short fiction 2025

Fall Fiction!

Pop Lit Fiction

What’s happening out in the world?

As opposed to, say, in stray literary areas of gentrified New York, where what’s happening among a self-absorbed media elite seems to be an article in Harper’s magazine about, er, self-absorption.

We say, enough! Time for writers to not be as insular as an AI chatbot, but to become interested in other people. To plunge into real-world human experience– the one edge we have over our new programmed, computer-generated competitors– then write about it. As Jeff Nazzaro does in our excellent new feature short story, “Of Music and Men.” All it does is capture our prime goal as a literary site: to present humanity and reality. Isn’t that what art has always been about?

Up here over the South LA freeways, it’s hazy and cool. I stop and let the dirty air wash over me, then I see a man come up the steps, stop at the top, turn, and take a seat one step down from the platform. My friend from the train? I can’t see his face, but no, I don’t think it’s him. And what difference would it make? I walk over to get a closer look. He wears dark pants and a gray hoodie, the hood pulled up and drawn tight. He’s hunched over on the top step, sobbing.  

January 2025 Fiction

Pop Lit Fiction

THE YEAR 2025 has begun with a bang– with assaults of nature both hot and cold, California windstorms propelling unprecedented fires in the land of tech moguls and gross inequalities, while the East Coast and Midwest endure waves of snow and frigid temperatures. As if the universe-or-God has said, “Enough!” to mankind’s wars, all-encompassing technological systems, and ever-growing insanity.

AMID THE MADNESS, we at New Pop Lit struggle on with efforts to introduce sane, human-designed literary art into the mix– which at the same time depicts, relevantly and truthfully, the world we live in. Along with reminders of our common humanity.

Which talented writer Shelby Raebeck does ably– more than ably– in our new featured story, “The Ghost of Camp Hero,” using multiple-viewpoint technique to give different perspectives on three young people trying to find themselves– and to find ways to communicate their needs, goals, confusions and frustrations. Well worth reading.

Next afternoon after school, not bothering to wait for Lance, I biked into the village of Montauk and took the town bus to East Hampton, walking the rest of the way to Freetown. I turned into the driveway and found Lance sitting on the porch, looking up at me like I was a total stranger. Like if I take you in to be with my sister fine, cause I took you, but on your own you better not even walk up my driveway. 

(Note: The NEw POp LIt human-generated novella The Loud Boys is now available in a paperback version, here.)