Work in Progress

What are you working on? My main focus right now is a novel that is reasonably advanced. I have a “complete” draft, but the…

Writing Soundtrack

When I work at home, I don’t usually listen to music. I live in a quiet area, out in the country, and there are…

Press 53 Anniversary Celebration

I have been privileged to be part of the Press 53 family since 2009 when my first book, In an Uncharted Country, was published. Since then,…

Happy Dreams by Jia Pingwa

I recently received a copy of Happy Dreams by Jia Pingwa to review for the Washington Independent Review of Books. I liked the book a lot and…

Big Publication News

I am very happy to report that I have signed a contract with Braddock Avenue Books for the publication of my novel, The Shaman of…

Everywhere Stories: Short Fiction from a Small Planet: Volume III now open for submissions!

As an internationalist, I’ve always been interested in fiction set outside the United States, whether it’s literature from another country translated into English or…

Arts Weekend in Philadelphia

Although I spend most of my time writing and reading, I do attempt to experience the non-literary world from time to time. Besides endless…

Voyager: Travel Writings by Russell Banks

In 2003, shortly after I finished my MFA program, I saw an advertisement in Poets & Writers for a writing workshop in Mexico featuring…

Special Price on IN AN UNCHARTED COUNTRY

Some pretty awesome writers like Tim O’Brien, Elizabeth Strout, and Peter Ho Davies had some very kind words to say about my first collection…

Virginia Festival of the Book — March 22-26

The Virginia Festival of the Book is next week! This has long been one of my favorite events of the year. Before I had…