Blackbird: an online journal of literature and the arts

Orange slide reading: “We will be at: BOOTH 959 + PANELS TO GO TO.” A cream starburst shape highlights “BOOTH 959.” Below, text reads: “THURSDAY at 10:35am ‘DON’T BOX ME IN: Crossing Genres & Defying Categorization.’” A small black bird icon appears near the bottom.

Orange slide reading: “We will be at: BOOTH 959 + PANELS TO GO TO.” Text below reads: “FRIDAY at 10:35am ‘Literary Podcasting: A New Sonic Space.’” A small black bird icon appears near the bottom.

Orange slide reading: “We will be at: BOOTH 959 + PANELS TO GO TO.” Text below reads: “SATURDAY at 10:35am ‘I Could Not Stop for Death: Poets on Addiction & Substance Abuse.’” A small black bird icon appears near the bottom.

A black-and-white event flyer titled “TRIPTYCH” in large bold letters at the top. Beneath the title, three inverted triangular shapes contain a grayscale photograph of blooming daisies. Centered text reads: “Video, Sound, and Live Readers at OLD MAJOR,” with the OLD MAJOR logo displayed in bold block letters and the address listed as “900 S Carey St, Baltimore, MD 21223.” On the left, text reads: “Featuring works by: Ashley Dailey, Hannah Bonner, Carolina Ebeid, Sarah Minor, Esé Emmanuel, Troels Hierdal.” On the right, text reads: “Readings from: Tramaine Suubi, Ira Sukrungruang, Harrison Hamm, Patrycja Humienik.” A starburst graphic says, “With a DANCE PARTY!” At the bottom, the date and time read: “March 6, 2026, 7 pm - 10 pm.” The footer says “Presented by:” followed by the logos for Blackbird, Brink, and TriQuarterly.

Going to AWP this year? Come find us! Swipe through these photos to see the many things Blackbird and VCU are involved with. And stop by our table (booth 959!) to get to know us a bit! We may have some Blackbird swag for you... 🐦‍⬛

A graphic with a bright purple background scattered with small black speckles. Centered at the top is the word “POETRY.” Beneath it, the text reads “Submissions Are OPEN NOW!” Below that is the URL: “blackbird.submittable.com/submit.” In the lower half of the image is a stylized black-and-white illustration of two hands typing on a laptop keyboard. On the laptop screen is a newspaper-style layout with columns of text. Yellow lightning bolt shapes extend outward from both sides of the laptop. At the bottom of the image, centered, is the Blackbird logo.

You read that right: Blackbird's poetry submissions are OPEN! We cannot wait to sit with your words. 📖

blackbird.submittable.com/submit

Grateful for you, Megan! 😊

New issue of @blackbirdjournal.bsky.social means new artist interview! Was so excited to feature the work of Anne von Freyburg. It opens w/ a reflection on cuteness and feminine aesthetics, connecting to both the artwork and to my experience as a woman and priest.

blackbird.vcu.edu/interview-fo...

Honored to host the story 😊

Be sure to check out the full issue too! blackbird.vcu.edu/flight/v24n2/

Front Cover of Blackbird 24.2

Fiction Feature of Blackbird: Joel Worford and Grace Spulak

Congrats to Grace Spulak for having her stunning story "The Four Winds" in the most recent issue of BLACKBIRD, and big thanks to the BLACKBIRD editors!

Read Grace's story here: blackbird.vcu.edu/the-four-win...

@blackbirdjournal.bsky.social

Teal background with heading: “Featuring Nonfiction by” followed by: Shabnam Piryaei & Kristina Garvin. Beside the text is a tall textile artwork in purples, blues, and pinks with cascading thread and layered forms. Caption reads: “Electric Feel (After Fragonard, The Pursuit)” by Anne von Freyburg.

