Author: kristipetersenschoonover

A ghost story writer who still sleeps with the lights on, Kristi Petersen Schoonover’s fiction has appeared in many magazines and anthologies; her traditionally published books include a short story collection, THE SHADOWS BEHIND. She was the recipient of three Norman Mailer Writers Colony Residencies and holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Goddard College. She is founding editor of the dark literary journal 34 ORCHARD, and is a board member of the New England Horror Writers, a member of the Horror Writers Association, and a proud member of the Rhode Island writer's community We Are Providence. Follow her adventures at kristipetersenschoonover.com.

HP Lovecraft Film Festival VIRTUAL starts this Friday 12/5!

On By kristipetersenschoonoverIn AnnouncementsLeave a comment

HPLFF 2025 POSTER

We love our cosmic horror—it asks so many questions and makes us think. We also love short films.  So the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival, going strong since 1995, is our jam.

Hosts Gwen and Brian Callahan go above and beyond—the quality of this festival, from curation and content to pledge campaign rewards and collateral material—is top notch.

Although the in-person festival happened in September, the streaming edition arrives December 5-9, 2025, and you’ll be able to enjoy over sixty short films, several full-length features, author readings, and panels right from your living room.

TALES FROM THE EMMA COVER

This year’s thirtieth anniversary theme is Cthulu on the High Seas, so in addition, some contributors to the Lovecraftian Microfiction/Challenge from Beyond books, which always accompany the festival, were instead asked to write an X-files-esque story surrounding The Emma, a two-masted schooner that plays into strange events in Lovecraft’s story “The Call of Cthulu.” There are stories by favorites like Cody Goodfellow and John Shirley (34O editor Kristi Petersen Schoonover’s story “Compaction” is included too). The books will be on sale after the festival on Arkhaam Bazaar’s website.

If short films and cosmic/existentialist horror rocks your world, this festival is for you! You can purchase tickets for the December 5-9, 2025 streaming event here: https://hplfilmfestival.eventive.org/passes/buy.

34 ORCHARD HOLIDAY ART

The 34 ORCHARD Holiday Playlist

On By kristipetersenschoonoverIn ThoughtsLeave a comment

Let’s face it: the holidays—no matter which one of a few is celebrated in December—can be not so great sometimes. There are people we miss, traditions we wish had never ended, tensions in relationships that’ll either explode over the punch bowl or get stuffed away in a stocking for yet another year, and hauntings by past not-so-merrys… and that’s just for starters.

34 ORCHARD HOLIDAY ART

But it’s these darker undercurrents that make the happier times more joyful. As sad as the holidays can be, if we didn’t have those downers, we wouldn’t have the intense moments of magic. Those moments when the world simply stops and we’re given the gift of perfect happiness, even if fleeting.

Writers always talk about their playlists—music they work to. I have them for 34 Orchard, too, and I even have some just for the holidays. Here’s mine. It’s nostalgia and pain, starry dark and eclipse sharp. I put them in an order that tells a story, too—well, sort of, anyway. I don’t really expect anyone to get it because nobody’s in my head, but I hope you enjoy it. The full Youtube playlist link is below, and for your convenience, I included the link to each individual song as well.

Thank you for supporting 34 Orchard—for submitting, for donating, for opening up these blog posts and reading them, for sharing our magazine. And above all… for reading. The goal with every issue is for every reader to find a piece of writing that hits home, that speaks, that says, ‘hey, I’m not alone,’ that will never be forgotten.

If you’d like to suggest some titles of your own? Leave a comment! I have to pre-approve the comments, so if you don’t see it, don’t think I didn’t receive it and I’ll approve them as quickly as I can. Or, you can drop us a note through the Contact Page.

Wishing you all a gleefully melancholy holiday season,

Kristi

A 34 ORCHARD HOLIDAY PLAYLIST

1 “Taxi (Ave Maria)” – Perri Alleyne/arr. John Murphy (from the motion picture 28 Days Later)

2 “Every Day is Christmas” – Colby Caillat

3 “Save Some Christmas” – Rob Thomas

4 “Do You Hear What I Hear?” – Pink Martini 

5 “Last Christmas/Leave Before You Love Me Mash-Up” – Anthem Lights

6 “Long Ago” – Adam Sandler, Alison Krauss and the Eight Crazy Nights motion picture cast

