Jolene McIlwain’s writing appears online at Cincinnati Review, Prairie Schooner, Litro UK, Atticus Review, Prime Number Magazine, and elsewhere. Her work has been nominated for two Pushcarts and named a contest finalist by Glimmer Train. She was also a semi-finalist for Nimrod’s Katherine Anne Porter Prize, and received recognition in both American Short Fiction’s Short and Short(er) Fiction contests. She’s an associate flash fiction editor at jmww journal and is currently working on a linked short fiction collection and novel set in the hills of the Appalachian plateau of Western Pennsylvania.
“[My favorite] stories, by the way, were submitted to over 100 literary journals before they found homes. I really loved them, which I guess is why I kept plugging away at the revisions until they were accepted”: Julie Zuckerman talks with Jolene McIlwain about persistence, family lore, and the thrill of publishing her first collection of linked stories.
“My characters find ways to go on, even if they wind up in more trouble. They’re like plants that seek the light even if they have to twist themselves out of shape to find it:” Mary Ann McGuigan sits down with Jolene McIlwain to discuss the lines between stories and novels and YA and adult fiction, as well as Pieces, out from Bottom Dog Press.
