Archway Editions

Archway Editions was a Brooklyn, New York literary imprint established in 2019 by editors Chris Molnar and Nic Nicoludis. It operated as an imprint of powerHouse Books and was distributed by Simon & Schuster. The imprint was developed around an editorial interest in books that conventional publishing might regard as unusually difficult to classify, commercially uncertain, formally experimental, or resistant to mainstream marketing. Its stated publishing territory included offbeat literary work, hybrid texts, poetry, drama, art-oriented books, autofiction, and nonfiction with distinctive cultural or aesthetic premises. The imprint’s early list included Ishmael Reed’s The Haunting of Lin-Manuel Miranda, a satirical dramatic work, as well as Unpublishable, an anthology edited by Molnar and Etan Nechin; Gabriel Kruis’s poetry collection Acid Virga; and other books that combined literary experimentation with strong visual, conceptual, or theatrical identities. Archway Editions subsequently published works by authors including Caitlin Forst, Erin Taylor, Clayton Purdom, Stacy Szymaszek, Paul Schrader, Alice Notley, Brantly Martin, Mike Sacks, Blake Butler, Claire Donato, charles theonia, Lindsey Webb, John Farris, Lynne Tillman, Christopher Coe, and Olivia Kan-Sperling. Its catalog crossed several literary and cultural modes rather than concentrating on a single genre. Drama and performance-oriented writing appeared alongside poetry, fiction, literary nonfiction, memoir-like or autofictional work, visual-literary collaborations, and books connected to music, film, popular culture, and subcultural criticism. The imprint also published multiple works by Ishmael Reed and Mike Sacks, and developed an identifiable relationship with writers whose projects had unusual structures or provocative subject matter. Archway Editions received attention beyond specialist publishing channels. Its books were excerpted or discussed by outlets including BOMB, Bookforum, The New York Review of Books, The Paris Review, and The New Yorker. Blake Butler’s Molly, published in 2023, became an unexpected commercial success for the small press and was reported by The New York Times in 2024 to have reached a fourth printing. That performance illustrated the imprint’s ability to combine an unconventional editorial program with occasional wider readership. In September 2025, the imprint’s staff published a letter stating that the entire staff had stepped down. The departing group included founders Chris Molnar and Nic Nicoludis, senior editor Naomi Falk, and publicist Mia Risher. The available reference material does not establish whether Archway Editions continued publishing under a new team, formally ceased operations, or remained dormant after the departures. In 2026, former staff announced a new imprint called Enigma Editions, distributed by Penguin Random House through MIT Press, with an initial author slate reported to include Ishmael Reed, Linda Yablonsky, and Carlos Reygadas. Enigma Editions is a separate imprint and should not be treated as a renamed Archway Editions without further confirmation.

Archway Editions was founded in 2019 in Brooklyn, New York, by Chris Molnar and Nic Nicoludis. It was established as a literary imprint of powerHouse Books and used Simon & Schuster for distribution. The imprint’s editorial identity centered on books that were unusual in form, subject, or audience and therefore potentially difficult to place within a conventional commercial publishing program. Its early description emphasized offbeat and hard-to-market work rather than a narrow genre category. The resulting list covered literary fiction, poetry, drama, nonfiction, anthologies, and books combining literary writing with visual art or cultural criticism. Among the imprint’s early titles was Ishmael Reed’s The Haunting of Lin-Manuel Miranda, published in 2020. Other early publications included Unpublishable, edited by Chris Molnar and Etan Nechin, and Gabriel Kruis’s Acid Virga. The catalog subsequently expanded to include works by established and emerging writers, including Ishmael Reed, Caitlin Forst, Erin Taylor, Clayton Purdom, Stacy Szymaszek, Paul Schrader, Alice Notley, Mike Sacks, Blake Butler, Claire Donato, charles theonia, Lindsey Webb, John Farris, Lynne Tillman, Christopher Coe, and Olivia Kan-Sperling. Archway Editions’ books were covered or excerpted by a range of literary and cultural publications, including BOMB, Bookforum, The New York Review of Books, The Paris Review, and The New Yorker. This visibility reflected the imprint’s role as a curator of formally distinctive and culturally idiosyncratic work. Its publication program also showed an interest in authors and projects connected with drama, film, music, visual culture, and experimental literary practice. A notable commercial development came with Blake Butler’s Molly, published in 2023. In 2024, The New York Times characterized the book as an unexpected hit for the small Brooklyn-based publisher and reported that it had reached a fourth printing. The title provided an example of an unconventional Archway project finding an audience substantially beyond the imprint’s specialist literary base. The imprint’s staff announced a collective departure in September 2025. The announcement identified Molnar, Nicoludis, Falk, and Risher among those leaving. The available material does not clarify whether Archway Editions subsequently retained an operating staff, released additional titles, or formally ended its publishing activity. In 2026, former staff members announced Enigma Editions, a separate imprint distributed by Penguin Random House through MIT Press. Although the new imprint’s initial author slate reportedly included Ishmael Reed, Linda Yablonsky, and Carlos Reygadas, the available sources do not establish a legal or corporate continuity between Enigma Editions and Archway Editions.

