Administrivia note: I just had to re-add (add again?) Haloscan to my site because there was a lapse between comments… blah blahblahblah. Do you really care? I’m not sure I even care but it was sort of driving me crazy because I couldn’t figure it out. Anywhooo, I’m boring myself now. So, bye.

David Bezmozgis’s debut story collection Natasha will not leave you–not while you are reading it and not soon after you finish. In fact, it may stay with you always–it is memory. These stories, carry us through the lives of Roman, Bella and their son Mark, who are strangers in a strange land–Russian Jews (but not Refusniks, which we learn would have given them more … Read More

When I read Alicia Erian’s short story collection The Brutal Language of Love, I thought, “Now here’s someone speaking my language.” I also wondered how she could get any better/appeal to me more. Well, clearly she only improves as she goes because her novel Towelhead is great. It’s not a book for everyone. There is racism. There is rage. There is sex. There is … Read More

It doesn’t get much better than this–Susan Diplacido interviews one of my favorite people and writers–Ellen Meister. It’s a great interview. Go on and read it.

Newpages.com has published its new selection of lit mag reviews. I love reading through these reviews. I often learn of new journals this way. It’s a great service.

Crap. One of my day’s worth of postings accidentally got deleted–one of which was a congratulations to Kat for honorable mention in that contest judged by Kurt Kurt Vonnegut and Peter Matthiessen. Congrats, Kat! Okay, I’m off like a prom dress. Will likely post more during the week as there is wireless at the hotel.

I’m intrigued by this concept but I’m not sure I would pay to read these Amazon Shorts: Amazon Shorts are never-before-seen short works from a wide variety of well-known authors, available only on Amazon.com. Try a new genre or a new author–there’s something for everyone. Amazon Shorts are: New short-form literature from top authors for only 49 centsDelivered electronically; there are no printed editionsYours … Read More

Anne Elliot has a great piece in the latest Pindeldyboz: Read the Goddamn Poem

You still have time (until August 31st) if you were thinking of entering Night Train‘s Firebox Fiction Contest (final judge is Robert Boswell). It’s only $10 to enter and for that $10 you can submit two pieces under 1,000 words (you can also enter as many times as you want, provided you pony up the $10 each time).

Amanda Davis died too soon; that much we know for sure. As a reader new to her work, it is hard to come to her collection Circling the Drain without applying the knowledge of her untimely death, and without attaching some sort of prescience to her words. In particular, one may feel this with the story “Crash” about a woman who is witness to … Read More

Jordan interviewed Aimee Bender yesterday. Cannot wait to listen to it when it goes up on their archives.

This woman is very, very funny: Laurie’s Love Logic