Lesley Wheeler
@lesleymwheeler.bsky.social
Poetry Ed of Shenandoah. Author of Poetry’s Possible Worlds, Unbecoming, The State She’s In, Radioland, & the forthcoming Mycocosmic—poetry, fantasy fiction, CNF, scholarship. She/her. linktr.ee/lesleymwheeler
Pinned
Mycocosmic is 6 months old! If you’ve foraged for it already, THANK YOU. I’d love to see photos of it in the wild. www.tupelopress.org/book/mycocos... 🍄 @tupelopress.bsky.social #poetry #fungi #mushroom
Reposted by Lesley Wheeler
Thanks to the @poetryfoundation.bsky.social for giving this piece about my friend Marty Silano, a wonderful poet who passed away a few months ago, a home. We miss you, Marty. www.poetryfoundation.org/articles/172...
September 22, 2025 at 3:40 PM
Thanks to the @poetryfoundation.bsky.social for giving this piece about my friend Marty Silano, a wonderful poet who passed away a few months ago, a home. We miss you, Marty. www.poetryfoundation.org/articles/172...
Reposted by Lesley Wheeler
On the blog this week: A Week of Poetry Friends And Readings, Horror Poetry, Halloween/Samhain, and Some Real Life Scares: webbish6.com/a-week-of-po... #poets #readings #halloween #horrorpoetry
October 27, 2025 at 8:42 PM
On the blog this week: A Week of Poetry Friends And Readings, Horror Poetry, Halloween/Samhain, and Some Real Life Scares: webbish6.com/a-week-of-po... #poets #readings #halloween #horrorpoetry
Thanks to Storyknife for their gift this week—a residency in April!—and @webbish6.bsky.social for photographing Mycocosmic among shrooms! Otherwise this week I’m thinking about rejections—being on both sides of the blade. lesleywheeler.org/2025/11/16/t...
The knife
At one of the many events I attended this fall, a magazine editor, reflecting on downsides of a generally rewarding job, sighed and said something like “so many bad poems.” What’s…
lesleywheeler.org
November 16, 2025 at 10:08 PM
Thanks to Storyknife for their gift this week—a residency in April!—and @webbish6.bsky.social for photographing Mycocosmic among shrooms! Otherwise this week I’m thinking about rejections—being on both sides of the blade. lesleywheeler.org/2025/11/16/t...
Santa Fe in a week! 7 pm, 11/7, Entropy Gallery, very 🍄 in theme. Excited to read in the new Floating Words series with Art—and about seeing lots of lower-case art and scenery over the November 7th weekend.
October 30, 2025 at 5:11 PM
Santa Fe in a week! 7 pm, 11/7, Entropy Gallery, very 🍄 in theme. Excited to read in the new Floating Words series with Art—and about seeing lots of lower-case art and scenery over the November 7th weekend.
Shenandoah and intern Ellis Nicholson did a terrific job with this interview about Mycocosmic. Again, I get a little ecstatic about fungal connections, but that has become a professional liability! www.shenandoahliterary.org/thepeak/an-i... @tupelopress.bsky.social
An Interview With Lesley Wheeler on Mycocosmic
Shenandoah intern Ellis Nicholson sat down with poetry editor Lesley Wheeler to talk about her sixth poetry collection, Mycocosmic, and her writing process.
www.shenandoahliterary.org
October 29, 2025 at 8:30 PM
Shenandoah and intern Ellis Nicholson did a terrific job with this interview about Mycocosmic. Again, I get a little ecstatic about fungal connections, but that has become a professional liability! www.shenandoahliterary.org/thepeak/an-i... @tupelopress.bsky.social
I read with these powerhouses in Bainbridge and am wowed by their books: What We Do by Michele Bombardier and If Nothing by Matthew Nienow. Recommended! #poetry @poetfish.bsky.social @alicejamesbooks.bsky.social
October 28, 2025 at 5:24 PM
I read with these powerhouses in Bainbridge and am wowed by their books: What We Do by Michele Bombardier and If Nothing by Matthew Nienow. Recommended! #poetry @poetfish.bsky.social @alicejamesbooks.bsky.social
Such timely and welcome news!
