Today on Midwest Weird: The first episode of a new audio drama by Amy Lee Lillard. All episodes of the show, A Woman is a God, will be available on July 9, wherever you listen to podcasts. The show and its original music comes from Amy Lee Lillard, the co-creator and producer of Midwest Weird. She is also the author of three books: Exile in Guyville, A Grotesque Animal, and Dig Me Out . And she’s the founder of Rebel Yell Creative , helping writers, community groups and small businesses build, c...
Jul 02, 2025•55 min•Season 2Ep. 13
Today on Midwest Weird: "Pants Free in St. Paul," by Erin Johnston. Erin Johnston is the co-creator and editor of Midwest Weird. And with Heath Smith and Amy Lee Lillard, she hosts the 80s and 90s pop culture podcast Fuzzy Memories. For a full transcript of this episode, visit www.midwestweird.com . _____ Midwest Weird is an audio literary magazine from Broads and Books Productions . We’re the home of weird fiction and nonfiction by Midwestern writers. Submit your own work to Midwest Weird at ww...
Jul 02, 2025•24 min•Season 2Ep. 12
Today on Midwest Weird: A special reading of Donzerly Light, our pop culture column from Heath Smith. Heath Smith is a special pop culture contributor to Midwest Weird. Read his column, Donzerly Light, at midwestweird.com, and get it direct to your inbox when you sign up. Heath is co-host of Fuzzy Memories, the 80s and 90s pop culture podcast. For a full transcript of this episode, visit www.midwestweird.com . _____ Midwest Weird is an audio literary magazine from Broads and Books Productions . ...
Jul 02, 2025•10 min•Season 2Ep. 11
Today on Midwest Weird: “How to Grow a House" by LL Kelly. LL Kelly currently lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota with her family. When not writing (or reading), she can be found working on new tricks with her dog, crafting, or gardening. For a full transcript of this episode, visit www.midwestweird.com . _____ Midwest Weird is an audio literary magazine from Broads and Books Productions . We’re the home of weird fiction and nonfiction by Midwestern writers. Submit your own work to Midwest Weird at ...
Jun 18, 2025•25 min•Season 2Ep. 10
Today on Midwest Weird: Three short works by Mathew Serback Mathew Serback is a re-educated goblin from the lower west side of Cleveland, OH, whose art and writing delve into the complexities of trauma, identity, and societal dissonance. Through his YouTube channel, he shares his creative journey, posting audio-visual poems and stories, including the popular documentary What to Do When Surviving Violence. For a full transcript of this episode, visit www.midwestweird.com . _____ Midwest Weird is ...
Jun 04, 2025•7 min•Season 2Ep. 9
Today on Midwest Weird: “Flood” by Stephanie Frazee. Stephanie Frazee's work is forthcoming from Variant Literature and has appeared in Marrow Magazine, Pithead Chapel, The Evergreen Review, Bayou Magazine, Juked, SmokeLong Quarterly, and elsewhere. She is online at www.stephaniefrazee.com and @stephieosaurus.bsky.social. For a full transcript of this episode, visit www.midwestweird.com . _____ Midwest Weird is an audio literary magazine from Broads and Books Productions . We’re the home of weir...
May 21, 2025•14 min•Season 2Ep. 8
Today on Midwest Weird: “Eviction Notice” by Joshua Grasso. Joshua Grasso (he/him) is a professor of English at East Central University (OK), where he’s taught since getting his PhD in 2006. He teaches courses in writing, Shakespeare, world literature, and when he can, comic books. His works have appeared most recently in the anthology The Speculative Teachers Lounge, and magazines such as On Spec, Androids & Dragons, and Allegory. For a full transcript of this episode, visit www.midwestweir...
May 07, 2025•29 min•Season 2Ep. 7
Today on Midwest Weird: “The Death of the Dinosaurs” by Kristin Harley. Kristin Harley's fiction has appeared in Haunted MTL, Parcham Magazine, and most recently Third Name's a Charm: Tales of Trios and Triple Threats. She works at a library and freelances as a journalist, fiction writer, and science writer. Two novels in her four-book series about the surrealist poets Antonin Artaud and Robert Desnos were published in 2023 (Traitor Comet) and 2024 (L'Etoile de Mer, or The Starfish). For a full ...
Apr 23, 2025•30 min•Season 2Ep. 6
Today on Midwest Weird: “The Shape of Her Life” by E.F. Schraeder. A Rhysling and Pushcart nominated poet, E.F. Schraeder is author of The Price of a Small Hot Fire (Raw Dog Screaming Press, 2023), What Happened Was Impossible (Ghoulish Books, 2023), and several other works. Schraeder’s creative work and nonfiction has appeared in Mystery Weekly Magazine, Ghoulish Tales, Vastarien: A Literary Journal, and other journals and anthologies. They believe in ghosts, magic, and dogs and hold an advance...
