Catapult
Corrective State
The people behind bars are captives of war /
The people stolen into camps and cages /
speak it plain
Shivering in the Summertime
some days my own womb shivers at the thought of / my black ass children being thrown / against any wall
the faggotry
the ones you call those frickin’ Ayrabs, the ones / who hold hands with / kiss cheeks with those they call / habibi & isn’t every habibi is a mis/-translation of? habibi
A Conversation With Best Debut Short Stories 2020 Author Shannon Sanders
“Every interaction between adult siblings presents a chance to get more clarity about the past. Hopefully, we’re able to seize at least some of these chances.”
A Conversation With Best Debut Short Stories 2020 Author Matthew Jeffrey Vegari
“I wrote much of the story listening to jazz, including the title song, for inspiration on how to shift without imposing too much of a structure.”
Love Me A Man Who Cries
I claw / against the syrup to love other men / for whom, bless them, a bird is just / a bird.
A Conversation With Best Debut Short Stories 2020 Author Willa C. Richards
“I wanted to portray the pain of trying to reach someone who is inside their own, unreachable pain, and how this often puts untenable pressure on relationships.”
A Conversation With Best Debut Short Stories 2020 Author Kristen Sahaana Surya
“I think so much art—especially cinema—acts as an instruction manual for women.”
A Conversation With Best Debut Short Stories 2020 Author Sena Moon
“It’s hard to keep the imposter syndrome at bay.”