Stone Canoe has accepted one of my stories for publication! I’m grateful this piece found a home because it contains passages that are easy to dislike if the reader isn’t in the right frame of mind. Even though the story plays with the intersection of those elements and the reactions to them, it’s all for naught if an editor dismisses it out of the gate. So thank you, wise Stone Canoe editors.

Also, I said I wouldn’t post acceptances any more but it has dawned on me that such a practice would leave this blog even more desolate than it already is.

Once again, I take on the role of Visiting Professor of English at Hamilton College. This year, my courses focus on apocalyptic themes in literature. I’m afraid the reading list isn’t very cheerful.

“Weather Reports” is now available in issue eight of mud luscious. Discarded bio note: “Chris Wilson and Hoa Ngo both used to live in Missouri and teach English. Now they live thousands of miles apart and only have time to discuss the weather.” Chris Wilson adds “If I’ve moved, please let me know.”

“Ascend” is now up at Right Hand Pointing. My recurring dream converted to flash fiction.

“Archaeology” is now up at Tuesday Shorts. Unfortunately, it coincides with the final issue of the magazine. This happened once before—my publication marking the death of another small journal. The curse continues…

Update: The journal’s site is gone but I linked to their permanent Blogger archive. Thanks Kristen!

Tina May Hall’s All the Day’s Sad Stories, the winner of the 2008 Caketrain Chapbook Competition, is now available. Purchase it together with Matt Bell’s The Collectors for a great price. Get them before they sell out!

Titular just published my story, “Resident Evil.” It’s great to find an editor who isn’t scared off by the so-called horror elements of the piece. Thanks to Titular and thanks to five-year-old Morrison, who first proclaimed it “good!” last Halloween.

I recently had writing accepted at Right Hand Pointing and Tuesday Shorts, which I’m pretty happy about. One thing I’ve noticed is that the preferred blog etiquette seems to be to announce when the work is finally published rather than upon acceptance. So that’s what I’ll be doing in the future although I wanted to mention these great journals whose positive responses mean a lot.

It has been two years since we gloriously exited Rome.