History That Never Was

Home of Dawn Vogel: Writer, Historian, Geek

This Book Has Ghosts in It out today!

| March 10, 2026

My latest collection, This Book Has Ghosts in It, is out today! Ghosts of the modern era aren’t always those of the deceased. In this collection are ghosts of ideas, creatures of death, and creepy plants and places, in addition to the more traditional forms of ghosts. Short stories, tiny stories, and poetry keep you wondering […]

This Book Has Ghosts in It Cover Reveal

| February 12, 2026

My next collection, filled with spooky stories and poetry, will be called This Book Has Ghosts in It, and it’s available for pre-order in ebook now! Ghosts of the modern era aren’t always those of the deceased. In this collection are ghosts of ideas, creatures of death, and creepy plants and places, in addition to the […]

The Tower in A Tarot of Sorcery and Sages

| February 10, 2026

The Tower tarot card is often viewed negatively, due to its association with disasters, destruction, and trauma. However, it also has associations with sudden change, which can be negative or positive. In A Tarot of Sorcery and Sages, this is represented by a haiku and a piece of microfiction. The haiku, called “Fire burning inside” […]

“The Train Station That Knows What You Need” and “We Dream in Color” in Chimerical Remembrance

| January 27, 2026

I have two flash fiction pieces that share themes of longing, dreams, and also colors: “The Train Station That Knows What You Need” and “We Dream in Color.” The first story, “The Train Station That Knows What You Need,” is a fairly dreamy surreal piece about a remote Japanese train station with abnormal properties. The […]

“To Live is the Rarest Thing in the World” and “Thirty to Fifty (Plus) Non-Feral Hogs

| January 22, 2026

Because Weathering Youth is my biggest collection to date, I’m grouping the short stories and flash fiction stories in pairs for my posts, based on the way they fall in the collection. This lets me look at the connections between the stories and how I decided to arrange specific stories in the collection! Both “To Live is […]

December 2025 Recap and Publications

| January 6, 2026

By the numbers: Stories out at the beginning of the month: 30 Acceptances received: 3 Rejections received: 12 (+2) Stories withdrawn: 1 Resubmissions: 20 New Submissions: 6 Stories out at the end of the month: 38 My December numbers are up a little from November, as I worked on getting some submissions out into the […]

My 2025 Awards Eligibility

| December 30, 2025

I’ve had quite a few stories and poems out this year, so here’s a recap of things I’ve published that are eligible for awards consideration! Short Stories “One Person’s Nightmare,” Rescuing Curiosity (2,500 words, contemporary fantasy) “It Can’t Be Sunday Everywhere at Once,” Rescuing Curiosity (3,200 words, sci-fi) “Last Dam Standing,” Analog July/August 2025 (3,000 words, sci-fi/climate change) […]

“Gosutouotchi” and “Remote Control” in Weathering Youth

| December 18, 2025

Because Weathering Youth is my biggest collection to date, I’m grouping the short stories and flash fiction stories in pairs for my posts, based on the way they fall in the collection. This lets me look at the connections between the stories and how I decided to arrange specific stories in the collection! “Gosutouotchi” and “Remote Control” […]

Temperance in A Tarot of Sorcery and Sages

| December 11, 2025

The Temperance tarot card represents patience, balance, moderation, and harmony. However, it also has an association with art and blending opposites. In A Tarot of Sorcery and Sages, this is represented by a haiku and a poem. The haiku, named after the first line, “art that walks careful,” touches on the dangers of hewing to […]

October and November 2025 Recap and Publications

| December 4, 2025

By the numbers: Stories out at the beginning of the month: 43 Acceptances received: 4 Rejections received: 15 (+6) Stories withdrawn: 0 Resubmissions: 11 New Submissions: 1 Stories out at the end of the month: 30 October and November wound up being very chaotic for me, with a lot of traveling, K-pop events, a wedding, […]