Michele McDannold

Doldrums by Melanie Browne - The Literary Underground Doldrums I was running on empty all I had left in my pocket were doldrums which isn't enough for a donut from Shipleys so I scrolled on my phone and followed a long thread I followed it all the way to...

welcome to Monday... here's a fresh new poem, "Doldrums," by Melanie Browne theliteraryunderground.org/blog/2026/02... #poetry

Adam Galanski-De León's work has been published in various journals and his stories have been nominated for the Pushcart Prize. He is the winner of the Buffalo Books Prize in Fiction 2022. Adam lives in Chicago, IL with his wife, daughter, and four cats. #booksky #booknews

2/22/22. 4 years and feeling pretty grateful

Static Inventory by Heather Kays - The Literary Underground Static Inventory Nothing is wrong enough to name. That’s the problem. The sink holds a single glass I keep refilling instead of washing. Mail sleeps unopened, important only because it insists. I tell...

Happy Fuck-It Friday!! here's a new one from Heather Kays! theliteraryunderground.org/blog/2026/02... #poetry

Richard Modiano reviews Zirconium Ash by Jimmy Vega - The Literary Underground Zirconium Ash by Jimmy Vega What Books Press Zirconium Ash reads like a book written from inside the burn—after the ignition, after the damage, when the speaker is still warm with impact and fallout. ...

happy thursday! here's a thoughtful review from Richard Modiano on Jimmy Vega's ZIRCONIUM ASH theliteraryunderground.org/blog/2026/02... #review #booksky

October Sky by James Babbs - The Literary Underground October Sky It was late in the afternoon and the October sky looked heavy and gray.  It looked like it was going to rain but it hadn’t happened yet.  I saw a woman I didn’t know walking on the road pa...

happy humpday, mofos! you might know him from his poems, but here's a lil short from James Babbs theliteraryunderground.org/blog/2026/02...

THE POLISH HAMMER POETRY CORNER: The Ballad of Bippy the Clown by Karl Koweski - The Literary Underground The Ballad of Bippy the Clown Sometimes when you write a weekly column for an online literary zine, you just have to vent to your imagined readership about the shit that especially pisses you off. Her...

it's another hilarious column from THE POLISH HAMMER aka Karl Koweski. check it out! theliteraryunderground.org/blog/2026/02...

Injury by Paul Luikart - The Literary Underground Injury I’m a janitor at the Y, and there are injuries and sometimes blood and once a lot of blood under one of the basketball hoops. All the other players made a circle around the man on the floor, a ...

happy monday! here's a short short from Paul Luikart theliteraryunderground.org/blog/2026/02...

“How to Be a Good Boyfriend in Four Easy Steps by S. Collate” by Bree - The Literary Underground How to Be a Good Boyfriend in Four Easy Steps by S. Collate Number One 1-2 times a week say something to let her know you appreciate, miss, or desire her; let her know you are thinking of her for some...

happy sunday! here's a fresh pome from BREE theliteraryunderground.org/blog/2026/02... #poetry

THE POLISH HAMMER POETRY CORNER: Early Morning Smoke Alarm by Karl Koweski - The Literary Underground Early Morning Smoke Alarm Sunday morning, my wife wakes up and stares at the bedroom ceiling for twenty minutes. This sort of behavior never bodes well for me. Twenty minutes of deep thought is usuall...

happy Tuesday! need to LOL? here ya go... another POLISH HAMMER POETRY CORNER from Karl Koweski theliteraryunderground.org/blog/2026/02...

The Second of December by Ken Gierke - The Literary Underground The Second of December Who calls a wife from the hospital at 3 am to tell her she's a widow? My call comes five minutes later as I prepare for an early shift at work. My mother tells me she's a widow....

happy sunday, y'all. here's a short, good one from Ken Gierke theliteraryunderground.org/blog/2026/02... #poetry

Donate to Support Michele's Dental Surgery Fund, organized by Michele McDannold Hi, it's your friendly editor/publisher Michele McDannold. Long story, short: … Michele McDannold needs your support for Support Michele's Dental Surgery Fund

I'm facing dental surgery soon, and while insurance will cover part of it, the upfront costs are overwhelming. If you can contribute, even a little, it would mean the world to me. Please share this post to help spread the word. Thank you for your support! www.gofundme.com/f/support-mi... #gofundme

we could’ve had the world by John Grochalski - The Literary Underground we could’ve had the world instead we’ve got cell phones our heads buried up our asses as a fat fascist sits in the white house perfecting the art of grift while on the groggy morning subway train the ...

Happy Fuck-It Friday!! you know we've got a good one today with John Grochalski ... check it out! theliteraryunderground.org/blog/2026/02... #poetry

Don’t Forget by Jonathan Hayes - The Literary Underground Don’t Forget We’re just creatures entertaining each other Fooling each other Fucking each other & sometimes if we’re lucky Loving each other Jonathan Hayes lives in Oakland, California with his wife a...

Happy Wednesday! check out this short lil poem by Jonathan Hayes theliteraryunderground.org/blog/2026/02... #poetry

THE POLISH HAMMER POETRY CORNER: In the Summer of Short Pants and Flannel by Karl Koweski - The Literary Underground In the Summer of Short Pants and Flannel So, here’s a story. This one goes way back, thirty plus years, back in the summer of short pants and flannel when I was beginning to dig what the boys from Sea...

Happy Tuesday, mofos! it's time to go down memory lane with THE POLISH HAMMER theliteraryunderground.org/blog/2026/02...

