The Dirty Issue

Photo by Denny Muller

Dear Reader,

For this issue of Barrelhouse, we sifted through the heap and discovered treasures caked in all sorts of filth. Our authors gave us the dirt: scandalous rivalries, dirty jobs, meditations on the muck and mire of everyday life, plain old sediment, and musings on humanity’s more inconvenient bodily functions.

We were impressed, surprised, and pleasantly disgusted by the variety of filth we feasted our eyes upon. Selecting only ten works out of a sea of delightfully grimy pieces proved to be a difficult task that required much thought, debate, and consideration. We are so grateful to every writer who submitted work, and are proud to present Barrelhouse’s Dirty Issue.

We hope these pieces help you appreciate the dirty parts of life.

Stay dirty,

The Editors

Note: This special online issue was edited by the students in Mike Ingram’s Fall 2025 Writers at Work class at Temple University. Editors include: Teresina Bova, Charlotte Chadwick, Genevieve DeBlasio, Sydney Dietrick, Sara Glaze, Alexis Hammond, Jack Jones, Madison Kifolo, Aidan Kinniry, Cheyenne Kirby, Laura Lahee, Astrid Le, Christian Lopez, Nicky McKee, Christian Patrick, Idris Settles, L Singleton, Soc Son, Kenna Stewart, Caitlin Weissing, and Maggie Whitfield.

Table of Contents

20 Episodes of WIping Your Own Bottom Lying Down, Fran Levin

Three Poems by Marianne Chan

Letters to the Editor, Josh Krigman

The Dirt Whisperer, Rod. A White

In Defense of the Dogs, Margo Moceyunas

Self Esteem, Grace Alvino

Three Poems by Flavian Mark Lupinetti

Dusted Off, Angela Townsend

Our Survey of Western Dirt, David DeGusta

The Dirt Beneath Their Nails, Marvin Garbeh Davis, Sr.