My essay “Can a Revenge Movie Succeed Without Violence?” is up today at Electric Literature. It’s a critical response to the film Promising Young Woman and includes my thoughts on the 2017 movie Revenge. Warning: it does contain spoilers and discusses sexual assault.
Category / PROFESSIONAL NEWS
New Publications Coming Soon
Happy Lunar New Year! I’m excited to say that I will have an essay coming out next week in Electric Literature, and a new piece of flash fiction in the April issue of Bending Genres. I’ve been pushing pretty hard in terms of submissions, so I’m hoping these are just the beginning of many announcements.
Wigleaf Top 50 Longlist for 2020
I feel so proud to say that my story “Run” made the longlist for this year’s Wigleaf Top 50. This is my second year making the longlist. I’m grateful to the editors at Gravel, who originally published the piece, and the Wigleaf Top 50 editors, who I know spend so much time and effort on this list every year.
Wigleaf Top 50 Longlist and More!
I just returned from Houston, where I was a panelist for Writefest. It’s a gorgeous city, and I met a ton of talented and friendly writers, editors, and industry folks.
While I was there, a reprint of my story “A Thousand Butterflies” went live over at Flash Fiction Online. You can read the piece here. Big thanks to editor Anna Yeatts and the rest of the staff for giving this piece a second home. I also found out last week that my flash “Hotbox,” published in New World Writing, made the longlist for Wigleaf‘s Top 50 (Very) Short Fictions of 2019. This is the first time one of my stories has made a best of list like this, so I was over the moon when I saw the news.
I feel incredibly grateful to the Writefest organizers, as well as the editors over at Wigleaf, New World Writing, and Flash Fiction Online. Writing can be a quiet, lonely endeavor, full of disappointment and rejection, but then I’m reminded of how much everyone works to lift each other up, and it’s pretty amazing.
Finally, I will be reading with a group of other writers at The Book Cellar in Lincoln Square on June 22nd. Stay tuned for more information on that event.
Lost Balloon Story in Best Microfiction
I’m proud to say that a story originally published in my journal Lost Balloon will appear in the Best Microfiction anthology this year. Huge congrats to the talented Anita Goveas. Her winning story, “Let’s Sing All the Swear Words We Know” is a must-read.
Upcoming Publications and Event
I have been getting some good news lately after several months of rejection and quiet.
First, Flash Fiction Online recently accepted my story “A Thousand Butterflies” to appear as a reprint this year. This piece was originally published in last year’s print edition of Passages North, and I’m stoked that it will receive a second life online. I also have an interview with author Angie Kim coming up later this spring in The Rumpus. (Kim’s debut novel Miracle Creek is due to be published in April.) Finally, I’ve been asked to be a panelist at WriteFest in Houston early in the summer. Looking forward to visiting Houston for the first time, and to presenting to the writers there.
I still have a few stories on submission that I’m hoping will be published this year, but so far, 2019 is looking pretty good. I will update with links as things become more concrete.
Thanks to The Hambidge Center
I just returned from a two-week residency at The Hambidge Center in Rabun Gap, Georgia. I had my own small cabin where I was able to think, read, and write, and it was absolutely invaluable. I also had the opportunity to meet and commune with some incredible writers and artists. I’m so grateful for the time and space. You can view photos from my time there on my Instagram account.
Nominations for Lost Balloon
As the editor of a literary magazine, one of my favorite tasks is to nominate published pieces for awards. I announced the nominations for Best Small Fictions and the Pushcart Prize anthology this weekend, and I’m so incredibly proud of these writers and their work. Links to their pieces, along with the nominees for Best of the Net and Best Microfiction, are all available on the magazine’s awards page.
“Hotbox” Featured in Indie Lit Round-Up
Leah Angstman chose my story “Hotbox” for this week’s Indie Lit Round-Up. The other pieces are by folks like Kristen Arnett and Tanaya Winder. I’m so proud to be featured in The Coil and to be included with these great writers!
Chelsea Voulgares 