Charm City Spec Official

Hornytown Chutzpah (releasing March 17) book cover on the left. Schedule of March signings and readings on the right.

One down (A phenomenal success. Thanks @charmcityspec.bsky.social) and so much more to go.

Join me. Invite me!

Somto Ihezue seated at a red-covered table representing the University of Maryland MFA in Creative Writing program at the 2026 AWP convention in Baltimore, with a tall Department of English banner and promotional materials displayed on the table.

From Left to Right: Rutendo Chidzodzo, Sheree Renee Thomas, and Somto Ihezue at the AWP convention in Baltimore.

Somto Ihezue and Neil Clarke at the Clarkesworld booth at the 2026 AWP convention in Baltimore.

Somto Ihezue and Augustine Obasi at the 2026 AWP Convention in Baltimore.

Had a blast up in Baltimore at #AWP representing the University of Maryland’s MFA in Creative Writing program and running into @shereereneethomas.bsky.social, @clarkesworldmagazine.com, @michaeljdeluca.bsky.social and so many wonderful people!!!!✨

Looking northwest from the World Trade Center Baltimore—clear skies, glittering skyline.

Come see Baltimore from a new vantage, as you listen to up-and-coming authors reading fresh new work! At the Top of the World Observatory, World Trade Center Baltimore. 5pm today!

A Hugo winning literary critic called Andrew Hiller's latest, "a light, funny, and audacious novella that relies as much on screwball comedy as it does hard boiled noir, all with a dash of Manischewitz wine."

Andrew Hiller has been a humor best seller, seen his plays grace the New York stage, and been an award-winning reporter, but his geek heaven period may have been working with the original Jim Henson gang!

Andrew Hiller reads from his mischievous Jewish fantasy noir, at the Top of the World Observatory (and with a surprise special guest!) Come join us for the highest—measured by altitude—AWP offsite in Baltimore, as we host a Charm City Spec in the sky!
#AWP #AWP2026 #awpoffsites

Elwin's debut novel The Age of Ignorance will be published by Scribner in 2027. He has worked as a video game consultant and writer for Square Enix. He is a winner of the 2025 Whiting Award in Fiction. He writes this and that on his Substack.

Elwin Cotman is a storyteller from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He is the author of five books: the poetry collection The Wizard’s Homecoming, and the short story collections The Jack Daniels Sessions EP, Hard Times Blues, Dance on Saturday, and Weird Black Girls.

Free to all! Everybody is welcome! March 4th @ 5pm Charm City Spec and AWP present: ELWIN COTMAN in a live reading with an astonishing program of authors 27th Floor Observatory World Trade Center Baltimore Charm City Spec (Say "Charm City" at the door to gain entry after hours) PLEASE USE THE ELEVATORS

Please use the elevators when you come to hear Elwin Cotman read from the 27th floor observatory! Don't miss this one of a kind event!

(Free to all. Just say "Charm City" at the door to gain entry after hours.)

Free for all! Everybody is welcome! March 4th at 5:00 pm Charm City Spec and AWP present Chris Campbell, in a live reading at the Top of the World Observatory, 27th story of the World Trade Center Baltimore. PLEASE USE THE ELEVTORS! Just say "Charm City" to get in the door after hours!

Don't miss red-hot writer Chris Campbell when he reads his truths from the highest building in the Inner Harbor. This will be a Charm City Spec like no other. The program is STACKED with talent! Come out and join us!

Gina Tron lights up the top of the World Trade Center Baltimore, when she reads from her as-yet unpublished novel, as part of Charm City Spec! Live readings, free for all 5-7pm this Wednesday! Don't miss this one-of-a-kind event!
#WhiskeyTit #AWP2026
#AWPoffsite

View facing southeast on a recent snowy day, from the 27th story of the World Trade Center Baltimore.

Don't miss the loftiest literary event ever held in Baltimore, and killer views of the city at sunset! 5-7pm on Wednesday March 4th. Free to all, and everyone is welcome! #AWP2026 #AWPoffsite2026
#AWPoffsite
#CharmCitySpec

Andrew Katz, when not reading and writing fiction, enjoys puppers and doggos, black coffee, hiking and writing bios that read like poorly made dating profiles. He is also the proud owner of several paintings he did himself and hides from the world because they’re bad.

like Dixon Place, St. Anne’s Warehouse and LaMaMa ETC. James spends most of his time playing Legos and debating which super powers are the best with his wife and two children in Brooklyn, NY where he lives.

James Simmons wrote the second and third draft of his first novel A Ghost Among Magnolias at the Djerassi Resident Artist Program in the winter of 2022. He is trained as an performer/ playwright and holds an MFA in Theater from Sarah Lawrence College. He’s worked with theater companies...

The Tit's @ginatron.bsky.social will be there, with some of our besties. Please go! Take photos!

