Suspend Your Disbelief

Archive for 2010

Reviews |

Sima's Undergarments for Women, by Ilana Stanger-Ross

by Lee Thomas

In her moving debut novel, Sima’s Undergarments for Women (Overlook, 2009), Ilana Stanger-Ross renders her title character so startlingly real, and with such empathy, that we cannot help but root for her. In the Jewish neighborhood of Boro Park, Brooklyn, Sima and her husband, Lev–both in shuffling middle age–have long accepted (but are forever marked by) the disappointment of not being able to have children. Sima has withdrawn into the world of her shop, away from the shroud of tragedy cast over her marriage. The story begins when a vivacious young Israeli woman, Timna, enters Sima’s shop and changes everything. The story begins when a vivacious young Israeli woman, Timna, enters Sima’s shop and changes everything.


Shop Talk |

Nashville Review Spring 2010

by Jeremiah Chamberlin

This spring The Nashville Review will release its inaugural issue. The journal is supported by Vanderbilt University and will be published triquarterly. Though the list of work included in this first issue hasn’t been released yet, we were pleased to see some FWR favorites as Contributing Editors: Kevin Wilson, whose collection Tunneling to the Center of the Earth was one of our 2009 favorites; Salvatore Scibona, author of The End, whose interview with contributor Michael Hinken we published in March of 2009; and Patrick O’Keefe, author of the The Hill Road, which won the story prize in 2006. The journal […]


Shop Talk |

Are Books Recession-Proof?

by Celeste Ng

A recent poll of 3,000 people made a surprising find: books are an indulgence many people can’t live without. Three-quarters of adults questioned in an online poll said they would sacrifice holidays, dining out, going to the movies and even shopping sprees but they could not resist buying books. Dining out came in a far second with only 11 percent of Americans naming it their top indulgence, followed by shopping at 7 percent, vacations at four and movies, which was chosen by only 3 percent of Americans. “The recession highlighted the downside of greed, indulgence and giving in to temptation, […]


Shop Talk |

Granta's New Voices Series

by Jeremiah Chamberlin

Every six to eight weeks Granta highlights new fiction by an emerging writer exclusively on their website. The New Voices Project has featured work by such writers as Jessica Soffer, Laura Fellowes, Soumya Bhattacharya, Hannah Gersen, Erin McMillan, Evan James Roskos, Lana Asfour, Evie Wyld, and P.D. Mallamo. In addition to original work, each feature also includes an interview with the author. For details of how to submit your story, please see Granta’s submissions guidelines. The most recent writer to be featured as part of this project is Kenyan author Billy Kahora. Below is the opening to his story “The […]


Reviews |

When Autumn Leaves, by Amy S. Foster

by Laura Barthule

Award-winning lyricist, Amy S. Foster–who has written songs for musicians such as Diana Krall, Michael Buble, and Andrea Bocelli–makes an eloquent transition from songwriter to novelist in her debut novel, When Autumn Leaves. Like a well-written song, the novel evokes a powerful atmosphere. Foster’s vivid descriptions bring the charming town of Avening, a magical haven in the Pacific Northwest, to life. And the story captures our attention from the first note, when we meet the title character. Autumn is a member of the Jaen, “an ancient order of women who dedicate their lives to the service of others.” For years, she has guided the people of Avening, a town whose steady undercurrent of magic has attracted a unique citizenry. In the novel’s first chapter, Autumn learns she is being reassigned. She must leave Avening–but before doing so, she must choose her successor.


Shop Talk |

Writing for the Long Haul

by Celeste Ng

In the L.A. Times, author Dani Shapiro reflects on the challenges of a writing career–the lost days of “writing in the cold” for years while building a reputation, the recent “blockbuster or bust” mentality, and how emerging writers can persevere in spite of all of this: I recently had the honor of acting as guest editor for the anthology “Best New American Voices 2010,” the latest volume in a long-running annual series that contains some of the finest writing culled from students in graduate programs and conferences. Joshua Ferris, Nam Le, Julie Orringer and Maile Meloy are just a few […]


Shop Talk |

Call for Spring Submissions

by Jeremiah Chamberlin

Spring submission season is upon us. Here is a selection of postings that we’ve received in the last few weeks from journals seeking work. Please feel free to add others in our comment field, or write us: fictionwritersreview@gmail.com Submit Your Entry Now! Short Fiction Contest 2010 Submissions will be accepted February 1st-February 28th, with the winner announced in late spring. Submissions must be 1200 words or less. There is no entry fee. Louise Erdrich, winner of the 2009 Kenyon Review Award for Literary Achievement, will be the final judge. The Kenyon Review will publish the winning short story in the […]


Interviews |

The Shape of Disaster: An Interview with Margaret Lazarus Dean

by Jennifer Metsker

Margaret Lazarus Dean’s The Time It Takes to Fall takes place in the early 80’s in Cape Canaveral, a space town, during a time when NASA and shuttle launches were still a part of the American story of success. Jennifer Metsker talks with the author about how the Challenger disaster affected us, the unique ways fiction captures the felt world, writing from the point of view of a child, and why we should allow our characters to misbehave.


Shop Talk |

Postcards from Penguin: 100 Book Covers in a Box

by Celeste Ng

I can think of a bunch of uses for these supercool postcards featuring vintage Penguin covers. You could use them as snazzy thank-you notes to writer (or reader) friends. You could tuck them into gift books as bookmarks, or let them serve as reminders for books you’ve been meaning to read. You could tack them up above your desk as inspiration (“Note to Self: Write a book like The Great Gatsby“). Or you could frame them and hang them en masse to make great wall art. Those in the UK have had access to these for a few months already. […]


Shop Talk |

NPR's Three-Minute Fiction Contest

by Celeste Ng

NPR has just announced its third Three-Minute Fiction Contest. This year, the judge will be writer and critic Alan Cheuse. The challenge? Write a story about this photo that can be read out loud in under three minutes–that’s about 600 words. Cheuse compares a good short story to a lyric poem — both forms pack the biggest emotional punch and the most information into the smallest possible space. “It’s a love affair, rather than a marriage,” he says. “Or maybe even a one-night stand compared to a love affair.” He’ll be looking for entertainment as well as emotion in the […]




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