It’s finally cooled down in Chicago, which means that it’s time, once again, for a Fall Playlist. It was hard to corral this one into an effective order; the songs range from sprawling electronic melodies to quiet folk tunes.
Read MoreThis was a great month for books, people. I read some stunners.
Read MoreAccording to writer Twitter, lots of people are having trouble reading these days—but not me. I can’t concentrate on TV shows or movies at all, but books are working out just fine, as evidenced by my extensive July reading list.
Read MoreThere’s a lot to worry about these days (understatement of the year). But one good thing about the whole world being stuck inside is that so many literary events and classes have moved online, making them more accessible. I’ve been fortunate enough to take several craft workshops with some of my favorite authors over the past few months, and I figured I’d share my favorite takeaway from each class with you.
Read MoreMay and June moved so quickly that they arguably only count as one month. And most of June is technically still spring. Anyway, here’s what I read.
Read MoreSummer is here, which means it is time, once again, for some jams. Some themes: 1960s France, modern disco revival, Black indie artists.
Read MoreI do miss writing in coffee shops, though—which is why, when Atlas and Alice put out a call for micros for their special GLOBAL PANDEMIC x THE THING I TOOK FOR GRANTED issue, I knew exactly what to write about. They were kind enough to publish my first-ever creative nonfiction piece “I don’t miss coffee, but” earlier this week.
Read MoreDid April truly exist? It felt like no time at all, but it must have happened—I read so many books! So. Many. Books.
Read MoreHoly quarantine, Batman! Since I’ve been stuck inside so much, my reading has picked up considerably. Last time I went two months before giving you a reading update, but that’s not going to work this time—unless I want it to be the longest blog post in history. Let’s just cover what I read in March, shall we?
Read MoreIt’s a jam-packed QUARANTINE EDITION of the Spring Playlist this year—couldn’t seem to edit myself down to 20 songs no matter how hard I tried. Some themes: songs I listened to as an undergraduate, obscure folk music, the 80s.
Read MoreOn March 4th I flew to San Antonio for the Association of Writers & Writing Programs (AWP) Conference. Afterwards, I took a bus to Austin for a few days, then flew back on the 11th—which was only a week ago. But thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, it seems like a year since then.
Read MoreI must have fantastic literary taste, because I’ve read some great books since 2020 swept in! Here are some very brief reviews.
Read MoreLast Friday, Jellyfish Review was kind enough to publish my flash “A Whole Breakfast”—a charming story of near-miss incest. Near-miss! I write happy stories, okay? Happy.
Read MoreNormally my involvement with Split Lip Magazine is limited to running its social media accounts—finding GIFs that fit with the work we publish, mostly. But this month I had the good fortune to review Incoming: Sex, Drugs, and Copenhagen, a collection of essays written by United States veterans.
Read MoreI’ve been nominated for Best Small Fictions by Longleaf Review! I also attended Courtney Maum’s “Getting Ready for a Book Deal” master class, which provided lots of insights about preparing manuscripts and drafting letters to agents. Here are some statistics and resources from my own querying experience.
Read MoreI remember what Spooky Season book I forgot to review! It is, of course, Carmen Maria Machado’s brilliant short story collection Her Body and Other Parties, which, as usual, I read several years after its heyday. I knew I was missing one!
Read MoreHere’s a winter playlist to brighten those cloudy days.
Read MoreYears ago, when I was still in my MFA, I drafted a flash story about a woman who was haunted by her late husband’s bleak and brutal thoughts, with trivia as her only coping mechanism. I’m pleased to say that “A Woman Possessed” was finally published by Passages North last Friday!
Read MoreI know we’re long past spooky season at this point, but in my defense, I caught pneumonia. I’ve spent the past few weeks laying on my couch, pale, feverish, and coughing like some Edgar Allan Poe character. Fortunately, the antibiotics have kicked in, and I’m feeling much better.
Read MoreRecently I had the privilege to attend Tin House’s inaugural YA Fiction Workshop, held at the Sylvia Beach Hotel in charming Newport, Oregon. I took in the fresh ocean breezes, I pet the resident cat, I made new friends—and I worked on my writing, of course.
Read More