Colleen Morrissey
@colleenmoz.bsky.social
Writer, PhD, O. Henry Prize-winner, rogue literary scholar. Writing in The Rumpus, Southern Review, Studies in the Novel, Chicago Reader & others. Prose editor for Cottonwood. Rep. @howlandlit. Available to rant about stories.
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Colleen Morrissey
@colleenmoz.bsky.social
· Jun 20
So thrilled that my latest story, “Animal,” is appearing in the latest issue of @5ptsmag.bsky.social ! Can’t wait to dig in to this great issue!
I love how tech guys just keep making the internet worse. Like, yeah, let's make this place uninhabitable. Let's drive people back to touching grass and consuming analogue media because the internet is so unpleasant and slop-filled. I'm rooting for you, kings.
December 15, 2025 at 8:49 PM
I love how tech guys just keep making the internet worse. Like, yeah, let's make this place uninhabitable. Let's drive people back to touching grass and consuming analogue media because the internet is so unpleasant and slop-filled. I'm rooting for you, kings.
Spent a few hours yesterday researching and writing out what two characters are seeing/encountering on a long train ride followed by a walk through downtown Chicago to get to Northerly Island.
Then, later that day, while doing an errand, I remembered…
They have a car.
THEY HAVE A FUCKING CAR.
Then, later that day, while doing an errand, I remembered…
They have a car.
THEY HAVE A FUCKING CAR.
December 11, 2025 at 2:59 PM
Spent a few hours yesterday researching and writing out what two characters are seeing/encountering on a long train ride followed by a walk through downtown Chicago to get to Northerly Island.
Then, later that day, while doing an errand, I remembered…
They have a car.
THEY HAVE A FUCKING CAR.
Then, later that day, while doing an errand, I remembered…
They have a car.
THEY HAVE A FUCKING CAR.
When we were first dating, my husband and I amused ourselves by rewriting "Must be Santa" as "Must be Satan." Now our toddler loves the original song, and I have to work SO HARD not to sing, WHO'S COMING FOR US WHEN WE'RE DEAD? SATAN'S COMING FOR US WHEN WE'RE DEAD!
December 10, 2025 at 1:20 AM
When we were first dating, my husband and I amused ourselves by rewriting "Must be Santa" as "Must be Satan." Now our toddler loves the original song, and I have to work SO HARD not to sing, WHO'S COMING FOR US WHEN WE'RE DEAD? SATAN'S COMING FOR US WHEN WE'RE DEAD!
Snowstorm on campus today led to closure around noon, and as I was leaving my building, I encountered 2 under-dressed French students filming the snow with appalled delight, and I was glad of my minuscule French that allowed me to immediately understand when one shouted, "ça c'est foutu!"
December 2, 2025 at 1:51 AM
Snowstorm on campus today led to closure around noon, and as I was leaving my building, I encountered 2 under-dressed French students filming the snow with appalled delight, and I was glad of my minuscule French that allowed me to immediately understand when one shouted, "ça c'est foutu!"
I appreciate that there's a whole subgenre of holiday music that's basically "it's cold outside, guess it's time to fuck"
December 1, 2025 at 2:39 AM
I appreciate that there's a whole subgenre of holiday music that's basically "it's cold outside, guess it's time to fuck"
Sometimes, revising sucks, but sometimes it feels like this:
October 24, 2025 at 8:10 PM
Sometimes, revising sucks, but sometimes it feels like this:
Rewatching The Craft for the umpteenth time, and I know I'm not the first to say it, but--justice for Nancy.
October 20, 2025 at 1:30 AM
Rewatching The Craft for the umpteenth time, and I know I'm not the first to say it, but--justice for Nancy.
Me @ me writing tense, climactic dialogue in which one character disillusions another:
October 14, 2025 at 5:22 PM
Me @ me writing tense, climactic dialogue in which one character disillusions another:
My 2-year-old daughter has become obsessed with witches, so yeah you could say I'm a great mom
October 13, 2025 at 1:29 AM
My 2-year-old daughter has become obsessed with witches, so yeah you could say I'm a great mom
Reposted by Colleen Morrissey
Today is a day when arts degrees are worthless, but the product of those degrees is so valuable it would kill an entire industry if they were made to pay for it.
Nick Clegg says asking artists for use permission would ‘kill’ the AI industry
Nick Clegg says asking artists for use permission would ‘kill’ the AI industry
Paul McCartne, Elton John and others signed an open letter.
buff.ly
October 8, 2025 at 10:29 AM
Today is a day when arts degrees are worthless, but the product of those degrees is so valuable it would kill an entire industry if they were made to pay for it.
Reposted by Colleen Morrissey
I spent the summer reporting this essay on why it seems harder than ever to sell a book right now—especially if it isn't a debut and comes with the dreaded "sales track." I'm grateful to the writers, agents, editors, publishers & experts who spoke to me for this piece: thewalrus.ca/the-publishi...
The Publishing Industry Has a Gambling Problem | The Walrus
Companies keep betting on the next bestseller. Literature is poorer for it
thewalrus.ca
September 26, 2025 at 5:30 PM
I spent the summer reporting this essay on why it seems harder than ever to sell a book right now—especially if it isn't a debut and comes with the dreaded "sales track." I'm grateful to the writers, agents, editors, publishers & experts who spoke to me for this piece: thewalrus.ca/the-publishi...
Reposted by Colleen Morrissey
this is gaslighting, plain and simple. No, it's not the worker producing workslop, it's the fucking AI!
Research: low productivity gains from AI may stem from employees using AI to produce "workslop", or low-effort, passable work that creates more work for others (Harvard Business Review)
Main Link | Techmeme Permalink
Main Link | Techmeme Permalink
September 23, 2025 at 4:23 PM
this is gaslighting, plain and simple. No, it's not the worker producing workslop, it's the fucking AI!
