Diane Oliver had published a handful of fiction pieces, one of which won an O. Henry Prize, had edited her college student newspaper, and was about to graduate from the Iowa Writers Workshop--one of the few Black women to have attended the program--when she was killed in a motorcycle accident in 1966 at the age of just twenty-two. Her promising literary future suddenly cut off, she left behind a short, masterful stack of stories that are now being published in a new collection. The stories--like … [Read more...] about Spiders Cry Without Tears
NOTEBOOK FEATURE
Bleed and Bleed
Christopher was the nicest man I had ever met and so I was engaged to him. We got engaged during his residency and I told people we would get married when he became a doctor, but he never became a doctor he became a physician-scientist at the university researching von Willebrand disease because he thought this way he could help many people at once instead of one at a time. He often told me just how many people in the US alone suffered from von Willebrand disease, but I forgot immediately … [Read more...] about Bleed and Bleed
Orbits
The fumes from the super limousine dirtied the snow. The vehicle stretched a full block. She could see her father’s kufi hat duck under the roof as he got inside where ninety-nine other members of his delegation sat looking like packaged food waiting to be microwaved. The limo drove off in a cloud of white smoke, dragging winter behind it. It came to a stop three blocks later before turning the corner and curving out of her vision. What could she do but watch? What was he leaving behind for … [Read more...] about Orbits
Now Closed: The Halifax Ranch Fiction Prize 2023
We’re so pleased to announce that our judge for this year’s Halifax Ranch Fiction Prize will be the wonderful Kelly Link. A MacArthur Fellow and Pulitzer Prize finalist, Link is the author of the acclaimed books Get in Trouble, Stranger Things Happen, Magic for Beginners, and others. Her latest story collection, White Cat, Black Dog, was published in March 2023. This year, we're again partnering with the Tasajillo Residency, an idyllic writing residency that neighbors the Halifax Ranch just … [Read more...] about Now Closed: The Halifax Ranch Fiction Prize 2023
Closed: The 2023 American Short(er) Fiction Prize
We are thrilled to announce that the brilliant Karen Russell—author of the novels Sleep Donation and Swamplandia! and the story collections Vampires in the Lemon Grove, Orange World, and St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves—will judge our 2023 American Short(er) Fiction Prize. The prize recognizes extraordinary short fiction under 1,000 words. The first-place winner will receive a $1,000 prize and publication. Previous winners of the Short(er) Fiction Prize have gone on to be anthologized … [Read more...] about Closed: The 2023 American Short(er) Fiction Prize
A Shameful Citizen
ASF is recognizing Black History Month by sharing, for the first time online, four stories from our Winter 2020 issue, which showcased emerging Black writers selected by guest editor and PEN American Robert W. Bingham Prize winner Danielle Evans. Here is author Selena Anderson, reflecting on the experience of writing this story: The inspiration for writing “A Shameful Citizen” came when I started noticing a few new patterns in my life. I was getting predictive text but with people. I’d go … [Read more...] about A Shameful Citizen