one way to talk about contemporary fiction

May 15

Fiction: "Wedding" by Elizabeth Ellen, published by elimae -

One of the stories from Elizabeth Ellen’s book, Fast Machine. There’s a gritty heaviness to even the shortest of her stories, but then a moment will come along that seems to clear everything up. Like the lights coming on toward the end of this story, for instance.

May 04

Fiction: "The Rememberer" by Aimee Bender -

A brilliant little story that begins with the line:

“My lover is experiencing reverse evolution.”

Apr 29

“I think of the people on reality shows, on Dr. Phil and MTV. And I think maybe they aren’t bad people. They aren’t cartoons. They’re just children, most of them, kids who never got to grow up before life dropped something gruesome in their laps. I consider this, then I consider Lori and me, and I thank God for the small kindness of timing.” — From David James Poissant’s story, “Monkey See,” in the Spring 2013 Ploughshares.

Apr 25

[video]

Apr 23

Fiction: "Near-Extinct Birds of the Central Cordillera" by Ben Fountain, published by Zoetrope: All-Story -

In honor of my long overdue purchase of Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk, here’s one of Mr. Fountain’s best stories from his first book, Brief Encounters with Che Guevara.

Apr 22

Language Students by Ezra Carlsen published in REAL: Regarding Arts & Letters

Apr 19

[video]

Apr 15

Fiction: "Fourteen" by Steve Almond, published by The Doctor T.J. Eckleburg Review -

This piece of flash fiction - a love letter both to and from the narrator’s fourteen-year-old self - is as messy as the last word of the story itself.

Apr 05

Fiction: "On the Moment of Conception" by Amelia Gray, published by The American Reader -

Challenge: try to finish this short story without clenching your jaw.

Mar 29

[video]

Mar 28

“Todd” by Etgar Keret, published by Electric Literature

Etgar Keret does it again.

(Source: recommendedreading)

Mar 19

Fiction: "A Collection of Favorite Holidays" by Anna Prushinskaya, published by Redivider -

Proof that the second-person works extremely well when applied to the right subject.

Mar 15

Fiction: "Malaria" by Michael Byers, published by Bellevue Literary Review -

If you’re anything like me, this story, which was just chosen for the next installment of Best American Short Stories, will stick with you for a long, long time.

Mar 11

Fiction: "Sleeping Out" by Cassie Gonzales, published by The Kenyon Review -

The first-place winner of last years’ Kenyon Review short-short story contest. Amazing how much is done in so few words. Every sentence is legit.

Mar 03

“I learned to write fiction the way I learned to read fiction - by skipping the parts that bored me. ” — ― Jonathan Lethem (via thetinhouse)