The Literary Arts Fund is an unprecedented effort to dramatically increase support for and the visibility of the nonprofit literary arts field for the next five years toward ensuring a healthy and more robust U.S. literary culture in support of creative writers: literaryartsfund.org/announcing-l...
October 28, 2025 at 5:17 PM
Such timely and welcome news!
This handsome book arrived, full of essays by poetry scholars I admire wildly. Thank you @bloomsburybooksus.bsky.social and editor Mike Chasar! Here’s the song I chose, “Talkin’ New York,” in case you want to give it a listen: m.youtube.com/watch?v=rxIJ...
October 27, 2025 at 5:13 PM
This handsome book arrived, full of essays by poetry scholars I admire wildly. Thank you @bloomsburybooksus.bsky.social and editor Mike Chasar! Here’s the song I chose, “Talkin’ New York,” in case you want to give it a listen: m.youtube.com/watch?v=rxIJ...
lesleywheeler.org/2025/10/26/p... —on the good weirdness of this Washington State trip! 🍄
Professor Mushroom listens to strangers
As I filtered out of a particularly fun workshop-reading-open mic at BookTree in Kirkland, Washington, one of the participants called back to me as he ambled down the dark street, “Thanks, Pr…
lesleywheeler.org
October 26, 2025 at 8:34 PM
lesleywheeler.org/2025/10/26/p... —on the good weirdness of this Washington State trip! 🍄
Looped around the outrageously gorgeous Olympic Peninsula today. Tomorrow, 10/22, BookTree in #Kirkland WA: free workshop 5:45, reading at 7, open mic after. #poetry
@chrisbooktree.bsky.social
@chrisbooktree.bsky.social
October 22, 2025 at 12:29 AM
Looped around the outrageously gorgeous Olympic Peninsula today. Tomorrow, 10/22, BookTree in #Kirkland WA: free workshop 5:45, reading at 7, open mic after. #poetry
@chrisbooktree.bsky.social
@chrisbooktree.bsky.social
Tonight, 10/20, I read at 6:30 in Port Angeles Library with Nellie Bridge! Meanwhile we’ve wrapped up the haiku contest at the OlyPen Fungi Festival. The voters elected this little beauty.
October 20, 2025 at 3:08 PM
Tonight, 10/20, I read at 6:30 in Port Angeles Library with Nellie Bridge! Meanwhile we’ve wrapped up the haiku contest at the OlyPen Fungi Festival. The voters elected this little beauty.
Reposted by Lesley Wheeler
The world is falling apart and we’re going to read some poems.
But we’re going to do it together and for a great cause.
Join us. Register here:
beardedbardsofbluesky.weebly.com
But we’re going to do it together and for a great cause.
Join us. Register here:
beardedbardsofbluesky.weebly.com
October 18, 2025 at 12:41 AM
The world is falling apart and we’re going to read some poems.
But we’re going to do it together and for a great cause.
Join us. Register here:
beardedbardsofbluesky.weebly.com
But we’re going to do it together and for a great cause.
Join us. Register here:
beardedbardsofbluesky.weebly.com
Reposted by Lesley Wheeler
PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD!!
The University of Texas-Austin is beginning a process to eliminate the Black Studies, Latino Studies, and Gender Studies departments in the College of Liberal Arts. This is a grave threat to the educational liberty of students, faculty, staff, and the people of Texas. 1/
The University of Texas-Austin is beginning a process to eliminate the Black Studies, Latino Studies, and Gender Studies departments in the College of Liberal Arts. This is a grave threat to the educational liberty of students, faculty, staff, and the people of Texas. 1/
October 13, 2025 at 4:37 PM
PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD!!
