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bleatingthing.bsky.social
Bleating Thing Magazine
@bleatingthing.bsky.social
1.1K followers 1.1K following 160 posts
A twice-annual magazine of poetry, flash fiction, essays, hybrid work, & visual art.

EIC @cursetheground.bsky.social

More on our website: https://tinyurl.com/5vnsajea
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bleatingthing.bsky.social
Find companionship in unexpected places in today's Issue 04 spotlight by @rachelturney.bsky.social

READ:
bleatingthingmagazine.com/current.html

SUBMIT TO ISSUE 05: bleatingthingmagazine.com/submit.html
A red-and-yellow toned image of a two-headed sheep standing in a field, against a backdrop of trees. The text reads: Details from Loner by Rachel Turney on following slide. ISSUE 04 BLEATINGTHINGMAGAZINE.COM A black-and-white photo of a baboon crossing a field of dead grass. Away in the distance, a lake and barn are visible against the horizon.
December 2, 2025 at 9:54 PM
bleatingthing.bsky.social
SUBMISSIONS ARE !! OPEN !! For our fifth issue now thru JAN 31

Guidelines and theme description are available @ bleatingthingmagazine.com/submit
Against a backdrop of marble, a flower grows from a broken statue of a bird in a cupped pair of hands. The statue is obscured by the text, which announces: ISSUE 05: FRAGMENTS OF A PAINTED CULT sculpture garden/classical statuary The image is colored pale shades of green & pink. Against a backdrop of marble, a staff-wielding shepherd gazes out at his flock, a lamb nestled in the crook of his arm. The text bubble reads: SUBMISSIONS OPEN NOW THRU JAN 31 BLEATINGTHINGMAGAZINE.COM
December 1, 2025 at 7:42 PM
bleatingthing.bsky.social
Here are some prompt questions to get you inspired for ISSUE 05: FRAGMENTS OF A PAINTED CULT. Submissions open on Monday for poetry, flash, essays, hybrid, and visual art.
Against a backdrop of marble, a stone sheep marches with a pennant in its hoof. The overlaying text reads: ISSUE 05 PROMPTS FOR FRAGMENTS OF A PAINTED CULT The image is colored pale shades of green & pink. Against a backdrop of marble, a stone-hewn lamb gazes up at its robed shepherd. The text bubble reads: A few guiding questions to help you interrogate the concept of classical statuary: • What disparities and/or similarities exist between the artist class, the patron class, and the consumer class? How do these manifest in the work itself? • How has the iconography of The Statue been used to signal to others coded messages about class, race, etc.? Are there counterexamples? • In which spaces (if any) do you feel represented by statues and/or sculptures? Do you seek to feel represented in these forms? Why or why not? • Find a statue/sculpture that speaks to you. How do you imagine the artist would want you to experience this work? Does their imagined experience align with your personal experience? Why or why not? The image is colored pale shades of green and pink. Against a backdrop of marble, a staff-wielding shepherd gazes out at his flock, a lamb nestled in the crook of his arm. The text bubble reads: SUBMISSIONS OPEN DEC 1 BLEATINGTHINGMAGAZINE.COM
November 26, 2025 at 8:20 PM
bleatingthing.bsky.social
!! THEME REVEAL !! for Issue 05

This issue, we are seeking poetry, flash, essays, hybrid work, & visual art surrounding the theme FRAGMENTS OF A PAINTED CULT: sculpture garden / classical statuary

Submissions open DEC 1

Keep your eyes peeled - we'll be posting prompts this week to inspire you!
Against a backdrop of marble, a flower grows from a broken statue of a bird in a cupped pair of hands. The statue is obscured by the text, which announces: ISSUE 05: FRAGMENTS OF A PAINTED CULT sculpture garden/classical statuary The image is colored pale shades of green & pink. Against a backdrop of marble, a stone-hewn lamb gazes up at its robed shepherd. The text bubble reads: For this theme, we challenge submitters to explore & respond not just to artworks themselves, but the very concept of "classical." Who decides what is "classical?" Who/what is excluded from that scope? What are the dangers of clinging to iconography that reifies harmful traditions? The image is colored pale shades of green. Against a backdrop of marble, a staff-wielding shepherd gazes out at his flock, a lamb nestled in the crook of his arm. The text bubble reads: SUBMISSIONS OPEN DEC 1 BLEATINGTHINGMAGAZINE.COM
November 24, 2025 at 9:28 PM
bleatingthing.bsky.social
Today's ISSUE 04 SPOTLIGHT is a lesson in compassion by @ivyintheroad.bsky.social

