RJ Aurand

@rjaurand

Appalachian writer & poet | small press editor | Le Fanu studies | weird horror Member SFPA & Codex Words in Uncharted, Tales & Feathers, Small Wonders, The Deadlands, & more! Soon in Podcastle, Apex, & 34 Orchard! rjaurand.com

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Bluesky

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RJ Aurand@rjaurand· Jul 3

Being in your 30s means your biggest opp is a household appliance

An image of a Singer Simple 3116 sewing machine in the style of a book trope promo meme. A series of complaints are listed around the machine with arrows pointing at it. The grievances include: jams for no reason other than spite; squeaking that no amount of lubrication will resolve; you wanted a different stitch pattern? too bad, you're stuck with Q; somehow running worse after being professionally serviced; and will run (like shit) for 20 years.

RJ Aurand@rjaurand· Jun 29

Met a new friend this weekend

A forest slope covered with large rocks and fallen branches. A juvenile black bear walks across a log in the center.

RJ Aurand@rjaurand· Jun 15

Justice for The80sGuy, Darksynth Radio is the only way I got my thesis done and I don't think I can go on writing without it

A black screen with white text that states "This video has been removed for violating YouTube's policy on nudity or sexual content."

RJ Aurand@rjaurand· Apr 9

My trans bog body story "Still Life with Cranberries" is out today in @unchartedmag.bsky.social! This is perhaps my favorite thing I've ever written, and I'm so glad to finally see it published. I hope you love it as much as I do! www.unchartedmag.com/stories/stil...

A pile of cranberries. Resting on top is one that has been sliced in half.

RJ Aurand@rjaurand· Mar 27

Practicing what I preach! All things I needed and the total was $12 (which honestly is a bit steep for estate pricing in my experience)

A soil scoop, pair of garden snips, a garden-themed pad of paper, and a pair of floral garden gloves. 3/4 items are unused.

RJ Aurand@rjaurand· Mar 24

Sitting there smiling politely while the guy who's preparing my taxes tells me that we'll have AGI next year and that people can already control robots with their minds like in Avatar

Spongebob sits at a computer, smiling placidly. The image is overlaid with a translucent version of him screaming his ass off.

RJ Aurand@rjaurand· Mar 18

Had an arborist over this afternoon to quote trimming my trees which turned into an hour of him telling me all about how cool trees are. I fucking love people who are so passionate about what they do

"Check out how hard I can talk about my interests," a stick figure says to a friend. The next panel shows them almost obscured by the cloud of words they're generating.

RJ Aurand@rjaurand· Mar 12

I cannot emphasize enough that it was 86 degrees yesterday and I drove around in a tank top with the windows down

Snow piling up on top of some evergreen bushes.

RJ Aurand@rjaurand· Feb 5

This is who runs this account

A small child wearing a white T shirt, blue shorts with a bow, and comically oversized sunglasses stands in front of a screen door.

RJ Aurand@rjaurand· Dec 11

It was a wonderful first year of publishing! I'm proud of everything that was released this year, but I would be especially grateful if you considered my poetry and my recent story in Inner Worlds as you nominate this awards season. Links to every piece in the thread below! 🧵

An abstract graphic in cream, red-orange, and blue listing RJ Aurand's awards-eligible works for 2025. The information is repeated in the thread below.

RJ Aurand@rjaurand· Nov 16

New flash piece out in manywor(l)ds today about the severe and lasting trauma healthcare workers experience on a daily basis. What if there was a way to compartmentalize those experiences digitally? Nothing bad could come of that, right?

Still from the 1996 anime After War Gundam X. A man a white coat cocks a pistol. The subtitle reads: "I'm a healer, but..."

RJ Aurand@rjaurand· Oct 12

I fully sent this version of my thesis to my director without realizing lmao

A partial paragraph from an academic paper that ends with "finish this introduction when you're feeling more eloquent" in all caps.

RJ Aurand@rjaurand· Sep 15

Hey #knitsky my friend @theknittedbean.bsky.social makes the most incredible handspun yarn and you can buy it at knittedbeanco.etsy.com! I mean, look at these. You need them in your stash!

Sherbet Dreams: a hank of handspun yarn in soft shades of peach and pink.

Jelly Belly: a hank of handspun yarn variegated in muted rainbow tones.

RJ Aurand@rjaurand· Sep 3

What's that? My contributor copy of @thedeadlands.com #39?? Isn't it stunning??? If you haven't read "Blind Date with a Corpse" yet, you can read it for FREE at psychopomp.com/deadlands/is... (But who wouldn't want to get a physical copy of this amazing issue?)

A paperback edition of The Deadlands #39. The cover art depicts a silhouetted figure passing through a gate and into a dark forest. Some of the trees are bare, and some are thickly leaved in the shape of giant people.

