🌹the spring 2026 issue of our poetry journal is here!🌹browse the issue online🌹print copies available in our shop🌹we are also accepting submissions for our next issue from May 15 to June 7🌹blush-lit.com🌹cover 📸: @_temple_cats
Freshly landed at b l u s h HQ. Enigmatic poetry outrider Axel Cash has clandestinely delivered us copies of Cleopatra, a privately issued artist edition, for exclusive distribution. Printed by the artist in an edition of XXX numeraled copies with unique hand-written covers, XXI copies are available for sale to the public exclusively via b l u s h. A truly bespoke collector’s item.
Purchase at🌹blush-lit.com
All purchases of Cleopatra include a complementary copy of Age of Aquarius, now banned from commercial sale in the United States.
Axel Cash was educated in the classics at Middlebury, before attending The Wharton School. From 2008-2021, he managed alternative investments at several hedge funds. His poetry has been published in Sarka, b l u s h, and Jon Leon’s 2024 Annual Report.
We have zines flying off the shelves currently at the Illicit Zines warehouse. It feels like one of those moments that is only beautiful, like all the ugliness is dead and gone. Illicit Zines = Real Magic. Wave 2 = Poetry Revival. The dark age is over.
Buy a bundle, save a horse. See us at AWP 2026. Yee fucking haw.
/illicit-zines
They said it couldn’t be done. ‘Twas lighting in a bottle. The wave would break.
What they didn’t see coming, was, another wave.
That’s Right. Illicit Zines Wave 2, Winter 2026 is here baby!
We’ve got your fugitive proclivities covered with a fresh helping of rogue guerilla transmissions from the American poetry underground.
Are they still printed on bespoke battle-tested vintage paper? Yes.
Are they still individually hand-stamped with the official seal of illicit zines? Yes.
Are they still priced for a recession economy? Yes.
Illicit Zines remain stealth portable literature technology. Poetry baby!
illicit zines winter 2026 series now available! Grab a winter bundle with all 6 titles if you are truly illicit!
Sampson Starkweather - Slip on the Ski Mask of Night
Kai Ihns - Sentiment
SCARLET VIOLET - Alibi Lullaby
Ari Lisner - Nonmagic
Hunter Larson - American Mystic
Stevie Belchak - Anna Delvey Swears She Didn’t Dump Those Rabbits
🌹blush-lit.com🌹
@bruiser_mag presents: hex, Broken River, and blush at Current Space – an #AWPOffsiteEvent
Free and open to all!
6pm: Meet & Greet
6:30: hex
7:45: Broken River Books
9:00: blush
10:00: Writers Cocktail Hour – chat with the writers, shop the presses, have a drink!
Plus, Current Space is debuting it's new *indoor* bar just in time for AWP week and can't wait for you to see! Please join us in welcoming writers from across the country for this night of readings.
@hexliterary publishes brief speculative texts on a weekly-ish basis. Editors: @katemcintyrewriting@danielsmiller Joe Aguilar.
@brokenriverbooks is a collective of six core writers focused on cyberpunk, crime, and horror.
@blush_lit is a publishing platform for contemporary writing, aimimg to promote transgressive, irreverent, insurgent, decadent, forward-thinking texts authored from the bleeding edge.
More details & optional RSVP at currentspace.com
Birds are back with two badass readings in Baltimore with our friends b l u s h @blush_lit @ & Illicit Zines @bloodfest2009 on Thu, Mar 5 & Fri, Mar 6 with poetry readings followed by music and party both nights 🎤❤️🔥🖤🪩🪽🤘💀
Thu, Mar 5, 8:30 to 10 PM
Venue: Ottobar, 2549 N Howard St, Baltimore, MD
Birds, LLC, b l u s h, & Illicit Zines present readings by
Sommer Browning
Fred Joiner
Christine Shan Shan Hou
Francesca Kritikos
Sampson Starkweather
Stephanie Cawley
Elisa Gabbert
Kai Ihns
Hunter Larson
Ian Fishman
Nick Hedtke
Fri, Mar 6, 9 PM to 10 PM
Current Space, 421 N Howard St, Baltimore
Birds, LLC, b l u s h, & Illicit Zines present readings by
Jessica Stark
Francesca Kritikos
Ryan Eckes
Cristine Shan Shan Hou
Stephanie Cawley
Nick Hedtke
Fred Joiner
Hunter Larson
🤘🪩❤️🔥🪽🖤🌹🫀🦅🕊️🌻🌖🎤💎🔮💣🩸📖☮️💀
Thank you to all who submitted to our 2025 full-length manuscript open reading period. We received an overwhelming number of quality submissions, and thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to read and consider the work of so many wonderful poets. We are very excited to announce that we have chosen the following manuscripts for publication.
We would also like to acknowledge our finalists whose work received additional consideration.
Your readership and support is greatly appreciated
With much admiration and thanks,
b l u s h
