Welcome to Eckleburg Weekly. The eyes of Doctor T. J. Eckleburg have been watching all week, and they caught some marvelous things: new fiction, poetry, essays, art and interviews, gathered here for your Sunday. Here’s everything we published from October 26-November 1, 2026, plus a few literary evenings worth leaving the apartment for. And this week, you choose: vote for your favorite line below before the day is out, and we’ll crown the winner Monday as Eckleburg Readers’ Favorite Line of the Week.
FIRST LOOK
For subscribers, before anyone else
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The Secret Wisdom of DSWby Scott John Murray “Last year Moms’s health started to decline. First there were stomach aches—then fevers, diarrhea, dizziness, coughing. Her body was breaking down, disintegrating into the little pieces of dust and dirt from which it came. She was old enough that I should not have been as upset as I was. But Moms was unique. She was a lifelong reader and certified intellectual force. It was hard to get her to speak freely about those hidden things, the secret truths that meant the most to her, but when she did, I was… |
Read this week at Eckleburg.
FICTION
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How to Become the Final Black Girlby Ashley Mallory “If you find yourself trapped in a horror movie, this list will help you survive. I devised this guide to ensure you become the final Black girl. To stay alive, you must follow these rules carefully. Each step is crucial; neglecting to comply with any of the following directives will ensure you will be killed,… |
POETRY
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Heat & Other Poemsby Roberta Allen “This is not a place |
ESSAYS
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Essay for the Gay Male Culture Committeeby Shane Short “The cracked puzzle of Gay culture is habitually on my mind, new pieces arising are the obstacles to change the gay evolution. |
LITERARY CRITICISM
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From the archive, April 2026 Where Moral Authority Begins | Part I: Toni Morrison’s Belovedby Rae Cline “Triggers. Spoilers. I am curious about moral authority in stories and how moral authority presents within openings. Morality is a central function of stories that I find most engaging, in particular, the moral implications surrounding gender-violence and abuse. I prefer stories that push the boundaries of moral dilemmas. Some questions of morality present as axioms… |
GALLERY
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From the archive, February 2017 Ivan de Monbrisonby Ivan de Monbrison Art is for me the only answer in our modern world to the question of death and the fragility of human nature. Through the ages human beings have used the representation of the world as a medium to conjure what they saw has powerful elements of nature that they could not explain and which would… |
EYES ON: AN ECKLEBURG INTERVIEW
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From the archive, October 2026 Eyes On: Trevor J. HouserIn this Eyes On interview, we talk with Trevor J. Houser about “Malta,” published in Eckleburg, and The Geography of Saying Goodbye, along with the works and habits behind them and what comes next. |
MORE FROM ECKLEBURG
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Eckleburg Readers’ Favorite Line of the Week: Joseph Celizic’s “Capillaries” and Georgia Maull-Keyser’s “Because the Body Endures”“Eckleburg Readers' Favorite Line of the Week: "The bruise beneath Elmer’s ribcage reminded them both of topographical maps, maroon with brown and purple tilts to denote ridges, peaks, and saddles, his capillaries like the earth’s scoured crust." from Capillaries by Joseph Celizic. |
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FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY VOTE: FAVORITE LINE OF THE WEEK |
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Which line from this issue stays with you? Click your favorite. Voting closes at the end of the day. We’ll publish the winner Monday as Eckleburg Readers’ Favorite Line of the Week. “If you find yourself trapped in a horror movie, this list will help you survive.” “This is not a place” “The cracked puzzle of Gay culture is habitually on my mind, new pieces arising are the obstacles to change the gay evolution.” |
LIT UP NYC
Lit Up NYC: October 31-November 8, 2026
Readings, launches and literary conversations across New York, for the week ahead and next weekend.
Coming up:
- Monday, November 2, 12 AM, Manhattan: “The future exists for the most part in the present”: On Poetry, the Avant-Garde, and the Left. The Poetry Project, St. Mark’s Church, 131 E. 10th St.. $10–25. Details
- Tuesday, November 3, 7 PM, Brooklyn: Book Launch: A Whole Lotta History by Jason Lipshutz in conversation with Brittany Spanos. POWERHOUSE Arena. Details
Thank you for reading Eckleburg Weekly. New work appears at Eckleburg every week: fiction on Tuesdays, literary criticism on Wednesdays, essays on Thursdays and poetry on Fridays, with Lit Up NYC on Saturdays. Subscribe to Eckleburg Weekly to get it in your inbox every Sunday.
The Editors