7 “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” – Rascal Flatts

8 Magnificat (2010): 6. Suscepit Israel – Kim André Arnesen

9 “In the Bleak Midwinter” – Gustav Holst (Instrumental)

10 “Blue Christmas” – from the Rankin Bass special Year Without a Santa Claus

11 “In the Bleak Midwinter” – the cast of BBC’s Ghosts (Ghosts UK), Season 2, Episode 7

12 “Blue Christmas” – Peter Cetera 

13 “Save the Snowman” – Dan + Shay 

14 “Secret Garden” – Theodore Shapiro (from the motion picture Last Christmas)

15 “Somewhere in My Memory” – John Williams, from the motion picture Home Alone

16 “Eventually” – Lawrence (from the motion picture Noelle)

17 “Just Like That” – A Christmas Story Live! – Maya Rudolph

18 “A Long December” – Counting Crows 

19 “Merry Christmas, Alabama (Never Far From Home)” – Jimmy Buffet

20 “Christmas Gifts/The Best Gift” – Sandy Bainum and Euan Morton

21 “A Christmas Festival” – Leroy Anderson

22 “Last Christmas” – Emilia Clarke (from the motion picture Last Christmas)

23 “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?” – Nancy Wilson

24 “Auld Lang Syne” – Lea Michele (from the motion picture New Year’s Eve) 

25 “Auld Lang Syne” – Zooey Deschanel; score by John Debney (from the motion picture Elf)

26 “Let There Be Peace on Earth” – arr. Irwin Fisch, performed by Young People’s Chorus of New York City

Introducing DARKNESS MOST FOWL anthology and readings!

On By kristipetersenschoonoverIn AnnouncementsLeave a comment

Sometimes birdsong is dangerous.

If you love 34 Orchard and you want a volume full of tales that carry our vibe, don’t miss Darkness Most Fowl from The Godmother of Horror Press!

DARKNESS MOST FOWL ANTHOLOGY

This anthology was invitation only, and so writers we’ve recommended and several 34 Orchard alums build terrifying nests in this bird horror anthology! Edited by #7 “The Last Days”’s Elaine Pascale and featuring stunning art by Michael Takeda (#11, “Kintsugi”), others are Zachary Kellian (#6, “Shrike Song”), Die Booth (#1, “A Murder”), Ernest Ògúnyẹmí (#7, “The Flute”), Leen Raats (#8, “The Solitary Man”), Nicola Kapron (#3, “The Bodies We Should Forget”), Selah Janel (#5, “Mister Skinandbones”), Rob Frances (#4, “Everything Fits If You Push Hard Enough”), Robert Mayette (#8, “The Milestones on That Path”), L.E. Daniels (#8/“Weird Witness”), and ten other popular voices. From grackles and creepers to magpies and nightjars, these flights of dark fancy will claw your heart every time you hear beating wings.

Amazon link 

In the mood to be read to? Elaine has set up online readings! Schedule and days/times (with who’s reading so if you’ve got a favorite from a past 34O issue it’s easier to find them). Readings should be available at the YouTube link after the fact in case you miss the moment.

Wednesday, November 12 – 8 pm

 Kiyomi Appleton Gaines “Flight and Fawn”

Lee Andrew Forman “Old Ways”

Hideki Nakazono “The Heavens Demand”

Holley Cornetto “Guilded Cage” (34 Orchard recommends her book We Haunt These Woods)

Nikki Kallio “The Cardinal” (34 Orchard recommends her collection Finding the Bones)

C. O. Davidson “A Parliament in the Woods”

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfoqUGjaJZs

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/3972255883024644

Friday, November 14 – 7 pm

 Nicola Kapron “Dirt and Ashes”

Robert Mayette “To Even Look at Me”

Ernest Ògúnyẹmí “Christmas Chicken”

V. Castro “Witches of Winchester”

Geneve Flynn “I Am Not Myself Today”

L. E. Daniels “Stomata”

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3aTNA0KiITk

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1DnNac4kme/

Sunday, November 23 – 1 pm

Kristy Park Kulski “Magpie Teeth”

Leen Raats “Flock”

Selah Janel “Invasive”

Rob Francis “Skinflint’s Flock”

Die Booth “Little Gibbet”

Zachary Kellian “Predators of Paradise”

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3ofVc4NK9w
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/1453335772391314

HAPPY RELEASE DAY — ISSUE IS NOW LIVE!

