! When it comes to her new role, Gina says “it’s energizing to be reminded how expansive and multi-faceted flash fiction can be,” thanks to OKD’s creative submissions. Read Gina’s interview at buff.ly/l2GbmrD
TEXT: Meet OKD's new Associate Fiction Editor
Gina Thayer

IMAGE: Gina's headshot is framed inside an oval in the center of the image, which is layered above the center of a luna moth. The background is a pale blue with several mountainous and even rubble landscapes collaged together in the lower third of the image."[I'm looking forward to] getting to work with really cool writers, readers, and editors! There's such a collaborative spirit at OKD, and I'm excited to spend more time with a truly thoughtful and committed team of editors and readers.

And of course, extremely brilliant writers. We do a fair amount of development work at OKD, so I'm looking forward to honing those skills to, and to hopefully offer writers useful, supportive thoughts in service of their vision.

I feel quite spoiled because OKD recieves so many creative and compelling submissions every month, and it's energizing to be reminded how expansive and multi-faceted flash fiction can be. I'm looking forward to spending more time in that delicious literary soup!
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Steve C @stevexisxok.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
a tiny peek (?) into the nomination process for awards at @thesunmagazine.bsky.social @pshares.bsky.social and @okaydonkeymag.com www.theforeverworkshop.com/p/what-kind-...
theforeverworkshop.com
What Kind of Writing Wins Awards?
Insights from lit mag editors from The Sun, Ploughshares, and Okay Donkey
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Steve C @stevexisxok.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
genuinely bummed that Willapa Bay AiR is closing its doors to artists and writers but.. tell your musician buds to check it out no stipend but fully funded + meals + beautiful location (...and oysters duh it's Oysterville) willapabayair.org/residency
willapabayair.org
Residency — Willapa Bay AiR
We offer month-long, self-directed residencies to emerging and established artists, filmmakers, writers, playwrights, scholars, singer/songwriters, and musical composers. The Residency provides lodgin...
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Christina Orlando @cxorlando.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
Hello, book people! I am the book content editor for Reactor Mag and I'm looking for sci-fi, fantasy, horror, romantasy, and speculative books coming out in 2027! If you have an adult or YA SFF/H book out next year (or publicist), share the link/info here!
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Steve C @stevexisxok.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
Just started watching OBSESSION and feel like ppl online have been really harsh on Nikki. She seems chill!
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Steve C @stevexisxok.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
They started selling 64oz pouches of Capri Sun at COSTCO... (The straws the same size) Cant prove it but feels related
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Dean Preston @deanpreston.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
“House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries announced his opposition to Medicare for All on the same day a CBS News poll found 90 percent of Democratic voters support the idea—and 72 hours after a Yale University study showed the program would save 114,000 American lives and $1 trillion every year.”
levernews.com
Hakeem Jeffries’ Betrayal Shows Why Democratic Voters Are So Enraged
House Dems’ leader declared his opposition to Medicare For All on the same day a new poll shows almost all Democratic voters support it.
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Steve C @stevexisxok.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
o wow always thought Ron Livingston was a Duplass brother had no idea there was a guy called "Ron Livingston"
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