Five Minutes

March Reader Toni Artuso (she/her/hers) is an emerging/aging trans female writer from Salem, Mass. Recently retired, she is now transitioning, as well as trying to accelerate the emerging and slow down the aging. Her prose has appeared in Cutthroat, Gulf Stream Magazine, and Cosmic Crime Stories.

"Family Portrait" by @lizdebeerwriter.bsky.social, a teacher/writer with Project Write Now and volunteer reader at Flash Fiction Magazine. She's inspired by iguanas.

Thanks for sending us another great piece of writing, Dan!

We were right there with you on that rink! Thanks for sending it our way, T.

"Does It Matter?" by Faye Deal, an avid reader who relishes getting lost in words.

"Requests Open" by @trutherford.bsky.social, a professor who studies learning and motivation. Outside of her academic work, she writes fiction focusing on speculative and real-life women’s stories.

"Run with POTS" by Christine Reed in case you missed it

"We Warned You" by @dnadan.bsky.social, a native New Yorker who lives just outside the D. His creative outlets include writing, photography, and yelling at his NY sports teams.

"Twelve" by Matt Yost, a teacher, author, and chronic renovation avoider who lives at the bottom of the bottom of the world. He likes writing twenty-five-word biographies.

Love having you reading with us!

"Moving Flowers" by Susmita Ramani, who lives in the Bay Area with their husband, two teenagers, and many pets. Besides fiction writing, they love improv, hot yoga, and bouldering.

"Dinner Disaster" by Rumaisa Reza for The Hallway, Five Minutes' publication for high school writers. Rumaisa is a high school student from Bangladesh who writes fiction and CNF, exploring fleeting moments, emotions, and the quiet intensity of everyday life.

"Crossroads" by Alexa Savard, a serial entrepreneur who writes in the time between running a tea company and mothering two kids. She lives in Washington state.

"Airborne" by Susan Morrel-Samuels, who writes short stories and children's literature in Chelsea, Michigan. She was the 2025 Judges Choice award winner in the statewide Michigan Writes contest.

ENDS SATURDAY AT MIDNIGHT EST! High school writers, give us 100 words about five minutes of your life on the theme of WISH and you might win $100! All entries will also be considered for publication in THE HALLWAY.

"Maybe I" by Renz Chester R. Gumaru in case you missed it

Welcome February Reader Maggie Russell, an essayist, poet, and editor. Her work, which has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and the Best of the Net, appears in Flash the Court, January House, and Defenestration (forthcoming). She lives in Nashville with her husband and pets.

"Preservation" by Bailey Peters, a Game Design and Development major at Kennesaw State University with two minors. She hugged her sister after writing this piece.

"Just Desserts" by Leo MacLeod, a storyteller, musician and author of two professional development books. His most recent creative nonfiction essay appears in The Maine Review.

February Reader Brittany V. Miles writes fiction and creative nonfiction exploring motherhood, mental illness, and generational silence within Black families. Her essay “Feral” (MUTHA Magazine) was nominated for the Pushcart Prize, and her fiction has been shortlisted for The Letter Review Prize.

February reader Patti Jo Amerein is a writer, mother of boys, former Las Vegas showgirl, and a Master Pilates teacher. She lives on a farm in beautiful rural Washington with her husband, her Friesian horse, sheep, chickens, dogs, cats, and far too many unwanted gophers.

"Quiet Stakes" by Wasima Khan, a writer and poet from The Hague. Her poetry has appeared in About Place, Third Wednesday, Hawai’i Pacific Review, and elsewhere.

February Reader Héctor Hernández put his degree in civil engineering to good use for nearly twenty-seven years. He is now retired and writes whenever inspiration demands his attention. His short stories have appeared in Flash Fiction Magazine, CafeLit, and Literally Stories, among others.

"Between Us" by Lee Reilly, who writes about care, women, and family (oftentimes her own). The author of two nonfiction books, she hosts Shannaghe, a residency, in Belfast, Maine.

February Reader Jen Gippel is an economist and scholarly writer, turning her love of the written word to CNF. Much of Jen’s writing is inspired by the rugged beauty of Australia’s high country near her home in Jindabyne. Get micros in to Jen and the rest of the February team!

"Nakseongdae" by Peixuan Xie in case you missed it

"Floating" by Karen Webber in case you missed it

Feb Reader @aresjb.bsky.social is neurodivergent, queer & lives with chronic illness/disability. They live in Calgary/Mohkίnstsis/Kootsisáw with their family, but inside they still feel like a young forest demon discovering poetry for the 1st time. Send micros to Ares: fiveminutelit.com/submissions

"Reunion" by Lisa Conquet in case you missed it

Our February newsletter is live! 5minutes100words at Substack!