Pool Party is the brainchild of writers/artists/lovers Ryan-Ashley Anderson and Kevin Maloney. They wanted to create a reading series and online mag that evoked the nostalgia of 70s horror and gothic fiction—pool parties gone wrong; suburban drugs, sex, and murder; and the weird shit kids do when their parents aren’t looking. Pool Party is the place to come if you want to feel a lot nostalgic, a little bit bad, and a fair amount of heart-wrenching passion and regret.

It’s Outside the Paper: In conversation with Samiya Bashir on her poetry collection, I Hope This Helps

Interview by Naya Clark Samiya Bashir’s critically-lauded, multimodal poetry collection, I Hope This Helps (2025, NightBoat Books), begins with a quote from actress Niecy Nash-Bett’s 2024 Emmy award acceptance speech: “I want to thank me for believing in me …” This bold tribute, which echoes Snoop Dogg’s words six years prior during his Hollywood Walk…

Deadass

by Mallory Smart
| Fiction
We weren’t close. Just basement cousins. Shared trauma, seasonal…

Let’s Start from an Earlier Block of Save Data

by Brandon Diehl
| Poems
I remember the first time we played Minecraft. Years ago. We…

The Last, Great Letter-Writer

by Sean Ennis
| Fiction
My friend Shadow wrote me a note the first time I took care of…

Grant-funded Missing Men

by Lydia-Mae
| Fiction
As you all know, with the help of our generous donors, I have…

Upcoming Events

POOL PARTY PRESENTS: Teenage Makeout Spots

by admin
| Events
Join us for our second reading at Grand Gesture Books on Wednesday, May 14, at 7pm. GGB is located at 814 SW 10th Ave, Portland, OR 97205 and will have titles available for purchase from our very talented readers. Featured readers include Frayn Masters, Genevieve Hudson, Margaret Malone, Lauren Mantis, and Lauren Lavín.

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