Every so often a show comes along that attempts to take stock of and reflect upon the moral predicaments of the last half century—serving as a reminder for how far we’ve come, or how far we have yet to go. The strength of Mad Men—one of many strengths—comes from the show’s use of history not for plot, but for setting. In this way, the show is able to move its characters in and (mostly) out of the line of fire, the larger-than-life events the period is known for, allowing for distance and ... [READ MORE]
NOTEBOOK
ASF Alumni: An Interview with Matt Bell
With two chapbooks, a short story collection and a novella in flash under his belt, Matt Bell has been quietly turning heads for years, accumulating acolytes and critical acclaim with his heady brand of visionary lyrical surrealism. Bell, along with the celebrated likes of Karen Russell, Aimee Bender, and Téa Obreht, is among a generation of young writers working far outside the bounds of mimesis to create a new kind of mythology more fully equipped to describe an increasingly absurd and ... [READ MORE]
Introducing “Things American”
We're fiction people. We know that. You know that. We're American Short Fiction, after all. Today, though, we're launching a new essay series we're calling "Things American," which will feature authors tackling all manner of topical and literary issues in an attempt to heed Kurt Vonnegut's warning that "Literature should not disappear up its own asshole, so to speak." In truth, we’re interested in the broader experience of what it is to be an "American"—that funny, fuzzy-edged word. Inspired ... [READ MORE]
I Read Dead People: Abraham Cahan, “The Imported Bridegroom”
This column introduces a new online series we are featuring here at American Short Fiction. ASF celebrates contemporary voices in fiction—in our print issues, a story by a preeminent writer might sit next to a story that represents its author’s very first publication—but all of our authors would quickly name past favorites who have influenced them, would agree that they follow behind a splendid parade of writers whose stories established one of the great American literary forms. This occasional ... [READ MORE]
Bourbon and Milk: An Introduction
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 will dive into the dark spaces where parenting sometimes pushes us, and explore the unexpected ways writers may grow in them. What is wrong with peace? I couldn't say. But, sweet ruin, I can hear you. There is ... [READ MORE]
More than a Name on the Masthead
There are many ways to end the sentence, "American Short Fiction is _________." ASF is its traditional blurb. ASF is stories that take a different way home. ASF is supported by readers and subscribers, and has been since 1991. But we also want to draw attention to the fact that ASF is ... because of the generous and sharp folks who volunteer their time behind the scenes, reading submissions with attentive care. We depend on them; our magazine is better because of them, and we want you to know ... [READ MORE]