October's Web Exclusive story "Ray Charles Never Lost Anything Important" brings an ancient archetype, the soothsayer, to a group of teenagers in East Los Angeles in a funny and sweet, totally believable scene that could take place at almost any time. We chatted with Anessa Ibrahim recently about mysticism and belief and writing. Erin McReynolds: First of all, congratulations on your first publication! Personally, it's my favorite thing when we find a story we really like and then find out ... [READ MORE]
NOTEBOOK
The Stars at Night: An Interview with Dan Chaon
I first came to Dan Chaon's work years ago via his celebrated story collection Among the Missing; even as a fledgling writer, I recognized that Chaon had the chops for beautiful writing and even greater empathy. Now, Chaon's newest novel Ill Will showcases a multi-talented writer diving into the deep waters of emotional hazards and physical violence, all set against the backdrop of contemporary America, where our greatest fears and darkest truths lie just beneath the surface. Tonight, he will be ... [READ MORE]
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]
Web Exclusive Interview: Kyle McCarthy
"I think being a woman is insane," says the narrator in September's hilarious and timely Web Exclusive story, "The Seagull." With keen wit, Kyle McCarthy illustrates the unwinnable, frustrating, and ultimately pretty ridiculous conundrum that being a good, modern feminist can be. Given where we are right now, as a country, and the coincidental connection we both had to Chekhov's Seagull, we had a lot to discuss. Erin McReynolds: This story grabbed me right away because it started out the way ... [READ MORE]
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]
2017 American Short Fiction Prize Winners
We are delighted to announce that Lauren Groff has selected the winners of the 2017 American Short Fiction Prize. The first-place prize goes to Michaela Hansen for her story "The Devil in the Barn." Michaela Hansen is a Northwest native who likes to call Tacoma, Washington home, even though she doesn't always live there. She's a recent graduate of the Texas State University MFA program and her work has been published in McNeese Review, and is forthcoming from Fourth Genre. When she's not ... [READ MORE]