In May's Web Exclusive, "The Blind Oracle of Mactan," author Nathan Go takes us to an island in the Philippines, to a fantastical man who just, as it turns out, wants what any of us wants. The prose is light and funny, winding lithely around something that reveals itself to be as profound and enduring a problem as human beings have ever known. Even a human who has lived many, many lifetimes over. We talked with Nathan about how this strange and wonderful story came about. Erin McReynolds: The … [Read more...] about Web Exclusive Interview: Nathan Go
Father as Astronaut
My first assignment was an infestation: albino deer flocking in townspeople's yards, grazing away what little greenery was left. I concocted a spray, biodegradable and harmless to plants but noxious to animals. The herd scattered like skeleton teeth in the foothills and starved. More recently, I was assigned to a village that had seen the face of God, every villager among them, which was why they were losing teeth and hair, why their bones had turned to meringue. His Divine Light had cut … [Read more...] about Father as Astronaut
Web Exclusive Interview: Hal Walling
Our March Web Exclusive, "You Haven't Won Anything Yet," is a taut, complex, and slightly odd story about a missing child and an adult with a missing childhood. It's a terrific example of using negative space, and nearly every sentence is a surprise. We (finally) spoke with author Hal Walling about his approach, and, yes, indulged ourselves with a couple of Canada questions. Erin McReynolds: In "You Haven't Won Anything Yet," the police are trying to see if the narrator is this still-missing … [Read more...] about Web Exclusive Interview: Hal Walling
Dream of the White Worm
https://soundcloud.com/americanshortfiction/corey-flintoff-dream-of-the-white-worm Lynette bends to hug Robbie, who sits at the kitchen table with his coffee. She’s just woken up, and her cotton nightie still smells of their bed. “I dreamed I was grabbed by a huge white worm and dragged into a hole,” she says. “It was horrible.” He strokes her shoulders, feeling like he should pull her onto his lap and comfort her, but the space between the wall and the kitchen table is too narrow. “Jeez. … [Read more...] about Dream of the White Worm
Knausgaard in Space
https://soundcloud.com/americanshortfiction/tyler-stoddard-smith-knausgaard-in-space I aspire to dread, and so I embraced the opportunity to write about my struggle in outer space. As a boy in Oslo, I experienced the same dream people born in the Space Age had all over the world: the dream of having intercourse with Pat Benatar. I abandoned this dream when MTV stopped playing music videos and I never thought about space again, until my editor called. “I’ll see you in the next life,” I … [Read more...] about Knausgaard in Space
Save-A-Child
When the Boeing 727 takes off from Mitchell Airport, the bolts that hold the landing gear door in place are already unwinding. Eight miles away, Tucker Knoebel is making his way home early to the suburb of Oak Creek to be with his wife, Della. He loves entering the subdivision from the city when the streets turn from straight gray creases to lilting curves meant to mimic the flow of hills and rivers. Tucker sometimes feels like he is in his childhood train set among the metal models of the post … [Read more...] about Save-A-Child