Had a dream where an undergraduate creative writing class read the first chapters of my WIP and absolutely hated it, with some even finding it offensive, so, you know, I’m closing in on finishing a first draft
September 14, 2025 at 1:15 PM
Had a dream where an undergraduate creative writing class read the first chapters of my WIP and absolutely hated it, with some even finding it offensive, so, you know, I’m closing in on finishing a first draft
Reposted by Colleen Morrissey
There are very, VERY few people who are equipped to talk about this shooter correctly given the brainrot written on the shell casing. You have to understand so much of online culture to get it and also understand how that culture is both connected to and separate from real world ideological spaces
September 12, 2025 at 2:47 PM
There are very, VERY few people who are equipped to talk about this shooter correctly given the brainrot written on the shell casing. You have to understand so much of online culture to get it and also understand how that culture is both connected to and separate from real world ideological spaces
Had a lovely (and not pretentious) convo with a barista today about whether hot shots of espresso or cold brew is better for iced lattes, and this is why I love indie coffee shops. This guy full-on cared that I had the best beverage possible.
(Java Break in Lawrence, KS btw)
(Java Break in Lawrence, KS btw)
September 5, 2025 at 5:06 PM
Had a lovely (and not pretentious) convo with a barista today about whether hot shots of espresso or cold brew is better for iced lattes, and this is why I love indie coffee shops. This guy full-on cared that I had the best beverage possible.
(Java Break in Lawrence, KS btw)
(Java Break in Lawrence, KS btw)
Reposted by Colleen Morrissey
He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.
BREAKING: Gov. JB Pritzker says the Trump administration has sent the Texas National Guard to Great Lakes Naval Base outside Chicago, awaiting orders to deploy to Chicago.
Trump administration officials will target Mexican Independence Day (Sept. 16) celebrations. @wttw.bsky.social
Trump administration officials will target Mexican Independence Day (Sept. 16) celebrations. @wttw.bsky.social
September 2, 2025 at 8:38 PM
He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.
Send me your prose!
September 2, 2025 at 8:15 PM
Send me your prose!
What people think writing is: Hunching over your desk and furiously scribbling or typing out the burning song of your soul.
What writing actually is: Staring into space and googling definitions of words you already know but just want to make sure you actually know.
What writing actually is: Staring into space and googling definitions of words you already know but just want to make sure you actually know.
August 28, 2025 at 9:04 PM
What people think writing is: Hunching over your desk and furiously scribbling or typing out the burning song of your soul.
What writing actually is: Staring into space and googling definitions of words you already know but just want to make sure you actually know.
What writing actually is: Staring into space and googling definitions of words you already know but just want to make sure you actually know.
Staring down another whole chapter that will need to be cut from my WIP.
August 26, 2025 at 5:39 PM
Staring down another whole chapter that will need to be cut from my WIP.
My Depression-born, farm-raised, youngest-of-eight-children grandma used to make me bread and butter for a snack. That's it. Bread and butter. And I DEFY you to come up with a better savory snack.
What’s your favorite “old people” snack? I love fig newtons and ginger snaps. Iced oatmeal cookies too. YEZZIRRRR
August 19, 2025 at 1:15 AM
My Depression-born, farm-raised, youngest-of-eight-children grandma used to make me bread and butter for a snack. That's it. Bread and butter. And I DEFY you to come up with a better savory snack.
Watching Disney’s Beauty and the Beast with my 2 y.o. daughter, getting to the part where wolves chase Maurice and am a bit concerned it will be too scary…My daughter giggles with delight when the wolves bite Maurice’s foot. ☠️
August 16, 2025 at 8:25 PM
Watching Disney’s Beauty and the Beast with my 2 y.o. daughter, getting to the part where wolves chase Maurice and am a bit concerned it will be too scary…My daughter giggles with delight when the wolves bite Maurice’s foot. ☠️
Send me your prose, folks! (Beginning Sept. 1)
Prose submissions for Cottonwood will reopen Monday, September 1! We're looking forward to reading original prose fiction and creative non-fiction.
Use the link below to check out our guidelines and submit your work.
journals.ku.edu/cottonwood/a...
Use the link below to check out our guidelines and submit your work.
journals.ku.edu/cottonwood/a...
Submissions
| Cottonwood
journals.ku.edu
August 13, 2025 at 8:01 PM
Send me your prose, folks! (Beginning Sept. 1)
Wrote a scene set here today. I miss Chicago.
August 13, 2025 at 6:18 PM
Wrote a scene set here today. I miss Chicago.
With no direction from me, my toddler has defaulted to calling every character, stuffed animal, etc. she/her and I’m like hell yeah sister
August 11, 2025 at 4:40 PM
With no direction from me, my toddler has defaulted to calling every character, stuffed animal, etc. she/her and I’m like hell yeah sister
I watched FRIENDSHIP last night and it was the funniest movie I have seen in AGES. I can't stop thinking about what an apt commentary on masculinity (and dare I say the "male loneliness epidemic") it is.
And, of course, just our lonely age in general.
And, of course, just our lonely age in general.
a man in a brown jacket says you all accepted me way too fast
ALT: a man in a brown jacket says you all accepted me way too fast
media.tenor.com
August 10, 2025 at 6:00 PM
I watched FRIENDSHIP last night and it was the funniest movie I have seen in AGES. I can't stop thinking about what an apt commentary on masculinity (and dare I say the "male loneliness epidemic") it is.
And, of course, just our lonely age in general.
And, of course, just our lonely age in general.