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American Short Fiction

Publishing exquisite fiction since 1991.

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Hilary Leichter

The Statue of Limitations

Hilary Leichter
The Statue of Limitations

They install the statue in our backyard, so we know how far we are allowed to roam without risk of pursuit. They plant it along the tree line, wielding chisels and pulleys. We watch from the window, the two of us, his hand on my shoulder. If you want me to explain the height of the statue, there's the fact that my husband can stand under it for a bit of shade, and as you know, he's quite tall. When I stand directly behind the statue, I disappear, and I'm quite wide these days. We build … [Read more...] about The Statue of Limitations

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Issue 83
Issue 83
  • Baba Ademoroti
  • Kyle Alderdice
  • Manuel Gonzales
  • Nic Guo
  • Simon Han
  • Ammi Keller
  • Mathilde Merouani
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News

The 2025 Halifax Prize Winners We are thrilled to announce the winners of this year's Halifax Ranch Fiction Prize, judged by Eric Puchner. We consider it our privilege to have spent time with so many terrific submissions—thank you for giving us the opportunity to read your work. Congratulations to the winners!
Read the Winners of the 2025 Insider Prize Whose voices are these, I wonder each fall as submissions for the Insider Prize begin accumulating in my office. Four years on as director of Texas’s annual literary award for incarcerated writers, some of the names written across the bloated white and manila envelopes have grown familiar—essayists, short story writers, and the places they are relegated to calling “home”.  
Announcing the Winners of the 2025 American Short(er) Fiction Prize We are delighted to announce that Tony Tulathimutte has chosen the winners of our 2025 American Short(er) Fiction Contest. Thank you to our judge and to everyone who submitted—it is always inspiring to read your work. Congratulations to the winners!

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MFA for All Spring 2026: “Bodies in Space, Bodies in Place” with Katie Kitamura is still open. Register now!

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