SmokeLong Quarterly issue 21

June 18, 12:53 PMSeattle Literary ExaminerDave Clapper

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Well, I finally have a bit of time to breathe. The two things taking up more of my time than anything else (except work) are done: school (and helping kids with homework and studying) is over, and the 5th anniversary issue of SmokeLong Quarterly is live. And it's a doozy. To celebrate our anniversary, we asked staff, past and present, to contribute a piece, so folks could read the voices of the folks who largely shaped the magazine over its first five years. Virtually everyone who has ever read submissions is in this issue. That's on top of the usual content we carry from solictations and the slush pile. I also approached two of the biggest influences on my early flash fiction writing. To my delight, both W.P. Kinsella (author of many great books, but probably best known for "Shoeless Joe," upon which "Field of Dreams" was based) and Natalie Goldberg (author of several books, but most notably the incredible "Writing Down the Bones") both contributed. All told, it's a massive issue, containing 41 different pieces of flash fiction and 39 interviews with the authors.

If you're unfamiliar with flash fiction, each story is a thousand words or less (although a couple go a bit over a thousand in this issue). Many people think that flash fiction is easier to write because it's so much shorter. To write it well, however, is just as difficult as writing a great poem or excellent short story—it's just a different form. In my experience, the best flash fiction stays in my head even longer than the best novels—because of the brevity of the form, readers often have to do a little more work, use their imaginations more, bring more of themselves and their own lives to the reading process. Pieces of flash I read years ago sometimes come worrying their way back into my brain. It's an incredible form.

Whether you're new to reading flash fiction or have enjoyed it for some time, this issue is an incredible place to start. Here are links to all of the content:

Issue Twenty-One (June 15, 2008): Paper Mouse by Bob Arter «» The Folk Singer Dreams of Time Machines by Matt Bell «» The Bone Orchard by Randall Brown «» Disease Relics by Blake Butler «» We Decided to Make Porn by Brian Allen Carr «» The Baby Drop-Off by Natascia Casey-Dean «» The Cougar by Dave Clapper «» Anointed by Myfanwy Collins «» Sister Earth by John Colvin «» Soap by Katrina Denza «» The Interpretation of Light by Murray Dunlap «» The Hole by Ashley Farmer «» Repair Man by Kathy Fish «» In the Kitchen She Wakes by Stefanie Freele «» American Gothic by Scott Garson «» Lobster Girl by Alicia Gifford «» Pen and Notebook by Natalie Goldberg «» Memento Mori by Rosanne Griffeth «» BiC by Steven Gullion «» Parting by Evelyn Hampton «» Tuesday by Lindsay Hunter «» Waiting on Lombard Street by W.P. Kinsella «» Johnny by Nance Knauer «» Like Swimming by Jeff Landon «» Feeling Sad by Darby Larson «» Alone With Cooper by Ellen Meister «» The Angel's Visitation by Corey Mesler «» South Dakota by Mary Miller «» California Fruit by Meg Pokrass «» Home Made by Bruce Holland Rogers «» Handful of Dirt by Jim Ruland «» Steam City Girl by Paul Silverman «» Sugar by Claudia Smith «» The 13th Toast by Amy Sparks «» Gathering by Kelly Spitzer «» Tiny Shadows by Maryanne Stahl «» Double-Exposure by Thomas White «» Epistemology by Joseph Young «» Why This Isn't a Good Story to Tell by Shellie Zacharia «» Liquid by Michelle Zellers «» Real Estate by Bonnie ZoBell «» Interviews: Bob Arter «» Matt Bell «» Randall Brown «» Blake Butler «» Brian Allen Carr «» Natascia Casey-Dean «» Dave Clapper «» Myfanwy Collins «» John Colvin «» Katrina Denza «» Murray Dunlap «» Ashley Farmer «» Kathy Fish «» Stefanie Freele «» Scott Garson «» Alicia Gifford «» Rosanne Griffeth «» Steven Gullion «» Evelyn Hampton «» Lindsay Hunter «» Nance Knauer «» Jeff Landon «» Darby Larson «» Ellen Meister «» Corey Mesler «» Mary Miller «» Meg Pokrass «» Bruce Holland Rogers «» Jim Ruland «» Paul Silverman «» Claudia Smith «» Amy Sparks «» Kelly Spitzer «» Maryanne Stahl «» Thomas White «» Joseph Young «» Shellie Zacharia «» Michelle Zellers «» Bonnie ZoBell «» Cover Art "Five Years of SmokeLong" compiled from art by Marty D. Ison, Robert Dornberg, Malina, and Rebecca Gullickson «» Letter From the Editor