Read the full issue:
bleatingthingmagazine.com/current.html
A red-and-yellow toned image of a two-headed sheep standing in a field, against a backdrop of trees. The text reads: "[Fern] tells us during read-and-share that there was a fire in the bathroom and that her bird died. Smoke pressed against its chest feathers and its heart stopped beating and it went black and still." - Ivy Jones, Cream-and-Sugar ISSUE 04 BLEATINGTHINGMAGAZINE.COM
November 20, 2025 at 9:11 PM
bleatingthing.bsky.social
Contemplate the current state of affairs with today's Issue 04 spotlight by @keithgaboury.bsky.social

Read the full issue here:
www.bleatingthingmagazine.com/current.html
A red-and-yellow toned image of a two-headed sheep standing in a field, against a backdrop of trees. The text reads: "Concrete cracks like my sandy-colored face under a Global Warming sun" - Keith Gaboury, Concrete and Petroleum through the Centuries ISSUE 04 BLEATINGTHINGMAGAZINE.COM
November 11, 2025 at 9:18 PM
bleatingthing.bsky.social
!! ISSUE 04 IS LIVE NOW !! Online or in print

bleatingthingmagazine.com/current.html

Featuring: (see reply)
November 7, 2025 at 10:31 PM
bleatingthing.bsky.social
Applicants for both positions must meet the following requirements:
‣ 18 or older
‣ fluent in English
‣ familiar with our mission statement, submission guidelines, & previous issues

For application forms & a complete list of guidelines, visit:
BLEATINGTHINGMAGAZINE.COM/APPLY
Bleating Thing runs entirely on the volunteer efforts of a small outfit solely interested in uplifting writers & artists. All positions, including existing editorial staff, are unpaid. Out of respect for the time & labor of our team, we coordinate on scheduling & delegation efforts to ensure that workloads are easy to manage & minimally time-invasive. Applicants should be fluent in English & familiar with our mission statement, submission guidelines, & previous issues. Given the occasionally sensitive nature of the content we receive, we require that staff members be over 18 years of age. Prior literary magazine experience is not required, but preferred. Close up on a lamb walking away from the camera, off into a field of grass. The overlayed text reads: For application forms & a complete list of necessary skills & software, visit BLEATINGTHINGMAGAZINE.COM/APPLY
August 22, 2025 at 6:34 PM
bleatingthing.bsky.social
We're open for staff applications! After 2 years of building our foundation, we're ready to welcome an editorial assistant & social media manager to our team.

Applications will only be accepted through the associated forms, which will remain open until positions are filled.

(1/2)
A lamb & ewe stand across a patch of hay from each other, turned toward the viewer with black-spotted eyes. The overlayed text reads: Become a Bleating Thing Staff applications open A lamb walks alongside it's mother (off screen) through a field of tall grass. The overlayed text reads: Bleating Thing is seeking (com)passionate creatives to round out our operational team. After two years of foundational work building our weird, beautiful, deeply human magazine, we are looking for individuals with the drive & skills to help us expand our audience & strengthen the bonds of our community. To achieve these ends, we are currently in need of at least 1 editorial assistant & at least 1 social media manager. Close up on lamb standing at wire fence, facing the camera. The overlayed text reads: Bleating Thing is seeking at least 1 editorial assistant to aid editorial staff with the following: ‣ Proofreading & copy approval for submission forms ‣ Sorting submissions & confirming receipt via email ‣ Using/modifying decision letter templates to ensure all submitters receive kind, personal correspondence ‣ Wrangling contributor information such as biographies, social media handles, & methods of contact ‣ Macro proofing of issue builds to ensure that all accepted pieces & contributors are represented correctly, including in the listing information for all associated hosting & distribution sites ‣ Responding to email inquiries regarding the submission & publication process Close up on a lamb standing in a field, facing the camera. The overlayed text reads: ​Bleating Thing is seeking at least 1 social media manager to coordinate with editorial team on the following: ‣ Proofreading & approval of website copy ‣ Creating brand-consistent graphics for each phase of an issue’s production, from submission call to promotional spotlight ‣ Developing brand-consistent, mission-driven posts to bolster community engagement on a consistent schedule ‣ Managing social media accounts (currently Instagram, BlueSky), including responding to comments, direct messages, & follow requests
August 22, 2025 at 6:33 PM
bleatingthing.bsky.social
🚨🚨ONE DAY LEFT🚨🚨 to submit to Bleating Thing's unthemed fourth issue!