The University of Texas-Austin is beginning a process to eliminate the Black Studies, Latino Studies, and Gender Studies departments in the College of Liberal Arts. This is a grave threat to the educational liberty of students, faculty, staff, and the people of Texas. 1/
The University of Texas-Austin is beginning a process to eliminate the Black Studies, Latino Studies, and Gender Studies departments in the College of Liberal Arts. This is a grave threat to the educational liberty of students, faculty, staff, and the people of Texas. 1/
On booking events, persisting through the fails, and other poet stuff. Also, please pray to the gods of air travel for me lesleywheeler.org/2025/10/10/w...
Washington-bound (the other one)
I’m packing now for 12 days in the Pacific northwest (not nearby Washington D.C., which essentially seems like Mordor now). Here’s the poetry part of my itinerary: October 16, 7 pm: Bai…
lesleywheeler.org
October 10, 2025 at 5:53 PM
On booking events, persisting through the fails, and other poet stuff. Also, please pray to the gods of air travel for me lesleywheeler.org/2025/10/10/w...
In case you live in the Seattle area and like poetry, the underworld, and/ or snacks…free workshop 10/22 at BookTree in Kirkland, followed by reading/ open mic! @chrisbooktree.bsky.social www.booktreekirkland.com/new-events/2...
Lesley Wheeler - mini workshop-reading-open mic 10/22 !!! — BookTree Kirkland
Special guest, special night, 10/22 with Lesley Wheeler @ 5:46 pm.
www.booktreekirkland.com
October 9, 2025 at 5:26 PM
In case you live in the Seattle area and like poetry, the underworld, and/ or snacks…free workshop 10/22 at BookTree in Kirkland, followed by reading/ open mic! @chrisbooktree.bsky.social www.booktreekirkland.com/new-events/2...
Poets, Shenandoah reading periods are coming up fast! The one for Virginia poets will stay open till 10/31, but Samyak’s great call for formal experiment will hit the cap fast (I’d guess 3 days). www.shenandoahliterary.org/submissions/
October 7, 2025 at 5:31 PM
Poets, Shenandoah reading periods are coming up fast! The one for Virginia poets will stay open till 10/31, but Samyak’s great call for formal experiment will hit the cap fast (I’d guess 3 days). www.shenandoahliterary.org/submissions/
Warm thanks to Alexis David, Jenny Grassl, KB Kinkel & Kristina Marie Darling for this critical symposium on Mycocosmic in Tupelo Quarterly. Inspiring reviewers to read about mushrooms while in the bathtub: life goal unlocked. @tupelopress.bsky.social www.tupeloquarterly.com/tq36-table-o...
October 6, 2025 at 1:36 PM
Warm thanks to Alexis David, Jenny Grassl, KB Kinkel & Kristina Marie Darling for this critical symposium on Mycocosmic in Tupelo Quarterly. Inspiring reviewers to read about mushrooms while in the bathtub: life goal unlocked. @tupelopress.bsky.social www.tupeloquarterly.com/tq36-table-o...
Thanks to @aboutplacejournal.bsky.social for another great issue! Here are two new ones from me: aboutplacejournal.org/issues/on-fr...
Lesley Wheeler – On Freedom – About Place Journal
aboutplacejournal.org
October 4, 2025 at 3:42 PM
Thanks to @aboutplacejournal.bsky.social for another great issue! Here are two new ones from me: aboutplacejournal.org/issues/on-fr...
Reposted by Lesley Wheeler
The fall issue of About Place Journal, On Freedom is out today!! The poetry, prose, visual art speak to so many of the freedoms we see, feel and include in our hopes.
➡️ Issue Eds: DJ Lee & Michael McDermott with Assistant Eds: Rachel Sanchez & Jacob Klaung
aboutplacejournal.org/issues/on-fr...
➡️ Issue Eds: DJ Lee & Michael McDermott with Assistant Eds: Rachel Sanchez & Jacob Klaung
aboutplacejournal.org/issues/on-fr...
On Freedom – About Place Journal
“On Freedom” features poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, visual art, video, and hybrid works that question what freedom means in our turbulent world. The pieces in this issue explore freedom's dual...
aboutplacejournal.org
October 4, 2025 at 3:13 AM
The fall issue of About Place Journal, On Freedom is out today!! The poetry, prose, visual art speak to so many of the freedoms we see, feel and include in our hopes.
