Arthur Mandal
@arthurmandal.bsky.social
Brit/US writer of uncanny fiction. Best Small Fictions 2025. Over 30 stories in The Barcelona Review, LITRO, Southeast Review, The Forge, The Los Angeles Review and others. @nightjarpress Based in Eugene, Oregon (but grew up in UK). www.arthurmandal.com
Really enjoyed this Nightjar piece “Signals” by Amanda Huggins @troutiemcfish.bsky.social . A new neighbor moves in next door. Very quiet and sinister. I don’t know why, but I always love this use of the mundane and the banal to infer an absolute darkness. @nightjarpress.bsky.social
November 23, 2025 at 8:38 PM
Really enjoyed this Nightjar piece “Signals” by Amanda Huggins @troutiemcfish.bsky.social . A new neighbor moves in next door. Very quiet and sinister. I don’t know why, but I always love this use of the mundane and the banal to infer an absolute darkness. @nightjarpress.bsky.social
Reading “The Program Era” at the moment by Mark McGurl. Disturbing reading if (like me) you were thinking of doing an MFA. I had no idea the Creative Writing Program industry had its origins in such a Cold War mentality. It was written in 2010– I wonder if the MFA scene has changed much since then.
November 18, 2025 at 8:02 PM
Reading “The Program Era” at the moment by Mark McGurl. Disturbing reading if (like me) you were thinking of doing an MFA. I had no idea the Creative Writing Program industry had its origins in such a Cold War mentality. It was written in 2010– I wonder if the MFA scene has changed much since then.
Photos from Serbia, 2021. 2/2
November 13, 2025 at 2:46 AM
Photos from Serbia, 2021. 2/2
Photos from Serbia, 2021. 1/2
November 13, 2025 at 2:44 AM
Photos from Serbia, 2021. 1/2
Sharing this haunting micro-fiction by Cheryl Pappas @cherylpappas.bsky.social , an American poet based in Boston. I think it moved me partly because it reminded me of William Carlos Williams, and also that poem by Heaney (if you know it), “Midterm Break”. Beautifully sad piece.
November 8, 2025 at 8:16 PM
Sharing this haunting micro-fiction by Cheryl Pappas @cherylpappas.bsky.social , an American poet based in Boston. I think it moved me partly because it reminded me of William Carlos Williams, and also that poem by Heaney (if you know it), “Midterm Break”. Beautifully sad piece.
Photos from Berlin – die schoenste Stadt der Welt.
October 23, 2025 at 3:43 PM
Photos from Berlin – die schoenste Stadt der Welt.
My short story “Hymn to Sri Devi” came out last week in Catamaran (link in first comment). I’m sharing a photo of the first page – sorry I can’t share the whole thing. Honored to be on the same cover as Percival Everett.
October 19, 2025 at 3:04 PM
My short story “Hymn to Sri Devi” came out last week in Catamaran (link in first comment). I’m sharing a photo of the first page – sorry I can’t share the whole thing. Honored to be on the same cover as Percival Everett.
As Western societies politically unravel, I wonder about the future of horror—which always relied on First World “normality” to create its weirdness and angst. Now that such stability (which never really existed elsewhere) is dissolving, how will we scare ourselves when so many are scared already?
October 13, 2025 at 5:53 PM
As Western societies politically unravel, I wonder about the future of horror—which always relied on First World “normality” to create its weirdness and angst. Now that such stability (which never really existed elsewhere) is dissolving, how will we scare ourselves when so many are scared already?
Had three short fictions accepted in @thebrusselsreview.bsky.social today. In other news: Karen Schauber from Vancouver Flash Fiction kindly asked me to provide a “writing tip” for their FB page, so here it is. It’s not Seneca or La Rochefoucauld, but you’re getting it for free so don’t complain.
October 6, 2025 at 9:44 PM
Had three short fictions accepted in @thebrusselsreview.bsky.social today. In other news: Karen Schauber from Vancouver Flash Fiction kindly asked me to provide a “writing tip” for their FB page, so here it is. It’s not Seneca or La Rochefoucauld, but you’re getting it for free so don’t complain.
Huge congratulations to Imogen Reid @imogenreid.bsky.social for getting her story “Fabrication” into Best British Short Stories 2025 alongside Ian Critchley, Alison Moore, Pippa Goldschmidt and others. Will definitely buy a copy when I’m back in the UK.
