Category: Slushpile Exclusive

Interview: George Saunders, Author

One of my favorite literary experiences was sitting in Off Square Books, as the darkness settled outside, and hearing George Saunders read Offloading for Mrs. Schwartz. I hadn’t read his collection, CivilWarLand in Bad Decline, yet but everyone else raved about it and after the reading, I knew why. This story is undoubtedly one of…

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Interview: Kaui Hart Hemmings, Author

One of the problems with reading so much is, simply, that you read so much. It’s easy to fall into a rhythm where nothing is exciting, where the books you finish is kind of like munching on saltine crackers, no real taste exactly, no real excitement, just swallow it, take a sip of water, and…

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Interview: Cynthia Shearer, Author

There’s nothing like talking to an old friend. Or maybe not a friend per se but someone who came from your same small town. Or someone who worked the same job you did. You reminisce about past experiences and you remind each other of the great things you’ve forgotten. Interviewing Cynthia Shearer was like sharing…

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Interview: Gary Fisketjon, Editor

I must admit a little bit of hero worship here. Years ago, when I first started trying to build a writing career, I heard the old bit of advice to look at my favorite authors and find who their editors and agents are. I don’t remember where I read that adage or if someone told…

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Interview: Matt Bondurant, Author

Earlier this year, Publishers Weekly mentioned five books that were contenders to the Da Vinci throne. One of those titles was The Third Translation by Matt Bondurant. There were a couple of things that caught my attention about this author and made him stand out in my mind from the usual marketing hyperbole. First, he…

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