The Truth at Last by Steven Meloan - The Literary Underground The Truth at Last In later years Bukowski said death was perpetually at his shoulder He also said life’s trials never really end… until they finally end At the time I viewed it as overly-dramatic nihi...

Happy Monday! check out "The Truth at Last" by Steven Meloan theliteraryunderground.org/blog/2026/02... #poetry

cover reveal & pre-order link! now available at www.magicaljeep.com/product/ever... #booksky #poetry

But Don’t You Need That? by Litsa Dremousis - The Literary Underground But Don’t You Need That? At our family’s favorite barbeque restaurant my eight year-old nephew examines my new scar. It juts across my neck and a teenager yesterday at the grocery store pointed and la...

Welcome to February! here's a lovely poem by Litsa Dremousis theliteraryunderground.org/blog/2026/02... #poetry

Planting Stones to Teleport: A Conversation with Seance of the Bees author Andrea Rexilius by Zack Kopp - The Literary Underground Planting Stones to Teleport: A Conversation with Seance of the Bees author Andrea Rexilius With her latest collection, Séance of the Bees, poet Andrea Rexilius has succeeded at what countless others h...

Planting Stones to Teleport: A Conversation with Seance of the Bees author Andrea Rexilius by Zack Kopp theliteraryunderground.org/blog/2026/01... # booksky

The Best Bar in Town by Damon Hubbs - The Literary Underground The Best Bar in Town for William Taylor Jr. It used to be the best bar in town. Strong drinks, cheap, a gentle roughness like a faded tattoo. The pool league met every Thursday and Ponyboy and his cre...

Happy Fuck-It Friday!! we may be in a world of shit, but still there's poetry... check out this kick-ass poem by Damon Hubbs, a little ditty dedicated to William Taylor Jr. theliteraryunderground.org/blog/2026/01... #poetry

Don’t Eat That Sandwich by April Ridge - The Literary Underground Don't Eat That Sandwich —for all the Marlas I am Jill's complete lack of estrogen. I am Jill's willingness to laugh at the innate nature of men to talk over women while I exceedingly interrupt them, w...

Happy Pre-Friday! here's another kick-ass poem by April Ridge theliteraryunderground.org/blog/2026/01... #poetry

Disengaged by Juliet Cook - The Literary Underground Disengaged I don't let anyone inside if they don't reveal who they are. I hide in my closet and wait for them to leave a mannequin in front of my garage or throw stale bread across my lawn. I won't ea...

happy hump day! here we have a kick-ass new poem by Juliet Cook theliteraryunderground.org/blog/2026/01... #poetry

THE POLISH HAMMER POETRY CORNER: Wintry Mixes and Arctic Vortexes by Karl Koweski - The Literary Underground Wintry Mixes and Arctic Vortexes “It’s supposed to get bad this weekend,” Milt says. “Looks like we’re going to be iced in for at least a week.” Ten minutes later. “There’s a possibility it’s going to...

Happy Tuesday! here's another column from THE POLISH HAMMER theliteraryunderground.org/blog/2026/01...

Price Chopper Mom by Dan Provost - The Literary Underground Price Chopper Mom Self-Exiled today to A Price Chopper parking lot, listening to Jesus Christ Mode. Trying to grab raw emotions out of observing angry mothers scolding their children, groceries in tow...

Happy Monday! check out this new poem by Dan Provost theliteraryunderground.org/blog/2026/01... #poetry

kill the poor for the Holy Spirit by Bree - The Literary Underground kill the poor for the Holy Spirit kill the poor for the Holy Spirit kill the poor for the Holy Spirit and in His name and on your Girl Scout honor you testify youre better than those people you testif...

Happy Sunday! here's a powerful poem by BREE theliteraryunderground.org/blog/2026/01... #poetry

Definition by Michael Minassian - The Literary Underground Definition I admit the woman in my dream last night was, at best, a composite, sharing personality traits with several past lovers: a skeptical nature, a growing detachment from whatever this thing wa...

Happy Saturday! check out "Definition" by Michael Minassian theliteraryunderground.org/blog/2026/01... #poetry

Carnage Upon Innocence by April Ridge - The Literary Underground Carnage Upon Innocence -Or- America, You Make Me Cry As we collectively sigh, quoting George Orwell on social media on a Thursday afternoon in North America seems to be the equivalent of a well-tossed...

Happy Fuck-It Friday! today we have a kick-ass poem by April Ridge theliteraryunderground.org/blog/2026/01... #poetry

read the rest of the review at open.substack.com/pub/dandento... #booksky #review

If my kids were named for the places they were conceived by Tim Murray - The Literary Underground If my kids were named for the places they were conceived: 1.  White Castle Drive-Thru 2.  24 Hour Laundromat 3.  Family Express Pump 7 4.  6 West Nurses Station 5.  Popcorn Fest Port-a-Potty 6.  Smoke...

happy pre-friday! here's a fresh one from Tim Murray theliteraryunderground.org/blog/2026/01... #poetry

Earth Is a Strange Planet by Luis Cuauhtémoc Berriozábal - The Literary Underground Earth Is a Strange Planet Earth is a strange planet, where a prick can be mayor, governor, congressman, senator, president, or king. The worker will be tossed away, his/her back bent out of shape, his...

happy humpday! here's a good one from Luis Cuauhtémoc Berriozábal theliteraryunderground.org/blog/2026/01... #poetry