Koss Works

Writing | Poetry | Art

Prose Poem

Wigleaf Top 50, 2025

·

Wigleaf Top 50 promo with Ran OFF with the Star Bassoon text and references to finalists in purple, black, red and white

I’m very pleased to have a piece selected for the longlist for the 2025 Wigleaf Top 50. The Wigleaf Top 50 is an annual digital anthology of hand selected short fiction work published online. The 2025 selections are based on the year 2024. This year is the last year Shome Dasgupta will be running the series. The website shows the following editors, but I’m not sure this is current:

  • Sudha Balagopal is an Associate Series Editor for the Wigleaf Top 50.
  • Ruth Joffre is an Associate Series Editor for the Wigleaf Top 50.
  • Alice Maglio is an Associate Series Editor for the Wigleaf Top 50.
  • Colleen Rothman is an Associate Series Editor for the Wigleaf Top 50.
  • Our Readers for the Top 50 are Sacha Bissonnette, Vincent Chavez, Casey Hannan, LaToya Jordan, Alexandria Juarez, Sean Lovelace, Jenée Skinner, Kate Tooley, Anne Weisgerber, and Erica L. Williams.

Gerardo Sámano Córdova was, in fact, the selecting editor this year!

I admire Shome and the staff for all the time they’ve generously donated to the series for years now, and it’s nice of Wigleaf to host it. For those who don’t know the process, there is not a nomination process, so the editors just monitor publications throughout the year, honing a longlist and winner list. It’s a huge undertaking.

For writers hoping to be included, or writers who hope for nominations for other awards like Pushcart and Best of the Net, I recommend staying visible, which gets harder and harder on social, and compiling a publication list each year (for all nominations also) and promoting it before deadlines arise.

My piece was published in Rogan Kelly’s Ran Off With the Star Bassoon, one of two literary ‘zines he helms (he also created The Night Heron Barks). Both are innovative zines featuring an eclectic array of writing.

My piece was a short one about my ass. It also received a Pushcart nomination, which I’m grateful for. While it didn’t win, the nominations are the win… Here’s a link, if you’d like to read it.

Wigleaf doesn’t have links to specific pages as they seem to be posting content in frames, but, for now, you can find the Wigleaf Top 50 winners and longlist at the top of their webpage here.

Querencia Winter 2024 Anthology | Poems

·

Today is pub day for the Querencia Press Winter 2024 Anthology. I’m honored to have three poems published. They’re important poems to me, “Dead People Don’t Dream Hamburgers,” “Conversions: I Appeared in Your Suicide Dream,” and “Max, Carrie’s Mother, [No Wonder].” These were published (in order) in Eunoia, Spillway, and Anti-Heroin Chic but I’m thrilled to see them in print and in front of new eyes.

Emily Perkovich, the editor did an amazing job of curating the pieces and putting the anthology together quickly while producing a beautiful end product.

See the book here, and buy it from the press here. There are other purchasing options, but remember, presses make considerably more money when you purchase directly from them.

querencia press text over black, green and purple galaxy with pub day text for the winter 2024 anthology.

Red Ogre Review | Koss Prose Poem

·

I’m honored to have a strange, mystical synesthetic poem, “Hue Sung,” in the latest issue of Red Ogre Review. There’s an eclectic mix of work in this issue, including art, prose poems, and poems. This piece will also be in their fall anthology. The acceptance came fast and the piece was up quickly. I love editors who are so professional and efficient. Looking forward to what Red Ogre does in the future.

“Hue Sung,” a prose poem written and read by Koss
Koss, “Hue Sung,” Poem in Red Ogre Review

Poem | TV | Rat’s Ass Review

·

Happy to have a second poem published in Rat’s Ass Review on 10-27-2021. This issue is full of great writers and has a lovely cover (I’ll update this when I’m not so tired). Read it here, and, of course, here’s an album cover, although I fear I soon won’t have time to make these, half-assed as they might be. Also, check out this other post that includes Cherry Tomatoes in Singing Bowl (the other poem published by Rat’s Ass Review) or just read the poem on their site. Lots of good things happening in October. Peace.

TV, a Poem by Koss in Rat’s Ass Review

Wergle Flomp Humor Award 2021 | My Therapist Sez by Koss

·

Utterly thrilled to win first place in the Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry contest this year. The poem, My Therapist Sez, was published in Diode Poetry last year and is the only poem with papaya salad, kundalini awakenings, multiple therapy sessions, and trick or treating in it. Adam Cohen and Jendi Reiter have been absolutely wonderful to work with, and they even engaged me to illustrate the poem. Check it out along with the other amazing winning poems on their site.

Here’s the main contest page with a list and links to the other winners (some great writing) and runner-ups (plus commentary by the judge, Jendi Reiter). And find the press release here.

My Therapist Sez Wergle Flomp Humor Winner promo with drooling hare therapist holding rorschach images
My Therapist Sez, Wergle Flomp Humor 2021 Winner

Diode Poetry | My Therapist Sez Featured Poem

·

Pleasantly surprised to find my poem, “My Therapist Sez” was featured on Diode Poetry’s main page (along with an excerpt. It may disappear by the time you find this, so here’s the link to the entire poem. Patty Paine has been good to me and Diode is publishing some really great work in the journal (and in books and chapbooks).

Update: this poem won the 2021 Wergle Flomp Humor Award. Read about the contest on Winning Writer’s site. Listen to the poem on my audio page.

“My Therapist Sez” on Diode’s main page.

Let’s Connect on Social!