Daniel J. Cecil
@danieljcecil.bsky.social
70 followers 100 following 79 posts
Writer of short stories. Teacher of travel writing at Emerson and fiction at Honing House. websites: www.writerdanieljcecil.com www.honinghouse.com Newsletter: https://danieljcecil.substack.com
Posts Media Videos Starter Packs
danieljcecil.bsky.social
Forget all the noise: my students LOVE to read.
Reposted by Daniel J. Cecil
housleydave.bsky.social
The @barrelhouse.bsky.social conference is coming back to DC on April 18, 2026, and we're open for registration! It's $95, and that includes the one-day conference, 1 book, 1 meeting w an editor, and your choice of literary stuff from our partner presses. www.barrelhousemag.com/conference
The Barrelhouse conference, Conversations and Connections, is coming back to DC on April 18, 2026.
danieljcecil.bsky.social
Another fantastic poem from @alinapleskova.bsky.social
alinapleskova.bsky.social
it's been a minute since i've sent/published new poems anywhere— hope you like this one, written for the At What Cost catalog's Style issue, curated by Jessica Scicchitano

style.atwhatcost.me#alina-pleskova
ALINA PLESKOVA
FOR CONSIDERATION
I aspire to compete in the international space-out competition
which I've unwittingly trained for all this time-
tenderized by blush-hued mushrooms, elderly metalheads,
the time Rachel said the sky over the highway looked like a wrinkled sheet & Dylan said
I was just about to say that, & I didn't take a photo
because I wanted to recall it only so
My practice is rooted in wondering how the same ingenious species that invented concertos, disco balls,
& broccoli - all seemingly for the hell of it - can't endeavor to dismantle the despotic state apparatus threatening its joy & survival, or at least take cues from the birds who repurpose anti-bird spikes for nest-building
My work doesn't interrogate the tension between tempering a certain shame to make one's art more lucrative & knowing your art makes your friends cringe
It might ask instead:
Why lower the rarified to regular volume?
Why refashion the sacred into a vibeless ornament?
A mote on the stylus of my consciousness messes with the pickup

O accolade-patterned bio-
O frosted plaque of competency-

I've sensed an emptiness at the back o
f your gaze

How else do we intend to carry out 
our absurd impermanence?

I endeavor to become lichen, 
or the lone mail carrier for one of those seaside towns 
built into cliffs-
toned calf muscles 
gleaming in my wake
danieljcecil.bsky.social
A strong return. Love this one.
danieljcecil.bsky.social
I think the jacket is from Japanese denim brand Kapital???
danieljcecil.bsky.social
“How I would enjoy being told the novel is dead. How liberating to work in the margins, outside a central perception. You are the ghoul of literature.”
― Don DeLillo, The Names
danieljcecil.bsky.social
It’s amazing how many times you can rewrite a “simple” query letter.
Reposted by Daniel J. Cecil
tajjaisen.bsky.social
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
danieljcecil.bsky.social
Gentrified days, brioche bun dreams.
danieljcecil.bsky.social
Rotterdam. Burger joints on every corner.
Reposted by Daniel J. Cecil
pitheadchapel.bsky.social
Please join us in congratulating our Best of the Net 2026 Nominees! Good luck everyone!
danieljcecil.bsky.social
Really like this one, Steve!
Reposted by Daniel J. Cecil
yalereview.bsky.social
“I am a writer. This means I can get through any airport using the shortest possible route, but I have to check my boarding pass to see if I am headed to Düsseldorf or Frankfurt.”

In our fall issue, Anne Enright recounts her travels to Venice.
Anne Enright: “The Husband”
The writer Anne Enright looks at her travels through Italy during different phases of her life.
yalereview.org
danieljcecil.bsky.social
This is a particularly good one. Congrats on the gig, Ian.
Reposted by Daniel J. Cecil
tmcallister.bsky.social
Wrote for The Metropolitan Review about the pros & cons of working w/ small indie presses vs. big presses, the journey from almost being a big fancy author to being a medium unfancy author, and mid-career re-evaluation of what I want out of the writing life
www.metropolitanreview.org/p/to-go-big-...
To Go Big or Come Home?
On the Writing Life With Major and Indie Publishers
www.metropolitanreview.org
danieljcecil.bsky.social
Going to Cleveland tomorrow for the bucket hats alone. Might shave my beard into a mustache too. Fucking love trends.
danieljcecil.bsky.social
Congratulations, Erin!!!
danieljcecil.bsky.social
Kinda ironic the documentary about iconoclastic visual artist/musician group Devo is basically mapped onto the good old Freytag pyramid. But this is life, n’est pas? Are we not men?
Reposted by Daniel J. Cecil
doorisajarmag.bsky.social
Our 10-year anniversary issue of Door Is A Jar Literary Magazine comes out next week on Sept 1st!

You can read samples from Issue 36 Fall 2025 and pre-order copies on our website:
www.doorisajarmagazine.net/issues/fall-...

#poetry #fiction #nonfiction #art #drama #bookreviews #litmag #doorisajar
Fall 2025
Door is a Jar is a print and digital literary magazine of poetry, short fiction, nonfiction, drama and artwork. Our publication focuses on writing that is accessible for all readers.
www.doorisajarmagazine.net
Reposted by Daniel J. Cecil
danieljcecil.bsky.social
Discussing Moby Dick while eating pickled halibut.
Reposted by Daniel J. Cecil
thelincoln.bsky.social
I don't think AI will either become a totally revolutionary tech or be a nothing tulip/NFT bubble. I think it will be like social media: something that everyone knows is mostly bad and stupid but gets addicted to as it degrades our quality of life, politics, and culture in a million small ways.