2025

For the sixth (and final) Best of the Bests, the themes were loss, natural disasters, being vulnerable and hunted. So, maybe just the normal stuff. As always, I had a lot of fun and spent a ton of time reading the entries. Here are your winners:

“A Day’s Worth,” by Alex Kudera (@kudera) in Eclectica Magazine.

“Animal Games,” by David Williamson (@Williamsonism) in Boulevard Magazine.

“One of God’s Favorites,” by Hal Wright (@HoldenWrightNow) in Pithead Chapel.

“Tow Job,” by Rob Kaniuk (@LobotomyRob) in HAD.

“Four Afternoons of the Cone Snail,” by Karter Mycroft (@karterAKA) in Apocalypse Confidential.

“The Sadness of Certain Years,” by Andrew Bertaina (@andrewbertaina) in Under the Sun Lit Mag.

“Our Antagonist,” by Alexandra Naughton (@alexandranaught) in Burial Magazine.

“Have a Martini,” by Joshua Hebburn (@joshuahebburn) in HAD.

“I’m Bringing the Class War to Nantucket,” by Owen Harrington (@the_papacy_) in Burial Magazine.

“All the Fellas Wanna Come, Show Off With Their Kitties,” by Alex Rost (@arost154) in Fairwell Transmission.

“That’s All Anyone Could Take,” by Claire Hopple (@clairehopple) in Pithead Chapel.

“Web of Coincidences,” by Z.H. Gill (@BurialMagazine) in Pithead Chapel.

“City Desk,” by Michael McSweeney (@mpmcsweeney) in X-R-A-Y.

2024

Five? Five years? That’s how long this’s been going on? Sheesh. This one, like all of em, was great. Y’all are weird. I love that. We had at least three stories featuring bears, two of which where the bear was eating someone. And there seemed to be a lot of stories where the author would alternate between writing out very long, twisty sentences, then follow with something short.

Like this.

Well enough of the introduction, let’s see the stories:

“Trail of Small Clowns,” by Caleb Bethea (@caleb_bethea_) in X-R-A-Y.

“They Called Him a Monster,” by Jennifer Ostopovich (@jrostopovich) in Hobart.

“On Green Authority,” by Michael Zunenshine (@RealityTVDinner) in Apocalypse Confidential.

“Things to Talk to Jim About,” by Jaime Gill (@JaimeGill) in The Good Life Review.

“Conversation,” by Tyler Peterson (@type___e) in Back Patio Press.

“Percocet Helps,” by David Simmons (@WholeTimeDavid) in Hobart.

“On Shame,” by Andrew Bertaina (@andrewbertaina) in The Forge.

“Nothing to See Here,” by Bernard Reed (@bernardreed) in BRUISER.

“TICK-BOMBS AND COCKROACHES,” by Corey Lof (@Coreylofsatwit) in Hobart.

“Uncle Time,” by Benjamin Niespodziany (@neonpajamas) in Bennington Review.

“Pain is What the Patient Says it is,” by David Williamson (@Williamsonism) in Short Story, Long.

“My new neighbor may be related to me…,” by Forest Muelrath (@forrestmuelrath) in 3:AM Magazine.

“Easy Like a Sunday Morning,” by Robert Vaughan (@rgvaughan) in Gooseberry Pie.

“The Stars Still Shine Beyond Layers of Storm Clouds,” by Alex Rost (@ARost154) in ExPat.

“Fuck Me in a Whale,” by Sasha Brown (@DantonSix) in The Masters Review.

“On Live,” by Ryan Petersen (@ryandpetersen) in Hobart.

2023

Well, well, well. Is this thing on? It’s another Best of the Bests. Year fucking four. Y’all really blew my socks off this round. Seems something in the water (COVID fecal matter?) had us staring back at our dear ole past. At people we used to know, and habits we had or still do. So, without further ado–here’s Johnny!

“Cruel Optimism,” by Grace Q. Song (@grasoceng) in The Spectacle.

“Super Black,” by Sasha Brown (@DantonSix) in X-R-A-Y.

“In Praise of Point Break in 15 Parts,” by Benjamin Drevlow (@thedrevlow) in Heavy Feather Review.

