New Short Fiction in Moon City Review!

I'm really thrilled to have a new story in the 2021 issue of Moon City Review, out next month. My story is called "The Fantasy of Things" and it is a story idea I've had since attending Squaw Valley in the summer of 2014. I finally wrote the story in 2020 and am happy it now has a home. I can't thank editors Michael Czyzniejewski and Joel Coltharp for including me in the issue! Order your copy here. Thanks, as always, for reading!

Book Review in Mid-American Review

I reviewed The Incurables by Mark Brazaitis for the current issue of Mid-American Review. The stories in this linked collection, reminiscent of Sherwood Anderson's masterful Winesburg, Ohio, are fresh, inviting, and comically bizarre. Brazaitis conjures the small town of Sherman, Ohio, a place that comes to life beautifully on the page. The characters here have deep roots, and for most, the city limits act as a boundary that they dare not cross. Never unkind, Brazaitis forces his characters to face down trouble of their own making; he backs them into a corner and makes them fight their way out, often with dire consequences. I can't recommend this book enough.

Thanks again to Mid-American Review editor Michael Czyzniejewski for assigning this book for review; I'm happy to be a regular contributor now. You can get a copy of the new issue of Mid-American Review here and a copy of The Incurables here.

Book Review in Mid-American Review

I've got a book review in the current issue of Mid-American Review. I reviewed Fires of Our Choosing, an excellent debut collection of stories from Eugene Cross, out now from Dzanc Books. I can't recommend Fires of Our Choosing enough. The stories and writing are simply stunning.

Thanks again to Mid-American Review editor Michael Czyzniejewski for assigning this book for review. You can get a copy of the new issue of Mid-American Review here and a copy of Fires of Our Choosing here. Both are well worth the price of admission.

Fall 2012

I'm in my second year of graduate school at UC-Irvine. Last year was a blur. Made great friends and snagged some readers for life. I'm also teaching creative writing this year, the excitement of which cannot be put into words.

I love the fall. Lots of good things happening, most importantly the arrival of our daughter in December. Can't wait to watch Danielle be a mom; she was visiting faculty at Knox College earlier this fall making a bit of public art with her students, and getting a little creative help from her assistant in the womb. Check out Danielle's project here.

And one day soon I'll start writing things my little girl can read, but for now, this:

"The Lanes" was recently published at Juked. You can read the story here. Many thanks to editor J.W. Wang for taking this story.

My story "The Best Man" appears in Issue 12 of The Los Angeles Review. This issue happens to be dedicated to Ron Calrson, the co-director of the MFA fiction program here at UCI. I'm beyond excited Stefanie Freele loved my story enough to put it in print. You can order the issue by clicking here.

My story "Ricky Jensen Goes to Work" will be published in Issue 12 of Keyhole Magazine, which you can pre-order here. Happy Peter Cole finally took a chance on a story of mine.

And later this fall I'll have my first book review appear in the pages of Mid-American Review. Thanks to departing editor Michael Czyzniejewski. 

Thanks for reading!