We are especially in need of:
- Essays
- Hybrid work

Bleat @ us before the end of the day on July 31st!
Maroon stationary textured like aged paper. In the top left & bottom right corners, a mirrored line art illustration of the head & shoulders of a sheep with downturned, almost melancholy eyes. In the center of the image, the note reads: ONE DAY LEFT TO SUBMIT TO ISSUE 04 Maroon stationary textured like aged paper. In the top left & bottom right corners, a mirrored line art illustration of the head & shoulders of a sheep with downturned, almost melancholy eyes. In the center of the image, the note reads: We accept: lyric-leaning poems, flash fiction, essays, hybrid works (collage poems, visual poetry, essays with poems in the footnotes, poems with essays in the footnotes, etc.), & visual art. If it bleats, we want it Maroon stationary textured like aged paper. In the top left & bottom right corners, a mirrored line art illustration of the head & shoulders of a sheep with, downturned, almost melancholy eyes. In the center of the image, the note reads: For previous issues & a complete list of guidelines, visit BLEATINGTHINGMAGAZINE.COM
July 30, 2025 at 1:47 PM
bleatingthing.bsky.social
ONE WEEK LEFT to submit to Bleating Thing's unthemed fourth issue!

We are especially in need of:
- Essays
- Hybrid work

Bleat @ us before the end of the day on July 31st!

bleatingthingmagazine.com/submit.html
Maroon stationary textured like aged paper. In the top left & bottom right corners, a mirrored line art illustration of the head & shoulders of a sheep with downturned, almost melancholy eyes. In the center of the image, the note reads: ONE WEEK LEFT TO SUBMIT TO ISSUE 04 Maroon stationary textured like aged paper. In the top left & bottom right corners, a mirrored line art illustration of the head & shoulders of a sheep with downturned, almost melancholy eyes. In the center of the image, the note reads: We accept: lyric-leaning poems, flash fiction, essays, hybrid works (collage poems, visual poetry, essays with poems in the footnotes, poems with essays in the footnotes, etc.), & visual art. If it bleats, we want it Maroon stationary textured like aged paper. In the top left & bottom right corners, a mirrored line art illustration of the head & shoulders of a sheep with, downturned, almost melancholy eyes. In the center of the image, the note reads: For previous issues & a complete list of guidelines, visit BLEATINGTHINGMAGAZINE.COM
July 24, 2025 at 11:18 PM
bleatingthing.bsky.social
Rejoice in the transformative power of medicine alongside @connorsartroom.bsky.social in the final Issue 03 spotlight, "Self-Made Solution."

View the piece in full color: bleatingthingmagazine.com/issue-03.html
A soapdish sits under a canopy of fabric roses, the dish carved with the small figurine of an angel in a frock gazing down at the lamb nestled at her feet. Above their heads, the text reads: Details from "Self-made Solution" by Connor on next slide Read the issue BLEATINGTHINGMAGAZINE.COM Through a gauze of roses, a clipping of a medicine label for testosterone is visible. Below, a collage of the first few lines of a poem: an injection has shown a restless Animal desire in its heart bleeding freely a body deep in the warmth of this red Lake
July 22, 2025 at 6:30 PM
bleatingthing.bsky.social
Marvel at the wonder of all creatures big & small with Sarah Das Gupta in today's Issue 03 spotlight, "Tiny"

Read it here: bleatingthingmagazine.com/issue-03.html
A soapdish sits under a canopy of fabric roses, the dish carved with the small figurine of an angel in a frock gazing down at the lamb nestled at her feet. Above their heads, a quote from "Tiny" by Sara Das Gupta: " An ant crawls across my page I carry it into the sunlight " Read the issue BLEATINGTHINGMAGAZINE.COM
July 16, 2025 at 1:20 PM
bleatingthing.bsky.social
Exalt the body in all its iterations and permutations with @arcanumb.bsky.social in today's Issue 03 spotlight, "An Exaltation In Transition"

Read it here: bleatingthingmagazine.com/issue-03.html
A soapdish sits under a canopy of fabric roses, the dish carved with the small figurine of an angel in a frock gazing down at the lamb nestled at her feet. Above their heads, a quote from "An Exaltation In Transition" by Sol Rios: " glory then, the baritone, glory the blunt edge of blade slipped into leather purse, glory the sounds of the night " Read the issue BLEATINGTHINGMAGAZINE.COM
July 10, 2025 at 3:52 PM
bleatingthing.bsky.social
Celebrate nature's beauty & humor alongside @nemo52.bsky.social in today's Issue 03 spotlight, "Pelicans"

