Suspend Your Disbelief

Shop Talk

Journal of the Week subscription winners: Ploughshares

by Michael Rudin

We’re delighted to announce the winners of our Ploughshares Journal of the Week giveaway, chosen at random from our Twitter followers. Congratulations to: Barbara Chai (@barbarachai) Trevor Schmidt (@TrevorSSchmidt) Ivy Pittman (@letitbesaid) You’ll each receive a complimentary one-year subscription to Ploughshares! Please contact us at winners [at] fictionwritersreview.com with your contact information and we’ll coordinate the rest. If you missed the profile of Ploughshares and the exclusive interview with editor-in-chief Ladette Randolph, you can read the whole thing in our blog archives. And remember: if you’d like to be eligible for future journal giveaways, please visit our Twitter Page and […]


The Ministry of Stories

by Celeste Ng

It sounds like something out of Harry Potter, but in reality, it’s way, way more magical. Since last fall,the London-based Hoxton Street Monster Supplies has sold a variety of goods from cans of Mortal Terror to Fang Floss. Behind a the store, however, hides The Ministry of Stories, a writing workshop intended to get young Brits excited about writing. Reports Springwise: Once inside the workshop area, the group or class of children collaboratively create a story, which is illustrated by an artist in residence as they build the narrative. Once the story reaches its conclusion, the children must present the […]


Book of the Week: A Thread of Sky, by Deanna Fei

by Jeremiah Chamberlin

This week’s featured title is Deanna Fei’s debut novel A Thread of Sky. Fei was born in Flushing, New York, and has lived in Beijing and Shanghai. She received her MFA from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop in 2003. The following academic year she spent in China on a Fulbright grant, conducting research for what would eventually become this novel. Published last year by Penguin, A Thread of Sky was a New York Times Editors’ Choice and an Indie Next Notable Book. It has just been released in paperback. In the introduction to her recent interview with the author, Kate Levin […]


Dean Bakopoulos reads in NYC

by Celeste Ng

New York FWR readers, I envy you: so many great readings lately from FWR friends and contributors! The latest treat: Dean Bakopoulos reads tomorrow night, Wednesday, April 6, at 7pm at Joe’s Pub as part of the Happy Ending Music and Reading Series. The event also features Tea Obreht, Fernanda Eberstadt, and musical guest Jay Brannan. Further Reading: If you haven’t already, read Dean’s fantastic essay “How Reading Junot Diaz Can Help America Prosper.” Visit Dean’s website to learn more about him and his work. Find Dean’s first novel, Please Don’t Come Back From the Moon, at an indie bookstore […]


"We should do more to develop the next Shakespeare and less to develop the next Justin Verlander."

by Celeste Ng

A few years ago, in a Chicago coffee shop, I got into a conversation with two writer friends about sports. One couldn’t understand why pro athletes were paid so much money and ended up delivering a passionate riff on how she didn’t see any actual purpose in sports. The man at the next table was patently eavesdropping and kept opening his mouth as if to jump in, but he ultimately refrained. To this day, I’ve always wondered what he would have said, and whether he would have joined in on my friend’s side, or if he’d have helped me try […]


Erika Dreifus reads in NYC

by Celeste Ng

Attention New Yorkers: FWR contributing editor Erika Dreifus will be reading from her debut story collection, Quiet Americans, on April 10 as part of the Sunday Salon series. She’ll be reading with Paul Lisicky, Karen Abbott, and Bino A. Realuyo. Not in NYC? On April 12, the Jewish Book Council’s Twitter Book Club will host Erika and her book for an online discussion from 12:30 to 1:10 pm EST. Follow @JewishBook and @ErikaDreifus and keep an eye on #JBCBooks for updates. And finally, Erika is giving away two Kindle “copies” of Quiet Americans to celebrate its release in Kindle format. […]


Literary Tattoos, Part II

by Celeste Ng

Quite a while back, we wrote about an anthology of literary tattoos. That book, The Word Made Flesh: Literary Tattoos, came out last fall. And, judging by this slideshow of lit tattoos, there’s plenty of material out there for a sequel. Can you identify these? And check out the rest in the original post. Those that use the text of the literature itself are lovely—but I’m especially fond of those that are insider references to the text, like this one: Or this one: Maybe we can divide literary tattoos into two classes. First there are those that use a direct […]


Valerie Laken at KGB Bar this Sunday, 4/3!

by Jeremiah Chamberlin

FWR contributor Valerie Laken‘s story collection, Separate Kingdoms, has just come out, and those of you in NYC can hear her read from it live at KGB Bar this Sunday, April 3, at 7:00 pm. Laken will read with Cat Valente as part of KGB’s Sunday Night Fiction series. And stay tuned next month, when we’ll be giving away three copies of Separate Kingdoms in honor of Short Story Month! Further reading: Learn more about Valerie Laken and her work through this FWR interview Follow Valerie through “The Magical, Dreadful First Hundred Pages,” her essay adapted from the 2010 AWP […]


Books as dominoes

by Celeste Ng

Earlier this month, this video celebrated Library Ireland Week: Notice how everyone is too engrossed in reading to notice the books falling all around? That’s how great reading is! Want more book-dominoes? Check out this run by “bookman”:


When are you big enough to handle the bad review?

by Celeste Ng

Last week, a personal book-review blog called BigAl’s Books and Pals posted a review of a self-published novel by Jacqueline Howett. Howett took exception to the review and posted a series of ranting comments, eventually deteriorating into obscenities—but not before the thread had gone viral, and not in a good way. Some insist that any publicity is good publicity, but the writing blogosphere unanimously agrees that Howett shot herself in the proverbial foot with her behavior. But for writers who don’t have public meltdowns over bad reviews, is any publicity good publicity? How do bad reviews affect book sales? David […]


Thursday Morning Candy: Newcity Lit

by Celeste Ng

Welcome to Thursday Morning Candy, where we highlight a sweet online journal or writely resource. Attention, Chicago writers! Newcity Lit is a website devoted to the Windy City’s writing scene. Says the site: We start with the core coverage found each week in Newcity magazine, Chicago’s only locally owned and operated cultural weekly, where we’ve been covering the turf for more than 22 years, and extend it with your input on this site. Please sign up and join the conversation! Recent topics include the School of the Art Institute’s second annual Small Press and Comics Symposium, a writeup of Columbia […]


Trade your books with BookMooch

by Celeste Ng

How have I not heard of this site before? BookMooch allows you to trade books you don’t want for books you do—by mail, with a little help from the internet. Here’s how it works, according to the site: You earn points when you: Type books in: enter books you own and want to give away. Each book typed in gets you 1/10th of a point. Give books away: respond to a mooch request, and send your book to them. 1 point awarded, 3 points if sent to another country. Acknowledge Receipt: after you receive a book, leave feedback for the […]




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