➡️ Issue Eds: DJ Lee & Michael McDermott with Assistant Eds: Rachel Sanchez & Jacob Klaung
aboutplacejournal.org/issues/on-fr...
➡️ Issue Eds: DJ Lee & Michael McDermott with Assistant Eds: Rachel Sanchez & Jacob Klaung
aboutplacejournal.org/issues/on-fr...
Headed to WA, NM, FL!
10/16, 7 pm: Bainbridge Island Public Library with Matthew Nienow
10/17-19: Olympic Peninsula Fungi Festival, Port Angeles WA
10/20, 6:30 pm: Port Angeles Library
10/22: BookTree in Kirkland, WA: 6 pm workshop “Writing From the Underworld,” 7 pm reading followed by open mic
10/16, 7 pm: Bainbridge Island Public Library with Matthew Nienow
10/17-19: Olympic Peninsula Fungi Festival, Port Angeles WA
10/20, 6:30 pm: Port Angeles Library
10/22: BookTree in Kirkland, WA: 6 pm workshop “Writing From the Underworld,” 7 pm reading followed by open mic
October 3, 2025 at 5:40 PM
Headed to WA, NM, FL!
10/16, 7 pm: Bainbridge Island Public Library with Matthew Nienow
10/17-19: Olympic Peninsula Fungi Festival, Port Angeles WA
10/20, 6:30 pm: Port Angeles Library
10/22: BookTree in Kirkland, WA: 6 pm workshop “Writing From the Underworld,” 7 pm reading followed by open mic
10/16, 7 pm: Bainbridge Island Public Library with Matthew Nienow
10/17-19: Olympic Peninsula Fungi Festival, Port Angeles WA
10/20, 6:30 pm: Port Angeles Library
10/22: BookTree in Kirkland, WA: 6 pm workshop “Writing From the Underworld,” 7 pm reading followed by open mic
So grateful to be part of this new anthology—The Nature of Our Times is hopeful but real, full of warnings but also inspiration. Luisa A. Igloria, Aileen Cassinetto, and David Hassler: thank you for your generous, careful, timely work. @thepoetslizard.bsky.social #ecopoetry #poetry #nature
September 30, 2025 at 7:21 PM
So grateful to be part of this new anthology—The Nature of Our Times is hopeful but real, full of warnings but also inspiration. Luisa A. Igloria, Aileen Cassinetto, and David Hassler: thank you for your generous, careful, timely work. @thepoetslizard.bsky.social #ecopoetry #poetry #nature
I can’t be all that coherent about this doozy of a month so here’s a mycelial tangle lesleywheeler.org/2025/09/28/v...
Voices in my head
I don’t know how to harmonize the jostling inner voices of the last few weeks into coherent prose, so here’s some cacophony. I am so nervous about Zooming with this literary agent, I co…
lesleywheeler.org
September 28, 2025 at 9:03 PM
I can’t be all that coherent about this doozy of a month so here’s a mycelial tangle lesleywheeler.org/2025/09/28/v...
“My hoarse throat, my blue heart.” The book of Jenn’s near my desk today is My Tarantella, picked up at a June event when I realized it was missing from my little Martelli library. Her voice is so vivid and searching, anything but a “whisper”—so good to spend time with these poems on a sad day.
September 26, 2025 at 8:49 PM
“My hoarse throat, my blue heart.” The book of Jenn’s near my desk today is My Tarantella, picked up at a June event when I realized it was missing from my little Martelli library. Her voice is so vivid and searching, anything but a “whisper”—so good to spend time with these poems on a sad day.
I love Jenn Martelli’s fierce and lovely poetry so much, and she was such a generous person. Miss you already, Jenn.
September 26, 2025 at 2:43 PM
I love Jenn Martelli’s fierce and lovely poetry so much, and she was such a generous person. Miss you already, Jenn.