No, I Haven't Been Writing

Published: Mon, 01/26/26

Updated: Tue, 01/27/26

Dear WriteByNighter,

It's been a monstrously long time since you last heard from me. You've probably pictured me hard at work on my novel, too deep in a writing fugue to be aware of the outside world.

It's truer to say that I'm probably too aware of the outside world to get deep into a writing fugue. (And probably even more true to say that I haven't crossed your mind since my last email. We always have such an outsize idea of our impact on others.)

Other people have different reasons for not writing. For example, the 2020 winner of Old Dominion's Academy of American Poets Prize, Renée Nicole Good (then Macklin) ("On Learning to Dissect Fetal Pigs").

Renée hasn't written a word of poetry since a masked secret policeman fired two shots into her chest and a third one into her head and then called her a fucking bitch as she rolled off to die. She didn't write any poetry during the six-plus minutes she was denied medical treatment by those same secret police; she wasn't writing poetry when EMTs were finally allowed to tend to her. At that point her pulse had gone irregular and it was too late for any more poems.

Isn't it wild that there are still countries in this world where masked and unidentifiable militarized police roam around with impunity terrorizing, beating, kidnapping, disappearing, and murdering its own poets?

And its own ICU VA nurses, and whomever will be next.

Every now and then I'm asked if I or WBN have an official stance on some kind of social, economic, or political thing. I usually say that while I'm happy to share opinions in private, nobody looks to WBN/me for political takes.

But when our own so-called federal law enforcement (domestically) terrorizes an entire city and summarily executes its people, then justifies it with blatant lies and "don't believe your own eyes" misinfo, well, to quote Renée's poem (all out of context), "all my understanding dribbles down the chin onto the chest."

Anyway. No, I haven't been writing.

But You Have Been!

According to my inbox, a lot of you are kicking writing's ass. I've been reading lots of fun and exciting sample pages and query letters, and WriteByNight has been busy ushering some really cool books toward a launch date via our new assisted self-publishing. (Meaning we're about to have some open slots, hint hint.)

December saw the publication of Katharine L. Wiegele's "Acres of Gold," which was a finalist in New Ohio Review's annual nonfiction contest. It's well worth a read.

In fact, 2025 was a big year for dozens of WriteByNighters. So were 2024, 2023, 2022, and 2021, come to think of it. Now that we're halfway through the decade, I think it would be a great time to highlight some of your accomplishments.

Which are probably more widespread than I'm even aware of. So let's crowdsource this thing:

If you or a fellow WriteByNighter (i.e., a writer who has worked with one of our coaches or editors on your/his/her writing) have published a book, essay, short story, poem--any piece of writing that others can read--since 2021 that you're particularly proud of, please pass along a link and whatever details I should know.

Reply to this message or email david[at]writebynight[dot]net.

Please don't assume I already know about it! Even though I probably do.

And to the question I'll inevitably receive multiple versions of: Yes, self-publishing counts! Remember: Self-publishing always counts.

Over the next few weeks/months I'll sprinkle our emails with links and love for these.

What Am I Reading? What Am I Writing?

I'm two-thirds of the way through Gerald Howard's biography of Malcolm Cowley, a figure I've been borderline obsessed with for decades, and about whom I once wrote a cringey paper in an undergrad English class at the tender age of... twenty-seven? Twenty-eight? I was a late bloomer. (Or will be! I hope to one day bloom.)

I highly recommend The Insider if you have an active interest in 20th century American lit, especially if you read Cowley's own Exile's Return in tandem with it.

Are you reading anything particularly gripping that I and your fellow WBNers should know about? Reply to let me know.

Dogs and/or Kids in the Presence of Books

This has inadvertently become a long message, so I'll cut it off here and end on some cuteness. I forget what Mishka is reading -- I think it's Master Detective -- but Daisy is rapt (sorry):

Writerly Quote of the Week

"Contemporary U.S. fiction is wallpaper for a therapist's office.”

-- Guardian (UK) commenter after a review of Miranda July's All Fours.

Yes, I did read the comments. After a book review. Isn't that crazy? I don't know why it happened. But it led me to this gem.

For the record, I enjoyed the July book and I agree with the comment. Two things can be true at once.

David Duhr
Co-founder, WriteByNight

P.S. If you know someone who might benefit from today's message, please feel free to forward this email along. Go on, help a writer out.

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