The Pinch

Rainbow Coat Caitlin Cowan

Rainbow Coat By Caitlin Cowan The best kind of clouds are the color of car wash foam. Friday nights I pay to see a rainbow, to recline my seat and soak myself in the soft neon of the tunnel.

To start August, a new poem. "Rainbow Coat" by Caitlin Cowan is a piece looking back on childhood through the misty and multicolored lens of memory. Read it on PJO now.
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SAY THIS Lynne Ellis

Say This By Lynne Ellis Say you drive us across the state at night, one hand on the wheel & one hand bent backwards on your lips. Love follows in the car behind, shines its brights into our rearview mirrors. Say we're on river sand, say we're in those brights, say we're in the moon dark & you wrap two fingers between my thumb & knuckle, hard. Say I tie your wrists to the animal bark of a tree & go after your ribs. Say you kiss my cheek & fill my mouth with apricots.

Looking for something new to read? Check out our latest poem, "Say This" by Lynne Ellis. The full piece is out on PJO. Read it on our site now.
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SOME BALEEN WHALES HAVE LEARNED TO SING AT FREQUENCIES TOO LOW FOR PREDATORS TO HEAR Abby E. Murray

Some Baleen Whales Have Learned to Sing at Frequencies Too Low for Predators to Hear By Abby E. Murray Most days, I am so preoccupied with trying to understand violence and its constant evolution, its sick genius and knack for producing young with one more row of teeth than it had before, plus thicker skin, an extra stomach—

Our newest poem, "Some Baleen Whales Have Learned to Sing at Frequencies Too Low for Predators to Hear" by Abby E. Murray, contemplates the coexistence of violence with peace in the context of marine life. Read the full piece on PJO now.
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Of Wait Elisabeth Preston-Hsu

Of Wait By Elisabeth Preston-Hsu The coastline paradox is the length of a coastline is not static, and depends on the scale used to measure it. Coasts are not made of straight lines. They cannot be measured definitively. I. A reindeer grows antlers in the same pattern year to year. No other mammal can regenerate an organ naturally. The same knob on the left remains lower than the right. The same velvet tissue bleeds ribbons onto snow when injured. It’s the same over and over but the possibilities depend on scale. Dark will find light. Heat will find cold. Water will find salt.

"Of Wait" by Elisabeth Preston-Hsu is our latest poem. Read the full piece on PJO now.
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Girls Just Wanna Have Rachel M. Beavers

Girls Just Wanna Have By Rachel M. Beavers Your bed looks like it’s going to eat you, mouth ravenous and open and red like blood. I kick my shoes off next to your desk, black chunky boots that make a thunking sound when they hit real wood, not the cheap Ikea shit. The zipper of my dress catches on my tights and rips them. Another pair ruined. They’re coming off anyway, so I strip down and stand tall for your careless inspection. You’re just going for the bed, like you want to be swallowed up.

Read the rest of our newest fiction piece, "Girls Just Wanna Have" by Rachel M. Beavers, out now on PJO.
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ON COMING OUT Emma Thomas Jones

On Coming Out By Emma Thomas Jones The feathers were slender, brown like grill marks or swatches on an aspen. They belonged to a house sparrow, clogged my throat until I fingered my uvula, burst my lips like a pillow, feathers scattering the staircase.

To close out the month of June, "On Coming Out" by Emma Thomas Jones uses natural imagery to reflect upon the feeling of such a singular and distinctive process. Read it on PJO now.
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I USED TO HAVE GREEN THUMBS Seth Wade

I Used to Have Green Thumbs By Seth Wade Fat, wrath, cobwebs in gin: splashed hamburger grease burning our arms as we thrashed to beats of Sting, of KISS— outside, the lilacs barked, You are not a man. 

A new poem has been published on PJO! Read "I Used to Have Green Thumbs" by Seth Wade on our website now!
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EMPLOYMENT HISTORY (PARTIAL) Sera Gamble

Employment History (Partial) By Sera Gamble I'm naked again on a horse for minimum wage. My pain tolerance is insanely high. It's good for business for a haunted house to pretend to be a home.

