Emerging writers often struggle with the urge to make their writing fit an ambiguous mold of perfection. Luckily, Jess Gallagher has advice…
Tag: short stories
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A Big Fish in a Little World
Review of Break It Down by Lydia Davis By Sam Bertolino “People did not know what she knew,” is often a line I pull apart and then pretend to understand. I’d like to sit down with Lydia Davis and ask her what she knows. But instead I’m inclined to sit…
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How the Short Story can Help you Escape even if it is for 10 Minutes
By Kelly Deneen Since becoming a serious homebody (more than I already was), I have found myself drawn to short stories and poems. Mostly because I have found it is harder for me to concentrate on reading long books given the weight of the world. After coming across an article…
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Writing With Sound: Making playlists for your stories
Sometimes to see, you need to listen first. For almost all of the projects I would create before 2016, I ran into a wall over and over again: For some reason, I couldn’t visualize anything about my stories the way I needed to. It wasn’t because I didn’t have a…
Constance By Jeremiah Dennehy (2017)
The Jennie Hackman Memorial Prize for Fiction, Third Place (2017) I don’t take the school bus, I don’t drive, and because mom doesn’t get home from work until four most of the time, I don’t ask her for a ride. But if I take the 509 toward Whitney Avenue at…
Erythrophobia By Jameson Croteau (2017)
From out in the outfield dirt, the crack of the bat was the only indicator a ball was rising up before dive bombing, back through the crepuscular sky. Jimmy turned and chased the echo of the sound. Go foul… Go foul… The ball, draped in a cloak of clouds, seemed…
Crumbling Walls By Kristina Reardon (2017)
Long River Graduate Writing Award, Winner (2017) “Petra, she say there be bones,” my grandmother told me, pointing beyond me to the old castle on top of the hill. The frame of the old, Slavic structure was about as beautiful as a decaying tooth with jagged corners. A revolting brownness…
Angus By Sten Spinella (2017)
The Jennie Hackman Memorial Prize for Fiction, Second Place (2017) The girl I was seeing had this dog, a real fluffy fucker, whose name was Angus. It was her boyfriend’s dog. She was taking care of Angus because his owner was studying abroad in New Zealand for the semester. I…
Summer Reading List for People Who Love to be Sad by Kate Monica
“’I don’t like happy people,’ Andrew said.” —Tao Lin, Eeeee Eee Eeeee Are you looking for a light summer read to perfectly complement a languorous afternoon on the beach working on your tan? Then this list probably isn’t a great fit. Just kidding. Sort of. You can read these books…
Cold Water By Catherine Hires (An Excerpt) (2015)
Collins Literary Prize Winner, Prose (2015) Nia was still sleeping when I woke up. She was snoring loudly as I crawled my way down the rickety ladder that supported my lofted bed. I walked past her bed, her open mouth smushed ungracefully against her pillow, and made my way into…