Pool Party | A Reading Series & Literary Journal

Pool Party is an independent online journal, reading series, and book publisher founded by Ryan-Ashley Anderson and Kevin Maloney—writers and artists who look for well-crafted literary and critical writing that questions reality, evokes nostalgia, explores the uncanny, and interrogates the human condition.

Newly Published

Did You Know the People Who Lived Here Before?

by Janice Leadingham
July 2, 2026 | Fiction

It was a year ago Sunday actually that the Ralfsons didn’t show at our weekly block party, and even though we thought it odd, we weren’t too concerned until late the following Tuesday, when we were all woken by the Ralfsons’ dogs...

Come and Sit

by Ryan-Ashley (Anderson) Maloney
June 17, 2026 | Aaron Shurin

Walking back to the hotel in Seville, Spain, along a wide path shaded by London planes following an afternoon at CAAC (Centro Andaluz de Arte Contemporánio), I noted the strangeness of seeing so many benches along the way. Even in a slower, quieter part of town largely insulated from...

Single red hermit crab in white shell on sandy beach

Biosphere 2

by Carly Rae Zent
June 11, 2026 | Poetry

We are all dressed in red.
I wouldn't do this if I wasn't in love.
The man who stands in the center
of the press photos. His brawny bald head,
his ability to do one hundred push ups,
his passion for horticulture.

Daytime Moon: Living with Death

by Ryan-Ashley (Anderson) Maloney
May 14, 2026 | Kerri Schlottman

Lithium buried beneath the Salton Sea, the tragedy of hostile architecture, and the connections between colonialism and ecological collapse. The search for identity, fractured family systems, and the role spiritual and symbolic practices play...

Why Song of Songs Is No Longer Required Reading for Youth Group

by Thad DeVassie
May 12, 2026 | Poetry

It is reminiscent of late-night Cinemax. It is a telenovela, juicy parts only. The book is rightfully missing from children’s early reader versions. It is making the youth pastor blush.

Luke’s Tops

by Ryan-Ashley (Anderson) Maloney
May 7, 2026 | The Deep End

You don’t have to read very far into Kill Dick to notice that this isn’t your average whodunnit thriller. The characters are complex in the way that real people are: genuinely kind but also sort...

News

June 2026 reading, confessional column, book deal, recent publications and…read more

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Notes

5.15.2026

by admin
May 15, 2026 | Notes

Conversation between Kerri Schlottman and Ryan-Ashley about new book Daytime Moon live now

5.7.2026

by admin
May 7, 2026 | Notes

Read Luke’s Tops for art, film, and theory influential to the writing of Kill Dick

1.10.2026

by admin
January 10, 2026 | Notes

We accepted Matt Knutson’s story collection and plan to publish it Winter 26/27! ...

Upcoming

June 3 Reading

Wed., Feb. 3, 6-7pm featuring Stephanie Adams-Santos, Matt Knutson, touring authors Kerri Schlottman and Nora Lange, and Santi Elijah Holley! RSVP

Summer 2026

Stay tuned for updates about our inaugural anthology, coming out this summer!

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Newly Published

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