the water is deeper than it looks; and we’re not the worst swimmers, but it’s dark; we tend not to swim at night; no, we tend not to swim at night with guys; we all knew of the girl who drowned; she sank like a stone, they said; she was showing off that night, they said; the guys all said; tonight, it’s guys we meet at the boathouse; they’re here for the end of summer; they’re beautiful in a polished way; but we’re beautiful in that polished way; we look out across the water; we whisper ... [READ MORE]
NOTEBOOK
What Doesn’t Kill You: An Interview with Sabrina Orah Mark
Poet Sabrina Orah Mark is the author of Wild Milk, a collection of surreal short stories that marks her debut in fiction. Wild Milk has been called a "necessary book for our perilous age" by Kirkus and a collection of "tales to wake you up at last" by author Edward Carey. Though short, these stories are deep as the ocean blue. You can drown or swim in them (and enjoy yourself either way). I recently spoke with Orah Mark, who opened up about where some of her wilder ideas come from, how she ... [READ MORE]
The Stars at Night 2019: A Bright Texas Celebration of Literature
Join us on Thursday, October 17th, for our 4th annual The Stars at Night, a bright Texas evening of brilliant company, joyful honky-tonk, and literary splendor. Tickets are on sale now, and will be available online until 3 p.m. central standard time on the day of the event. NOTE: Tickets will also be on sale at the door! Come for the country music and readings, and stay for the open bar, delicious food, silent auction, and the historic charms of Mercury Hall, complete with tea-lit gardens and ... [READ MORE]
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]
Putting Emotion into Language: A Conversation with Polly Rosenwaike
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]
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]