Amy Stuber's flash fiction story "I'm on the Side of the Wildebeest" distills a familiar modern dilemma into a crystallized moment. On a road trip, a mother contemplates a very different childhood for her kids than the one she had—one in which technology, the constant deluge of information, and the threat to the planet create anxieties that are harder to escape. But despite these anxieties (or maybe because of them) we feel the sweet gratitude for a moment that is good, one we know will become a … [Read more...] about Web Exclusive Interview: Amy Stuber
Erin McReynolds
Web Exclusive Interview: Kate Reed Petty
In February's Web Exclusive flash fiction, "Fish Jokes," a woman is challenged with articulating exactly what her former boss did to her that was inappropriate. In order to convey Annie's struggle to recollect what happened, name it, and support her own reaction to it, author Kate Reed Petty created an ingenious modern trope that everyone can understand: the hunt for an elusive email buried in an endless inbox. Erin McReynolds: There is a genius to the many levels of want in "Fish Jokes": … [Read more...] about Web Exclusive Interview: Kate Reed Petty
Web Exclusive Interview: Peter Grimes
Yes, we're suckers for any writing that incorporates food, but it was the apt depiction of a marriage beginning to stagnate—and the surprising amount of tension it generates—that made us choose "Menu" as our January Web Exclusive flash fiction. We spoke with author Peter Grimes about writing and pursuing the tenure track . . . and, of course, about food. Obviously. Erin McReynolds: The strains of marriage is such a familiar trope, but with "Menu," you found a way in that was subtle and … [Read more...] about Web Exclusive Interview: Peter Grimes
Pride Is Every Month: A Short Reading List from Our Editors
In 2016, there's something almost anachronistic about creating a list of your favorite LGBTQ books. What kinds of books might qualify for such a list? Must the author identify as gay, bi, lesbian, trans, asexual, or agender to be included? In putting together such a list, don't you run the risk of unintentionally ghettoizing "LGBTQ books" and further marginalizing authors? These are questions our editors and staff asked ourselves as we set out to celebrate Pride Month by building a list of book … [Read more...] about Pride Is Every Month: A Short Reading List from Our Editors
Web Exclusive Interview: Kathryn Savage
Kathryn Savage's "Lesser Missiles" grabbed us from the first, spare, and startling sentences. Whenever this happens, we might cross our fingers and tense up a little, carried away by the momentum of the story but still conscious that we are rooting for the narrative to sustain that opening power, to not let us down. Kathryn's story succeeds beautifully, and its final moments deliver us gently, without apology, to the vastness of our own vulnerabilities. Erin McReynolds: This story has that … [Read more...] about Web Exclusive Interview: Kathryn Savage
Review: Douglas Coupland’s Worst. Person. Ever.
Attention Simon Pegg and Nick Frost: Grab the rights immediately. Douglas Coupland's Worst. Person. Ever. might be the most Celluloid-Ready. Postmodern Novel. Ever. If this sounds like a condemnation (shallow), consider your feeling for the cerebral, hilarious, and easily digestible work of another Douglas. It's hard to imagine Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy fans wouldn't feel at home in this absurdist British-flavored comedy, even with its relentless barrage of invectives and crass … [Read more...] about Review: Douglas Coupland’s Worst. Person. Ever.