HAPPY RELEASE DAY! ISSUE 11 IS HERE!

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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!

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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!

A haunting and beautiful short film….

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A friend of mine sent me a video about the discovery of a new dinosaur’s fossil, which lead to something else, which lead to something else… and I stumbled across this super-short film that was haunting, a little creepy, and beautiful. It felt very 34O in its vibe, so I thought I’d share the link with our readers (it’s free to watch).

The film is called “they come out at night.” and was directed by Directed by Christian Szczerba in 2022. I don’t know him and am not familiar with his work, but it does seem like other things on his channel, Moon Prod, might be interesting.

Here’s that link. Happy Sunday!

Our January 2025 Submissions Window is now closed.

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Our January 2025 window has just closed (wherever you are in the world, that’s 11:59 p.m. January 15; if you send work we’ll check your time zone, don’t worry). We are grateful for the approximately 2000 pieces of work that we received, and we have been working hard to get back to everyone as soon as possible.

If you have subbed within the last five days or so, please be patient as we continue to read. If you subbed earlier and haven’t heard from us, your work is likely still being considered for a spot in our current or upcoming issues, and you will likely hear from us shortly.

If you do NOT hear back from us by February 28, 2025–which is our deadline for responding to everyone–please reach out to us through our Contact form, or send us an email at 34orchardjournal@gmail.com.

Enjoy your spring!

 

34O book rec receives six Best-of-’23-Horror mentions

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WICKED SICK, a NEHW anthology

Kristi here! Last year, I recommended an anthology I co-edited, Wicked Sick, to 34 Orchard readers because it shares our aesthetic, so it might be in your wheelhouse if you like what you read here.

I’m thrilled to share that not one, not two, but SIX of the stories that co-editor Scott Goudsward and I selected for the New England Horror Writers’ Wicked Sick anthology are on the recommended reading list for Ellen Datlow’s 2023 Best Horror of the Year, Volume Sixteen! It’s the highest number of stories selected in a single volume in the Wicked series (and also the only one I edited).

Stephen Mark Rainey—who appeared in our inaugural Spring 2020 issue with the moving piece “Night Crier”—wrote a generous introduction for Wicked Sick, writing that “these authors reach into your brain, into your mind, and with surgical assurance cut and twist you around until it hurts. But in the majority of these works, you’ll find not just sympathy for and by the various characters but empathy — which, rather than despair or trauma or disgust, I would say triggers catharsis. Even when the Specter of Sickness triumphs, for him it is often a bittersweet, less-than-complete triumph.”

Wicked Sick’s stories mentioned in Datlow’s list are:

“Irish Wake,” Michael Deady

“The Tall People,” Catherine Grant

“House of Tupper,” Meg Smith

“The Cancer Ward at Midnight,” L.L. Soares

“Toad in the Hole,” Gevera Bert Piedmont

“The Cancer Eaters,” K.H. Vaughan

Others who have appeared in the pages of 34 Orchard also appear in Wicked Sick: Trisha J. Wooldridge, Kurt Newton, and Jenna Moquin.

While in wait for our Spring 2025 issue, Wicked Sick would make for a perfect January read. You can pick it up on Amazon for either a nice holiday gift or for yourself here: Wicked Sick.

 

 

ISSUE 10 HAS ARRIVED!

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This issue plunges into the cavern of feeling forlorn, lost, and left behind; sasquatches, mermaids, street dwellers, siblings and jobseekers watch as the world chugs on without them. But although abandonment may feel like a death knell, we shouldn’t underestimate its positive power: a woman seeks justice, a grieving spouse turns grateful, and a mother finds strength.

If you’re feeling forgotten as the grayer days of autumn darken into winter, 34 Orchard’s Autumn 2024 issue may offer the camaraderie and light you seek.

ISSUE 10 COVER - FINAL

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!

Recommended Novel: THE PALEONTOLOGIST

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PALEONTOLOGIST

When Simon becomes curator of paleontology at his hometown’s decrepit natural history museum, he’s forced to confront his sister’s disappearance when they were children—an open wound that has infected every corner of his adult life. To make matters worse, he’s haunted by the ghosts of those who’d vanished millions of years before on that very spot. Luke Dumas’ The Paleontologist’s language is lovely, the characters well developed, the single effect perfect and the mystery well meted-out; bonus if you love dinosaurs—journal entries with sketches will feed your mania. We loved this novel, and recommend it to 34 Orchard readers because it’s an elegant, heart-wrenching portrait of what can happen if we spend too much time in the past to escape our present.

Recommended books and films are at the opinion of the34 Orchard staff with an eye for what our readers might enjoy. They’re not solicited, nor are they paid endorsements.

Announcing the Autumn 2024 ToC!

On By kristipetersenschoonoverIn Announcements1 Comment

The ToC for our Autumn 2024 issue (coming November 10!) has arrived!

ISSUE 10 COVER - FINAL

In our tenth issue, twenty-two artists appreciate the emotional state of post-abandonment. Sasquatches, mermaids, forgotten street dwellers, siblings and jobseekers all feel sadness, longing, and despair. But although abandonment may feel like a death knell, we shouldn’t underestimate its positive power: Sometimes, things are left behind for reasons.

If you’re feeling left behind as the grayer days of autumn darken into winter, 34 Orchard’s Autumn 2024 issue may offer the camaraderie and light you seek.

Cover Art: Between Worlds – Sonali Roy

Attn Attn – Nichole Lightner

Connection – Yash Seyedbagheri

Things We Did on the Internet – Beth Boylan

Dolphin – T.L. Antoff

Medium Fries – Jilian Elisabeth

When I Scramble Eggs – Jacqueline Jules

Our Parents’ Children – Mia Scattergood

Shantytown – Gordon Linzner

The Day After – Claire Francis Collier

A Stranger in Winter – Rob Francis

The Dark Reflection – Melina Ekic

No Sanctuary – David H. West

Meeting Mary Bloody Thighs in a Convenience Store in Arkansas – Josie Levin

Let Him Roll – Sarah Bradley

When Nature Calls – Craig Thornton

Gardens – Kevin J. Fellows

Mother, Father, Us – Miel MacRae

The Museum – Gregory L. Norris

For Only an Hour – Susan Brush Jonas

Selling the House – Rasha Abdulhadi

Footprint – Kyle E. Miller

Arrives here https://34orchard.com/issues/ on our issues page on November 10!