Teal background with heading: “In Reviews & Interviews” followed by: Anna Vilner interviews Margaret Draft; Matt Schroeder reviews Jeannette Lozano Clariond (trans. Forrest Gander); Sam Schieren reviews Sophie Strohmeier; Megan McDermott reviews Julien Creuzet. Displayed alongside is a rounded textile artwork with dense, swirling forms and dripping thread in soft greens, pinks, and neutrals. Caption reads: “Sharp on the Edges (After Elisabeth Vigée Le Brun)” by Anne von Freyburg.

Teal background with heading: “Our Gallery.” Text reads: “Artwork by Anne von Freyburg. Artist interviewed by Megan McDermott.” The featured piece, “Patchwork Girl No. 2” by Anne von Freyburg, shows a vivid textile portrait collage of a woman’s face constructed from layered fabric and thread in reds, pinks, creams, and gold, with bright pink fringe along the bottom edge.

Teal textured background with a small black bird icon at the top. Centered text reads: “We invite you to move slowly through Flight 24.2, and notice what remains caged, and what has been let loose.” Below the quote: “– Foreword 24.2.” At the bottom is the Blackbird logo.

(2/2) blackbird.vcu.edu

Teal textured background with a small black bird icon at the top. Large text reads: “Blackbird’s Flight 24.2 IS OUT NOW!” Below is a colorful mixed-media artwork with layered, sculptural forms and cascading threads in pink, green, blue, and coral. Caption reads: Cover Art: “Oops I Made You Lose Your Head (After Fragonard, The Swing)” by Anne von Freyburg.

Teal background with heading: “From the Foreword:” followed by an excerpt: “Flight 24.2 begins with what we cannot quite hold: a hand slipping from another in cold water, a cage unlatched at dawn, a door splintered by what forces its way through. These pieces dwell in the aftermath of belief and the brink of its unraveling.”

Teal background with heading: “Featuring Poetry by” followed by: John Nieves, Colin Pope, Jorrell Watkins, Zach Simon, Dmitry Blizniuk, Anzhelina Polonskaya, and Talia Isaacson. Beside the text is a tall, colorful textile artwork with layered, organic forms and long vertical threads in blues, purples, and pinks. Caption reads: “Spellbound (After Fragonard, The Progress of Love: Love letters)” by Anne von Freyburg.

Teal background with heading: “Featuring Fiction by” followed by: Joel Worford & Grace Spulak. Below is a vibrant, vertical textile artwork composed of multicolored thread columns with clustered sculptural forms. Caption reads: “Floral Arrangement 1 (After Jan van Huysum, Still-life)” by Anne von Freyburg.

(1/2) Surprise! Flight 24.2 is out now! 🐦‍⬛

This Flight features a whole slew of incredibly talented creatives and is a culmination of months of work from our entire staff. Swipe to see what's included, and read the full Flight at blackbird.vcu.edu now!

A black-and-white event flyer titled “TRIPTYCH” in large bold letters at the top. Beneath the title, three inverted triangular shapes contain a grayscale photograph of blooming daisies. Centered text reads: “Video, Sound, and Live Readers at OLD MAJOR,” with the OLD MAJOR logo displayed in bold block letters and the address listed as “900 S Carey St, Baltimore, MD 21223.” On the left, text reads: “Featuring works by: Ashley Dailey, Hannah Bonner, Carolina Ebeid, Sarah Minor, Esé Emmanuel, Troels Hierdal.” On the right, text reads: “Readings from: Tramaine Suubi, Ira Sukrungruang, Harrison Hamm, Patrycja Humienik.” A starburst graphic says, “With a DANCE PARTY!” At the bottom, the date and time read: “March 6, 2026, 7 pm - 10 pm.” The footer says “Presented by:” followed by the logos for Blackbird, Brink, and TriQuarterly.

Not only can you come visit us at our Blackbird table at AWP, but save the date for our off-site event! With BRINK and TriQuarterly, we are hosting a video, sound, and literature event on Friday, March 6th at Old Major in Baltimore. You won't want to miss it (or the dance party to follow 💃)!

