Caleb Tankersley

Hello past, present, and future readers!

It’s been a while, something like a year. I’ve been busy. You’ve been busy. The world’s been busy (unfortunately). Here’s a quick rundown of what’s been happening over the past twelve months:

-In June 2024 I spent several weeks in New York and then upstate at Millay Arts. The place was lovely, rejuvenating, and inspiring. I spent time with several other wonderful artists cooking meals, laughing, and encouraging each other in producing work.

-As of September 2024 I’m now a tenure-track Assistant Professor at the University of St. Thomas. I’m grateful to still be here, and I’m excited for all the future possibilities in growing and expanding our creative writing and publishing programs. It’s safe to say this has taken up an enormous amount of my time over the past year.

-I’ve participated in the Twin Cities Book Festival, the Mission Creek Book Festival, and the upcoming Spring Publishing Festival (May 10, 2025). I love a good literary festival. You can often find me there.

-In January I spent time traveling around Seattle and San Francisco which culminated in my first Friendsidency with the lovely writer Maia Ipp. I can’t recommend a good friendsidency enough (or a good friend).

-In April 2025 I was a Visiting Writer on the campus of Auburn University Montgomery. I had a great time chatting with some interested students, reading from Sin Eaters, and sitting down for a wide-ranging conversation with my good friend, the writer Kent Quaney. A lovely time was had by all.

–Sin Eaters turned three! I’m so proud of my little book of stories, and I’m grateful for all the places it’s taken me. Three years on and I think it holds up.

-Finally, what’s next? This year has been quiet on the publishing front. This is because all my efforts are being put into the new book. I won’t say much now, but I’m hard at work on a novel, and I’m hoping to get more work done on the manuscript at some new residencies this summer. It’s coming together. And as soon as I can I plan on returning to my first love: short stories and poems.

Thanks for caring and keeping up with my work. This school year there’s been less new work, but you know what they say about fallow fields: they’re busy growing stronger.

Stay tuned.

Hello, Readers. I hope this season has been treating you well.

Life has been very busy lately: teaching, getting sick, and traveling to the Philippines! But that hasn’t stopped my writing. Here’s a little update of what’s been happening this past season and what the future looks like for me and my writing:

My short story “What are you afraid of?” came out in the latest issue of Hayden’s Ferry Review

Another short piece “Tossed-in-a-Chair!” was published in Boudin

Forthcoming publications will be in Storm Cellar, Cobra Milk, and Tuskegee Review

At AWP in Kansas City this year I played host and emcee to Split/Lip Press’s 10 Year Anniversary reading, which was a joy! I also participated on a panel called “Show Me, Don’t Tell: Missouri Writers Grappling With the State of Our State.” The whole conference was a ton of fun. I always love seeing familiar faces and catching up with my writing friends.

In late March I’ll be traveling to New Orleans for the Saints & Sinners LGBTQ+ Literary Festival! There I’ll be on two panels and a reading. The events are:

The Role of the Publisher: Advocacy and Responsibility (Saturday, March 23)

Lo(o)sing Our Religion: LGBTQ+ Writers Grapple With Spirituality (Sunday, March 24)

Saints and Sinners Writers Reading (Sunday, March 24)

In April I’ll do even more traveling for the Midnight Sun Visiting Writers Series at University of Alaska Fairbanks! I’m super excited to visit Alaska for the first time and to get to work with such wonderful students there. I’ll engage with a workshop, craft talk, and reading. And hopefully find a bit of time to try and glimpse the northern lights!

Another writing event on the horizon: I’ve been accepted into a residency at Millay Arts! In June I’ll spent two weeks at a lovely barn in upstate New York, steadily working on my novel. (Yeah, I know, I know. I’m still working on it. These things take time.)

I’ve also been busy teaching my first Graduate course at the University of St. Thomas. And some final big news: I’ve just accepted a tenure-track Assistant Professor position here! I’ll be staying at St. Thomas and around the Twin Cities for the time being. I’m super grateful for the opportunity to continue working with my wonderful students and colleagues in St. Paul.

That’s all it for now, although there are some other potential opportunities along the far horizon. I hope this finds you well, that you’re steadily working on your own creative projects, and that your best life is in front of you.