On By kristipetersenschoonoverIn AnnouncementsLeave a comment

Hi folks,

A bit of a post scheduling snafu means the post that the issue was available went live hours before the actual issue.  The issue is now here at either of these links:

ISSUE 12

Issues

 

THANK YOU for your donations, and thanks for your patience! If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to us on our contact page.

Kristi

 

HAPPY RELEASE DAY—HERE’S ISSUE 12!

On By kristipetersenschoonoverIn AnnouncementsLeave a comment

It’s here!

The twenty artists in this issue wander the corridors of longing, which is often considered a yearning for a person, object, or location. But it can mean so much more—and sometimes be the loneliest, most isolating emotion in the human experience.

As the purported “most wonderful time of year” approaches, for those who long for anything at all, it might actually be the darkest.

Welcome to the house so empty your own voice comes back to haunt you.

Welcome to 34 Orchard.

34 Orchard Autumn 2025 Final Cover

The downloadable PDF is designed so that it can be printed on double-sided paper for easy reading like a print magazine. As always, the issue is free, but there is a donation link should you choose to contribute.

Click here to get your copy!

If you like what you’ve read, spread the word!

Announcing the ToC for 34 ORCHARD’s Autumn 2025 issue: COMING MONDAY!

On By kristipetersenschoonoverIn AnnouncementsLeave a comment

We’re thrilled to present our table of contents for the Autumn 2025 issue, which will be released this Monday, November 10, 2025.

In Issue 12, twenty artists wander the corridors of longing.

When we think of longing, we think of desire, nostalgia, hope, regret, tenderness, desperation, and resignation. But its power shouldn’t be Continue reading “Announcing the ToC for 34 ORCHARD’s Autumn 2025 issue: COMING MONDAY!” →

HAPPY RELEASE DAY! ISSUE 11 IS HERE!

On By kristipetersenschoonoverIn AnnouncementsLeave a comment

The twenty-two artists of Issue 11 turn over new leaves—only to discover their tender undersides.

Most of the time, “turning over a new leaf,” although difficult, isn’t devastating. Sometimes, though, it means completely reinventing ourselves, letting go of what we used to hold dear, regret, grief, brutal honesty, and the inability to recognize our reflections in the mirror.

As we head into summer, here’s hoping any personal growth and change you’re facing isn’t as devastating as what these artists have imagined.

34 ORCHARD ISSUE 11 FINAL COVER

The downloadable PDF is designed so that it can be printed on double-sided paper for easy reading like a print magazine. As always, the issue is free, but there is a donation link should you choose to contribute.

Click here to get your copy!

If you like what you’ve read, spread the word!

Announcing the ToC for 34 ORCHARD’s Spring 2025 issue!

On By kristipetersenschoonoverIn Announcements2 Comments

We’re thrilled to present our table of contents for the Spring 2025 issue, which will be released on April 25, 2025.

In Issue 11, twenty-two artists tackle the challenges of a turned leaf.

34 ORCHARD ISSUE 11 FINAL COVER

Most of the time, “turning over a new leaf,” although difficult, isn’t devastating. Sometimes, though, it means completely reinventing ourselves, letting go of what we used to hold dear, regret, grief, brutal honesty, and the inability to recognize our reflections in the mirror.

As we head into summer, here’s hoping any personal growth and change you’re facing isn’t as devastating as what these artists have imagined.

 Cover: The Unwritable Entry – Walter H. Von Egidy

The Mirror Stage – Dana Wall

All the Pretty Reindeer – Stetson Ray

Fault/Forgiveness – Sarah Cannavo

Late-Night Calls – Amanda Bintz

Change in the House of Flies – Kai R. Hastur

What Hansel and Gretel Never Told You – Kristina Hals

Our Special Games – J.J. House

Origami – Yong Takahashi

I No Longer Work for Frito-Lay – Preston Lang

Lucy’s Treacherous Silence – Marcelo Medone

H.G. Wells on New Year’s Eve – Attar Topobroto

Progress – Teresa Sanchez-Reyes

Best Meal of the Day – LM Fontanes

Interior Design – Victoria Nordlund

Kintsugi – Michael Takeda

Fragment of Glassy Black Material – Sarah Jackson

Fool’s Gold – Keira Reynolds

Pinus taeda – Andrea Ferrari Kristeller

Faith – Richard Brush, Sr.

Talisman – Temidayo Temiloluwa

It’s Electric – C.R. Langille

Arrives here https://34orchard.com/issues/ on our issues page on April 25!