Apr 09, 2025•16 min•Season 2Ep. 5
Today on Midwest Weird: “The Ghosts of Us” by Daniela Barzallo. An Ecuadorian-American writer from Peoria, Illinois, Daniela Barzallo is currently pursuing her MFA in Creative Writing at the University of Missouri - Kansas City. She has a special love for speculative fiction, but she enjoys writing poetry and autofiction as well. You can find some of her work in Broadside Literary Journal, Kansas City Magazine, and in the forthcoming Fall issue of Pleiades Magazine. For a full transcript of this...
Mar 26, 2025•9 min•Season 2Ep. 4
Today on Midwest Weird: “Carnation” by Gabriella Paz Hoggatt. Gabriella Paz Hoggatt is an MFA candidate at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where they work as an Editorial Assistant for Ninth Letter Magazine. Their work has previously appeared or is forthcoming in BarBar and elsewhere. For a full transcript of this episode, visit www.midwestweird.com . Listen to an interview with Gabriella, and other bonus episodes, at our Patreon ! _____ Midwest Weird is an audio literary magazin...
Mar 12, 2025•22 min•Season 2Ep. 3
Today on Midwest Weird: “My Pretend Husbands” by Sara Spry Sara Spry is a barista, pet sitter and writer living in Chicago, Illinois. She spends most of her time working and writing, but also enjoys arts and crafts, going to the movies, and relaxing at home with a hot drink and a vintage Saturday Night Live episode. For a full transcript of this episode, visit www.midwestweird.com . Support more weird art in 2025! Join us at Patreon for behind the scenes bonuses, including an interview with Sara...
Feb 26, 2025•19 min•Season 2Ep. 2
Today on Midwest Weird: “Transcendental Boy” by Nick Thornton. Nick Thornton is a speculative fiction writer whose work explores the intersection of cosmic weirdness and human connection. He lives in Michigan. For a full transcript of this episode, visit www.midwestweird.com . _____ Midwest Weird is an audio literary magazine from Broads and Books Productions . We’re the home of weird fiction and nonfiction by Midwestern writers. Submit your own work to Midwest Weird at www.midwestweird.com ....
Feb 12, 2025•24 min•Season 2Ep. 1
Today on Midwest Weird: A special behind-the-scenes discussion with our editors, Amy Lee Lillard and Erin Johnston. Mentioned in the show: Fuzzy Memories Podcast Broads and Books Podcast Wyrd Woman Audio Drama Donzerly Light, a column by Heath Smith Books: Exile in Guyville, A Grotesque Animal, Dig Me Out _____ Midwest Weird is an audio literary magazine from Broads and Books Productions . We’re the home of weird fiction and nonfiction by Midwestern writers. Submit your own work to Midwest Weird...
Nov 20, 2024•29 min
Today on Midwest Weird: “In-Home Party” by Erin Johnston. Erin Johnston is the co-creator and editor of Midwest Weird. And with Heath Smith and Amy Lee Lillard, she hosts the 80s and 90s pop culture podcast Fuzzy Memories . For a full transcript of this episode, visit www.midwestweird.com . _____ Midwest Weird is an audio literary magazine from Broads and Books Productions . We’re the home of weird fiction and nonfiction by Midwestern writers. Submit your own work to Midwest Weird at www.midwest...
Oct 30, 2024•27 min•Season 1Ep. 12
Today on Midwest Weird: “Corporeal” by Amy Lee Lillard. Amy Lee Lillard is the co-creator and producer of Midwest Weird. She is the author of three books: Exile in Guyville, A Grotesque Animal, and Dig Me Out . Her fiction podcast, Wyrd Woman , has all episodes available now. And with Erin Johnston and Heath Smith, she hosts the 80s and 90s pop culture podcast Fuzzy Memories . This story originally appeared in Exile in Guyville , and is included here with permission from BOA Editions. For a full...
Oct 30, 2024•49 min•Season 1Ep. 11
Today on Midwest Weird: A special reading of Donzerly Light , our weird pop culture column from Heath Smith. Heath Smith is a special pop culture contributor to Midwest Weird. Read his column, Donzerly Light, at midwestweird.com, and get it direct to your inbox when you sign up. Heath is co-host of Fuzzy Memories , the 80s and 90s pop culture podcast. Keep listening to the end of this episode for a short clip from the show, and listen to the new season in your favorite podcast player. For a full...
Oct 30, 2024•19 min•Season 1Ep. 13
Today on Midwest Weird: “Gabriel's Horns” by Kip Knott. Kip Knott is a writer, poet, teacher, photographer, and part-time art dealer living in Ohio. His most recent book of poetry, The Misanthrope in Moonlight, is available from Bottlecap Press. You can follow him on Instagram at @kip.knott and read more of his work at www.kipknott.com. For a full transcript of this episode, visit www.midwestweird.com . _____ Midwest Weird is an audio literary magazine from Broads and Books Productions . We’re t...
