I’m posting links to stories I’m recommending to my creative writing class here for everyone’s enjoyment.  I wanted to point the class to Karen Joy Fowler’s “Always,” but alas that link has lapsed.  Another Fowler story will do, however.  I’m not keen on vampires, but find her “Younger Women” irresistible.  Enjoy.  While you’re there check out the other fine stories at Subterranean Online.

The Twenty-First Century Fantastic class concluded Friday, and I’m going to miss them. Smart, engaged, if a bit frostbitten in the chilly classroom.  Everyone brought hoodies, myself included.  I’ve worked in walk-ins that were warmer.  They never bored me, and I hope they can say the same of me. Their favorite of the four story collections we read was Jeffrey Ford’s The Empire of Ice Cream, not just one of my favorite short story collections, but one of my favorite books of all time.  They liked all the films, Children of Men especially, but Another Earth made a strong showing.  Thank you, guys, you were wonderful.

I begin an eight-week fiction workshop Tuesday, and I’m looking forward to it.  I’ll be suggesting stories available online for them to read along the way.  In honor of Jeff’s popularity in the last class, and because it’s so damn fine, the first story I’ll suggest is “Creation,” which first appeared in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction and is collected in his wonderful collection, The Fantasy Writer’s Assistant.  If you don’t know his work, “Creation,” isn’t a bad place to start—and just in time for Father’s Day.

In the midst of a 3-week romp through the Twenty-First Century Fantastic class, I’m pausing for a breather to sing their praises. They’ve been a terrific group. We’ve been through Link and McHugh, and we’re in the midst of Fowler. We finish with the inestimable Jeffrey Ford next week.
On June 12th I begin a Fiction Writing class that meets Tuesdays and Thursday 6-8:40 pm for eight weeks. There’s still room available, if you’re interested.