In her artfully constructed debut collection, Look How Happy I’m Making You, Polly Rosenwaike presents stories about motherhood, pregnancy, and the range of emotions that surround becoming—or not becoming—a parent. Rosenwaike expertly explores anticipation and excitement, loss and longing in twelve stories, which Kirkus calls “An exquisite collection that is candid, compassionate, and emotionally complex.” Here, Rosenwaike talks about her technique for capturing emotion on the page, writing what ... [READ MORE]
NOTEBOOK
Winners of the 2019 American Short(er) Fiction Prize
We are thrilled to announce the winners for this year's American Short(er) Fiction Prize, judged by Danielle Dutton. Thank you to everyone who submitted. The winning stories will be published in the magazine’s summer issue. _____ First-Place Prize: "Time of the Testudinidae" by Kirstin Allio Judge Danielle Dutton writes, "On each reading, this puzzling gem-like story continues to surprise me, its language a knotty delight." Kirstin Allio is the author of the novels Garner (Coffee House ... [READ MORE]
Contest Closed: The 2019 Halifax Ranch Fiction Prize is closed for submissions!
***The 2019 Halifax Ranch Fiction Prize has closed for submissions. Thank you to everyone who submitted their work. Keep your eyes out for the winner in an upcoming issue of American Short Fiction.*** We're so happy to announce that our judge for this year's prize will be the wonderful Rebecca Makkai, whose wrenching, empathetic 2018 novel The Great Believers, about the AIDS crisis in 1980s Chicago, was widely and justly celebrated, including as a finalist for the National Book Award. Makkai ... [READ MORE]
Against Arguments: An Interview with Esmé Weijun Wang
Esmé Weijun Wang is the author of the novel The Border of Paradise and the best-selling essay collection The Collected Schizophrenias, published in January. Called “riveting” by NPR and “mind-expanding” by the New York Times Book Review, The Collected Schizophrenias offers an intimate and rigorously nuanced exploration of the myriad meanings of schizophrenia—cultural, sociomedical, and personal. In this interview, we talk structure, subjectivity, and liminality. — Jennifer duBois: Can you talk ... [READ MORE]
Join us for Lit City at The LINE Hotel, featuring Rebecca Makkai & Paul Lisicky
Lit City at The LINE Featuring Rebecca Makkai & Paul Lisicky in conversation with Richard Z. Santos Monday, May 20th at 7:00pm The LINE Austin | East Lobby 111 East Cesar Chavez Street | Austin, TX 78701 Free entry and valet with RSVP — On Monday, May 20th at 7 p.m., join us in the East Lobby of the LINE Austin for the second installment of our new literary salon, Lit City at the LINE. This month features Rebecca Makkai, author of The Great Believers, ... [READ MORE]
Web Exclusive Interview: Amy Stuber
Amy Stuber's flash fiction story "I'm on the Side of the Wildebeest" distills a familiar modern dilemma into a crystallized moment. On a road trip, a mother contemplates a very different childhood for her kids than the one she had—one in which technology, the constant deluge of information, and the threat to the planet create anxieties that are harder to escape. But despite these anxieties (or maybe because of them) we feel the sweet gratitude for a moment that is good, one we know will become a ... [READ MORE]