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Welcome! Richard Leis writes poetry, short fiction, and the occasional blog post. Announcements here on the homepage; bio, contact info, upcoming writing workshops, and more published works at the links above.

“From Them Prostrate I Flee” Coming in October

My latest short story arrives later this month in Stories We Tell After Midnight, Volume 3 from Crone Girls Press.

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New story in The Molotov Cocktail “Elemental Flash” Issue

“Goodbye to Rock” placed seventh in the “Elemental Flash” Contest from The Molotov Cocktail and is now available to read online.

We remind them that road trips and human exploration lead back, without adding “if all goes well.” Ride an explosion, walk on another rocky surface, collect some samples, more vials, return with the samples on top of another explosion. We can be there to cheer them on.

If all goes well.

from “Goodbye to Rock”

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New poem in Impossible Archetype

“I Can’t Explain Love or Loss if the Only Language I Have is Geology or What I Watch on YouTube” is now available in the latest issue of Impossible Archetype.

The couple quit uploading to YouTube two years ago.

Their videos are something pitiful and earnest now,

something long buried, sand-scratched, rubbed raw.

Thumbs down, I think. None of my business.

from “I Can’t Explain Love or Loss if the Only Language I have is Geology or What I Watch on Youtube”