Sunday, April 14, 2013

Spring 2013

My time in the MFA fiction program at UC-Irvine, where I also teach creative writing, is flying by. I'm nearing the end of year #2 and have just started work on the novel that will be my thesis project, due next year. I have a completed collection of stories ("Talking Past the Close") and a chapbook of five tales ("Families Among Us") that I'd like to have published in the near future. Bueller, Bueller?

In the meantime, I have a few stories and a book review coming out soon (and one from the archive to share with you):


My story "The Boxer" will appear in the next issue of Puerto del Sol (48.2), which launches in May. I'm so excited to have a story in this amazing journal. Thanks to Lily Hoang, Christopher Rosenbluth, and the rest of the editors at Puerto del Sol for accepting "The Boxer" for publication. Chris, who accepted the story via e-mail, paid me one of the nicest compliments I've received from an editor: "I loved the story. It was probably my favorite of the submissions from the slush pile. It reminded me of a Barry Hannah story. A force of nature." If you'd like to read "The Boxer" you can pre-order a copy of Puerto del Sol (48.2) here.

Peter LaBerge, editor of The Adroit Journal, solicited my story "A Family Among Us" for publication in their summer 2013 issue. "A Family Among Us" originally appeared online in Dark Sky Magazine, made the 2012 Million Writers Award Notable Stories list, and was adapted for broadcast on NPR stations, which you can listen to here. I'm excited Peter wanted to put this story in print for the first time!

My second book review (The Incurables by Mark Brazaitis, a beautiful linked collection) will appear in the forthcoming issue of Mid-American Review (33.2). My review of the excellent Fires of Our Choosing by Eugene Cross appeared in issue 33.1. Thanks again to MAR book reviews editor Michael Czyzniejewski for letting me write for the journal!

More news on the way. Thanks for reading!