This November, American Short Fiction invites you on a journey to reach out to your chosen family and grow your constellation of influences. As part of a month-long postcard-writing challenge, we’ll share daily prompts from our honorees Jamaica Kincaid, C Pam Zhang, Selena Anderson, and Charlotte Gullick and invite you to send notes out into your universe and strengthen the invisible threads that connect us.
The Constellation Challenge package includes a set of 28 limited-edition printed postcards, exclusive never-before-seen writing from established authors alongside up-and-coming voices, and a spot at the culminating celebratory “The Stars at Night: Constellations” virtual gathering in an immersive experience you don’t want to miss. You will emerge from this month changed—and by sharing your own stories, loves, and constellations, you will change the literary landscape, too.
Purchase a set, and you will receive 28 postcards in your mailbox and, starting November 1st, daily postcard-writing prompts in your inbox. Each honoree has created seven prompts just for you—that’s four weeks of postcards to send to old friends and that cousin you’ve been meaning to write. If you’d like, take photos of your postcards and tag them #TheConstellationChallenge, and we’ll be sure to reshare them!
You are welcome to join The Constellation Challenge at any time, but we recommend ordering your postcards by October 25th to receive them by November 1st.
All proceeds from The Stars at Night and The Constellation Challenge support American Short Fiction‘s mission to publish diverse and vital voices in contemporary fiction.
• 1 ticket to The Stars at Night
• A set of 28 limited-edition postcards, participation in The Constellation Challenge, with exclusive writing and prompts from established and emerging authors
• 1 ticket to The Stars at Night
• A set of 28 limited-edition postcards, participation in The Constellation Challenge, with exclusive writing and prompts from established and emerging authors
• 1 event box with:
‣ A glow-in-the-dark star handkerchief
‣ A Texas-inspired “Stargazer” cocktail kit with a secret recipe by literary bartender Brian Bartels, author of the newly published The United States of Cocktails
• 2 tickets to The Stars at Night
• A set of 28 limited-edition postcards, participation in The Constellation Challenge, with exclusive writing and prompts from established and emerging authors
• Acknowledgment in benefit program at The Stars at Night
• Acknowledgment for one year as a supporter in the print magazine
• 1 event box with:
‣ A glow-in-the-dark star handkerchief
‣ A Texas-inspired “Stargazer” cocktail kit with a secret recipe by literary bartender Brian Bartels, author of the newly published The United States of Cocktails
‣ A signed copy of C Pam Zhang’s award-winning novel How Much of These Hills Is Gold
‣ A limited-edition event poster of The Stars at Night 2020 designed by artist Benedict Kupstas
A registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization, American Short Fiction relies on the generous support of individuals, foundations, and corporations to support and promote the literary arts in Texas and beyond. If you or your organization is interested in helping us further our mission of finding, publishing, and promoting today’s best writers and writing, you can download our sponsorship package here.
For more information about sponsorships, please contact us by email at amanda.faraone[at]americanshortfiction.org.
The Stars at Night 2025: Celebrating Joy Williams, Emily Hunt Kivel, Carrie R. Moore, and Leila Green Little.