American Short Fiction
Encyclopedia
American Short Fiction is a nationally-circulated literary magazine based in Austin, Texas. Issued quarterly, American Short Fiction publishes short fiction, novel excerpts, and an occasional novella, and strives to publish work by both established and emerging contemporary authors. The magazine searches out stories “in which transformations of language, narrative, and character occur swiftly, deftly, and unexpectedly.”
American Short Fiction sponsors two annual short fiction contests, the American Short Fiction Contest, judged this year by Wells Tower
, and the new American Short(er) Fiction Prize. The magazine also sponsors a reading series in Austin as well as online workshops for fiction writers.
in cooperation with the Texas Center for Writers and “The Sound of Writing” broadcast on National Public Radio. During its initial run, the magazine was a two-time finalist for the National Magazine Award for Fiction and contributors’ work was anthologized in Best American Short Stories, The O. Henry Prize Stories, and the Pushcart Prize: Best of the Small Presses.
The defunct journal was purchased in 2003 by Badgerdog Literary Publishing and released the first issue of its second run in Winter 2006. The journal maintains high standards for publication. Two recent stories, Ethan Rutherford’s "The Peripatetic Coffin" and Karl Taro Greenfeld’s "NowTrends" have been chosen to appear in Best American Short Stories 2009. Contributions have also been anthologized in Best American Non-Required Reading and will appear in Best American Fantasy 2010.
American Short Fiction sponsors two annual short fiction contests, the American Short Fiction Contest, judged this year by Wells Tower
Wells Tower
Wells Tower is an American writer of short stories and non-fiction.-Early life, education, and early career:Tower was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, but grew up in North Carolina....
, and the new American Short(er) Fiction Prize. The magazine also sponsors a reading series in Austin as well as online workshops for fiction writers.
History and publication
Founded in 1991 by editor Laura Furman, American Short Fiction was published until 1998 by the University of Texas PressUniversity of Texas Press
The University of Texas Press is a university press that is part of the University of Texas at Austin. Established in 1950, the Press publishes scholarly books in several areas, including Latin American studies, Texana, anthropology, U.S...
in cooperation with the Texas Center for Writers and “The Sound of Writing” broadcast on National Public Radio. During its initial run, the magazine was a two-time finalist for the National Magazine Award for Fiction and contributors’ work was anthologized in Best American Short Stories, The O. Henry Prize Stories, and the Pushcart Prize: Best of the Small Presses.
The defunct journal was purchased in 2003 by Badgerdog Literary Publishing and released the first issue of its second run in Winter 2006. The journal maintains high standards for publication. Two recent stories, Ethan Rutherford’s "The Peripatetic Coffin" and Karl Taro Greenfeld’s "NowTrends" have been chosen to appear in Best American Short Stories 2009. Contributions have also been anthologized in Best American Non-Required Reading and will appear in Best American Fantasy 2010.
American Short Fiction editors
- 1991-1994: Laura FurmanLaura FurmanLaura J. Furman is an American author best known for her role as series editor for the O. Henry Awards prize story collection. Her work has appeared in The New Yorker, Mirabella, Ploughshares, Southwest Review....
- 1994-1998: Joseph Kruppa
- 2005-2006: Rebecca Bengal
- 2006-2009: Stacey Swann
- 2009-present: Jill Meyers
Past contributors
- Joyce Carol OatesJoyce Carol OatesJoyce Carol Oates is an American author. Oates published her first book in 1963 and has since published over fifty novels, as well as many volumes of short stories, poetry, and nonfiction...
- Don Lee
- Dagoberto GilbDagoberto GilbDagoberto Gilb is an American writer born in Los Angeles, California, whose reputation, after years between L.A. and Texas, is as one of the leading voices from the American Southwest....
- Dan ChaonDan ChaonDan Chaon is an American writer.His first novel was You Remind Me of Me . His short-story collections Fitting Ends and Among the Missing were both well-received; the latter was a finalist for a National Book Award and was also named one of the year's ten best books by the American Library...
- Louise ErdrichLouise ErdrichKaren Louise Erdrich, known as Louise Erdrich, is an author of novels, poetry, and children's books featuring Native American heritage. She is widely acclaimed as one of the most significant writers of the second wave of what critic Kenneth Lincoln has called the Native American Renaissance...
- Charles BaxterCharles BaxterCharles Baxter is an American author of fiction, nonfiction and poetry.-Life:Baxter was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, to John and Mary Barber Baxter. He graduated from Macalester College in Saint Paul, and taught high school in Pinconning, Michigan, for a year. In 1974 he received his Ph.D...
- Ursula K. Le GuinUrsula K. Le GuinUrsula Kroeber Le Guin is an American author. She has written novels, poetry, children's books, essays, and short stories, notably in fantasy and science fiction...
- Antonya NelsonAntonya NelsonAntonya Nelson is an American author and teacher of creative writing who writes primarily short stories.-Life and education:Antonya Nelson was born January 6, 1961 in Wichita, Kansas....
- Nathan EnglanderNathan EnglanderNathan Englander is a Jewish-American author born in Long Island, NY in 1970. He wrote the short story collection, For the Relief of Unbearable Urges, published by Alfred A. Knopf, Inc., in 1999...
- Benjamin PercyBenjamin PercyBenjamin Percy is a contemporary American writer.- Biography :Percy was born on March 28, 1979 in Eugene, Oregon, and in his early life lived briefly in Hawaii...
- Vendela VidaVendela VidaVendela Vida is an American novelist, journalist, and editor who lives in the Bay Area.-Books:Vida has written four books....
- Desmond HoganDesmond HoganDesmond Hogan is an Irish writer.Hogan was born in Ballinasloe in east County Galway, Ireland. His father was a draper. Educated locally at St. Grellan’s Boys’ National School and St. Josephs’s College, Garbally Park...
- Ander MonsonAnder Monson-Life:He was raised in Houghton, Michigan in the Upper Peninsula. His mother's death when he was seven years old is reflected in the themes of his later fiction. He received his Bachelor of Arts from Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois...
- Paul YoonPaul YoonPaul Yoon is an American short story writer.He attended Phillips Exeter Academy, and Wesleyan University.He lives in Boston....
- Jess RowJess Row-Life:He attended Yale University and graduated in 1997. He later taught English in Hong Kong for two years before completing his M.F.A. at the University of Michigan in 2001....
- Maud Casey
- Ethan Rutherford
- Karl Taro GreenfeldKarl Taro GreenfeldKarl Taro Greenfeld is a journalist and author known primarily for his articles on life in modern Asia and both his fiction and non-fiction in The Paris Review....
- Karen BrownKaren BrownKaren Maree Brown captained the Australia national women's cricket team in a One Day International. She was born in 1962 in Upfield, Victoria and played 9 Test matches in all, scoring 132 runs as a right-handed batswoman and taking 22 wickets at just 15.72 with her right arm medium pace...
- Christie Hodgen
- Patrick Somerville
- Josh Weil
- Matt BellMatt BellMatthew Elwin Bell is a professional race car driver. Bell was born in Mountain View, California. Although Bell grew up in Los Altos, California, he attended Mountain View High School from which he graduated in 2004. After graduation, he pursued transportation design at the Academy of Art...