A stunning poem!!! Thanks for sharing ❤️

I love a good ghazal, and I especially love an innovative use of the form, and this, in @blackbirdjournal.bsky.social, is *fabulous*:

A large screen at VCU’s Cabell Library displays a black slide reading “Lea Marshall” and “AJ White” alongside bold yellow text that says “VISITING WRITERS SERIES.” Two color headshots appear on the right: Lea Marshall smiling outdoors on a rocky shoreline, wrapped in a brown patterned garment, and AJ White in front of green foliage wearing a blue collared shirt.

Lea Marshall stands at a wooden podium on a small stage at VCU’s Cabell Library, reading from printed pages. She wears a dark long-sleeved top and has her hair pulled back. A small round table beside the podium holds two water bottles. Behind her, the large projected slide reads “Lea Marshall” and “AJ White” with “VISITING WRITERS SERIES” in bold yellow text and their headshots displayed.

AJ White stands at the same podium on the Cabell Library stage, reading from a book. He wears a black long-sleeved shirt and looks down at the text. The same large screen behind him displays “Lea Marshall,” “AJ White,” and “VISITING WRITERS SERIES,” along with their headshots. A small round table with two water bottles sits beside the podium.

VCU MFA Alumni AJ White and Lea Marshall took the VCU Libraries stage this past Thursday to read their work for our community. What a gift to host them! You can read some poems and an essay from AJ White in Blackbird's most recent Flight at blackbird.vcu.edu.

A promotional graphic for a Griffin Poetry Prize talk with the red griffin logo at the top and the heading “Translation Talks: February 23.” Below are two black-and-white headshots side by side. On the left is Oksana Maksymchuk, a woman with long dark hair and bangs, looking at the camera with a slight smile, photographed outdoors with leafy greenery behind her. On the right is Jeffrey Yang, a man with short dark hair and light facial hair, facing the camera with a calm expression in an indoor setting. Text beneath the images reads: “Join us on Monday, February 23 at 12:30pm ET / 5:30pm GMT on Zoom for Translation Talks featuring Oksana Maksymchuk in conversation with Jeffrey Yang.”

Check out this event on Monday which is led by one of our previous contributors, Oksana Maksymchuk! Translation Talks is a virtual talk given via Zoom and will be hosted by Griffin Poetry Prize editorial director Adriana Onita and social media editor Medgine Mathurin.

tinyurl.com/4v9zfx4m

The Blackbird Literary Podcast's second episode begins with an experimental take on two of Hannah Bonner's poems. The composition incorporates opera to create an ethereal expansion of the text. Listen to this piece and the full episode wherever you get your podcasts. 🎧

blackbird.vcu.edu/podcast

A gray gradient graphic with a small black bird silhouette centered near the top. The text reads: “Are you a previous Blackbird contributor? Do you have news, events, or accomplishments that you’d like to share?” Below the text is a hand-drawn black arrow pointing to the right, indicating that the user should swipe to the following slide. At the bottom, the Blackbird logo appears.

A matching gray gradient graphic with the same small black bird silhouette centered near the top. The text reads: “If you answered yes to both, we want to hear about it! Email. DM. Story tag. Whatever works for you works for us!” At the bottom, the Blackbird logo appears.

Our community of previous contributors is one we hope to continue fostering forever. If you're a previous contributor and have news to share, share it with us! Our DMs are open! Alternatively, you can always email us at blackbird@vcu.edu. We want to shout you out and celebrate your successes! 🎉

This is awesome to hear! Look at us!!!

Cool to see @blackbirdjournal.bsky.social on Bluesky; Blackbird was one of the first places where I was building websites with other people (in 2013!)

A teal background graphic reads: “The Blackbird Literary Podcast’s Second Episode…” Below is a square cover image that reads: “BLACKBIRD Episode 2: Fledgling, Flight LITERARY PODCAST.” The cover features illustrated books in pink, blue, green, and orange against a dark blue background, with a small white bird logo in the top right corner. Beneath the cover, bold text reads: “IS OUT NOW!” Two ear icons appear underneath.

