writing and editing – Page 2

There’s something beautifully expansive about multi-genre writer Allison Field Bell‘s new poetry collection, All That Blue (now available from Finishing Line Press). The title itself evokes images of expansiveness: an unending dome of blue sky above, the glimmering cobalt of the ocean, the pristine turquoise of a county pond.

Juxtaposing these visions of expansiveness, though, are raw, intimate, and up-close expressions of life in all its messiness and unpredictability–the teeming life bubbling up from beneath. The 43 free-verse poems of All That Blue, Allison’s first collection of poetry, present this juxtaposition brilliantly.

Brendan Gillen’s short story collection, *Hang Time*, came out in December 2025.

As the Winter Olympics get into full swing, it’s as good a time as any to share this interview with Brendan Gillen, whose collection of short stories, Hang Time. The wide world of sports–from Little League and golf to college basketball, monster truck rallies, and more–serves as a backdrop for many of these yarns, but as author John Brandon notes in his blurb, “there’s LSD in the Gatorade.” Because the stories in this collection, published in December 2025, are about much more than sports. They reveal what Brendan calls “the in-between moments” that turn relatable, everyday experiences into surreal yet believable and very enjoyable tales of love, life, and heartbreak.

Based in Brooklyn, New York, Brendan’s work has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and Best Small Fictions, and appears in Electric Lit, Write or Die, Sundog, the Florida Review, Wigleaf, X-R-A-Y, and elsewhere. He is also the author of a novel, Static, which came out in 2024, and an award-winning creative director who has developed, written, and created content for a broad range of brands, including ESPN, NASCAR, and Anheuser-Busch.

Category: writing and editing

Allison Field Bell’s expansive and intimate poetry collection, ‘All That Blue’

Friday Five: ‘Hang Time’ author Brendan Gillen