Frank’s island tour—offered free to hotel guests—is described by the Paradise Inn’s brochure as a brief excursion into the island’s myths, mysteries, and mermaids, its selkies and sirens. What the brochure fails to mention is that most of the tour is aimed at selling extra-cost amenities. Frank has today’s group look at the hotel’s spa, the sea-themed restaurant, the saltwater pool, and some pinkish seashells with purported medicinal properties. Only after that does he finally gather the handful … [Read more...] about A Guide to Sirens
Online Fiction Interview: Liam Callanan Remembers Ihab Hassan
We were immediately enchanted by our October web exclusive, Ihab Hassan's “Three.” Sadly, Dr. Hassan passed away shortly after we accepted his work for publication. We would have loved the opportunity to speak with him about the pieces, but his colleague and friend, the author Liam Callanan, was kind enough to share some memories and insight. Suffice it to say, we would have loved to be the man's dinner companions. Erin McReynolds: We were so sorry to hear of Dr. Hassan's passing. How far … [Read more...] about Online Fiction Interview: Liam Callanan Remembers Ihab Hassan
Three
We deeply regret to report that the author of our October Web Exclusive, Ihab Hassan, passed away shortly after we accepted his work for publication. It is with our humblest gratitude to his family that we present his three short pieces here. We hope you find them, as we did, breathtaking moments, rendered with artful precision, that linger long in the memory. On October 15, we will be publishing an interview with one of his colleagues at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, where Hassan was … [Read more...] about Three
Online Fiction Interview: Cam Terwilliger
Our September web exclusive, Cam Terwilliger's “Five-Star Bangkok Hotel” laser-focuses on that critical moment when we take a gamble on a burgeoning notion of self and freedom, and aren't so certain of the win. We emailed Cam to investigate how he comes to his stories, what jobs best fit a writing habit, and to go into that heart of darkness that is self vs. selflessness. Erin McReynolds: “Five-Star Bangkok Hotel” struck me as a close-up on the struggle to determine what it means to be true … [Read more...] about Online Fiction Interview: Cam Terwilliger