Eleanor Ball

Writer and editor

Selected Publications

- "Buried Gospel" in Carmen et Error, nominated for the Forward Prize and Best of the Net
- "Cheap Talk" in dreamland (fifth wheel press, 2023), nominated for Best Small Fictions
- "Fragments of the Letter I Keep Tearing Up" in Barnstorm
- "The Skeleton Café" in Orion's Belt
- "Uncle Mario Has Burned the Pastachina" in DEAR Poetry
- "Every month for forty years" and "Only Then" in ballast journalClick here for a full list of publications.

About

I’m a 23-year-old poet, essayist, and speculative fiction writer from Des Moines, Iowa. I often write about queerness, the body, religion, family/heritage, and contemporary politics. My work has been nominated for the Forward Prize, Best of the Net, and Best Small Fictions, and it is featured in ballast, Barnstorm Journal, Orion's Belt, Vagabond City Lit, Write or Die, and elsewhere. Click here for a full list of current and forthcoming publications.I love editing just as much as writing, and I serve on the staff of several publications, primarily ones geared towards emerging and marginalized writers. Click here for more details about my editorial work.Outside of writing, I love Dungeons & Dragons, Fall Out Boy, typing loudly, breaking book spines, and yellow mustard.

Writing

Poetry

- "Gods from Machine" in Psaltery & Lyre, forthcoming
- "On Tuesday, We Fly to Saturn" in Small Wonders, forthcoming
- "Every month for forty years" and "Only Then" in ballast journal
- "The Skeleton Café" in Orion's Belt
- "Uncle Mario Has Burned the Pastachina" in DEAR Poetry
- "King Arthur Returns" and "Based on a True Story" in Sublunary Review
- "Self-Portrait as the Book of Genesis" in The Bitchin' Kitsch, Read Now or Buy in Print
- "i tried to write a poem about my body. my body wrote a poem about me." in Vagabond City Lit
- "desdemona kisses ophelia behind the bleachers at senior prom" in Coin-Operated Press's We're All Queer Here zine, Buy in Print or Buy Digital
- "the times after the after times" in Troublemaker Firestarter
- "Buried Gospel" in Carmen et Error (nominated for the Forward Prize and Best of the Net)
- "New Year Same Shit." in BRUISER
- "Thoughts While Dressing After a Tuesday Night Shower" in Rat World
- "Love Poem as Hate Poem as Love Poem" and "Self-Portrait in Pieces" in Bullshit Lit
- "that's so liminal" in the winnow, Read Now or Buy in Print
- "An Exercise" in Stone of Madness

Nonfiction

- "In Review: Heat Death of the Universe by Leela Raj-Sankar" in Vagabond City Lit, forthcoming
- "'what this heart might look like — in a girl': a review of i’m probably betraying my body by linda harris dolan" on the ANMLY blog
- Dialogue with Robert Carr in ballast
- "An Editor's Top 5 Craft Tips for Emerging Writers" in Lit Mag News
- "Fragments of the Letter I Keep Tearing Up" in Barnstorm
- "Deconstructing and Redefining 'Writing Discipline'" in Broken Antler
- "The Fourth Story" in Mag 20/20
- "3 Craft Book Recommendations From Someone Who Hates Craft Books," The Hooghly Review Feature
- "The Joys of Slow Drafting," fifth wheel press feature
- "On Developing Queer Confidence" in oranges journal
- "When Everything Ends, What Comes After?: Narration, Time, and Memory in The Ruin" in The Hyacinth Review
- "3 Lessons From My First Year of Submitting to Lit Mags" in Write or Die
- "Another Stupid Love Story" in Bitter Pill Press's Bittersweet zine, Read Now or Buy in Print

Fiction

- "With the Wild Things" in Vocivia Magazine, Buy Issue, Buy Cards, or Read Now
- "Cheap Talk" in dreamland, ed. nat raum (fifth wheel press, 2023), Buy Paperback or Read Now (nominated for Best Small Fictions)
- "St. Christopher Takes a Call" in Bullshit Anthology, Vol. 2, ed. Veronica Bennett (Bullshit Lit Press, 2023), Buy Paperback or Ebook

Hybrid

"Family Dinner" in Frighten the Horses

editing

Editing has always been as exciting to me as writing. I love every step of the process, from reading submissions, to discussing a piece deeply with the author, to the finishing-touch copy edits before a story goes live. I have experience working in a variety of positions across a diverse array of publications, both literary and genre. I'm most excited about working with emerging and traditionally marginalized writers, such as queer writers, young writers, and writers without an MFA.

EXPERIENCE

- General Editor, The Cloudscent Journal (April 2023-Present)
- Guest Editor, fifth wheel press (May-September 2024)
- Outreach Coordinator, The Q&A Queer Zine (August 2022-Present)
- First Reader, Flash Point Sci-Fi (July 2023-Present)
- Flash Fiction Reader, Okay Donkey (July 2024-Present)
- Hybrid Reader, Abode Press (August 2024-Present)
- Volunteer Critic, Pencilhouse (July 2024-Present)