What are you reading this summer? As a way to balance my constant drive toward simplicity with my constant desire to acquire new books, I occasionally put a shopping ban on reading material in order to make a dent in my TBR pile. I did so a few months ago, and have been happily surprised […]
What I Read: Summer Round Up 2018 Read More »
Back in 2014, I was lucky enough to hear John McNally deliver a craft talk called “The Shame, the Necessity, the Discouragement and the Freedom: Rejection, Failure and the Bigger Picture,” while attending a residency at Pacific University. What wowed me about John’s talk that day was his ability to be hopeful, vulnerable, honest, and
The Promise of Failure: Thoughts on the Writer’s Life Read More »
I woke this morning from a dream so real I could taste the words I’d been speaking in my throat. It’s a recurring dream—not the actual events or settings, but the theme and tenor—a bank of images that appear every so often when I’m avoiding writing something that wants to be written. Why do you
The Stories that Haunt You Read More »
This flash essay, called “Batter,” originally appeared in the online literary magazine Gravel, way back in 2015. Along with “The Infidel Approaches Grace” (Hobart) and “XO” (Split Lip), I think of “Batter” as seminal to the book XO. Gravel folded several years ago, but I remain grateful to their giving “Batter” its original home. Batter
From the Archives: Batter Read More »
Was there a Girl Canon Tumblr? Circa 2014? I think so, and I’m pretty sure this little literary influcences list was written for it. 1. The Robber Bride by Margaret Atwood. This book made me want to be a writer. I read the mass-market paperback countless times during my teen years. The only other two
From the Archives: The Not-So-Secret Canon of Sara Rauch Read More »
This lyric essay (sometimes confused as fiction) was originally published by Prick of the Spindle way back in 2014, but no longer appears on their website. “You don’t need directions, even though it can be useful to consult them until you no longer confuse the road map for the road.” —Karen Maezen Miller I. Fire
From the Archives: Element Read More »
Originally published in the short-lived Crossed Out, way back in 2013(!), this “catastrophe” of a story has always been a favorite of mine. The title credit goes to Katherine Dunn, who gave pretty much the best title advice in the world. Paulette was down on her knee, her little heart-shaped face hopeful, dark hair slicked
From the Archives: The Five-Carat Catastrophe Read More »
