Tabling with my sister at the DC Art + Book Fair
My sister Hannah and I were accepted into the first ever DC Art + Book Fair! We’ll be sharing a table showcasing […]
Read moreAuthor: Marlena Chertock
Marlena is a digital storyteller and poetry editor at District Lit. Her first poetry book, On that one-way trip to Mars, is available from Bottlecap Press.
On that one-way trip to Mars reviewed in Vagabond City Lit!
I’m heading to Mars right now. I’ve left orbit. This amazing review from Bethany Mary has blasted me off the planet! Bethany […]
Read more‘Brooklyn, Brooklyn, take me in’: Reading at Berl’s Poetry Shop
Song title lyrics always make good headlines, right? Well, on November 5 I’ll be asking Brooklyn and New Yorkers to take me […]
Read more‘How to feel beautiful’ in The Deaf Poets Society
My poem “How to feel beautiful” was published today in The Deaf Poets Society. It’s a reflection on chronic pain. This poem […]
Read more‘Wonder Women’ published in Paper Darts!
My short story “Wonder Women” was published in Paper Darts! They’ve been a goal publication of mine for years. I’ve been reading […]
Read more10+ great podcasts to get you through your commute
I love podcasts. That’s something you hear a lot in the city, especially as a commuter. Podcasts can make your commute more […]
Read moreA woman’s place is — in the lab
Science News for Students, the sister publication to Science News, recently highlighted the importance of women in STEM in a feature that shows the amazing females involved […]
Read moreThe Editor of Cacti Fur Reviewed My Book!
Jim Thompson, the founder and poetry editor of Cacti Fur, reviewed “On that one-way trip to Mars.” He called my book an […]
Read more‘As we ran in the backyard’ in Wordgathering
A more lyrical poem than I typically write was published in the September 2016 issue of Wordgathering. Wordgathering is a journal of […]
Read moreDistrict Lit’s 5-year anniversary reading!
District Lit, the literary magazine where I’m the poetry editor, is having an anniversary reading celebration this month! District Lit is turning […]
Read more‘Ode to my physical therapist’ in Words Dance
I’ve been writing a lot about the body, chronic pain, and the strange ways pain is invisible but still felt. Today, Words […]
Read moreUpcoming panel for #AWP2017
The Association of Writers & Writing Programs (AWP) hosts a huge writing conference in a different location every year. AWP 2017 is […]
Read moreBook Blastoff Party! 🚀
My book launch party is this Friday, July 15, at Walls of Books in Washington, D.C. If you’re in the D.C. area, […]
Read more‘Body remembers’ in The Fem
For the past year, I’ve been suffering from intense lower back pain that also causes numbness in my right foot. This pain […]
Read moreUpcoming panel for Western Maryland Independent Lit Festival
If you’ve ever sat in a creative writing class, you’ve probably heard the old adage: “Write what you know.” While this may […]
Read moreWhat is #OwnYourOwn?
The #OwnYourOwn hashtag has taken off this week. It’s a space on Twitter to encourage and inspire marginalized writers. It’s a call to #OwnYourOwn voice, #OwnYourOwn dreams, #OwnYourOwn […]
Read moreWhen your book is out in the world
When your book is out in the world you start seeing people actually reading it. One of your old professors rates your […]
Read more‘Forecast: 4015’ in Nebula Rift
What happens to Washington, D.C. in the future? I envision the city’s hovering Metro as nuclear-powered in the year 4015, which gets the […]
Read more‘Aging with the solar system’ in Black Heart Magazine
Another one of my space poems was published this spring! This year has been amazing for my poems — they’re sprouting up […]
Read moreThe bones that inspired ‘Skeleton Sheriff’
When I first heard StoryCorp’s “A Grave Responsibility” episode, I was immediately heartbroken and inspired. In the episode, forensic scientist Dr. Lori Baker […]
Read more