WWPH Writes 105…and we are celebrating AMERICA’S FUTURE: poetry & prose in response to tomorrow, which is officially on sale in print and ebook versions today, September 9th! 164 writers. 526 pages. An anthology that “SPEAKS TO JOY AND RESILIENCE AMIDST POLITICAL TURMOIL IN THE UNITED STATES,” notes Poets & Writers in their September/October magazine.
In this issue, sample two works from this bold and thought-provoking anthology. The first is from the eminent poet David Keplinger, the 2025 recipient of the prestigious Joseph Brodsky Rome Prize in Literature, The American Ruins. The second, After, is a work of cutting flash fiction by Jessie Atkin, who recently read with us at our WWPH Literary Salon at THE DEN at Politics & Prose. Who else is in the anthology? Find the bios for all 164 contributors here.
Join us on Wednesday, September 10th, from 7-8:30 pm, as we mark the official publication of AMERICA’S FUTURE with a virtual (Zoom) reading hosted by the Writer’s Center. Please join us — we promise more joy, resilience, and community! Link below.
Additionally, we have over a dozen America’s Future events planned, including in-person events at Busboys & Poets in Takoma (September 21), the Frederick Books Arts Center in Frederick (September 26), and the Enoch Pratt Library in Baltimore (September 27). All events are free, and all are invited. However, seats are limited, so please reserve your spot via the RSVP links below.
Lastly, we look forward to seeing many from our literary community at our upcoming 50th anniversary bash this Sunday, September 14th!! The event is SOLD OUT. If you have purchased a ticket, a check-in desk will be located at the door. Please note that the theater doors open at 2:30 pm. The reading/celebration featuring Grace Cavalieri, E. Ethelbert Miller, Kathleen Wheaton, Erika Raskin. and JB Aris will take place in the theater, starting at 3:00 pm, with seating available on a first-come, first-served basis. Here’s to 50 years of publishing and celebrating writers from DC, Maryland, and Virginia–and, with you, to 50 more!
In literary solidarity,
Caroline Bock & Jona Colson
co-presidents/editors
THE AMERICAN RUINS
by David Keplinger
Where are the American ruins?
The guide couldn’t answer. Some-
where here in the dry grass.
The guide kicked the grass a little.
It was a sunny day.
David Keplinger is the author of eight collections of poetry and several collaborations in translation from Danish and German. He teaches at American University.
AFTER
by Jessie Atkin
PASCAL ADJUSTED the astral panel and frowned at the star overhead. “Boring,” he grumbled through
his helmet.
Flyx gave no reply.
“Hello? Flyx? Are you there? Are you okay?” “Affirmative.”
“Then say so,” Pascal snapped. “Affirmative.”
“Some assignment partner you are. We just fix this field and the power’s all set?” “Exactly,” said
Flyx.
“What’s exciting about that?”
“Nothing,” Flyx replied. “It’s just necessary.” “Isn’t there any more?”
“More what?” Flyx queried. “You want more then switch to an off-planet channel or turn on a
holo-program. It’s the job. The apocalypse is over. We missed it. We have to live anyway.”
Jessie Atkin writes fiction, essays, and plays. Her work has appeared in The Rumpus, HerStry, The Writing Disorder, Space, and Time Magazine, and elsewhere. Her full-length play, Generation Pan, was published by Pioneer Drama. She can be found online at jessieatkin.com.
WWPH NEWS
AMERICA’S FUTURE…be the first to read. Now available for pre-order everywhere books/ebooks are sold.OFFICIAL ON SALE DATE SEPTEMBER 9th
AMAZON. BOOKSHOP. BARNES & NOBLE.
or maximize your support for WWPH and buy direct here.
JOIN US at our Virtual Launch on Wednesday, September 10th from 7-8:30 pm, ET. Hosted by the Writer’s Center. Free and Open to All. RSVP for the link here
JOIN US IN WASHINGTON, DC! at BUSBOYS & POETS in Takoma on Sunday, September 21st at 5 pm for our kick-off reading/celebration for AMERICA’S FUTURE. RSVP, please here.
JOIN US IN FREDERICK! at the Frederick Book Arts Center on Friday, September 26 at 7 pm. A reception in the beautiful galleries for AMERICA’S FUTURE and for our new LIMITED EDITION LETTERPRESS POETRY BROADSIDES. RSVP, please here
JOIN US IN BALTIMORE! at the ENOCH PRATT Library on Saturday, September 27th at 3 pm. Please join us for what promises to be a bold literary look at AMERICA’S FUTURE. FREE and open to all, but please RSVP. A reception with treats for all will follow the readings and discussion. Baltimore, and all, RSVP here.
A RE-CAP of all our upcoming FREE literary readings/events/happenings. Find all literary salons and readings/events here
WWPH WRITES is open for submissions! We now pay $25.00 for poetry (up to 3 poems) and prose (up to 1,000 words of fiction or creative nonfiction). Free to submit. More details regarding all our calls for submissions on our Submittable page here.
We appreciate you all reading WWPH Writes and being part of our WWPH community! Here is to 50 more years
DC, Maryland, and Virginia!