A teal background graphic with two black speech-and-sound icons at the top. Centered text reads: “Episode Two: ‘Fledgling, Flight’ features work by Hannah Bonner, Victoria Chang, Kivel Carson, Sara Elkamel, and Sarah Minor as well as a musical performance from the Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra and interview excerpts with Blackbird’s faculty editor, Jessica Hendry Nelson.”

A teal background graphic with a black headphones icon at the top. Centered text reads: “The production of this episode was made possible by our team at Blackbird as well as the VCU MFA in Creative Writing program, the VCU English Department, the VCU Kinetic Imaging Department, the VCU School of Music, the VPM + ICA Community Media Center, and VCU Libraries.”

A teal background graphic with a long centered quote in white text that reads: “There were countless hands involved in the creation of this episode, but the Blackbird Literary Podcast’s episode 2 production was spearheaded by lead producer and editor, Trey Burnart Hall, and associate producer and editor, Anna Leonard.” A black microphone icon sits above the text.

To call this just a podcast is to present it as something ordinary, average. As something to listen to in passing. Blackbird Literary Podcast's episode 2 begs us to deeply listen. Listen to the full episode on our website or wherever you get your podcasts!

blackbird.vcu.edu/podcast

A photograph of two people standing side by side indoors against a light wood-paneled wall. On the left is Devon Walker-Figueroa, smiling at the camera, wearing a rust-colored blazer over a patterned dress and dark turtleneck. On the right is Edgar Kunz, smiling with his arm around her shoulder, wearing a maroon jacket over a multicolored patterned sweater and brown pants. Both are facing forward in a relaxed, friendly pose.

A wide photo of a James Cabell Library lecture hall stage. Edgar Kunz stands at a wooden podium on a raised platform, reading from a book. Behind him, a large screen displays the text “Visiting Writers Series” alongside two portrait photos labeled “Devon Walker-Figueroa” and “Edgar Kunz.” The room features wood paneling, a high ceiling, and a small table with water bottles near the podium.

A photo of two printed poem broadsides laid flat side by side on a carpeted floor. The left broadside is titled “My Invention” by Devon Walker-Figueroa, with decorative blue and green illustrated flourishes along the margins and a short poem excerpt printed in the center. The right broadside is titled “from Good Deal” by Edgar Kunz, also featuring decorative illustrated elements and a short poem excerpt printed in blue text.

A photo taken from the audience showing Devon Walker-Figueroa standing at a podium on the same lecture hall stage. She is reading from an iPad. Behind her, a large screen displays the same Visiting Writers Series slide with her portrait above Edgar Kunz’s portrait and their names. A small table with water bottles sits to the right of the podium.

This past Monday, the two most recent VCU Creative Writing faculty members, Devon Walker-Figueroa (Blackbird's faculty poetry editor!) and Edgar Kunz, hit the library stage and read some of their brilliant work. How lucky are we to have them?❤️

Gave a presentation today to the @blackbirdjournal.bsky.social interns focusing on facilitating literature & arts engagement in community, most of my examples coming from my church in Amherst! ❤️ fittingly I'm presenting on "visio divina," a prayer practice of slow and sacred looking, on Sunday

A graphic with a bright purple background scattered with small black speckles. Centered at the top is the word “POETRY.” Beneath it, the text reads “Submissions Opening March 1st.” Below that is the URL: “blackbird.submittable.com/submit.” In the lower half of the image is a stylized black-and-white illustration of two hands typing on a laptop keyboard. On the laptop screen is a newspaper-style layout with columns of text. Yellow lightning bolt shapes extend outward from both sides of the laptop. At the bottom of the image, centered, is the Blackbird logo.

The moment you've all been waiting for. We are reopening our poetry submissions on March 1st, 2026! We have made serious progress on our hefty backlog of wonderful submissions, and we are gearing up to read even more of your great work. Get ready for March!

