"Run and Reach for the Stars" (a poem)
Go on, you've got this,
This website is dedicated to celebrating diversity in literature! If you like to read work by new writers, please visit Short Stories & Poems. To lcheck out book reviews and to learn about the history of exclusion in film, television, literature, and comic books, visit Essays. On the Resources page, you will find a vast array of articles to help you explore new books and new ways of reading as well as a few articles for the writers among us. All are welcome to participate in the monthly writing contests. Visit Writing Contests to find out this month's theme and to find out how to participate. Visit the Submissions page if you would like to submit your work to be featured on this platform. And if you are an indie, self-published, or up-and-coming author or poet, consider contacting me about being featured in one of the Author Q&A posts or for your book to be included in the Book Release Radar. Underground Bookshelf is on Patreon for those who would like to help me keep this project going. You're also welcome to subscribe to the monthly newsletter to receive regular updates. May you find your next favorite book or author! Happy reading!
5 Jan 2026 14:09
Go on, you've got this,
19 Dec 2025 19:54
The series centering poverty and homelessness continues with books for young adult readers! There have been some cruel statements made in the American media and actions taken by the U.S. government that target unhoused individuals in recent months. In response to those words and actions, we're sharing resources for folks in need of food, shelter, or other supplies, ways young adult readers can support people experiencing poverty, homelessness, and food insecurity, and books you can read that discuss these topics either in fictional or nonfictional contexts.
19 Dec 2025 19:53
The series centering poverty and homelessness continues with books for young adult readers! There have been some cruel statements made in the American media and actions taken by the U.S. government that target unhoused individuals in recent months. In response to those words and actions, we're sharing resources for folks in need of food, shelter, or other supplies, ways young adult readers can support people experiencing poverty, homelessness, and food insecurity, and books you can read that discuss these topics either in fictional or nonfictional contexts.
16 Dec 2025 14:27
"The Nightmare" by Arushi Kashyap is a spooky tale of a dream gone wrong. It is told in eight parts, with each part whisking the reader into a new dreamscape. This is Chapter Four.
16 Dec 2025 14:23
In a town called 'losie
16 Dec 2025 14:20
I've been really lucky this year, between having the honor of being a first-time parent, spending time with family, working on my next book, starting up the free secondhand bookshelf, and continuing the mission of Underground Bookshelf.
15 Dec 2025 15:01
Something isn’t right with Jade O’Reilly. She’s felt this way since that strange trip to an abandoned hospital where her Dad told her Mom had Stage-4 cancer. In the following days, and while drifting in and out of consciousness, Jade wonders if she hit her head, or if she’s slowly losing her mind. Desperate for answers she visits an urgent care clinic and two hospitals and is treated inhumanely as her crisis escalates. Her mismatched friends and a well-intentioned cousin try to help, yet frequent episodes of dissociation continue to pull Jade into a hellscape of her own. Will she find the answers she seeks? Will any of her friends wait it out with her? Or is Jade meant to navigate this desert alone?
11 Dec 2025 16:13
I'm extending the deadline because I didn't get the announcement posted to the website as early as I usually do. Rather than closing contest submissions on December 14th, submissions will remain open until December 31st. Thanks for understanding!
11 Dec 2025 15:40
"Mandai Pond" is a retelling of a Japanese legend about a demon and the magical rite that trapped it beneath the pond a thousand years ago. The photos shared alongside this story were taken by the author on a visit to Mandai Pond near Shitennoji Temple in Japan.
11 Dec 2025 15:38
"The Nightmare" by Arushi Kashyap is a spooky tale of a dream gone wrong. It is told in eight parts, with each part whisking the reader into a new dreamscape. This is Chapter Three.
10 Dec 2025 13:33
"The Nightmare" by Arushi Kashyap is a spooky tale of a dream gone wrong. It is told in eight parts, with each part whisking the reader into a new dreamscape. This is Chapter Two.
10 Dec 2025 13:31
Full as our hands are
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