• 2026

  Enigma Editions is announced

  [1]Archway Editionsen.wikipedia.org

  Former Archway staff announce a separate imprint, Enigma Editions, with Penguin Random House distribution through MIT Press.

• 2025

  The full staff steps down

  [1]Archway Editionsen.wikipedia.org

  A staff letter announces the departure of the imprint’s entire known team, including its two founders, senior editor, and publicist.

• 2024

  Molly reaches a fourth printing

  [3]The New York Timesnytimes.com

  The New York Times reports that Molly has become an unexpected hit for the small imprint and has entered its fourth printing.

• 2023

  Molly and Archways 1 expand the catalog

  [1]Archway Editionsen.wikipedia.org

  Archway Editions publishes Blake Butler’s Molly and the multi-author volume Archways 1, alongside fiction, poetry, drama, and literary nonfiction.

• 2020

  Early publishing program launches

  [1]Archway Editionsen.wikipedia.org

  The imprint publishes early titles including The Haunting of Lin-Manuel Miranda, Unpublishable, and Acid Virga.

• 2019

  Archway Editions is founded

  [1]Archway Editionsen.wikipedia.org

  Chris Molnar and Nic Nicoludis establish Archway Editions in Brooklyn as a literary imprint of powerHouse Books.

An independent-minded literary imprint focused on unconventional, experimental, hybrid, and hard-to-market books, operating within the broader infrastructure of powerHouse Books and Simon & Schuster distribution.

• Drama · 2020

  The Haunting of Lin-Manuel Miranda

  Ishmael Reed’s satirical dramatic work was among Archway Editions’ early publications. Its provocative title and engagement with American culture exemplify the imprint’s interest in literary projects that resist straightforward commercial categorization.

• Fiction, poetry, and nonfiction anthology · 2020

  Unpublishable

  Edited by Chris Molnar and Etan Nechin, this anthology presents a mixed literary format spanning fiction, poetry, and nonfiction. The project reflects Archway Editions’ interest in assembling work that conventional publishing labels may treat as difficult or atypical.

• Poetry · 2020

  Acid Virga

  Gabriel Kruis’s poetry collection was part of the imprint’s initial catalog and helped establish its commitment to contemporary poetry alongside more overtly commercial or narrative forms.

• Fiction anthology · 2022

  NDA: An Autofiction Anthology

  Edited by Caitlin Forst, this anthology focuses on autofiction and extends the imprint’s interest in blurred boundaries between personal narrative, invention, and literary experimentation.

• Fiction, poetry, and nonfiction anthology · 2023

  Archways 1

  Edited by Chris Molnar and Nic Nicoludis, Archways 1 presents a cross-genre selection of fiction, poetry, and nonfiction. Its broad format functions as a compact expression of the imprint’s varied literary program.

• Literary nonfiction · 2023

  Molly

  Blake Butler’s Molly became one of Archway Editions’ most visible titles. The book was reported to have become an unexpected success for the small publisher and to have reached a fourth printing by 2024.

• Experimental fiction · 2024

  Void Corporation

  Blake Butler’s Void Corporation is a literary fiction title published as part of the imprint’s continuing relationship with formally unconventional contemporary writing.

• Poetry and art · 2025

  Last Poems

  John Farris’s Last Poems belongs to the imprint’s poetry and art-oriented publishing line and illustrates its continued interest in literary works with a visual or interdisciplinary dimension.

• 2025

  Entire staff departsStrategy

  Background

  In September 2025, the imprint’s staff announced that all known staff members were stepping down.

  Action taken

  Chris Molnar, Nic Nicoludis, Naomi Falk, Mia Risher, and the rest of the staff left Archway Editions.

  Aftermath

  The available sources do not establish whether the imprint continued under replacement personnel or ceased active operations.

  Source

• 2019

  Adopt an offbeat and hard-to-market editorial programStrategy

  Background

  The imprint was created to publish unconventional literary work that might be difficult to position within a mainstream commercial list.

  Action taken

  Archway Editions built a cross-genre catalog spanning experimental fiction, poetry, drama, nonfiction, anthologies, and art-related books.

  Aftermath

  The strategy produced a distinctive catalog and attracted coverage from major literary publications, while at least one title, Molly, later achieved unexpected commercial traction.

  Source

1. 1Archway Editionsen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Archway Editions official websitearchwayeditions.us
3. 3The New York Timesnytimes.com