Literature

Fiction, essays, poems, and other work from the literary side of Amanda Barusch’s life.

Close-up of traditional brown leather boots with laces

Amanda Barusch’s literary work moves between memory, desire, wit, and reinvention. Here you’ll find her fiction, essays, poems, and updates on work in progress.

Selected Literary Work

Featured poems, essays, stories, and short-form literary publications.

A stylized golden star with eight points against a dark background.

Radio Lost & Found

IN DEVELOPMENT

The cover of a novel titled 'Radio Lost & Found' by Amanda Barusch. The cover depicts a desert road with mountains in the distance, a vintage car parked on the side, a dog sitting facing away, and a motel sign in the background. The sky is cloudy with a star, indicating a sunset or sunrise.

California's Inland Empire, 1972. Jolene is twenty-seven, guilt-worn, and escaping to Alaska — just her and her blue heeler on the open Mojave. On a one-night stop in Barstow, a ten-month-old boy disappears before dawn, and Jolene finds herself doing something she swore she never would: caring. Alicia Lombardi hosts a little radio show called Radio Lost & Found. She's been losing things her whole life, too. Then there is Radio: a cosmic voice asking whose stories get carried on the air, and whose get lost. Some things can't be recovered. Some people are worth the effort.

Close-up of a white, oversized dog collar with a bronze buckle and a small round identification tag attached.

Swagger & Ink

Amanda’s literary notebook. Reflections on books, memory, aging, womanhood, and the American West.

A star-shaped ornament with a metallic gold finish
Close-up of a downward-pointing red arrow symbol with a black background.
Books are my magic carpet, carrying me into distant times, strange rooms, and lives I might never otherwise know. Here you’ll find reflections on obscure, beautiful, and unforgettable books, along with occasional wanderings into memory, aging, womanhood, and the landscapes we call home.
— Amanda Barusch