American Short Fiction blog

We are thrilled to announce that the first class in the ASF Workshop Series, Short Story Essentials: Writing Fiction for Publication, kicks off on March 4. This class is close to our hearts–not only we will be discussing great published fiction and workshopping your stories, we’ll also be demystifying the submission process.

Taught by ASF editors, the 8-week online workshop will focus on voice and story structure. We’ll also be exploring different markets for fiction and providing tips on submitting to literary journals. Visit americanshortfiction.org/workshops for course details and how to apply. The application deadline is February 20, 2009.

J. M. Tyree contributed his biblically inspired satirical short “The First Book of the Chronicles of the Cola Wars” to our Spring 2007 issue. Here he reads from “My Other Family,” a story of child abandonment and revenge that takes place in a Wal-Mart, on KQED’s The Writer’s Block.

Illustration © Tom Gauld.

Tom Gauld produces brilliant illustrations on topics relating to literature and the arts for the Guardian Saturday Review letters page.

We love lists. Particularly lists of books. Here are some books that ASF staff read and loved this past year:

Atmospheric Disturbances, Rivka Galchen

Break It Down, Lydia Davis

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, Junot Diaz

Coeur de Lion, Ariana Reines

How Fiction Works, James Wood

Lush Life, Richard Price

Netherland, Joseph O’Neill

The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher, Kate Summerscale

Tree of Smoke, Denis Johnson

Here are some new works by our contributors we’re looking forward to digging into in 2009:

AM/PM, Amelia Gray

Best Online Writing 1996-2006, Kim Chinquee

Dear Husband, Joyce Carol Oates

Once the Shore, Paul Yoon

What the World Will Look Like When All the Water Leaves Us, Laura van den Berg

The Wilding, Benjamin Percy

Add your picks for 2009 in the comments . . .