"Released" by Jennifer Gippel, an economist and writer who enjoys wandering in the wildish places near her home in Jindabyne, Australia

High Fives to contributors Julia Clebsch @jen-bryant.bsky.social Richard LeBlond @chrissystegmanpoet.bsky.social & @beekaekae.bsky.social. Head to our Substack 5minutes100words to find out what they published, and where!

"looking glass" by Brittany Miles, whose writing explores family, motherhood, and mental health. Her work has appeared in Newsweek, Business Insider, and The Seattle Times.

"Get Tough" by Dr. Ingrid Wright, a retired dentist whose travel and life stories celebrate resilience, wit, and the art of laughing at oneself.

Who is reading with Five Minutes this month, and have you heard about the contest launching next month? All the news is LIVE on Substack - 5minutes100words. Go go go!

Thanks, Jim, for sending it to us!

Thank you Luanne for sending it to us!

"Surprise!" by @jpariseye.bsky.social, a freshly unemployed editor who lives in Occupied Washington, D.C., with his long-suffering wife Beth and Dolce, their sweet but rambunctious boxer-pitbull mix.

"Locker Wish" by Salvador Juarez Perez for The Hallway. Salvador is a high school student who loves reading, drawing, and late-night music. He writes to capture small, everyday moments that might otherwise go unnoticed.

"Standing Room" by @luannecastle.bsky.social, whose poetry and prose have appeared in Copper Nickel, River Teeth, JMWW, Grist, Fourteen Hills, and more. She has published four award-winning poetry collections.

We don't want ANYONE to miss ANYTHING. :)

We love seeing old pieces find new homes!

We love this list, and not just because we're on it!

April Reader @chelsea-utecht.bsky.social is a speculative fiction writer & lit teacher with work in Bluestem Magazine, Shooter Literary Magazine, The Gravity of the Thing, Thirteen Bridges Review & more. She lives in Sarajevo, Bosnia with her husband, 2 sons & former street dog/current princess.

April Reader Ida Shiang writes about pig butchering scams, fighting food waste by eating everything, and mom life. She lives in Alexandria, Virginia, with her husband, two kids, and two cats. Get micros in to Ida and the rest of the April team!

"Nocturne" by Xing Zhang, a population health professor who lives in Phoenix, Arizona. She enjoys playing piano from the Romantic era, figure skating, and dancing.

April reader Vaishnavi Pusapati is a Reviewer at Consilience & a reader for the Orwell Youth Prize and the Youth Creating Change contest as well. Shortlisted for the Gotham micro-fiction prize, she is the winner of the Grandchester Prize (2025) and Beyond Word's micro-fiction prize (2024).

"Truth in Detail" by Toni Artuso (she/her/hers), an emerging/aging trans female writer from Salem, Massachusetts, who is now transitioning—and trying to accelerate the emerging and slow down the aging.

"Encouragement" by Angela Lam, in case you missed it

April Reader Catherine Humikowski is a physician & writer in Chicago. Her work has been published in The Chicago Tribune, River Teeth, North American Review, and other outlets. Her first book, Read This Before You Die, is forthcoming with MIT Press. Welcome Catherine!

"Homecoming" by Jennifer Gallo Gaites, a writer from Fair Haven, New Jersey. She is a writing instructor at Project Write Now.

"Kindness" by @emhall47.bsky.social, in case you missed it

April Reader Julia Clebsch (she/her) writes CNF memoir flash & essays exploring place, family & nature. Her work can be found in HOOT Review, Legacy, Lesbian Connection & (forthcoming) Mouthful of Salt. She read with Five Minutes & Micro Marvels at Salem Lit Fest and is a WOW non-fiction finalist.

"1969" by Salvatore Difalco, who writes from Toronto Canada.

"Spook" by Rashmi Bhopi, a creative thinker who loves to capture moments into words when not tending to her children and her plants.

Everyone has @sarifordham.bsky.social's back on this one!

"Chemo Hats" by Maggie Fawcett, who lives on the North Yorkshire Coast, in the UK.

"Space Invader" by John Holmes, who writes stories from his home in the North of England which are usually about being away from his home in the North of England.

Such a powerful and well-crafted piece!

Such a great read, thank you for sending it our way.