Author | Lightnews

Brendan Stephens @bstephens.bsky.social · 7d

Bianca: “This song is about losing your virginity by having sex.”

Me: “Is there another way?”

Brendan Stephens @bstephens.bsky.social · 14d

Backing into a parking spot, I begin singing “What a man, what a man, what a mighty good man.”

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Brendan Stephens @bstephens.bsky.social · 20d

It’s me. Really tried to experiment with breaking a rule of fiction with this one. I wanted to try to show an epiphany that ultimately doesn’t provoke a change in the character. Bleak stuff. Enjoy!

Brett Pribble @brettpribble.bsky.social · 20d

Read "Pool Party" written by @bstephens.bsky.social and illustrated by Brett J Barr.

"I was twenty-two, alone at my parents’ Orlando winter home, roughing it without any of our staff. My father had made it known I was not to get too comfortable..."

tinyurl.com/45n5f2xm

Pool Party — Ghost Parachute

I was twenty-two, alone at my parents’ Orlando winter home, roughing it without any of our staff. My father had made it known I was not to get too comfortable, saying, Life offered no handouts. A tren...

tinyurl.com

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Brendan Stephens @bstephens.bsky.social · 21d

I got a story in this issue along with a bunch of my favorite writers. Unreal issue!

Brett Pribble @brettpribble.bsky.social · 21d

We are excited to present the October 2025 issue, which is our Nine Year Anniversary issue. We've put out an issue every month on the first since we started, making this our 108th issue. Cover illustrated by @genevievetyrrell.bsky.social.

tinyurl.com/mtcaexjy

October 2025 Issue — Ghost Parachute

tinyurl.com

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Brendan Stephens @bstephens.bsky.social · 24d

Just took some Tylenol so I think this means I’m about to go ASD super Saiyan.

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Brendan Stephens @bstephens.bsky.social · Sep 16

My followers on here skew literary instead of punk/metal, but I feel like it is still worth a little tribute to Tomas Lindberg, the vocalist for At the Gates and Disfear. Slaughter of the Soul was my first death metal listen and Live the Storm is the best dbeat lp ever. What a monster.

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Brendan Stephens @bstephens.bsky.social · Sep 16

In the middle of a classic DND session where an insulted NPC kindly asks the party to leave his house, so the party had no choice but to escalate to a hostage situation which quickly turned to a kidnapping.

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Brendan Stephens @bstephens.bsky.social · Sep 11

Agreed on stop scrolling. What an ongoing nightmare. Anyways, my WIP is a memoir about my parents adopting a 30 year old man that I’d gone to school with that I never really knew. It’s my first long form nonfiction project.

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Brendan Stephens @bstephens.bsky.social · Sep 7

I had a reader point out that I overused “ever” and “just” in my manuscript, so I literally spent 2 hours with ctrl+f searching and changing wording. Can’t decide if this was my most productive or least productive writing session of 2025.

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Brendan Stephens @bstephens.bsky.social · Sep 2

I just found out a picture of me as a child has been sold as a postcard for like 30 years. Where are my residuals?

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Brendan Stephens @bstephens.bsky.social · Aug 30

I have made a grave and terrible error by committing to a show with doors at 9 and music at 10.

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Brendan Stephens @bstephens.bsky.social · Aug 22

A close friend (and former editor of Gulf Coast and Black Warrior Review) was recently diagnosed with ALS. He’s lost most of his mobility and a lot of his medical care isn’t covered by insurance. He’s been a gift to the literary community and he could use your help.

www.gofundme.com/f/support-ry...

Donate to Support Ryan's Fight Against ALS, organized by DONNA BOLLENBACH

Support Ryan in his Fight against ALS At just 37 years old, our youngest son… DONNA BOLLENBACH needs your support for Support Ryan's Fight Against ALS

www.gofundme.com

Brendan Stephens @bstephens.bsky.social · Aug 18

The people who most baffle me are those that post online, “I hated this TV show with hundreds of hours of content on my first watch, but I really loved it by my third rewatch.”

Brendan Stephens @bstephens.bsky.social · Aug 13

Bianca hates my faculty headshot, but all I care about is my students knowing I was having a good hair day.

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Brendan Stephens @bstephens.bsky.social · Aug 7

A note to all unpublished writers: please delete that Byron quote before submitting. Your piece doesn’t need an epigraph.

Brendan Stephens @bstephens.bsky.social · Aug 3

Thank you for your service.

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Brendan Stephens @bstephens.bsky.social · Aug 2

Every time there is a “We need a X on the left,” I’m baffled. Like, the left doesn’t circle the wagon to protect their own like the GOP. A “leftist Stephen Miller” would make a false claim, face backlash, and then immediately rebrand as a right winger because the internet was mean to him.

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Brendan Stephens @bstephens.bsky.social · Aug 2

It’s nine in the morning and I’m trying to find box office projections for The Naked Gun because deep down I truly want it to be a blockbuster, and oh my god what have I become?

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Brendan Stephens @bstephens.bsky.social · Jul 12

The vegan cheese in this metaphor is in an off-grid commune with veggie hot dogs and organic kimchi.

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Brendan Stephens @bstephens.bsky.social · Jul 11

I’ve been editing out my beloved em dashes, and honestly, I’ll never forgive ChatGPT for making me use parentheses.

Brendan Stephens @bstephens.bsky.social · Jun 26

This is me after moving back to Texas.

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Brendan Stephens @bstephens.bsky.social · Jun 6

I think about this movie all the time. It really hit me to see war from a non-soldier perspective, how it both impacts everything, even those who aren’t actively fighting. Really should be required viewing for all militia types and tankies.

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Brendan Stephens @bstephens.bsky.social · Jun 3

I miss the early seasons of Chopped, before the chefs practiced and cracked the code on transforming ingredients. Those early episodes were so good cause chefs would make a Michelin star seaweed salad and then sprinkle gummy bears on top.

Brendan Stephens @bstephens.bsky.social · Jun 2

Boosting one of my oldest friends.

Darcy Jay Gagnon @darcyjaygagnon.bsky.social · Jun 2

Looking for some freelance editing/teaching gigs, hit me up!

The text "I have no money and also I'm gay" in crude 90s news television font.

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Brendan Stephens @bstephens.bsky.social · Jun 1

Great opportunity for flash writers who want to see behind the curtain of lit mags.

SmokeLong Quarterly @smokelong.bsky.social · May 24

We are looking for submissions editors. If you've been published by SmokeLong already and would love to read for the journal, hit us up. www.smokelong.com/work-with-us/

Work With Us - SmokeLong Quarterly

Are you a workshop leader with at least 5 years of teaching experience, knowledge in the field of the flash narrative, and a connection to the flash community? We are always searching for webinar and ...

www.smokelong.com

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