A flyer promoting a VCU Visiting Writers Series event with a white background and colorful geometric shapes in teal, yellow, purple, and navy decorating the corners and top. Centered black text reads: “THE VCU VISITING WRITERS SERIES HOSTS A JOINT-READING BY RECENTLY HIRED VCU FACULTY EDGAR KUNZ & DEVON WALKER-FIGUEROA.” Beneath this text are the headshots of Edgar Kunz and Devon Walker-Figueroa. Below the portraits next to a calendar and clock icon, the text reads: “DATE CHANGE: FEBRUARY 9 AT 7:00PM.” On the right, next to a location pin icon, the text reads: “JAMES BRANCH CABELL LIBRARY LECTURE HALL (ROOM 303).” At the bottom of the flyer, separated by a horizontal line, the text reads: “MORE INFORMATION https://english.vcu.edu/events/.” On the right, the text reads: “CONTACT US rbpander@vcu.edu."

DATE CHANGE ALERT‼️ VCU's newest faculty members teaching in the MFA program for Creative Writing will be reading their work on February 9th (this Monday!) at 7pm at the James Cabell Library. Come with open ears and open hearts! 📖

A screenshot of the beginning of Paul Lomio's review entitled, "Review: Light Me Down: The New & Collected Poems of Jean Valentine," as it appears on the Blackbird website.

Struggling to find your next read? Check out our reviews section in Flight 24.1 to see what books and collections have caught Blackbird's eye. Paul Lomio's review may just convince you of where to turn next!

blackbird.vcu.edu/review-light-me-down-the-new-collected-poems-of-jean-valentine/

A screenshot of the beginning of AJ White's craft essay, "It is the Echo: Poetic Spiritualism in Charles Wright’s Appalachian Book of the Dead & in Late Twentieth & Early Twenty-First Century Poetry," as it appears on the Blackbird website.

Have you been able to check out AJ White's craft essay in Flight 24.1? Read it at blackbird.vcu.edu now! 📝

An olive green-bordered graphic featuring a poetry excerpt. At the top left, the title reads “Three Polystichs” followed by the author’s name, Ian Cappelli. Below, a short prose-poem quote appears, reading: “Empathy is to imagine knowledge of another person—it is to replace them with yourself. He was always good at picking things up with his toes.” At the bottom left, the footer reads “Poetry / Blackbird v24n1.” In the bottom right corner is the Blackbird bird logo.

A black-and-white portrait photograph of Ian Cappelli, shown from the chest up. The background shows a softly focused cityscape beneath a cloudy sky, suggesting an elevated outdoor viewpoint. The portrait is framed by an olive-green border.

In "Three Polystichs," Ian Cappelli articulates a strangeness rendered intangible without his words to describe it. A one-of-a-kind poem. Read the full piece at blackbird.vcu.edu!

A flyer promoting a VCU Visiting Writers Series event with a white background and colorful geometric shapes in teal, yellow, purple, and navy decorating the corners and top. Centered black text reads: “THE VCU VISITING WRITERS SERIES HOSTS A JOINT-READING BY RECENTLY HIRED VCU FACULTY EDGAR KUNZ & DEVON WALKER-FIGUEROA.” Beneath this text are the headshots of Edgar Kunz and Devon Walker-Figueroa. Below the portraits next to a calendar and clock icon, the text reads: “JANUARY 29 AT 7:00PM.” On the right, next to a location pin icon, the text reads: “JAMES BRANCH CABELL LIBRARY LECTURE HALL (ROOM 303).” At the bottom of the flyer, separated by a horizontal line, the text reads: “MORE INFORMATION https://english.vcu.edu/events/.” On the right, the text reads: “CONTACT US rbpander@vcu.edu."

If you're in the Richmond area, you do not want to miss this event. VCU's newest faculty members teaching in the MFA program for Creative writing will be reading their work on January 29th (this Thursday!) at 7pm at the James Cabell Library. Come with open ears and open hearts! 📖

A graphic with a dark, night-sky background featuring a large full moon centered behind a black bird silhouette in flight. Below the bird, the word “Blackbird” appears followed by the heading “Founders Archive.” Beneath this, smaller text reads, “21 years of 21st century literature and art.” Further down, centered and hyperlinked, the text reads, “Volumes 1–21.”