“Reps,” by Steve Passey (@SuperHeavy666) in Roi Faineant.

“Pete Davidson: A Love Story,” by Barrie Miskin (@bmcintyre1000) in Hobart.

“Bad Tape,” by Dan Hernandez (@danielgene) in Longreads.

“Disciples of Suede,” by Max Hipp (@maximumevil) in Bull.

“Fast Casual,” by Jillian Luft (@JillianLuft) in Hobart.

“Whatever,” by Emma Estridge (@emma_estridge) in X-R-A-Y.

“Psalm 23,” by Glenn Orgias (@glennorgias) in X-R-A-Y.

“They Who Stay,” by Jon Fain (@jonsfain) in A Thin Slice of Anxiety.

“It Can Come Again,” by Shelby Hinte (@Shelbyhinte) in Word West Review.

“The Train That Runs Behind Our House,” by Eric Scot Tryon (@EricScotTryon) in monkeybicycle.

“Troublemaker,” by Cora Lee (@blue98ranger) in ExPat.

“The End of the World,” by Alex Youngman (@theyoungman6669) in Swamp.

“Dinner in the Afterlife,” by Andrew Bertaina (@andrewbertaina) in Rejection Letters.

“Novels,” by DT Robbins (@dt_robbins) in Autofocus.

“On Daves and Davids,” by Scott Mitchel May (@smitchelmay) in Trampset.

“Jenny Lynn & Buddy,” by Jordan Brown (@henry_wait) in The Greensboro Review.

“Emily,” by Cash Compson (@cashcompson) in Hobart.

2022

Holy shit! Already another Best of the Bests…these things are fun, huh? Over 200 responses. Good job. Creepy, but each year seems evident there’s a larger force hovering. Pulling our life-strings. The unannounced theme this year: Grief. Emotions ran heavier than usual. What wasn’t unusual? Quality. Y’all made me sad in a good way. Without further blah, blah, blahing, here they are!!! (And, of course, continue scrolling for the last two years’ lists. Love y’all.)

“The World’s Biggest Moron Stops Laughing,” by Kyle Seibel (@kylerseibel) in HAD.

“How to Run Away When You Are Pushing Fifty,” by Rachel Zients Schinderman (@rzschinderman) in Wanderlust.

“After Victor Died,” by Austin Ross (@AustinTRoss) in Lost Balloon.

“A Fan’s Fiction,” by Derek Maine (@mainely) in The Last Estate.

“Seeing Scars,” by Jillian Luft (@JillianLuft) in Identity Theory.

“For Old Times’ Sake,” by Jonathan Lee (@JonnyLeeWriter) in Nation Cymru.

“How to Heal a Sunburn,” by Hattie Hayes (@QueenHattieJean) in The Puritan.

“Man Turns Forty (Throws Pity Party),” by Benjamin Drevlow (@thedrevlow) in Roi Fainéant Literary Press.

“Sapphic Saints,” by Holden Tyler Wright (@holdenwrightnow) in Ninth Letter.

“Grace & Separation,” by Joshua Burton (@joshuaburton23) in TriQuarterly.

“You Crown Paul Shaffer’s Head with Mustard,” by Kirsti MacKenzie (@KeersteeMack) in HAD.

“Fourteen Ways of Looking,” by Erin Vincent (@erin_hearmeroar) in The Offing.

“Where There’s Smoke…,” by Liz Alterman (@LizAlterman) in Jellyfish Review.

“Special Beam Cannon,” by Jon Berger (@bergerbomb44) in Misery Tourism.

“Le Spleen de Barcelona,” by Rafael Mendes (@rafaelmendes341) in Litro Magazine.

“Outside Noises,” by Teddy Burnette (@teddyburnette) in Apocalypse Confidential.

“A Song Comes On at a Party,” by J-T Kelly (@JHyphenTKelly) in Five South.

“I am Alive, and I am Surviving,” by Max Asher Miller (@maxashermiller) in Fatal Flaw.

“The Disaster Lottery,” by David Williamson (@Williamsonism) in X-R-A-Y.