Oct 16, 2024•18 min•Season 1Ep. 10
Today on Midwest Weird: “Red Velvet” by Aarushi Bahadur. Aarushi Bahadur is a senior at St. Paul Academy in Minnesota. She’s a Scholastic writing award winner, a student journalist, a theater kid, and an ardent vinyl collector. Her work has previously been featured in Iris: Art + Lit Magazine. For a full transcript of this episode, visit www.midwestweird.com . _____ Midwest Weird is an audio literary magazine from Broads and Books Productions . We’re the home of weird fiction and nonfiction by M...
Oct 02, 2024•18 min•Season 1Ep. 9
Today on Midwest Weird: “We Knew a World” by JP Solheim. JP Solheim’s short fiction has earned recognition in contests held by Glimmer Train and Craft, and their short fiction has been published in Bellevue Literary Review, Confrontation, MQR: Mixtape, and The Pinch. They are part of the MFA in Creative Writing and Literature faculty at Stony Brook University, where they also serve as Associate Director of the BookEnds novel revision fellowship. They live in Oak Park, Illinois. For a full transc...
Sep 18, 2024•29 min•Season 1Ep. 8
Today on Midwest Weird: “Drug Test” by Sam Sharp. Sam Sharp grew up in the low hills of north central Ohio. He writes essays and stories about complicated relationships between people, places, and the animals who call them home. He recently earned his MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Wyoming with a concurrent degree in Environment and Natural Resources. You can read his work in Western Confluence Magazine, The Trek, Deep Wild journal, and elsewhere. For a full transcript of this ep...
Sep 04, 2024•9 min•Season 1Ep. 7
Today on Midwest Weird: “Destroying Angels” by Russell Brakefield. Russell Brakefield is the author of Field Recordings (Wayne State University Press), My Modest Blindness (Autofocus Books) and Irregular Heartbeats at the Park West (Wayne State University Press). He received his MFA in poetry from the University of Michigan’s Helen Zell Writers’ Program. For a full transcript of this episode, visit www.midwestweird.com . _____ Midwest Weird is an audio literary magazine from Broads and Books Pro...
Aug 21, 2024•35 min•Season 1Ep. 6
Today on Midwest Weird: “36 Hours in the SPAM® Museum” by Graham Marema. Graham Marema received her MFA at the University of Wyoming with a concurrent degree in Environment & Natural Resources. She is an activist, traveler, and musician. Her work has appeared in the American Literary Review, Litro Magazine, and 3Elements Review. For a full transcript of this episode, visit www.midwestweird.com . _____ Midwest Weird is an audio literary magazine from Broads and Books Productions . We’re the h...
Aug 07, 2024•22 min•Season 1Ep. 5
Today on Midwest Weird: “You’re Invited” by Jane Lovell. Jane Lovell is a writer and zine maker from St. Louis, Missouri. Her work has previously appeared in Abyss & Apex Magazine. For a full transcript of this episode, visit www.midwestweird.com . _____ Midwest Weird is an audio literary magazine from Broads and Books Productions . We’re the home of weird fiction and nonfiction by Midwestern writers. Submit your own work to Midwest Weird at www.midwestweird.com ....
Jul 24, 2024•22 min•Season 1Ep. 4
Today on Midwest Weird: “Negation” by Jessica Klimesh. Jessica Klimesh (she/her) is a US-based writer and editor whose creative work has been published or is forthcoming in Cleaver, Flash Frog, trampset, Atticus Review, Brink, Club Plum Literary, Ghost Parachute, and Bending Genres, among others. Her work has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize, Best Microfiction, Best Small Fictions, and Best of the Net. Learn more at www.jessicaklimesh.com. Find a full transcript for this episode at www.midw...
Jul 10, 2024•6 min•Season 1Ep. 2
Today on Midwest Weird: “The Highway” by Maxine Firehammer. Maxine Firehammer is a horror writer living in Saint Paul. She has previously had work appear in Hash Journal, The Molotov Cocktail, and The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. She is a 2024 Pushcart Prize nominee. For a full transcript of this episode, visit www.midwestweird.com . _____ Midwest Weird is an audio literary magazine from Broads and Books Productions . We’re the home of weird fiction and nonfiction by Midwestern write...
Jul 10, 2024•25 min•Season 1Ep. 1
Today on Midwest Weird: “Growth” by Keira Perkins. Keira Perkins writes both short fiction and poetry, most of it speculative. She is also a scientist, which is mostly not speculative. Keira lives in Indiana with her husband, dogs, cats, and whichever stray animal she’s brought home that week. Keira can be found at keiraperkins.com, where she blogs about knitting, ghosts, miscellaneous trivia and occasionally, writing. For a full transcript of this episode, visit www.midwestweird.com . _____ Mid...
Jul 10, 2024•17 min•Season 1Ep. 3
Midwest Weird is an audio literary magazine featuring weird fiction and nonfiction by Midwestern writers. From strange styles to unique identities, from written tales to oral tradition, from Iowa to Indiana and everywhere in between, we’re the podcast home for stories that stick with you. Listen every other week for the edge of creation, come to life. Season 2 premieres February 12! Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, or at MidwestWeird.com . And support more weird art in 2025 b...
Jun 10, 2024•3 min
