Interviews & Reviews
January 14, 2026
Comics
OBJECTS FROM FILMS by Marcus Merritt
Ghost World (2001) The Terminator (1984) The Thing (1982) I Do Not Care If We Go Down in History as Barbarians (2018) Crumb (1984) Marnie (1964) The Hit (1984)
January 12, 2026
Creative Nonfiction
BLOND CANYON by Ariel McCleese
It happened in four parts: 1. Driving on the 134, a whirlpool of leaves in the fast lane. Languid, suspension of air and oaks. 100 Animals! sound book shrill in the backseat. Mommy! Guess! A tapir? Lying in the lukewarm pool of the Los Angeles Zoo. Its heat radiant. Ladybug? A series of noises chosen at random, a constellation of voiceover sounds. A friend demonstrated once. The way she recorded Target commercials from her coat closet. Toucan? How does the color of its beak translate sonically? Mommy! Guess! Should I have taken her to school today? The car buffeting back
January 7, 2026
Fiction
VACUUM by Filip Jakab
“Choke me!” Vinnie yells. His skaterboi Gen-Z body—a pale, rampant, mangled flesh to be further detested, desolated, deprived. Though the flesh and bone he otherwise soothes with a daily intake of smoothies that include collagen, selected antioxidants, and protein powders. He drinks a lot of purified water. He’s one of the lost by-products of his generation. He nourishes his Promethean body to the max so Sean can destroy it. He pumps it up twice, three times a week, with an unfuckable gym bro who goes by Dixon in the city center. Post-pump, they take dumb selfies (he never shows them to Sean).
January 5, 2026
Fiction
X-R-A-Y 2025 SAMPLER
in 2025, X-R-A-Y published 169 things ! we read 2,808 submissions & accepted 114. here are some favorites for u to sample. but first, a big thank u to all the editors & readers ! Joshua Heppburn / short story editor / joshuahebburn.wordpress.com Rebecca Gransden / interviews & reviews editor / rebeccagransden.wordpress.com Claire Hopple / fiction editor / clairehopple.wordpress.com Alice M / short story editor / instagram: @notveryalice / bodyfluids.org Tex Gresham / fiction editor / squeakypig.com Michael Todd Cohen / creative nonfiction editor / michaeltoddcohen.com Jo Varnish / creative nonfiction editor / jovarnish.com Chris Dankland / managing editor,
January 1, 2026
Fiction
FROM A DONOR FILE by Christian TeBordo
Charles “Chip” Prime, Jr. has no previous connection to the University and was not considered a prospective donor prior to his contacting this Advancement Officer requesting an urgent meeting at the Quattro Bar of the Four Seasons in East Palo Alto, California. Chip contacted Officer directly by text message, and when Officer attempted to explain that the Bay Area was not part of his regional portfolio, offering to forward him to the relevant staff member, Chip replied that the Bay Area was not his region either, and that he only wished to speak with Officer, being familiar with certain work
January 1, 2026
by Mike Topp
$25 | Perfect bound | 72 pages
Paperback | Die-cut matte cover | 7×7″
Mike Topp’s poems defy categorization. That’s why they are beloved by seamstresses, pathologists, blackmailers and art collectors.
–Sparrow
