In this month’s fiction feature, S. P. Tenhoff does to a border what Wallace Stevens did to a blackbird—he lets it write him. Tenhoff’s "Ten Views of the Border" outlines the bewilderment of a newly divided populace by detailing a scandalous cross-border birth, two intricately mirrored origin stories, and the troubling circumstances of a woman whose very existence seems the hinge on which the border depends. And yet even as Tenhoff deftly lays down the absurd workings of this people divided, ... [READ MORE]
NOTEBOOK
Things American: Authentic Desire & the Root of Sexuality in HBO’s “Girls”
What if I said I do not believe in desire? As the holidays wind down, and with them the inundation of images of midnight smooches on New Year’s Eve and nuclear families unwrapping presents by the tree, I am always left with that seasonal-depression-idea that I’ve somehow failed to live up to the status quo—those unreachable expectations. And then I pause and think, “Wait, why do I care? That’s not even what I want.” I’m thrown by how much those desires feel, momentarily, like my ... [READ MORE]
Bourbon & Milk – Thankless Chasms, Unlearnable Lyrics, and the Warmth of Home
Bourbon and Milk features lessons, observations, and conversations by and with writers living out there in one of the most perplexing outposts of the human condition – parenthood. In this monthly series, Contributing Editor Giuseppe Taurino dives into the dark 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 at ... [READ MORE]
Inside the Issue: An Interview with Ryan MacDonald
Ryan MacDonald's American Short(er) Fiction Prize-winning story explores the relationship between a father and his four-year-old daughter with refreshing honesty. The economy and disarming humor of the piece soften the punch of what is actually an unsentimental look at the natural limitations of our love. You can read the story, "The Observable Characteristics of Organisms," here. AR: Tell us a little bit about this story-- how did the idea come to you? Where did it ... [READ MORE]
ASF’s Holiday Gift/Get/Just Go Buy It Guide
'Tis the season: to ask for books and buy books with abandon. So, we've asked our ASF staff to share what books they're gifting to their friends and family, what books they want to be gifted, and what short story collections they think you should just go ahead and get for yourself. Andrew Bales Give: With Maggie Nelson's Bluets, Wave Books has perfected the stocking stuffer. At 99 pages, it's an unassuming book—a faintly cosmic blue cover with a white square on the ... [READ MORE]
Inside the Issue: Rachel Swearingen on Postcards, Nostalgia and History
American Short Fiction's 56th issue contains Rachel Swearingen's jewel of a story, "The Night Between Us," an echoing and lyric meditation on the landscape of fear and isolation. The piece, inspired by a line about eating postcards in Mary Reufle's poem "Like a Daffodil," presents a charming but damaged character afraid to leave her apartment and cede control to a dark, messy world. Melinda Moustakis describes the story as written with "sensuous brevity and beautiful longing." Reading it is an ... [READ MORE]