Though artists and writers Kate Gavino and Devin Symons have never met, each has taken to attending literary events where, in addition to listening to the work, they draw the authors. Gavino’s project, Last Night’s Reading, began in New York in 2013, and she estimates that she’s attended approximately 400 readings since then. Last month, Penguin published a collection of her author portraits called Last Night’s Reading: Illustrated Encounters with Extraordinary Authors. Just over 200 miles to ... [READ MORE]
NOTEBOOK
Web Exclusive Interview: Lee Conell
This season, as the nights turn ever longer and we turn ever inward to contemplate life’s mysteries, stories like our November exclusive, “A Guide to Sirens,” seem especially to speak (or sing) to us. We talked to author Lee Conell about her inspiration for the story, about magic and the unexpected, and about creatures real and imagined. Erin McReynolds: What part of “A Guide to Sirens” came to you first: the island hotel, Frank and his job, or the wife/vision dynamic? Lee Conell: When I ... [READ MORE]
The American Short(er) Fiction Contest: Now Closed
We are thrilled to announce that Amelia Gray will be judging this year’s American Short(er) Fiction Contest. 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 will receive $250 and publication. All entries will be considered for publication. Previous winners of the Short(er) Fiction Prize have gone on to be anthologized in places such as The Pushcart Prize: Best of the Small ... [READ MORE]
An Interview with Angela Flournoy
Angela Flournoy’s The Turner House follows one large Detroit family struggling to do right by one another while also figuring out what to do about the family home, which is on the brink of foreclosure. It’s a tender look the messiness of sibling relationships set against the backdrop of a slumping economy and the then-emerging housing crisis of 2008. Among other honors, the novel was a Summer 2015 Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers selection, and was awarded the Center for Fiction ... [READ MORE]
Bourbon and Milk: Notebook to Nightcap
Bourbon and Milk is an ongoing series that dives into the perplexing spaces parenting sometimes pushes us and explores the unexpected ways writers may grow in them. If you’re interested in joining the conversation or contributing a Bourbon and Milk post, query Giuseppe Taurino at giuseppe@americanshortfiction.org. — It’s five a.m., and I’m thinking of how my writing life has changed as a dad. A lot. That’s the simple answer. But I can’t help also thinking about the broader ramifications of our ... [READ MORE]
Editorial Outtakes: Carmiel Banasky
Editorial Outtakes is a feature in which we publish excerpts from novels and story collections that you won’t find in the finished books because, prior to publication, these sections were cut. This installment of Editorial Outtakes features Carmiel Banasky, whose prologue to her debut novel The Suicide of Claire Bishop was cut from the manuscript at the proverbial last minute. Here's the disappeared prologue, followed by Banasky's commentary on the process of writing (and then cutting) this part ... [READ MORE]