Welcome
Welcome to the official website of Ernest Langston.
Ernest Langston is a multifaceted writer/visual artist working in fiction and dramatic writing. In 2012, his debut novel, Born from Ashes, was self-published; his second novel, Beyond Everyday Secrets, was published in 2014.
In 2018, his feature-length screenplay, Electric Lazarus, was a finalist in the Seattle Film Summit/Bigfoot Script Challenge.
In 2019, Ernest received the PEN Writer’s Award and became a Can Serrat International Artist Residency recipient. His short story, The All-Time Low All-Stars, was published in The Pitkin Review: Spring 2020 edition.
In 2020, Ernest’s stage play, The Love Solstice, debuted at Goddard College’s Take Ten! Play Festival.
In 2021, Ernest received a Sitka Center for Art and Ecology residency, University of Washington Whiteley Center residency, and Vashon Artist Residency. His feature-length screenplay, Paradise Run, was a finalist in the Seattle Film Summit/Bigfoot Script Challenge.
In 2022, Ernest received a Centrum Emerging Writers Residency (Full Scholarship).
Ernest’s short story titled Sign the Papers was published in The Plentitudes Journal Spring 2022 issue.
In 2023, Ernest received a Takt Artist Residency (3-Month, Artist Residency in Leipzig, Germany).
Ernest’s short story titled In My Time of Dying was published in Litro Magazine June (#TuesdayTales) 2023.
In 2024, Ernest was a Prizes’ Selection Committee Juror for Fiction (Guest Judge: Joss Lake). The Plentitudes Journal, Spring 2024.
CRAFT Literary Magazine selected Ernest as a reader for their general fiction submissions, 2024 EcoLit Challenge, First Chapters Contest (Guest Judge: Kimberly King Parsons), and 2024 Short Fiction Prize (Guest Judge: Deesha Philyaw).
Ernest’s short story Just Passing Through was selected for Coverfly’s The Red List Fantasy Short Story (Prose/Top Ten).
Scarlet: A Literary Journal published Ernest’s short story titled When We Were Cowboys in July, 2024. “Ernest Langston explores memory and identity in an uncanny way that invites intrigue and the unexpected.” — Jaded Ibis Press. July, 2024.
The University of Chicago’s The Taborian published Ernest’s story Real Men Don’t Cry in August, 2024.
Oyster River Pages published Ernest’s story titled The Separatist in their August, 2024 issue (an audio excerpt read by Ernest). “This is one for when you want to settle in and be told a story. An American writer comes to an artists’ residency in a centuries’-old house in Spain, only to encounter a free-spirited woman and ghosts that aren’t his.” — Carolyn Wilson-Scott, Fiction Editor at Oyster River Pages.
Read Ernest’s full interview with Oyster River Pages https://www.oysterriverpages.com/contributor-showcase-41/ernest-langston
The Acentos Review published Ernest’s story titled Castle in the Woods in their October, 2024 issue.
Running Wild & RIZE will publish Ernest’s story titled The Photograph in their Running Wild Press – Annual Short Story Anthology, Volume 9 (forthcoming: May, 2026).
Ernest was awarded a grant from 4Culture’s 2024 Cultural Producers Recovery Fund.
Ernest’s artwork titled Familiar Strangers was accepted/showcased at Gallerium Art Exhibitions‘ 3rd Annual People 2025: Experience Humanity Through Art Exhibition (exhibition and publication) From March 1, 2025 til May 1, 2025, Ernest’s artwork is on exhibition.
Artist Trust presented Ernest Langston an Artist Trust Fellowship Award (Literary Artist), 2025.
Ernest partnered with the Blue Stoop Organization to donate a free creative writing workshop. The 1-hour writing workshop titled Retaining the Roving Reader can be viewed at Youtube.com (April, 2025).
Lowlife Lit Press will publish five of Ernest’s paintings (forthcoming/Artwork: Blood for Oil; Social Media Friends; Tombstones in a Flood; Woman in the Woods; Green Woman Mural on a Building).
Ernest’s artwork titled Sea of Doubt was accepted/showcased at Exhibizone‘s 2nd Annual International Future 2025 Exhibition (and publication).
Ernest’s artwork titled Pink Ladies was accepted/showcased at Gallerium and The Book of Arts’ 3rd Annual Shapes and Colors 2025 Exhibition (and publication).
Pictura Journal (Artwork: https://picturajournal.com/issue-four/artwork-issue-four/ernest-langston/Green Woman Mural on a Building). August, 2025.
The Ana (art and literary magazine) published four of Ernest’s paintings (Social Media Friends – p.35; Familiar Strangers – p.52; When You No Longer Know Me – p.70; Woman in the Woods – p.99) in their #17 issue, September, 2025.
