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“A Move to New Country” Pushcart Nominated

So appreciative to Reckoning for nominating “A Move to New Country” for the Pushcart Prize. Ever since I heard about the first issue of this Environmental Justice focused Speculative Fiction magazine, I’ve wanted to be a part of it. I feel so fortunate that this is the piece that made that a reality and I am eternally grateful to the editors at Reckoning for their compassion and support. It couldn’t have been published in a more fitting venue.

I wrote this story in the wake of my Iko’s passing. It was during Covid and I was in Miami while she was in a care facility in my hometown in Kansas. After she passed, I had a ticket to return and speak at her memorial service with the multitudes of now-adults who had once been her elementary school students. But, within an hour of take-off, my flight was cancelled. This story was born after I paid my respects in the same way depicted in the story, with cedar at the dawning of a new day.

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New Nonfiction coming in New England Review and an interview

My latest bit of nonfiction will be appearing in the upcoming winter issue of New England Review. It is an excerpt from my memoir that involves GI Joes, my parents’ divorce, and my father’s failing health. More than anything, in my mind, it is a letter of appreciation to my brother, Rye.

I’ll let you know when it is out. For now, I am in the depths of the quest for representation of this memoir.

In other news, I had the pleasure of interviewing Chelsea Hicks (WahZhaZhe), author of a Calm and Normal Heart, for Boulevard Magazine. We discuss writing while Native, land acknowledgments, language, and The Killers of the Flower Moon, among other things. It should be arriving in the next issue, so be on the lookout for that. It’s a good conversation.

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Upcoming short fiction in Reckoning

Be on the lookout for my new short fiction, “A Move to a New Country” in the newest issue of Reckoning. Reckoning is a journal of speculative work focused on environmental justice that I have been following since before their first issue. To say I’m very happy to be a part of it is an understatement. The eBook version of the issue is available already at Weightless Books and Amazon, with new material being added online weekly at https://reckoning.press/reckoning-8/. A printed version will be available in July, for those that partake.

My story will be released on the Reckoning website May 2oth, though it has already received a recommendation from Charles Payseur at Locus Mag. Check out the link for other prose and poetry he recommends, with new installments posted regularly.

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“Nathan” in Best American Science and Nature Writing 2024

I am humbled and grateful to announce that “Nathan” has been selected by the amazing Bill McKibben to appear in the next volume of Best American Science and Nature Writing. Appearing in a Best American anthology has been a lifelong dream. The fact that it was this essay, about a person I miss every day who I wish more could have known, and it was selected by a writer whose work I routinely teach in my classes, makes it all the more sweet. The support of Carolyn Wells, Cheri and the rest of the editorial team was invaluable throughout the process. I also want to thank the series editor, Jaime Green, for her support.

To read my essay before it’s in the book, visit Longreads.com.

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“Nathan” Pushcart Prize Nominated

While eagerly awaiting the proofs for an upcoming publication in Reckoning, a journal of writing on environmental justice, I have received other good news. I am humbled and grateful to announce that “Nathan” has been selected by Longreads as a Pushcart Prize Nominee. A big piece of my heart is in this essay, and I’m so glad it is out there for all to read about and know my friend, Nathan. The support of Carolyn Wells, Cheri and the rest of the editorial team was invaluable throughout the process.

To read my essay and the other nominees, check out Longreads.com.

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“Nathan” live in Longreads

After a time of few updates, owing to a heavy focus on teaching and raising my daughter, I have some writing news to report.

“Nathan” is live at Longreads. I could make the case that I began this essay in June 2009. The first actual draft came about in 2017. I submitted it to one contest, was a finalist, and then did not even look at it for the next 5 years. It wasn’t until the last year or so that I was able to revise it again and start submitting. Over a decade of thinking about it and it is still so fresh in my mind. I miss him a lot, but I’m grateful to share a little bit of him with the world.

Soon, I’ll have another link for everyone. I also have an essay (about being raised in a house of guns) coming out in Consequence Forum this month. I hope it contributes (constructively) to the dialogue we’re having about firearms.

The last update worth noting is that I will be returning to Vietnam at the end of the month with my father and younger brother in the hopes of completing everything we could not get to the first time around. All while the country is experiencing its worst heatwave on record.

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“In the Petrified Forest” live at Ruminate

My latest essay, about a little nothing marital spat and the way it sent me full on relativistic, is now live at Ruminate’s website. It is featured along with other wonderful work related to the theme of “Regeneration”. If you detest screens, there’s good news and bad news. Bad news is you’re already using a screen so you may as well head over and give those good folks some views. Good news is this essay will also be included in a DOUBLE-STUFFED print issue that you can pre-order now. So double the content, a physical object you can put on your coffee table, the admiration and respect of your guests, and you also get to support a good lit mag. A win-win, win-win all the way around.

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New Essay coming in Ruminate’s next issue

I have an essay coming out in the newest issue of Ruminate Magazine. Pre-orders are live and go a long way to supporting this excellent journal. You can find it at Ruminate Issue 63/64 orders. It’s a double issue, so you’re going to get your fill of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry on the theme of Regeneration.

My essay, “In the Petrified Forest”, details a nothing fight my wife and I got into on a roadtrip through the Southwest. I do manage to dive millions of years into the past in the exploration of this totally insignificant and forgettably momentary disagreement.

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“So I said I floss” live at The Razor

I have a short (just couldn’t get it down to flash-sized) fiction piece about a dental cleaning of the soul. If you enjoy cringing, please give it a look. You can find it here: https://therazormag.com/articles/so-i-said-i-floss/.

The Razor was great to work with, as they paired this little weirdness with original art (which was exactly what I envisioned it would be) and a professionally read audio version of the story. It was quite a trip to hear someone else read my work especially in something where I was very voice driven and was “hearing” the story the entire time I was drafting it.