Read it here: bleatingthingmagazine.com/issue-03.html
A soapdish sits under a canopy of fabric roses, the dish carved with the small figurine of an angel in a frock gazing down at the lamb nestled at her feet. Above their heads, a quote from "Pelicans" by Pam Clements: " A line of pelicans passes above us . . . Their legs are pulled up close to their bodies, their outsized beaks pointed home in the syrupy light. " Read the issue BLEATINGTHINGMAGAZINE.COM
June 27, 2025 at 6:02 PM
bleatingthing.bsky.social
Celebrate growth & exuberance against formidable odds alongside @rainbow-robbins.bsky.social 's "Beauty Beyond What's Broken" in today's Issue 03 spotlight.

View the piece in full color: bleatingthingmagazine.com/issue-03.html
A soapdish sits under a canopy of fabric roses, the dish carved with the small figurine of an angel in a frock gazing down at the lamb nestled at her feet. Above their heads, the text reads: Details from "Beauty Beyond What's Broken" by Rainbow Robbins on next slide Read the issue BLEATINGTHINGMAGAZINE.COM Close up on a portion of a painting. From the abstract background emerge two distinct shapes: a butterfly heading toward the bottom of the frame, & a humpback wale pointed toward the top of the frame (as if breaching the surface).
June 25, 2025 at 5:12 PM
bleatingthing.bsky.social
Luxuriate in the grotesqueries of the natural & fabricated world with today's Issue 03 spotlight: "The Solstice" by @eleanorball.bsky.social

Read it here: bleatingthingmagazine.com/issue-03.html
A soapdish sits under a canopy of fabric roses, the dish carved with the small figurine of an angel in a frock gazing down at the lamb nestled at her feet. Above their heads, a quote from Elenaor Ball's "The Solstice": " The strawberry moon hanging heavy and low, its edges as sharp as a papercut. " Read the issue BLEATINGTHINGMAGAZINE.COM
June 19, 2025 at 6:06 PM
bleatingthing.bsky.social
Celebrate the small & oft-overlooked with today's Issue 03 spotlight: "The Two Dollar Bill" by Peter Mladinic.

Read it here: bleatingthingmagazine.com/issue-03.html
A soapdish sits under a canopy of fabric roses, the dish carved with the small figurine of an angel in a frock gazing down at the lamb nestled at her feet. Above their heads, a quote from Peter Mladinic's "The Two Dollar Bill": " Two dollar bills are little miracles, so are can openers, screwdrivers, and this " Read the issue BLEATINGTHINGMAGAZINE.COM
June 17, 2025 at 6:26 PM
bleatingthing.bsky.social
Let @lrbpoetry.bsky.social 's "Wind Sang" shower you in warmth as today's Issue 03 spotlight.

Read it here: bleatingthingmagazine.com/issue-03.html
A soapdish sits under a canopy of fabric roses, the dish carved with the small figurine of an angel in a frock gazing down at the lamb nestled at her feet. Above their heads, a quote from Lydia Rae Bush's "Wind Sang": " I didn't know if you had ever tasted grass so sweet, but I bet the wind sang at the touch of your wings " Read the issue BLEATINGTHINGMAGAZINE.COM
June 5, 2025 at 7:18 PM
bleatingthing.bsky.social
Experience the urgency of joy with Julia Lee's collage "A Spark, A Hope, and a Dream" in today's Issue 03 spotlight.

View the piece in full color: bleatingthingmagazine.com/issue-03.html
Close up on a portion of a collage. A long-haired figure in a billowing coat strides boldly away from the viewer, across a grid of large squares smattered with paper diamonds & clipped phrases. The only complete phrase visible on screen is PLAYTIME FOREVER. A soapdish sits under a canopy of fabric roses, the dish carved with the small figurine of an angel in a frock gazing down at the lamb nestled at her feet. Above their heads, the text reads: Details from "A Spark, A Hope and a Dream" by Julia Lee on next slide Read the issue BLEATINGTHINGMAGAZINE.COM
June 3, 2025 at 7:18 PM
bleatingthing.bsky.social
🚨 ISSUE 04 Subs are OPEN! 🚨 We are now accepting flash fiction in addition to our previous genre offerings.

There is NO THEME for this issue. Come as you are. Send us your most bleating things.

