Carla felt sure she was the only rich girl to ever work the counter at Glazy’s Ham Depot. Carla hadn’t always been rich. Before Ed, she and her mom had once lived in a minivan for a year, so Carla remembered the ins and outs of being a have-not. Plus, her name was Carla, which was—at most— middle class. Her mother had chosen Carla before she’d understood the power of Margaret or Paige. Because of this, Carla could hold her own at Glazy’s. She parked her black Saab behind the Kmart. She left her … [Read more...] about Ricky
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CLMP Contest Code of Ethics
American Short Fiction endorses and abides by the Code of Ethics developed by the Council of Literary Magazines and Press (CLMP): The Community of Literary Magazines and Presses believes that ethical contests serve our shared goal: to connect writers and readers by publishing exceptional writing. Intent to act ethically, clarity of guidelines, and transparency of process form the foundation of an ethical contest. To that end, we agree — to conduct our contests as ethically as possible and to … [Read more...] about CLMP Contest Code of Ethics
Issue 72
Celebrating Emerging Black Writers: Featuring new stories by Elinam Agbo, Selena Anderson, Desiree C. Bailey, Jonathan Escoffery, Rickey Fayne, Gothataone Moeng, Dantiel W. Moniz, Denne Michele Norris, and Maya Perez. Guest-edited by Danielle Evans. Read the editor's note here. Rickey Fayne, "Spare the Rod" The dead come for all kinds of reasons. They come with warnings, wants, and every manner of grudge. Though most I've seen come wanting. They come wanting everything you have and can't … [Read more...] about Issue 72
She Said It Like She Meant It
There’s a cemetery on a mountainside in Kabul that’s running out of space. I read a New York Times piece about it years ago. A group of boys run grave maintenance, for a price, and one girl, six years old, works the mountainside with them. She brags like the boys about taking in mourners—too young to appreciate how much we mourners want to be taken in. She brags about what her father in Iran will bring her when he returns home. She prays for a Galaxy phone. I still think about her prayers and … [Read more...] about She Said It Like She Meant It
Issue 72 Editor’s Note
I am thrilled to be putting this issue in your hands. It is, as ever, a collection of singular short stories that celebrate the form and highlight its range, but it is also a gift at the end of a turbulent year—work to get lost in, work to be found in, work that in its celebration of emerging writers, and Black emerging writers in particular, encourages us to imagine everything that is yet to come: all of the chances we’ll have to see more brilliant work by the writers included here, none of … [Read more...] about Issue 72 Editor’s Note
Issue 71
ISSUE 71 Featuring new stories by Brandon Hobson, Melinda Moustakis, Patrick Nathan, Tracey Rose Peyton, Anne Valente, and Rachel Vogel. Subscribe now to receive the Summer issue. Tracey Rose Peyton, “The Last Days of Rodney” He was known most everywhere—a face, a caption, a grainy video clip—but it had been over twenty years now, and he was still trying to forge a new chapter unconnected to the first. Wishful thinking, he knew. It would always be connected. No one would ever bring up his … [Read more...] about Issue 71