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...] about Web Exclusive Interview: Lee Conell
Web Exclusive Interview
Online Fiction Interview: Liam Callanan Remembers Ihab Hassan
We were immediately enchanted by our October web exclusive, Ihab Hassan's “Three.” Sadly, Dr. Hassan passed away shortly after we accepted his work for publication. We would have loved the opportunity to speak with him about the pieces, but his colleague and friend, the author Liam Callanan, was kind enough to share some memories and insight. Suffice it to say, we would have loved to be the man's dinner companions. Erin McReynolds: We were so sorry to hear of Dr. Hassan's passing. How far … [Read more...] about Online Fiction Interview: Liam Callanan Remembers Ihab Hassan
Online Fiction Interview: Cam Terwilliger
Our September web exclusive, Cam Terwilliger's “Five-Star Bangkok Hotel” laser-focuses on that critical moment when we take a gamble on a burgeoning notion of self and freedom, and aren't so certain of the win. We emailed Cam to investigate how he comes to his stories, what jobs best fit a writing habit, and to go into that heart of darkness that is self vs. selflessness. Erin McReynolds: “Five-Star Bangkok Hotel” struck me as a close-up on the struggle to determine what it means to be true … [Read more...] about Online Fiction Interview: Cam Terwilliger
Online Fiction Interview: Sofi Stambo
Sofi Stambo's "Ships" presents a vivid summer break on the Black Sea during which a young, unnamed protagonist pines for the son of the Tomov family, which is headed by a sea captain who lives across the street from her grandparents. It's a story so precise in its sensory details that it feels deeply familiar—and even nostalgic—in spite of its Bulgarian setting. We emailed Stambo recently to ask about those details, about Bulgaria during the communist years, and about what she's working on … [Read more...] about Online Fiction Interview: Sofi Stambo
Online Fiction Interview: Hilary Leichter
Hilary Leichter's "The Statue of Limitations" plays by its own delightful set of rules. It's at once the story of a couple imprisoned in their own home (a statue marking the furthest that they can roam into their yard without the "risk of pursuit") and a parable for how intimacy ebbs and flows in a relationship. We recently emailed Leichter to ask how the story came about and to pick her brain about the odd eggcorn that inspired its creation. Nate Brown: This story does something … [Read more...] about Online Fiction Interview: Hilary Leichter
Online Fiction Interview: Terese Svoboda
Peter Benchley's 1974 novel Jaws tells the story of a menacing great white shark that terrorizes the fictional Long Island town of Amity, NY. In 1975, Steven Spielberg turned it into what was, for a time, the highest grossing film at the box office. If Benchley and Speilberg's Jaws has a topical and tonal opposite, it just might be Terese Svoboda's tale of a weird, dark family road trip that we published as our May online exclusive. Also entitled "Jaws," Svoboda's story is as naturalistic as … [Read more...] about Online Fiction Interview: Terese Svoboda