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
- "Uncle Mario Has Burned the Pastachina" in DEAR Poetry
- "i tried to write a poem about my body. my body wrote a poem about me." in Vagabond City Lit
- "3 Lessons From My First Year of Submitting to Lit Mags" in Write or DieClick 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 Barnstorm Journal, DEAR Poetry, Vagabond City Lit, Write or Die, and elsewhere. Click here for a full list of current 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

- "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

- "Fragments of the Letter I Keep Tearing Up" in Barnstorm
- "Deconstructing and Redefining 'Writing Discipline'" in Broken Antler
- "More than 'just a sick girl': A review of Heat Death of the Universe by Leela Raj-Sankar" in Stone Pacific Zine
- "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
- "St. Christopher Takes a Call" in Bullshit Anthology, Vol. 2, ed. Veronica Bennett (Bullshit Lit Press, 2023), Buy Paperback or Ebook
- "Cheap Talk" in dreamland, ed. nat raum (fifth wheel press, 2023), Buy Paperback or Read Now (nominated for Best Small Fictions)

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.

CURRENT POSITIONS

- General Editor, renaissance review (August 2022-Present)
- General Editor, The Cloudscent Journal (April 2023-Present)
- Outreach Coordinator, The Q&A Queer Zine (August 2022-Present)
- First Reader, Flash Point Sci-Fi (July 2023-Present)

PREVIOUS POSITIONS

- Co-Editor in Chief, The George Washington Undergraduate Review (May 2022-December 2022)
- Poetry Editor, Diet Water (August 2022-August 2023)