Hello! A quick update on writing and book promotion:

The summer workshops and festivals in Portland, Vermont, and North Carolina were amazingly fun. I was lucky to interact with so many wonderful writers, and I met people who are now friends for life. You can listen to my Bread Loaf Fellows reading here.

I don’t have many events lined up for the Fall, but I will be part of the Minnesota Author Showcase at the Twin Cities Book Festival. If you’re in the area, come to this free event at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds on Saturday, October 14. I’m on the Literary Fiction I Showcase Panel at 1:00 PM.

Also, check out this excellent review of Sin Eaters that came out from F(r)iction! Thanks to Victoria Bruick for the review.

I’m working on some other events and residencies for next year, including taking the book to New Orleans! But that’s for a future post.

I’ve had some other, non-Sin Eaters related publication news recently, including two poems published in Delta Poetry Review and forthcoming work in Hayden’s Ferry Review, Storm Cellar, and a wonderful UK indie mag called Cobra Milk. I’m excited to see these pieces emerge into the world soon.

That’s all for now, but there’ll definitely be more in the future. I’m steadily working on Novel 1 while also trying not to get distracted by Novel 2 and random story ideas that appear and demand to be written. I’ll get to it all eventually. In the meantime, thanks for reading!

Hello! This still feels like a funny way to let readers know what I’m up to but I’m grateful to anyone wandering the internet who stumbles onto my book/site. Here are some recent and upcoming events:

“Ghosts on TV” was featured on the Season 3 debut of Short Stack Stories. Liv and Jackie do such a professional job presenting authors’ works. It’s so fun to hear stories read by actors. Go give this story (and their many others) a listen.

I recently recorded a fun podcast episode for Book Club with Julia & Victoria! I appreciated the deep-dive discussion into Sin Eaters, especially character psychologies, religious influences, and writing process. Give the podcast a listen, especially if you love long-form conversations where artists sometimes chat about the art and sometimes about which Oreo variety is best.

This week is the Greensboro Bound Literary Festival! On Saturday, May 20 I’ll be on a panel called “Suspended Disbelief: The Lure of Magical Realism” with Glenn Taylor. Glenn’s new book The Songs of Betty Baach is absolutely stunning! If you’re at the festival or near Greensboro, please come talk with us about weird fiction.

Work on the novel continues! (I discuss this a bit in the Book Club podcast). And to make sure it doesn’t stall, I’m attending a number of summer writing venues. After Greensboro, my next stop will be Portland for the Tin House Summer Workshop! I’ll work with the great Kristen Arnett on trying to pull this novel together. If you happen to be going, feel free to reach out to me!.

Finally, in August I’ll have the great fortune to be a Fiction Fellow at the 2023 Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference! I’m honored to be awarded a fellowship, excited to help younger writers with their projects, and eager to learn from some craft masters myself.

The summer is packed with events and writing, and there’s more on the way, including some publications. Check back in this space for more info. In the meantime, I really should be writing. Right after I finish this package of dark chocolate Oreo Thins.

Hello, readers! Thanks for all your interest in Sin Eaters over the past few months. I’ve had a great time chatting with students at the University of St. Thomas in a Colloquium reading, and I spent some time with the good people at Aims Community College as part of their Words with Writers series.

I recently had a new short story published, “The Eternal Combustion Engine” on the wonderful online magazine Thirteen Bridges.

If you’ll be at AWP 2023 in Seattle, you can find me most of the time at the Split/Lip Press Table, T1039. I’ll be signing copies of Sin Eaters at the Permafrost/University of Alaska Press Table (T1307) on Friday, March 10 from 11:00-12:00. Come by and say hello!

In the next few months I have a few podcast appearances to look forward to. I can also announce that I’ll be a featured writer at the Greensboro Bound Literary Festival, May 18-20. If you’re in the Greensboro/Winston-Salem area at that time, I’d love to see you at the festival.

Of course, one of the most common questions I get asked is “what’s next?” While I’m very busy teaching, I am hard at work on a novel. I hope to have more news on that front soon.

Thanks again to anyone mildly interested enough to keep up with my writing. The most gratifying aspect of this book coming out has been interacting with readers. I appreciate every one of you.