May's flash fiction exclusive, "Endangered," imagines a world in which artists are kept in cages for their own safety. But author Allegra Hyde is more about the utopia than the dystopia—and what with the sorry state of the world right now, it's completely understandable. We talked recently about utopias, how to get closer to your own (hint: it involves going off social media), and how there are little slivers of real utopias worth paying attention to. Erin McReynolds: In "Endangered," an … [Read more...] about Web Exclusive Interview: Allegra Hyde
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Web Exclusive Interview: Daisy Johnson
April's Web Exclusive, "A Bruise the Size and Shape of a Door Handle," is a haunting story whose slow, creeping tension evokes the likes of Edgar Allen Poe and Shirley Jackson. And yet it is so thoroughly modern, an enlightened study of unhinged, potent adolescent-female sexuality. Its author, Daisy Johnson, is surely destined for great things, so we're thrilled to have her story and interview here. Erin McReynolds: The collection from which this story comes is called, FEN, referring … [Read more...] about Web Exclusive Interview: Daisy Johnson
Web Exclusive Interview: Libby Flores
Our March Web Exclusive story, "Good," viewed a goodbye from the perspective of the one who did the dick move, "the bad guy," reminding us that good writing isn't at all interested in concept of "the bad guy." Author Libby Flores talked with us about writing the other side of the story, Amy Hempel's advice about tackling a big concept, and how Tom Waits lyrics are basically terrific flash fiction. Erin McReynolds: "Good" is nothing short of masterful in how much it gives in so few words: in … [Read more...] about Web Exclusive Interview: Libby Flores
Web Exclusive Interview: Michael Powers
In February's Web Exclusive, "Lake House," a couple has retired to a remote location. We know there is tension between them, and between the narrator and his adult son, but the origins and causes of this tension are only hinted at, the way a painting focuses its composition by suggesting some elements and detailing others. Our more detailed image is that of a drone silently making its way across the treetops of this new territory, reporting strangeness, even its own failure, to the lonely man … [Read more...] about Web Exclusive Interview: Michael Powers
Web Exclusive Interview: Merrill Feitell
In December's web exclusive story, "The Cupcake Factory," we bear witness to a moment between siblings that we know will become, for one of them, a searing memory. We know because it's told as if the scene is already crystallizing as it unfolds, and with a weight that can only manifest for him down the line. It's an exercise in recognizing ourselves, and in being in multiple places at once: in the present and in the future, looking back at the past. We talked to author Merrill Feitell about how … [Read more...] about Web Exclusive Interview: Merrill Feitell
Web Exclusive Interview: Erin McGraw
In November's web exclusive, "America," a white teenager in Ohio finds herself awakening in the body of the Puerto Rican "Marisol" from A West Side Story. The story is beguiling at first because of its voice and given the comic richness inherent in the world of high school theater. But then layer upon layer quickly opens up, revealing truths about identity via the innocence and volatility of adolescence. We chatted briefly with author Erin McGraw about appropriation, empathy, and identity in … [Read more...] about Web Exclusive Interview: Erin McGraw