🔗s in replies
Maroon stationary textured like aged paper. In the top left & bottom right corners, a mirrored line art illustration of the head & shoulders of a sheep with downturned, almost melancholy eyes. In the center of the image, the note reads: Bleating thing is open for submissions for our fourth issue now thru July 31 Maroon stationary textured like aged paper. In the top left & bottom right corners, a mirrored line art illustration of the head & shoulders of a sheep with downturned, almost melancholy eyes. In the center of the image, the note reads: We accept: lyric-leaning poems, flash fiction, essays, hybrid works (collage poems, visual poetry, essays with poems in the footnotes, poems with essays in the footnotes, etc.), & visual art. If it bleats, we want it Maroon stationary textured like aged paper. In the top left & bottom right corners, a mirrored line art illustration of the head & shoulders of a sheep with, downturned, almost melancholy eyes. In the center of the image, the note reads: For previous issues & a complete list of guidelines, visit BLEATINGTHINGMAGAZINE.COM
June 1, 2025 at 4:57 PM
bleatingthing.bsky.social
Mark your calendars! We will be opening for submissions for our unthemed 4th issue on June 1st.

We're proud to announce that we have added @avantgarcia.com to our team as fiction editor. Yes, that means we will be accepting flash fiction from here out!

See our website for full guidelines.
Maroon stationary textured like aged paper. In the top left & bottom right corners, a mirrored line art illustration of the head & shoulders of a sheep with downturned, almost melancholy eyes. In the center of the image, the note reads: We are opening soon for our unthemed fall/winter issue! Maroon stationary textured like aged paper. In the top left & bottom right corners, a mirrored line art illustration of the head & shoulders of a sheep with downturned, almost melancholy eyes. In the center of the image, the note reads: We accept: lyric-leaning poems, flash fiction, essays, hybrid works (collage poems, visual poetry, essays with poems in the footnotes, poems with essays in the footnotes, etc.), & visual art. If it bleats, we want it Maroon stationary textured like aged paper. In the top left & bottom right corners, a mirrored line art illustration of the head & shoulders of a sheep with downturned, almost melancholy eyes. In the center of the image, the note reads: Open for submissions Jun 1 ~ Jul 31 BLEATINGTHINGMAGAZINE.COM
May 23, 2025 at 6:50 PM
bleatingthing.bsky.social
Luxuriate in the little details of today's issue 03 spotlight: a quote from Ed Taylor's "COCKEYED OPTIMIST (antidepressants)."

Read it here: bleatingthingmagazine.com/issue-03.html
A soapdish sits under a canopy of fabric roses, the dish carved with the small figurine of an angel in a frock gazing down at the lamb nestled at her feet. Above their heads, a quote from Ed Taylor's "COCKEYED OPTIMIST (antidepressants)": " buds come sailing back upside-down as saints when eyes open from prayer " Read the issue BLEATINGTHINGMAGAZINE.COM
May 22, 2025 at 6:30 PM
bleatingthing.bsky.social
Take solace in the small comforts of @avireiarts.bsky.social 's "Savor" in today's Issue 03 spotlight.

View the piece in full color: bleatingthingmagazine.com/issue-03.html
A soapdish sits under a canopy of fabric roses, the dish carved with the small figurine of an angel in a frock gazing down at the lamb nestled at her feet. Above their heads, the text reads: Details from "Savor" by Vier Barreiro on next slide Read the issue BLEATINGTHINGMAGAZINE.COM Close-up on the intersection of a four-panel comic, focusing primarily on panel 4. Panels 1 & 2 are cut off to such extent that the shapes made by the seemingly chalk-drawn lines are indecipherable. In the lower half of panel 2, hovering in the top, the bottom half of a face is visible raising a cigarette to its mouth. Below, a reverse-view of the cigarette clenched in a pair of hands against an empty backdrop. The text caption at the top of this 4th and final panel reads, YOU ARE NOT ALONE.
May 20, 2025 at 4:07 PM
bleatingthing.bsky.social
Contemplate the value of living & loving slowly with Adam Hollowell's "Fast or Slow" in today's Issue 03 spotlight.

Read it here: bleatingthingmagazine.com/issue-03.html
A soapdish sits under a canopy of fabric roses, the dish carved with the small figurine of an angel in a frock gazing down at the lamb nestled at her feet. Above their heads, a quote from Adam Hollowell's "Fast or Slow": " We should be entering their sacred spaces without knowing the rules, without even knowing if we had dressed right, or where to put our shoes. " Read the issue BLEATINGTHINGMAGAZINE.COM
May 15, 2025 at 6:36 PM