A partial shot of a page from The Deadlands #39. The header reads: Nonfiction - Blind Date with a Corpse - RJ Aurand.

RJ Aurand@rjaurand· Aug 19

screenshot of a 2018 tweet by Justin McElroy that reads: for the millionth time the first amendment protects you from the government not the justin

RJ Aurand@rjaurand· Jun 8

My sweet crazy boy likes to zoom around on top of the bed. It's pretty funny unless you happen to be in it!

A husky with black and white markings and blue eyes. He is resting his chin in the photographer's hand.

RJ Aurand@rjaurand· Jun 5

Soon...tomatoes. I love my vegetable garden dearly. It gives me endless gifts all summer, and tending it over the last few years has been essential for my mental health. No tomato, bean, or squash will ever taste better than one you grew yourself.

A cluster of green grape tomatoes growing on a vine. The plant is supported by a blue metal stake.

RJ Aurand@rjaurand· Apr 5

Legendary estate sale find this morning

A grey baseball cap with the text "I EXIST WITHOUT MY CONSENT" embroidered in white.

RJ Aurand@rjaurand· Mar 11

Contract signed!! I'm thrilled to announce that my body horror tanka poem "False Beet" will appear in a future issue of Small Wonders!

A page from a vintage field guide with an illustration of a red beet.

RJ Aurand@rjaurand· Mar 10

On the body portion of the sweater I'm knitting and the slowdown in progress is killing me. You're telling me I've worked for 3 hours and only done an inch and a half? 🫠

A heathered beige sweater in the process of being knit. The collar and half the body are done, but there are no sleeves yet. Below it is a brown-and-white checkered zippered bag being used to hold the yarn balls and notions.

RJ Aurand@rjaurand· Mar 4

And a super exciting yarn haul from my amazing friend Aiden @undercoverotter.bsky.social! I have such fun projects planned for these. Knitting is how I'm surviving the Horrors right now.

Six skeins of hand-dyed yarn from Undercover Otter. From left to right the colors are: rust, white, mint green, dark teal, heathered grey, and navy.

RJ Aurand@rjaurand· Mar 4

Anxiety socks #4: Summer Lee's Comfort Core socks (variation A) I think I might add this arch support band to all my knit socks going forward. It feels fantastic. Yarn is Undercover Otter's Schlock Sock in Pastel Goth and Ladygarden

A pair of textured hand-knit socks in variegated pastel pink and mint green. The toes and two narrow stripes around the cuffs are solid pink.

RJ Aurand@rjaurand· Mar 2

You can read "One for Sorrow" for FREE in Issue 1 of Blanket Gravity Magazine! www.blanketgravitymag.com/oneforsorrow

An excerpt from the story that reads: An ocean of desiccated stars spreads out above me as I succumb to sleep, protected from prying avian eyes by the stained glass that fills the windows. Here, they cannot reach us. Here, I can almost forget.

RJ Aurand@rjaurand· Feb 27

My fabulist ornithomancy story "One for Sorrow" is out and free to read or listen to in Blanket Gravity #1! I'm so happy to be included in the debut issue alongside so many other talented writers and artists. Check it out at the link below! www.blanketgravitymag.com/oneforsorrow

Cover of Blanket Gravity Issue #1 with art by Trent Christensen.

RJ Aurand@rjaurand· Feb 25

Anxiety socks #3 Adapted from Maddy Moe's Kettle Chip Socks pattern, yarn is Undercover Otter's Squirm in Silver Bullet and Garbage Day

A pair of hand-knit ankle socks. The toe, heel, and cuff are light grey. The body of the sock is black with teal and orange variegation.

RJ Aurand@rjaurand· Feb 18

I meant it when I said I was only good for knitting socks right now but at least the socks are nice?

A pair of hand knit ankle socks. The toe, heel, and cuff are steel grey and the body of the sock is knit from variegated yarn in white, pink, blue, and purple.

RJ Aurand@rjaurand· Jan 22

Lmfao some chud put me on a blocklist for being an AI hater. Does this mean I've made it

Sailor Moon holding up a peace sign and looking pleased with herself.

RJ Aurand@rjaurand· Jan 16

Who's that on the Nebula reading list? 👀 Awards consideration aside--Solstitia No. 2 is full of incredible work. If you like your genre fiction creepy and crawly you should definitely check it out! www.patreon.com/fictionfansp...

A screenshot from the Nebula Awards reading list showing that "Goose Teeth" by RJ Aurand is eligible in the short story category.

RJ Aurand@rjaurand· Dec 24

A screenshot from Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney. Phoenix is in the courtroom looking determined. The text reads: "Almost Christmas" means it wasn't Christmas!

RJ Aurand@rjaurand· Sep 15

I was looking forward to walking through the beautiful field of goldenrods on my hike this morning, only to discover that they've all been mowed down :(