New Story at Fanzine! Residency!

And whatnot.

I love what's going on over at Fanzine and I'm excited to have a story about bingo up over there: Bulls-eye. 

I'm also way excited that I'll be spending my second (though non-consecutive) February in Vermont at the Vermont Studio Center. 

I'm going to share this, and hope I don't jinx anything, but guys: I am more excited about writing than I have ever been. I feel like I have a million projects I want to work on and I am so incredibly thrilled to have the time to work on them. You probably think I am either a) blowing smoke or b) always like this, but I AM NOT. I usually hate writing, and drag my feet when trying to finish a project or have no idea where the next one will come from, and I am the opposite of all these things right now. I don't care how hokey all of this sounds. It feel rully good. 

Rejection 283 and nice press for stories!

Get outta here. 

Fence doesn't want the story I sent them. Someday!

A Different Bed Every Time has got a nice write-up in the The Chicago Reader, a not so complimentary write-up in The Harvard Crimson, and made the Amazon Best of 2014 list for Short Stories. 

I've added a slew of readings to the upcoming events list, so please come out and say hi!

Rejection 282 and A Different Bed Every Time Released!

What are we even looking at?

Paper Darts didn't take the latest story I sent them, but that's ok: 

My new story collection is out and she's been getting a really hefty amount of kind words said about her, including a sentence of praise from O: The Oprah Magazine. 

You can track it on the book's page here. 

Lots of readings are also posted here.

High fives. Low fives. All the fives.

Rejection for Poetry Book, Reviews, Final Round for Grant

Black Ocean rejected the poetry book I sent them for the second time (after revision). Fair! I think that's the end of sending that particular hunk of language to them. Can't wait to hear what will be coming out though!

Reviews of the new book are out in Kirkus and Publishers Weekly and Foreword Reviews.  

I found out that I was on the shortlist for that Illinois Art Council Grant so that was encouraging. 

I'll be presenting on a panel about Women Editors in Indie Publishing in April at AWP!

A Fellowship Rejection and some nice press for A Different Bed Every Time

But I do also want your money.

The Illinois Arts Council reinstated their individual artist fellowships this year and the lucky recipients get $15,000 to do what they will. I received an email this week letting me know I would not be one of those recipients. They posted that they were reopening grant submissions 2 weeks before the deadline, so there wasn't much time to pull things together, but I'm glad I tried! This just means that MacArthur is that much closer right? HAHAHA.

BUT, there's a nice little interview with Dzanc authors over at Prick of the Spindle here: Writer Round-Up. 

And The Millions was kind enough to feature A Different Bed Every Time on its Most Anticipated: The Great Second-Half 2014 Book Preview. 

Thankgoodnessforeverything.

Generous Review at The Rumpus!

Feel like this.

Heather Partington over at The Rumpus gave A Different Bed Every Time a very carefully considered and kind review! 

I also have an interview up at The Doctor T.J. Eckleburg Review. 

Rejection 281, NewCity Lit 50, and a new story in Ninth Letter!

Today I heard from Bomb Magazine that they are not interested in the story I submitted to them. Onward!

There are two lovely pieces of news though: 

1) I made it onto the list of the NewCity Lit 50 in Chicago, which is pretty much a dream, and then I got to meet a bunch of writers I've long admired at the party, as well as hanging out with some very dear friends!

2) I have a story, "Strange Loop," featured in the newest issue of Ninth Letter. It is a BEAUTIFUL object complete with lots of fluorescent orange ink inside, so you should really order yourself a copy. 

25 Writers to Watch

The Guild Literary Complex decided to celebrate it's 25th Anniversary by naming 25 Writers to Watch, and I'm honored to be included on the list, among such luminaries as Megan Stielstra, Kathleen Rooney, Bill Hillman, Rebecca Kling, and Jacob Knabb. For a full list of the other writers on the list and more information about each of them, visit the Guild site. 

The mission of the Guild is one I've long admired: "To present and support diverse, divergent, and emerging voices through programming that is as dynamic as Chicago itself. Actively working with individuals and organizations from all of Chicago’s many neighborhoods, the Guild seeks to connect seemingly disparate groups and geographies through literature—bringing unexpected writers, programs, and audiences together." I'm humbled to be in the company of the Guild itself, and the others on this list. 

To join us at the part celebrating the Guild's anniversary, get tickets!

Bowie-inspired Essay up at Consequence of Sound

Round and round we go.

There's a great project happening at the music site, Consequence of Sound, in which Randall Colburn is soliciting writers to rally together to tell one true story for each song on an album. This month it's David Bowie's Diamond Dogs. I wrote about clutter - in the home and in writing - inspired by "The Chant of the Evercircling Skeletal Family." Listen to the song as you read the essay, and you'll feel the anxiety.

I also just wanted to thank Vol. 1 Brooklyn for the kind advance excitement for A Different Bed Every Time. I love those guys.

Rejection 281

Like a bear waking up from winter, I'm expelling  the pinecones, hair and bark I swallowed to stop me up while I was working on that novel, and submitting again. Pleasant, no?

The last time I named a post with a rejection number it was 280, so we'll go from there. I think that remains accurate. Typically my method had been not to count rejections from contests or book-length submissions or applications to residencies or other special programming in that overall count. I track all of that separately. It was only submissions to magazines that counted.

Do you wanna know how long it's been since Rejection 280? Over 2 years. That's nutty, right? 

Around that time I was starting work on this novel and I knew it would be a while before I sent submissions out again. Truth be told, there was some shorter work written in that time, but I had the good fortune to be solicited by a number of magazines, so the shorter work went to those kind people.

Anyway, #281 was from The American Reader, one of my favorite magazines right now. I feel a-okay about getting rejected by them. They are the tiptop for me, so I'm thankful they took the time to read my story, and the turnaround was under 24 hours, so that was painless. They didn't see a fit and set me on my merry way. 

Going to send this little guy to a couple other places and might just keep stacking up these rejection numbers rather quickly! Stay tuned! Feels good to be back in the game.