The young heroine of Kellie Wells' "A Unified Theory of Human Behavior," the opening story in Issue 56 of American Short Fiction, observes the world around her with an affecting mixture of sorrow and humor. "Kellie Wells," writes the wonderful Matt Bell, "will break your heart with a sentence, with a story, with the irrepressible smile at her wit that lights across your face even as on the page sadness swells and grief abounds." The story chronicles a young girl's tangled efforts to make sense … [Read more...] about Inside the Issue: Kellie Wells reads from “A Unified Theory of Human Behavior”
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Online Fiction: Interview with Monica McFawn
This month we're excited to bring you Monica McFawn's captivating “Ornament and Crime,” the story of a family surviving the tyranny of a father's taste for minimalism. It's a sharp-witted tale that manages to bend something as lofty as aesthetics into strange, tender moments. Monica lives in Michigan, where she teaches writing at Grand Valley State University. Her stories have appeared in places like The Georgia Review, Missouri Review, Web Conjunctions, and Gargoyle. Her collection … [Read more...] about Online Fiction: Interview with Monica McFawn
Online Fiction: Interview with Amelia Gray
This month's online fiction features a story by Amelia Gray, written to accompany a track on White Dresses, the latest album from Portland indy favorites, Loch Lomond. (Head on over to the story to hear the excellent song in question!) Packed into a tight 500 words, "Spray Painted Drums" thrums with all the hope, fervor, chaos, humor, invention, possibility, and lightly carried ferocity of an urban parade. We asked the author about what it was like writing to the beat of your own … [Read more...] about Online Fiction: Interview with Amelia Gray
Things American: From Post-Black to Postmortem–The Tragic Death of Trayvon Martin
Trayvon Martin’s death and George Zimmerman’s acquittal are further proof that Obama’s two-term presidency and the spike in interracial marriage have not magically transformed America into some post-racial Shangri-la free of the demons of prejudice and discrimination. The country is post-black, as cultural critic Touré demonstrates in his book Who's Afraid of Post-Blackness? Blacks, he explains, are post-black in that they are “like Obama: rooted in but not restricted by Blackness.” Rejecting … [Read more...] about Things American: From Post-Black to Postmortem–The Tragic Death of Trayvon Martin
Web Exclusive Author Interview: Ravi Mangla
Ladies and gentlemen, the time has come to present our March 2012 web exclusive: “Outlander” by Ravi Mangla. We love “Outlander” for its quiet mystery, incisive language, and slow-working charm. It’s a mere slip of a story, but one that lingers, enchants, stays. So, go on—read “Outlander” on the ASF website, and check out our interview with the author, below. 1. Tell us about the genesis of “Outlander.” Where did the idea for the story come from and what kind of … [Read more...] about Web Exclusive Author Interview: Ravi Mangla