If you’re reading this blog, you’re either my mom (Hi, Mum!) or a writer looking to get published. The problem? There’s a hell of a lot of writers out there, my friends. It’s no easy feat to get published. Here’s the thing: Pursuing a writing career is risky at best. If my graduate classes in Book Publishing have taught me anything, it’s that writers have…
Gertrude Stein’s Poodle
She. They. They call. They call and call. They call me Basket. Come, Basket. Good Basket Darling, cher, sweet Basket. Ce qui est la Panier? We play. But I am. I am more. I am tricky. I am more than a container of tricks, I know a complex lexicon but will not let on. She walks. Walk, walk walk. For a while they talk. They…
Dear Lionel Shriver
Dear Lionel Shriver, Congratulations. I finished We Need To Talk About Kevin, and it’s my new favorite book. Here’s what I learned: As my first e-book on a Kindle, We Need to Talk About Kevin taught me I actually like e-readers. Apparently page-turning is hard work. (See Jon Stewart’s Kindle commentary here.) I decided I really don’t want kids (sorry, Mum). I learned it may…
Bill for the Second Line
Eight months after the accident, and I still call every night. Her scent, like roasted pears and cinnamon, has evaporated from the linens. Long strands of red hair which once coated our flat, now belong to the Dirt Devil. At some indefinite point, her voice became vague and unfamiliar in my dreams, so we rarely talk. Even her cat started to come when I call….
Submissions in Summer Hibernation
Today we’re putting our submissions into a “summer hibernation” mode, which means all submissions will be closed from now until the next fall submission/reading period. We’re sad to do this, but there are a few reasons we feel it’s necessary: 1) Our spring issue will be the last issue of the year, as it’s unlikely we’ll have the budget for a separate summer issue. 2)…