A black background with a block of white text centered toward the upper half of the image. The text reads: “With a 140,000 pageviews recorded in the last twelve months, my goal for these forty-three issues is to repair and maintain base content as a free-to-read and free-to-teach resource. I also want to hear from both university and non-university faculty who use legacy Blackbird’s no cost materials nationally and internationally in their classrooms, as well as from readers, students, former contributors, and former staff who want to voice their support in making sure the archive remains available for students and future readers.” Below the paragraph, aligned left, the text reads: “-M.A. Keller.”

A black background with a centered block of white text. The text reads: “[Archives are] another way of people who lived in the past, who perhaps are still living or perhaps are dead, being present. This seems to me absolutely one of the quintessential things about the human condition. It’s what actually distinguishes man from any other animal: living with those who have lived and the companionship of those who are no longer alive. Not necessarily the people that one knew personally, I mean the people perhaps whom one only knows by what they did, or what they left behind, this question of the company of the past, that’s what interests me . . .” Below this paragraph, the citation reads: “John Berger, interview quoted in Portraits: John Berger on Artists, (London: Verso, 2015), xvii.”

We always draw attention to the *new* version of Blackbird, but thanks to Mary Flinn, advising founding editor; M.A. Keller, founding editor and online editor; and Kurtis Zirkle, lead coder & pagebuilder; our earlier publications live on at blackbird-archive.vcu.edu. Check it out!

A blue-bordered graphic featuring an interview excerpt. At the top, the title reads “Interview with Kwame Dawes” in italics, followed by “Interviewed by Rasaq Malik Gbolahan” in bold. Below, a block of quoted prose appears, reading: “I do not feel burdened as a poet when faced with the knowledge of the history of colonialism, slavery, and their attendant effects on those I call ‘my people’ as well as the world in which I live. Poetry, in fact, is a shelter for me, and a kind of answer to that burden for meaning and understanding that comes with facing this ‘history’, this reality.” A thin horizontal line separates the quote from the footer text, which reads “Book Reviews, Craft Essays, and Interviews / Blackbird v24n1.” The Blackbird bird logo appears in the bottom right corner.

A black-and-white portrait photograph of Kwame Dawes centered in frame, shown from the shoulders up. He is smiling broadly, wearing glasses, and looking directly at the camera. The background is softly blurred, suggesting an outdoor setting. The portrait is framed by a thick blue border.

A black-and-white portrait photograph of Rasaq Malik Gbolahan, the interviewer, centered in frame and shown from the chest up. He has a full beard and short hair, with his arms crossed and a calm, confident expression while looking directly at the camera. He is wearing a patterned button-up shirt. The background is softly out of focus, suggesting an outdoor or urban environment. The image is framed by a thick blue border.

Read the entire insightful and well-crafted interview at blackbird.vcu.edu. ❤️

A lavender-bordered graphic featuring a poem excerpt. At the top left, italic text reads: “The willow herb at the wood’s edge clothes itself.” Below, the author’s name appears in bold: Robert Marteau, followed by “Malcolm Greenlee Farley (translator)” in bold on the next line. Centered on the page is a short prose-poem paragraph that reads: “Pale on the primed hemp-weed, / a painted symbol between perches, the sun no longer / beams with the same arrogance it still had yesterday.” A thin horizontal line separates the poem from the footer text, which reads “Poetry / Blackbird v24n1.” In the bottom right corner is the Blackbird bird logo.

A black-and-white headshot photograph of the translator, Malcolm Greenlee Farley, centered in frame and shown from the shoulders up. He is bald, wears dark rectangular glasses, and has a neatly trimmed beard and mustache. He is dressed in a white collared shirt and dark tie, facing the camera with a slight, calm smile. The background is softly blurred. The portrait is framed by a thick lavender border.

Two of Farley's translations can be found in our most recent Flight. Read these beauties at the link in our bio! 📖