Press 53

11/15/2025

Today at George Bilgere’s Poetry Town, a poem by Joseph Mills from his most recent Press 53 collection, THE HOLIDAY CYCLE.

Poetry Town

11/01/2025

Amanda Chiado of Hollister, California, named winner of the 2026 Press 53 Award for Poetry! www.Press53.com/award-for-poetry

11/01/2025

Amanda Chiado of Hollister, California, named winner of the 2026 Press 53 Award for Poetry!
https://www.press53.com/award-for-poetry

10/24/2025

A note from Chanel Brenner: On Oct. 30th, I will be reading from my award-winning poetry collection and in conversation with Tom Lombardo, my editor at Press 53, and also founding editor of Web M.D.

I'll be talking with Tom about how writing helped me through the pain of losing my young son and how I work with others to help them through their grief.

It's a free event, but Zoom registration is required. I hope you'll join us.

Thursday, October 30, 7 PM Eastern, 4PM Pacific on ZOOM

Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/nTdoLD07QCmc3OLcnkxrtQ

This event is part of Press 53's The High Road Festival of Poetry and Short Fiction.

Chanel Brenner, writer, grief-writing guide, mother, and author of Smile or Else, will read from her award-winning poetry collection and discuss with her editor, Tom Lombardo, founding editor of Web M.D., how writing helped her through the pain of losing her six-year-old son and how she continues th...

10/22/2025

Deadline Dec 31: Press 53 Award for Short Fiction
Submit an unpublished collection of short stories (no novellas), 100-250 pages in length. Judge: Kevin Morgan Watson, Press 53 Publisher & Editor in Chief. Winner receives $1,000 and publication.
https://www.press53.com/award-for-short-fiction
with Submittable HT NewPages.com

10/22/2025

Four years. Sometimes that’s how long it takes for a creative project to complete its full cycle — to grow, ripen, and finally be ready to share. I'm deeply honoured to say that the short film "How We Live On" based on my award-winning poem will have its world premiere among Canadian short films at the Stratford Film Festival on November 9th.

The poem carries the story of my mom and of many generations in my family. It speaks to how we continue to live on in the memory of those we love, and how we learn to live with grief itself. The film artfully directed by Kris Von Kleist captures all of this with such tenderness and depth. And the original music by Dayna Manning and Paul Shilton add another layer of emotion to the story. To see my words come to life on the big screen is a dream come true, and even more meaningful that it will premiere in Stratford, a town that holds such a special place in my heart.

Back in the fall of 2021 I collaborated with this extraordinary group of artists who brought my award-winning poem "How We Live On" from page to the screen: Kris von Kleist CLΔIRE The Yoga Chapple Juliet Rees-Evans, Dayna Manning and Paul Shilton With their encouragement and care, I also stepped into the film myself - an experience both vulnerable and deeply meaningful. Many of the scenes were filmed in an old apple orchard, and every autumn since, the scent of apples takes me right back to those magical days of filming, and brings back such sweet memories of my mom.

There were so many others behind the scenes supporting the creation of this short film "How We Live On", from wardrobe and catering to those who were integral for getting set up before sunrise on cool fall mornings in the apple orchard. And then there is Press 53 and judge Stacy Nigliazzo for choosing my poem "How We Live On" as the winner of the International Prime Number Magazine Award for Poetry - it's what started all of this.

My deepest thanks to STRATFORD FILM FESTIVAL and everyone who made this possible — your creativity, care, and heart are woven into every frame.

10/08/2025

Midlife Calculus: Poems by Britt Kaufmann gets a nice review with an interesting Mennonite slant.

Can poetry or other writing really be “Mennonite”? Scholars have debated this question for decades.

10/08/2025

A new poem by Terri Kirby Erickson honoring the late Dr. Jane Goodall, published in The New Verse Newsletter.

by Terri Kirby Erickson

10/08/2025

Thank you, Wendy J. Fox and Electric Literature for including I THINK I'LL STAY HERE FOREVER by George Choundas, winner of the 2025 Press 53 Award for Short Fiction, in your list of 15 small press books you don't want to miss this fall. We are in very good company.

These books ask what it means to belong, to stay or leave, or to exist in-between