NxEra Art Gallery (NYC) accepted Ernest’s artwork for their Silent Voices Exhibition, spotlighted one of his paintings (Familiar Strangers), and quoted “… Through both visual art and words, Langston creates evocative narratives that weave together emotional experiences, discoveries, and the persistent mysteries of life. His work invites us to pause, reflect, and embrace compassion beyond judgment…” August, 2025.
Feign Literary Fiction Magazine has published Ernest’s short story titled Walk a Mile. “Ernest’s Langston’s “Walk a Mile” is a playfully strange story about a pair of slippers, a pair of slippers so strange that you probably won’t ever forget about them… Langston’s dialogue and characters delight as they intrigue, and “Walk a Mile” is not one to skip over.” — Kylie MW Rybak, Founder and Editor of Feignlit.com.
Rawhead Journal published three of Ernest’s paintings (One Sep Beyond; Woman in the Woods; Green Woman Mural on a Building) in their Special Issue #1/Fall 2025.
The Holy Art Gallery (NYC) accepted Ernest’s artwork for their upcoming exhibition. November 8th – 10th, 2025.
Entre Magazine published two of Ernest’s paintings (Social Media Friends and When You Longer Know Me) in their Volume 3/Fall 2025 issue.
International Human Rights Art Movement: Voices of the Unhoused Literary Magazine (IHRAM Press) accepted Ernest’s painting titled Cabin in the Woods for their December, 2025 issue.
Ernest holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and an MFA in Creative Writing. He resides on the West Coast and is a member of the following organizations: NALIP; PEN America; Centrum Artist Network; Pacific Northwest Writers Association; Association of Writers & Writing Programs.
Ernest’s artwork is available for purchase at Cohart.com.
Click the links below for more info.
What if everything you love disappeared? Born from Ashes is a modern-day story about love, loss, hope, and redemption, set in San Francisco. When Miles Burns, a twenty-five-year old, uninspired writer discovers infidelity in his relationship, he begins his social descent, losing his girlfriend, place of residence, bookstore job, and best friend. Financial desperation leads Miles to reluctantly accept an employment offer from a Heidi Fleissesque hustler named Antoinette. On his dark-humored journey toward redemption, Miles moonlights as a coy escort named Hefner and encounters a variety of tragically amusing clients, each illustrating the idea that not all is what it appears to be. Born from Ashes is a fast-paced tour around the streets of San Francisco with hipster, West Coast characters offering a grab bag of urban adventures, misadventures, and unexpected events. Artist-types, thrill-seekers, modern-day romantics, and daring readers are encouraged to take the tour.
Born from Ashes (French Edition) Né-Cendres
Et si tout ce que vous aimez disparaissait ? Born from Ashes est une histoire moderne sur l’amour, la perte, l’espoir et la rédemption, qui se déroule à San Francisco. Lorsque Miles Burns, un écrivain sans inspiration de vingt-cinq ans, découvre l’infidélité dans sa relation, il entame sa descente sociale, perdant sa petite amie, son lieu de résidence, son emploi dans une librairie et son meilleur ami. Le désespoir financier conduit Miles à accepter à contrecœur une offre d’emploi d’une arnaqueuse Heidi Fleissesque nommée Antoinette. Au cours de son voyage plein d’humour noir vers la rédemption, Miles travaille au noir en tant qu’escorte timide nommée Hefner et rencontre une variété de clients tragiquement amusants, chacun illustrant l’idée que tout n’est pas ce qu’il semble être. Born from Ashes est une tournée rapide dans les rues de San Francisco avec des personnages hipsters de la côte ouest offrant un sac à main d’aventures urbaines, de mésaventures et d’événements inattendus. Les artistes, les amateurs de sensations fortes, les romantiques des temps modernes et les lecteurs audacieux sont encouragés à faire le tour.
Jack Marshall, a pot-selling, 20-something, wants adventure in his mundane, suburban life. When Charlie calls on a Friday night and invites Jack to San Francisco, Jack accepts without hesitation. It is all fun, cocktails, and laughter, until the two friends are separated. Jack, adrift in an unfamiliar city, attempts to reconnect with Charlie, but the city has other plans for him. Over the course of two days, Jack crosses paths with a variety of strangers and meets Delilah, a beautiful woman with a penchant for kinky sex. As hours fade away, Jack walks a fine line between life and death and experiences more excitement than he had ever imagined— but the secrets will haunt him for the rest of his life.
The Pitkin Review: Spring 2020 edition.
“My work comes from how I perceive the world around me. I write from a point of empathy, free from judgement, to greater understand my finite existence and help others navigate through theirs. My stories are testimonials of my emotional experiences and discoveries intertwined with ever-present mysteries.” — Ernest Langston
Audio Excerpts
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Ernest Langston 