Tag: cult of productivity

Our first challenge of 2026 asked for writing that pushed back against “New Year, New Me” narratives, the pressure to optimize our time and our lives, and the idea that who we are right now is, somehow, not good enough. We’re pleased to announce our Cult of Productivity finalists, whose fiction and poems interrogate time, grief, and the price of beauty. Join us in celebrating these writers, and keep an eye out for their published pieces at the end of February!

First place

“Extra Minutes” by Cate McGowan

Second place

“Bury It Good and Deep” by G.R. Kramer

Third place

“The Regime” by Dom Birch

These winning pieces will publish at the end of February. Can’t wait? Check out the winners from previous challenges here.

Our shortlist recognizes the writers whose work resonated with our readers and made us reflect more deeply on the themes presented in our Cult of Productivity challenge: rest as resistance, what we lose when we doggedly pursue efficiency, and the stillness at the edges of our to-do lists. Join us in celebrating these poets and writers, and keep an eye out for our finalists next week! 

Fiction:

“Borrowed Bones” by Atlas Wilder

Poetry:

“The Word of the Day is Holus-Bolus” by Jennifer Blackledge

“Self-Portrait of a Salaryman” by Ysh Cabana

“note to my three boys, write this down” by Katie Halloran

“Biohacking” by Gordon Mitchell Smith

“There’s a Name for It” by Kathryn Ugoretz