Andrew Roe

Quote of the day/week/year from Colum McCann: 

“There is nothing more substantial to place against the cruelty of the world than language.”

More McCann goodness here. (I’m currently reading his latest novel, TransAtlantic.)

Yes, it’s already that time of year: Wigleaf has announced its annual top 50 (very) short fictions list.

Lots of great writers included, such as Jim Ruland, Lauren Becker, Mary Miller, Ravi Mangla, and Jared Yates Sexton. 

My stories “How to Talk to Children About Death” (published in fwriction) and “The Memory Thief” (published in Atticus Review) also made the long list.

Hello long ignored blog! Did you miss me?

Today I have a new story up at Wigleaf (I heart Wigleaf). It’s called “Later Then.”

This story also happens to be an excerpt from my novel, Believers, which should be out a year from now, more or less. 

I’ll post an update on the novel soon.

“It’s definitely about the rhythm of the words and how they sound together, writing one sentence and then another and another and cutting something immediately if it doesn’t feel true. I come from a family of musicians and—while I have no musical abilities of my own—I think I inherited a good ear. It’s also obsessiveness. I’ll spend a lot of time working on a single sentence, debating over a dash or a colon, etc. I want things to be perfect. I know nothing will ever be as perfect as I want it, and this is very sad, but sometimes I can get close.”

Don’t miss Matthew Salesses’ interview with Mary Miller (via the Rumpus).