September 30, 2025 at 7:43 PM
Huge congratulations to Imogen Reid @imogenreid.bsky.social for getting her story “Fabrication” into Best British Short Stories 2025 alongside Ian Critchley, Alison Moore, Pippa Goldschmidt and others. Will definitely buy a copy when I’m back in the UK.
More photos from Turkey - this time eastern Turkey. 1/2
September 26, 2025 at 9:30 PM
More photos from Turkey - this time eastern Turkey. 1/2
Beautiful piece by the California poet Natalie Marino this week. I loved how the closing lines of this text communicate through images the remembered bigness of everything in childhood without actually saying it.
September 15, 2025 at 6:32 PM
Beautiful piece by the California poet Natalie Marino this week. I loved how the closing lines of this text communicate through images the remembered bigness of everything in childhood without actually saying it.
I’ve tried a couple of Rachel Cusk novels in the past and not been able to get very far. I’m a quarter of the way into this one – “Outline” – and its odd, monotone, weirdly detached narrator has me absolutely hooked.
September 2, 2025 at 6:45 PM
I’ve tried a couple of Rachel Cusk novels in the past and not been able to get very far. I’m a quarter of the way into this one – “Outline” – and its odd, monotone, weirdly detached narrator has me absolutely hooked.
We visited Brighton in the UK for a couple of days in the summer. I had Graham Greene on my mind, and tried my hardest to find the seedy, dilapidated, fifties seaside resort – but to no avail. Tescos, organic cafés, overpriced wine bars and ubiquitous London English was my superficial impression.
September 1, 2025 at 7:39 PM
We visited Brighton in the UK for a couple of days in the summer. I had Graham Greene on my mind, and tried my hardest to find the seedy, dilapidated, fifties seaside resort – but to no avail. Tescos, organic cafés, overpriced wine bars and ubiquitous London English was my superficial impression.
Finally got my paper copy of the Quarterl(y) journal today. When a suitable stretch of time has passed, I’ll share the complete story. Many thanks to Chris Smith for accepting the piece. @quarterpress.bsky.social
August 26, 2025 at 5:30 AM
Finally got my paper copy of the Quarterl(y) journal today. When a suitable stretch of time has passed, I’ll share the complete story. Many thanks to Chris Smith for accepting the piece. @quarterpress.bsky.social
Last year I got a tax refund from the US gov for $1,400. We spent it straightaway. This week, I got another letter, saying this had been an error and, with no trace of an apology, demanding immediate repayment with a self-addressed envelope for the purpose. It’s the little things that count, right?
August 11, 2025 at 7:33 PM
Last year I got a tax refund from the US gov for $1,400. We spent it straightaway. This week, I got another letter, saying this had been an error and, with no trace of an apology, demanding immediate repayment with a self-addressed envelope for the purpose. It’s the little things that count, right?
Tunisia, 2020. 2/2.
August 1, 2025 at 9:46 PM
Tunisia, 2020. 2/2.
Tunisia, 2020. 1/2
August 1, 2025 at 9:45 PM
Tunisia, 2020. 1/2
I’ve been posting my top ten favourite pieces of literary criticism(see first comment for entire list). Number one position goes to: Walter Benjamin’s “The Task of the Translator”. This essay is a pearl of poetry in itself …one of the most lyrical things ever written on what it means to translate.
July 21, 2025 at 10:49 PM
I’ve been posting my top ten favourite pieces of literary criticism(see first comment for entire list). Number one position goes to: Walter Benjamin’s “The Task of the Translator”. This essay is a pearl of poetry in itself …one of the most lyrical things ever written on what it means to translate.
Just had a story accepted in Catamaran! It’s a long one, too, 7000 words – something I thought would be difficult to place.
July 17, 2025 at 10:26 PM
Just had a story accepted in Catamaran! It’s a long one, too, 7000 words – something I thought would be difficult to place.
Reading this at the moment. A collection of stories by Ben Pester @benpester.bsky.social with Boilerhouse Press. Absolute cracker of a title story – dark and sad, but beautifully written.
July 15, 2025 at 9:23 PM
Reading this at the moment. A collection of stories by Ben Pester @benpester.bsky.social with Boilerhouse Press. Absolute cracker of a title story – dark and sad, but beautifully written.
As I hardly ever try to get my creative non-fiction published, I’ve no qualms about putting this one up online for people to read. It’s about a year I spent working the night shift at a gas station in Scotland.
July 8, 2025 at 12:10 AM
As I hardly ever try to get my creative non-fiction published, I’ve no qualms about putting this one up online for people to read. It’s about a year I spent working the night shift at a gas station in Scotland.