In his much-anticipated debut collection A Lucky Man, Jamel Brinkley lays bare the full and complex interiority of black men and boys kicking against all manner of inexorable truths, while living an inch from ruin in Brooklyn and the Bronx. With stunning clarity and generosity of detail, each of the nine stories leaves its own lasting impression, while the book as a whole coalesces into a devastating tapestry of confused masculinity, familial responsibility, and the intractable power of … [Read more...] about The Art of Staring: An Interview with Jamel Brinkley
NOTEBOOK FEATURE
Something to Rage Against: An Interview with James Han Mattson
In his beautiful debut novel, The Lost Prayers of Ricky Graves, James Han Mattson explores the fallout from an act of violence that will seem all too familiar to American readers. Using multiple first-person narrators, Mattson deftly orbits the book's central tragedy, allowing readers a broad view of the event that does much more than explore a killer's motivations. Mattson's characters struggle to make sense of what's taken place in their town, and through multiple voices, multiple lines of … [Read more...] about Something to Rage Against: An Interview with James Han Mattson
The American Short(er) Fiction Prize is now Closed
The American Short(er) Fiction Prize is now closed for submissions. Thank you to everyone who entered! We look forward to reading your work. A winner and runner-up will be announced in the coming months. * * * We are thrilled to announce that Amber Sparks will be judging this year’s 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, and the second-place winner … [Read more...] about The American Short(er) Fiction Prize is now Closed
Texas Book Festival Interviews: An Austin Collection
With the Texas Book Festival coming up on November 4th and 5th, we caught up with a few authors featured in this year’s lineup for some mini–interviews. Deb Olin Unferth, Jardine Libaire, and Owen Egerton are a few of Austin's favorite local writers, while our other interviewees—Amelia Gray, Mary Miller, and Manuel Gonzales—have all recently called Austin home. We asked these six writers to share a few insights about themselves, their books, and the Lone Star State. Also, speaking of the Texas … [Read more...] about Texas Book Festival Interviews: An Austin Collection
Announcing the Winners of the Insider Prize
Submissions to The Insider Prize—a writing contest for incarcerated writers in Texas, which we held for the first time this year—came to us in envelopes of many sizes. Most had been previously opened, with a red TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS stamp on the inside of the lip of the envelope that had been taped shut after an inspection. Some were composed on a typewriter. Others were handwritten. Like many literary journals, American Short Fiction accepts only electronic submissions. And while … [Read more...] about Announcing the Winners of the Insider Prize
Editorial Outtakes: Shawn Wen
Editorial Outtakes is a series in which we publish excerpts from recent books that you won’t find anywhere else because, prior publication, these sections were cut. This installment of Editorial Outtakes features author Shawn Wen, whose A Twenty Minute Silence Followed by Applause is a kaleidoscopic, book-length essay examining the life and art of Marcel Marceau. Published this week by Sarabande Books, the book is by turns a journalistic endeavor, an imaginative inroad into the artist's world, … [Read more...] about Editorial Outtakes: Shawn Wen