Essays & Reviews
Not a Real Writer: How Self-Doubt Holds Me Back
"If anything, other people’s success should only encourage me: if they did it, so can I. But that’s where the self-doubt steps in and says, They can do it BUT YOU NEVER WILL BECAUSE YOU’RE NOT A REAL WRITER. It’s the same voice that tells me submitting to writing contests is a waste of money. (It really is, though). It’s the same voice that says, You will never be anything other than what you are at this very moment."
Submission for Beginners: The Reality of Lit Mag Publishing
“Remember that no publication is too small. Years ago, I published a story in a little-known online magazine, back when any online publishing was considered second-rate. I was sort of disappointed, until I discovered a secret about those up-and-coming journals: they work hard for their writers. Because of the dedication of the editors at that journal, my story was nominated for an award and ended up in a print anthology of online writing.”
Why Won't Men Leave Me Alone When I'm Trying to Read in Public?
“I am the kind of woman who goes to bars alone and reads books, regardless of poor lighting or noise level. I have a tremendous ability to block out surrounding sounds and distractions, and can lose myself in a book even amongst a noisy, boisterous crowd. It’s just a talent I have, and I don’t see any reason not to employ it. I enjoy being in the company of other humans without having to directly interact with them. I enjoy having a cocktail by myself while engaging with a piece of fantastic literature. But some men seem to find this behavior threatening and many are not as subtle about it.”
Reading Instruments: A Fictionista Reports on Monika Zobel's Poetry Collection An Instrument for Leaving
“My deadline is upon me. I am confident that if someone did a poll and asked the general population which produces more anxiety, the end of the world or a deadline, they would all choose the latter because the end is coming someday, but a deadline is happening right now. So, I bake muffins. Then I eat muffins. Then I pace, fiddle with my pen, press “print” and review the four or five pages I’ve got so far.”
Kelly Link's New Short Story Collection Explores the Dark Side of Adolescence
"If anything, other people’s success should only encourage me: if they did it, so can I. But that’s where the self-doubt steps in and says, They can do it BUT YOU NEVER WILL BECAUSE YOU’RE NOT A REAL WRITER. It’s the same voice that tells me submitting to writing contests is a waste of money. (It really is, though). It’s the same voice that says, You will never be anything other than what you are at this very moment."
Submission for Beginners: The Reality of Lit Mag Publishing
“Remember that no publication is too small. Years ago, I published a story in a little-known online magazine, back when any online publishing was considered second-rate. I was sort of disappointed, until I discovered a secret about those up-and-coming journals: they work hard for their writers. Because of the dedication of the editors at that journal, my story was nominated for an award and ended up in a print anthology of online writing.”
Why Won't Men Leave Me Alone When I'm Trying to Read in Public?
“I am the kind of woman who goes to bars alone and reads books, regardless of poor lighting or noise level. I have a tremendous ability to block out surrounding sounds and distractions, and can lose myself in a book even amongst a noisy, boisterous crowd. It’s just a talent I have, and I don’t see any reason not to employ it. I enjoy being in the company of other humans without having to directly interact with them. I enjoy having a cocktail by myself while engaging with a piece of fantastic literature. But some men seem to find this behavior threatening and many are not as subtle about it.”
Reading Instruments: A Fictionista Reports on Monika Zobel's Poetry Collection An Instrument for Leaving
“My deadline is upon me. I am confident that if someone did a poll and asked the general population which produces more anxiety, the end of the world or a deadline, they would all choose the latter because the end is coming someday, but a deadline is happening right now. So, I bake muffins. Then I eat muffins. Then I pace, fiddle with my pen, press “print” and review the four or five pages I’ve got so far.”
Kelly Link's New Short Story Collection Explores the Dark Side of Adolescence
Stories
“I wonder what might sprout from his tears if Ben cried. Something exotic that has to be kept moist all the time, like a minuscule orchid, maybe.”
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“The day she came, we were restless and expectant though we didn’t know why. It started with the older ones. They had sensed something and their agitation trickled down to the rest and made us spill the milk and miss stitches in our sewing.”
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“At night, I wait for him. The moon seems to follow me. The windows have no curtains. The moon is there, slinking around the kettle, or in a basin of black water. I drink it in my cup. He doesn’t come.”
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“I get a tattoo of the fruit that killed my sister. It’s on my hip, just below the waistline of my boys’ Levi’s. The lines are red, insinuating the outer form and the bejeweled cavern. I get it done by the mall with my two gold-haired friends who are like vapid, giggling handmaids. They belonged to my sister but they follow me around now for lack of anything better to do.”
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“In his dreams there are bodies speaking with tongues that curl like smoke, their language fluid and harsh. His eyes are vacant. He grips me by the throat, his thumb on my windpipe. I thrash and the dog starts to bark. The sound brings the soul back into his eyes, then he falls on top of me, crushing me, and weeps into my hair. I lie still and wait. It is better when he cries than when he does not.”
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