one way to talk about contemporary fiction

The Southern Review is a great journal, and I wrote about why.

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 19:05:59 -0400

The Southern Review is a great journal, and I wrote about why.

Fiction: "Miami" by A.L. Major, published by Vice

Tue, 11 Jun 2013 15:41:00 -0400

Fiction: "Miami" by A.L. Major, published by Vice:

A great story by an important emerging writer from the Bahamas.

"Have you ever wanted something very badly and then gotten it? Then you know that winning is many..."

Sun, 09 Jun 2013 12:05:25 -0400

“Have you ever wanted something very badly and then gotten it? Then you know that winning is many things, but it is never the thing you thought it would be. Poor people who win the lottery do not become rich people. They become poor people who won the lottery.”

- from Miranda July’s short story, “Birthmark”

"If you can still see how you could once have loved a person, you are still in love; an extinct love..."

Fri, 07 Jun 2013 22:26:09 -0400

“If you can still see how you could once have loved a person, you are still in love; an extinct love is always wholly incredible.”

- Michael Chabon’s short story, “Ocean Avenue,” begins with this line, one I happen to think about on a daily basis.

Fiction: "The Ten Headless Dead" by Ian Bassingthwaighte, published by Flavorwire

Thu, 30 May 2013 14:46:18 -0400

Fiction: "The Ten Headless Dead" by Ian Bassingthwaighte, published by Flavorwire:

Really love this story about ghosts, grief, and partnership. Check it out.

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

Wed, 15 May 2013 15:42:24 -0400

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.

Fiction: "The Rememberer" by Aimee Bender

Sat, 04 May 2013 11:23:00 -0400

Fiction: "The Rememberer" by Aimee Bender:

A brilliant little story that begins with the line:

“My lover is experiencing reverse evolution.”

"I think of the people on reality shows, on Dr. Phil and MTV. And I think maybe they aren’t bad..."

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 22:20:51 -0400

“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.

Recently selected by Granta as one of the best young British...

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 23:26:42 -0400

Recently selected by Granta as one of the best young British novelists (and recently selected by me as one of the most charismatic writers on YouTube), Helen Oyeyemi reads the fairy tale upon which her novel, Mr. Fox, is based, and then reads from the novel itself.

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

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 02:47:05 -0400

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.

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

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 03:24:56 -0400

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

Taiye Selasi, whose “The Sex Lives of African Girls”...

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 18:30:00 -0400

Taiye Selasi, whose “The Sex Lives of African Girls” appeared in Granta and Best American Short Stories 2012, and whose debut novel Ghana Must Go I just bought, talks about her process and style.

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

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 11:40:01 -0400

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.

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

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 13:20:00 -0400

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.

If you enjoyed Etgar Keret’s short story,...

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 10:19:49 -0400

If you enjoyed Etgar Keret’s short story, “Todd,” over at Electric Literature, take a few minutes to listen to him read another of his very short stories, “What Do We Have In Our Pockets?” Then, love him even more.

"Todd" by Etgar Keret, published by Electric Literature

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 10:30:00 -0400

Etgar Keret does it again.

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

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 13:14:54 -0400

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.

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

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 12:45:58 -0400

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.

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

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 01:19:35 -0400

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.

"I learned to write fiction the way I learned to read fiction - by skipping the parts that bored me. "

Sun, 03 Mar 2013 23:42:13 -0500

““I learned to write fiction the way I learned to read fiction - by skipping the parts that bored me. ””

- ― Jonathan Lethem (via thetinhouse)