Books and Collections

Old Girls and Palm Trees

Old Girls and Palm Trees is an illustrated collection about iconoclasts, perpetual dreamers, tightrope walkers, living room magicians, cat lovers, and female friendship. The “old girls” in these linked hybrid pieces are women of a certain age who, in an alternate reality, refuse to accept the stereotypes of aging. The collection is conjured from dreamscapes of what just may be true. The poems, prose poems and micros in this collection invite us into an alternate reality where joy and love for same sex friends become a magical force to be reckoned with.

First Law of Holes: New and Selected Stories

“Meg Pokrass has mastered the shortest forms, but her work is no small thing. … Through delicate contrasts, subtle gestures, minute characterisation, flash fiction is elevated from being a mere mood, or colorwork, into a medium that’s able to touch on the intrinsic fractures and shattering that make us 21st century humans.”

—Chris Vaughan, Volume 1 Brooklyn

Kissing the Monster Hunter

Kissing the Monster Hunter is a new chapbook about monster hunters, unseen monsters, perpetual dreamers, and the creatures (human and otherwise) who love them.

The House of Gran Padano

In The House of Grana Padano, co-written by Meg Pokrass and Jeff Friedman, each shimmering micro story hovers between standup comedy and the unfolding of tragedy, between the mask and the mirror.

Spinning To Mars

A collection of 70 linked micro stories about relationships and the difficulties of love. Winner of San Francisco’s Blue Light Book Award, 2021. Published by Blue Light Press.

The Loss Detector

Set in coastal California, The Loss Detector is a funny/sad portrait of teenage blues and of a small, transplanted family of non-conformists. The flawed but lovable characters in Pokrass’ novella remind us of how the world’s most beautiful places are not always the easiest in which to thrive. Moments of giddy, perceived freedom set against resignation dot the narrative in such a way that will leave you changed.

The Dog Seated Next To Me

“Meg Pokrass achieves so much deep characterization in such a tight space that she is like an architect of tiny houses that allow her characters to live full lives in extremely small spaces.”
—Aimee Parkison, Rain Taxi

The Dog Looks Happy Upside Down

“The people in these stories need Meg Pokrass. Their lives are tough but her imagination is the fire-lasso that can save them, save us.

Cellulose Pajamas

In a smattering of sassy, wry words Meg Pokrass creates a universe of love in Cellulose Pajamas.

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Meg Pokrass is a transformative force for any writer of the short form. I turned to her for support on two separate projects with extraordinary results: my flash fiction chapbook, Combat Zones, won the Boudin Flash Fiction Chapbook Contest, judged by Roxane Gay, and my creative nonfiction chapbook, The Island of Ghost Ships, was accepted for publication by Finishing Line Press. Her editorial eye is surgical yet soulful. She doesn’t just edit, she helps you see what your writing is truly capable of. Whether you are writing fiction or CNF, her mentorship is the best investment you can make in your writing career.

–Jamy Bond

The nuanced tonal complexity, which can go from the whimsical to a darker irony in the turn of a phrase, has been the signature feature of the work of Meg Pokrass. investment you can make in your writing career.

–Stuart Dybek

Meg has recently been mentoring and supporting me with a manuscript of stories. I can’t recommend her highly enough. Her astute observations, suggestions and edits have, in my opinion, transformed the whole collection. Her enthusiasm and encouragement have also really helped my confidence as a writer and I’m excited to soon submit the finished collection. Great value in every sense.

–Jane Salmons

I would not be writing flash without Meg Pokrass. I found my voice in flash. I didn’t even understand what that meant—finding your voice—until, suddenly, I realized I had done it. It was because of the community Meg built, the encouragement she offered, and, maybe more than anything, explaining to me what worked when it worked—why this story was better than that one. I’ve said I would not be writing flash without Meg and that’s true. I might not even be writing at all. The encouragement and finding my feet with her help came at a critical time for me.

–Epiphany Ferrell

Taking Meg’s workshops and teaching ekphrastic workshops together has given me a window into her amazing imagination and improved my own writing immeasurably. She is a dynamite storyteller, but also has a very special gift for helping to shape a story. It is incredible how she will pull out the heart of the story and help a writer rearrange or finish it. Meg can help you bring your stories to life in a magical way.

–Lorette C. Luzajic