Austin Author Elizabeth McCracken Wins 2014 Story Prize! Congratulations From BookPeople!

We were pleased to host Elizabeth McCracken for the release of Thunderstruck & Other Stories back in April of 2014 and are excited that the National Book Award nominee is receiving the much lauded Story Prize. She joins the company of other great writers like George Saunders, Mary Gordon, and Anthony Doerr as recipients. … Continue reading Austin Author Elizabeth McCracken Wins 2014 Story Prize! Congratulations From BookPeople! →

weekend reading

There's a new(ish) literary journal in Austin, The Austin Review! From their most recent issue, An Execution, by Gabe Durham, is a comment about the death penalty and how, in our modern technological age, the internet grants a type of anonymity that often leads to less-than-well-thought-out commentary on serious issues- like the loss of life. The Austin Review … Continue reading weekend reading →

President Obama Recommends REDEPLOYMENT

This weekend President Obama appeared on CNN and was asked for a book recommendation. His pick? Redeployment, the National Book Award-winning collection of stories about Iraq by US Marine Corps vet Phil Klay. Thanks to Shelf Awareness for extracting this quote: "Over vacation, I read a book of short stories by Phil Klay called Redeployment. It's a quick … Continue reading President Obama Recommends REDEPLOYMENT →

Top Shelf in February: GET IN TROUBLE by Kelly Link

Top Shelf in February: Get in Trouble: Stories by Kelly Link Reviewed by Ben It’s always hard to review a book that has been so lauded. Karen Russell, Neil Gaiman, Sarah Waters, Michael Chabon, Yiyun Li, Peter Straub kick off a list of those who have already demonstrated their esteem for Kelly Link’s work, so adding my … Continue reading Top Shelf in February: GET IN TROUBLE by Kelly Link →

Weekend Reading

The (completely wonderful) Austin based small press, A Strange Object, launched their online magazine (Covered With Fur) this week!!! This is very exciting news. Check out their fiction, Are You Running Away?, by Bess Winter, and their not-fiction, Dear Albert, Dear Allison, by Ander Monson, in this week's issue. Alia Volz's essay, In Any Light, is about a childhood spent … Continue reading Weekend Reading →

Weekend Reading

Here are some short stories, essays, interviews, and reviews to satisfy your weekend literary craving: Mary Ruefle's essay, My Private Property, in The Kenyon Review. It's about shrunken heads. Or, is it about something else entirely? Also from The Kenyon Review, Natalia Theodoridou's short story, The Raven's Sister, a re-telling of the Seven Ravens folktale. … Continue reading Weekend Reading →

Short Fiction Time Continued: Anthologies

5 Short Stories Which Make Their Collection (or Anthology) Worth Buying~ post by BenIt seems my supervisors are foolish enough to let this madness continue. So, once again, it's short fiction time.Time has passed. Perhaps we've started to branch out since the last post. A short story collection or two may have passed over our … Continue reading Short Fiction Time Continued: Anthologies →

Short Fiction Time: 5 Masterpieces in the Genre

5 Short Stories Which Make Their Collection Worth Buying ~ post by Ben Ok folks, short fiction time. There might be some of you out there who have never read any short fiction, and that's okay. Trust me, I understand. The form has often been an underrepresented one. Thankfully, short stories are in the midst … Continue reading Short Fiction Time: 5 Masterpieces in the Genre →

George Saunders Wins Story Prize

Bestselling author George Saunders took home the Story Prize last night for his collection, Tenth of December. In addition to honor and glory and yet more applause for these terrific, funny, strange stories, Saunders received a check for $20,000. From the judges: "George Saunders offers a vision and version of our world that takes into account the serious … Continue reading George Saunders Wins Story Prize →

Author Talk: Q&A With Owen Egerton

The incomparable Owen Egerton's first collection of short stories, How Best to Avoid Dying, is back in print with a fabulous new cover! Huzzah! The Chicago Tribune said of this collection, "...Egerton...applies a laser focus to our search for the sacred, with results that are both darker and more divine." Owen is a veritable staple in Austin's vibrant … Continue reading Author Talk: Q&A With Owen Egerton →