Here is a preview of our latest piece, "Employment History (Partial)" by Sera Gamble. Read the full poem on our site now!
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MIDDLE-AGED LESBIAN BORN LATE EMERGES ENTHUSIASTICALLY TO OBLIVIOUS WORLD Isaman Cann

Middle-aged Lesbian Born Late Emerges Enthusiastically to Oblivious World By Isaman Cann Saturday, I had a very expensive lunch, just in case the woman who wasn’t right for me could be won by generosity. Rationally, I did not want her. Irrationally, I did. This woman was not for me for about six different reasons. And I knew that, except she was willing to speak to me. And we were both lesbians. Like she knew I was a lesbian, and I knew she was a lesbian. And how often does that happen in the old country I might have come from? Then add in that we were both single and both wanting not to be single. These facts were so loud, and so lovely, I couldn’t think of anything else. The fact that I would be miserable in her life and she in mine, that we wanted different things and had different values—well it seemed in the moment that these were small things one might be able to overlook on account of no relationship being perfect.

Read our latest nonfiction piece, “Middle-aged Lesbian Born Late Emerges Enthusiastically to Oblivious World” by Isaman Cann, out now on PJO!

We're thrilled to announce the winners of the Pinch Literary Award in Poetry selected by Raye Hendrix. A big THANK YOU to everyone who sent us their work, and congratulations to the winner McKenzie Teter, and the runners-up Sandra Gómez and Carlina Duan.

It's PJO Monday!! Our newest publication, "Dictionary of Trans Horror Tropes" is a nonfiction piece by Darby Powers. Find this thrilling story at pinchjournal.com to immerse yourself in these tropes!!


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Are you looking to read a poignant, heart-warming piece about man's best friend? Check out Carrie Shipers' new poem, "Meditation on Lost Dogs" up on PJO today.

"If I was a corvid—likely a pied raven or a disillusioned jackdaw—I too would pick the highest branch in the tallest redwood farthest from you fuck ass primates ..." read the brilliant new poem by Sydney Mayes up on PJO!

"Or especially: a woman onstage, karaoke night, her friends have pushed her up here to "finally have some fun, for chrissakes!" And now the song is playing, something '80s and peppy ..." Check out "Falcon Storm Song" by A.C. Koch, now on pinchjournal.com.

Introducing Spring 2025 Issue 45.1 of the Pinch. Get your copy to enjoy excellent fiction, nonfiction, poetry and art. Swipe to see a couple of the artwork from the issue. The issue is available for purchase on our website pinchjournal.com/print

We’re excited to announce the winners of the Page Prize in Nonfiction judged by the author Annabelle Tometich. Thanks to everyone who sent in their work, and congratulations to the winner and the runners-up.

After a lengthy review process of all the poets who were eligible for Best New Poets, the staff chose to nominate Havilah Barnett for 'Mute Girl as Whale Fall' from our Spring 2024 (44.1) and Allison Field Bell for 'O'Keefe Country' from Spring 2025 (45.1). Congratulations to our nominees!!

Once again it is time for our new PJO publication!! This week it is a series of poems by Claire Scott! Go to pinchjournal.com to read Greek Myths are Overrated, Murderer ad Partly Cloudy with a Chance of Dementia!



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We are just three days away from our release party for the Spring Issue 45.1! Hope to see you at the Theatre Cafe at Playhouse on the Square this Friday the 11th from 6pm-8pm.

Pinch Journal Online publication alert!! Our newest poem by Alexa Doran is FANTASTIC!! Check it out on our website.

Exciting news!! In a few days, we'll be announcing the winners of the Pinch Literary Award in Fiction judged by Tara Stringfellow.

Who are you rooting for?

"When Mom died, we captured her soul in a jar. It wasn’t impulsive, since we’d discussed it previously, and sterilized the jar. Still, in the moment, it felt like instinct." This gripping, new story by M.C. Schmidt is up on PJO today!

Just a few more hours to go before our PLA in poetry closes. Send in those poems already!

It’s a cloudy day in Memphis. The weather knows our contest season ends soon. Come mourn with us, Submit your poetry today!

As Journey frontman Joey Tempest once wrote, “It’s the final countdown!” He probably wasn’t talking about the Pinch Literary Award in Poetry. But he might’ve been. It closes Sunday! Don’t fail where he did, submit now!

PJO alert!! Our latest nonfiction publication by Chris Santizo-Malafronti talks about international adoption, and whether or not it benefits transracial adoptees. Go to pinchjournal.com to read it.

Some self care for the weekend - You'll never know how good your best unless you go for it. Submit before March 31 #pinch #thepinch #litmag #literarymagazine #litjournal #poetry #writing

There's still time to submit! Winner will receive $2000 and publication with us #pinch #thepinch #litmag #literarymagazine #litjournal #poetry #writing

The PLA is still open for submissions! Contest closes on March 31 #pinch #thepinch #litmag #literarymagazine #litjournal #poetry #writing #contest