March 4th @ 5pm Charm City Spec and AWP present: live readings by LANTERNFISH PRESS authors James Mater Simmons III reads from his forthcoming novel A GHOST AMONG MAGNOLIAS Andrew Katz reads from VampireGideon's Suicide Hotline Free to all! Everybody is welcome! 27th Floor Observatory World Trade Center Baltimore Charm City Spec

Lanternfish Press authors Andrew Katz and James Slater Simmons III read as part of Charm City Spec's AWP festivities! From the Top of the World Observatory — don't miss it!
#AWP2026 #AWoffsite2026
#CharmCitySpec #AWPBaltimore

This is going to be so much fun! If you're attending #AWP in #Baltimore check it out!

Next year: AWP but we just do the offsites for three solid nights and skip the rest. That's the idea. Now buy the books so we can make it happen.

I'll be a part of this reading a week from today on 3/4. If you're in the Baltimore area, it would be lovely to see you there! What a cool location for a reading!

Image is of the 28-story-tall World Trade Center Baltimore, on a sunny day in the Inner Harbor. Text says: Charm City Spec, AWP offsite event. 27th floor, Top of the World Observatory, World Trade Center Baltimore, 401 Pratt Street. 5-7pm Wednesday March 4th, 2026. Live readings by: A.C. Wise, Andrew Hiller, Chris Campbell, Elwin Cotman, Gina Tron, James Slater Simmons III, Somto Ihenzue. Say "Charm City" at the door to enter after the building after hours. Free to all—everyone is welcome.

Don't miss the loftiest literary event ever in Baltimore, and killer views of the city at sunset! You won't regret it! #AWP2026 #AWPoffsite2026
#BaltimoreIsLit
#CharmCitySpec

The 2025 Bram Stoker Awards Final Ballot. Superior Achievement in an Anthology listing, including Storyteller: A Tanith Lee Tribute Anthology.

Shocking. Amazing. Thrilling. And that’s just the Blizzard of 2026! I’m so damn happy and grateful to see Storyteller is a finalist for the Stokers! @carinabissett.bsky.social @ethereallad.bsky.social

Photo of the World Trade Center Baltimore, with overlaid text: "IF YOU COULD PICK ANY ROOM IN BALTIMORE TO HOST A READING IN DURING THE AWP CONFERENCE, WHICH ONE WOULD YOU CHOOSE?" and below, in courier typeface, "SUNSET MARCH 4, CHARM CITY SPEC".

Plan to be there as Charm City Spec makes history with what is believed to be the loftiest reading event ever held in Baltimore! 5-7pm Wednesday March 4th at the Top of the awprld Observatory, 27th floor of the World Trade Center Baltimore—attendance is free, and all are welcome!
#AWP26 #AWPoffsite

O.M.G.

Publishers and authors, please make sure the contact form on your website actually connects to a person who will read and answer reasonable inquiries. Why even have a contact form if no one is gong to respond?

Hi Christine! I'm trying to get in touch with you or someone at LFP about an event for the AWP Conference! Please DM me (or respond to my email) if you read this!

For the Monday crowd:

Publications at the end of the year don't get as much lead time, so I'm trying to make up for that. Thanks for reading!

9- panel grid with write in dates (12/7 and 12/17), favorite book lists, and more

December’s giftable What I Love & Where I’ll Be is up at the patreoblog for all subscribers!

Contains details on December’s 2 free write-in sessions, goal/intention setting workshops, & a list of nifty gifty things.

Not signed up yet? Come on over & check it out!

www.patreon.com/posts/144927...

Charm City Spec alumna and fabulous writer and person, Meg Elison—really looking forward to this!!

MYTHIC DELIRIUM returns in 2026 At least that’s the goal! And the first phase is underway, with the forthcoming publication of Haralambi Markov’s debut collection of horror & Weird fiction, THE LANGUAGE OF KNIVES. (Introduction by Ann VanderMeer!) In a celebration of Mythic Delirium-enabled debuts, we’ve made C.S.E. Cooney’s BONE SWANS—which turned 10 years old this year—Barbara Krasnoff’s THE HISTORY OF SOUL 2065, and Yukimi Ogawa’s LIKE SMOKE, LIKE LIGHT available at HUGE discounts [US Only] in e-book AND paperback editions, WITH pre-orders of LANGUAGE OF KNIVES + shipping costs included in the prices! Please check it out & spread the word—all found here: https://bit.ly/BoneSwans10th

MYTHIC DELIRIUM returns w/ new books in 2026‼️

The 1st step toward that goal’s underway, w/ the forthcoming publication of Haralambi Markov’s debut collection of horror & Weird fiction THE LANGUAGE OF KNIVES. (Introduction by @annvandermeer.bsky.social!)

Sale link here! bit.ly/BoneSwans10th

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Congratulations to CCS alumnus and one of our all-time favorite writers, Vajra Chandrasekera!!