“Whoosh,” by D.T. Robbins (@dt_robbins) in HAD.

2021

Again, I asked for YOUR best. You came through. I was SO moved by writers reading/lifting each other and friends who enjoyed last year’s list, I had to make it an annual thing. 2021 was a year of stretching time, endings/beginnings, shifting love, Paris, colons, and shit. Whatever motivated, the outcomes were marvelous. Here are my 15 faves of the 113 entries. Enjoy, and if so, keep scrolling for 2020’s list!

“What I Think King Kong is About (Having Never Seen King Kong)” by Kirsten Reneau (@ReneauGlow) in No Contact Mag.

“Bar Rot” by Felicia Rosemary Urso (@felishonaleash) in ExPat.

“Fiction Reader/Writer” by Derek Maine (@mainely) in ExPat.

“Keening” by Josh Denslow (@joshdenslow) in Lunch Ticket.

“Shagging Flies in Ballard” by Alexandrine Ogundimu (@cross_radical) in X-R-A-Y.

“Lovebirds” (video) by Kyle Seibel (@kylerseibel) story originally in Wrath Bearing Tree.

“The Twins” by Ben Niespodziany (@neonpajamas) in phoebe journal.

“All the Notes I’ve Left” by Lee Anderson (@bxfrizzle) in Gertude Press.

“My Pal Luca” by J. Evan Self (@puppetflesh) in Bear Creek Gazette.

“Shopping in Chernobyl” by Amy Barnes (@amygcb) in Complete Sentence.

“Aging Out” by Candace Walsh (@candacewalsh) in Leon Literary Review.

“The Way Olivia Benson is Both Extremely Protective and Extremely Able to Fuck You Up is Some Serious Daddy Energy” by Melissa Boles (@melloftheball) in The Daily Drunk.

“Squirrels” by Hugh Behm-Steinberg (@behm_steinberg) in Mercurious.

“Ice Cream Math” by Dev Jannerson (@DJannerson) in Porter House Review.

“my heart weaving” by Twila Newey (@motleybookshelf) in Sugar House Review.

2020

I asked for YOUR favorite story you had published in 2020. Over 200 responses came in–essays, poems, prose, news articles–on wildfires, #BLM, Trump, COVID-19, sexuality/growing up, about pain, dental bills, minotaurs, barking dogs, psychotropic drugs, children murdering their family. There were unexpected ones, too. With humor. These stories are the ones that jumped. Hope they lead you to down a rabbit hole, where you too spend 2 weeks having your hair knocked back; being proud of, and amongst, angels.

“Easter Sunday” by Anney Bolgiano (@Sadjunct_Prof) in Nashville Review.

“Sunset Lounge,” by Alice Kaltman (@AliceKaltman) in Joyland Magazine.

“Insomnia,” by Will Donnelly (@Will_Donnelly) in Zone 3 Press.

“Flower Sickness,” by Anna Lindwasser (@annalindwasser) in Scarlet Leaf Review.

“And Another and Another and Another Glass of Rosé,” by Christopher Gonzalez (@livesinpages) in Catapult.

“On Things Now Burning or Soon to Ignite,” by M.K. Sturdevant (@mksturdevant) in Nashville Review.

“Rain Delay,” by Rachel A.G. Gilman (@rachelaggilman) in Delicate Friend.

“A Lexicon of Decay,” by Rebecca Hazelwood (@rlhazelwood) in Passages North.

“Classified,” by Josh Denslow (@joshdenslow) in Vol. 1 Brooklyn.

“The night I met God in the drugstore,” by Lindsey Heatherly (@rydanmardsey) in trampset.

“The Pinch,” by Pascale Potvin (@pascalepalaces) in Quail Bell Magazine.

“For a Good Time, Call,” by Natalie Lima (@NatalieLima09) in Guernica.

“The 1965 Johnny Roseboro, Mint Condition,” by Eric Scot Tryon (@EricScotTryon) in monkeybicycle.

“For Dorothy, Who Made It,” by Sarah Brody (@sbbrody) in The Normal School.

“Irradiate,” by Jeannine Hall Gailey (@webbish6) in Ploughshares.

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