As the new year is starting, I wanted to share some of the great stories, poems and essays that I’ve been reading lately. I hope you enjoy these as much as I have.
Darnell Arnoult’s essay, When I Started to Cry, is online at Blackbird: http://www.blackbird.vcu.edu/v15n2/nonfiction/arnoult-d/started_page.shtml.
Becky Bond, who is always hilarious, writes about the anxiety that comes with filling out forms: http://www.beckybondwrites.com/ffa-form-filling-anxiety.
Agatha French, the new staff writer in books at the Los Angeles Times, recently interviewed Stephanie Danler about her bestseller, Sweetbitter: http://www.latimes.com/books/jacketcopy/la-ca-jc-danler-sweetbitter-20160916-snap-story.html. She also interviewed Jill Soloway and Eileen Myles about creativity, “queer art,” and the end of their relationship: http://www.latimes.com/books/jacketcopy/la-ca-jc-soloway-myles-20161031-story.html?utm_source=Books&utm_campaign=5465d277fe-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2016_10_26&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_ee9d7b9236-5465d277fe-79848189.
Megan Galbraith’s wonderful essay, Learning to Mother Myself, was published in The Manifest Station: http://themanifeststation.net/2016/11/22/learning-to-mother-myself/.
Keith Lesmeister’s forthcoming collection, We Could Have Been Happy Here, is included in Memorious’s list of most anticipated books of 2017: https://memoriousmag.wordpress.com/2016/12/28/barrett-bowlins-anticipated-books-of-2017/.
Linda Michel-Cassidy interviewed Gonzalo Torne for The Rumpus: http://therumpus.net/2016/11/the-rumpus-interview-with-gonzalo-torne/.
Shawna Kay Rodenberg has written an important article about education, coal and poverty in Eastern Kentucky for Salon: http://www.salon.com/2016/12/31/sheltering-in-place-for-students-in-donald-trump-loving-coal-country-school-choice-isnt-a-solution/.
Susan Pagani’s story, The Fledgling, is in the new issue of The Rappahannock Review: http://www.rappahannockreview.com/susan-pagani-the-fledgling-f/.
Cassie Pruyn wrote a brilliant essay for VIDA that you should read and share: http://www.vidaweb.org/report-from-the-field-speaking-into-silences/.
Corina Zappia is a frequent contributor to The Stranger’s Food & Drink section. Recently, she wrote “Mackerel, You Sexy Bastard: In Defense of Sardines, Herring, and other Maligned Fishy Fish,” http://www.thestranger.com/food-and-drink/2016/10/26/24645304/mackerel-you-sexy-bastard and “Washington Is Getting so Cheesy,” http://www.thestranger.com/food-and-drink/2016/09/09/24551761/washington-is-getting-so-cheesy.
Denton Loving 