Shala Erlich

Questions I Want to Ask My Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner by Shannon Dale | ... that she probably won’t answer.

I love this flash essay by Shannon Dale via @short-reads.org.

www.short-reads.org/questions-i-...

To the Young Couple Building a Snowman on the Aspen Loop by Melinda Brasher | Thank you.

Love the joy in this flash essay by Melinda Brasher via @short-reads.org. www.short-reads.org/to-the-young...

"I'm not in denial, I'm in open rebellion" damn that quote goes hard

Kissings by Kristina Patterson | XOXO.

You'll definitely start an inventory of your past kisses after you read this flash essay by Kristina Patterson via @short-reads.org. www.short-reads.org/kissings/

The Ace of Teeth by Claudia Monpere My brother and I attempt awkward conversation at a Chinese restaurant near the dive motel where he lives. I try not to stare at his teeth: gray, chipped, missing. Dark, square caves in his mouth. H…

ICYMI "In his pockets: loose change, a book of matches, and the ace of spades. The card is grimier than when I saw it earlier." Read this stunning flash by @claudiamonpere.bsky.social in @lostballoon.bsky.social
lost-balloon.com/2025/06/18/t...

What does it say about our times that this video made me cry? Thank you @merriam-webster.com. From the bottom of my heart. 🙏🏽🩷

Yes, keep it up!

Maybe we can elicit venture capital in a cure for scurvy.

First Friends, Once Removed In immigrant families, sometimes your cousins can be your earliest friends.

“Cousins have our backs. They are our built-in friends. And from an evolutionary perspective, they have a biological stake in our survival.” The next Friendship Week story is by @dianaruzova.bsky.social and all about how cousins can be the earliest friends for some immigrant families.

Racing Rachael Ray by Brendan O’Meara | Beef Stroganoff in thirty minutes.

"I ask her if she remembers 'challenging' Rachael Ray to cook the beef Stroganoff in thirty minutes, a memory so vivid that it must be tucked somewhere the dementia can’t get it." Wonderful flash essay by @brendanomeara.bsky.social via @short-reads.org. www.short-reads.org/racing-racha...

RFK Jr. backs down all the time when he gets push back, so if anyone wants to call, here's the HHS number 1-877-696-6775.
I'd also call your senators/reps as well.

How I See an Owl, Alive in the Face of Things by Naomi Cohn | Fake it till you make it.

Beautiful essay about perception and understanding. www.short-reads.org/how-i-see-an...

Thank you #PoetryNorthwest. Thrilled to be with so many writers I admire. 🙏 And yes, shoutout to #Hajmola (IYKYK) 😉

I’d also like to thank @elizabethdark.bsky.social and @kenyonreview.bsky.social for providing one of the best experiences of creative community in my adult life last summer.

Une Femme by Shala Erlich | Body language.

Thank you to @dintywmoore.bsky.social and Team Walrus for creating the conditions for this to emerge and to @hattiefletcher.bsky.social and the Short Reads team for giving it a home.
‪@shala-24.bsky.social‬) via @short-reads.org.

www.short-reads.org/une-femme/

I’ve always thought that cousins are a fascinating combination of friends and siblings. I love your exploration of your particular cousin experiences and some of the larger phenomena of cousinship, particularly in immigrant families and ashkenazi families in the US.

Here’s a chance to literally save thousands of lives: