Short Story: Rock

A new story, "Rock," is now available in Smokelong Quarterly: http://smokelong.com/flash/stephaniejohnson28q.asp

Meg Pokrass was also kind enough to ask me a few questions about the story (and writing in general): http://smokelong.com/interview/stephaniejohnson28.asp

Thanks, Meg!

Short Fiction: "C'mon, Get Happy" in PANK

My story "C'mon, Get Happy" is now available in the January issue of PANK online.

http://www.pankmagazine.com/?p=1317

Also, PANK is contributing all proceeds from sales of Aaron Burch's chapbook and PANK 4 (from now until 2/13/10) to the Red Cross and to Doctors Without Borders. For more information: http://www.pankmagazine.com/pankblog/?p=2876.

Review of "One of These Things..." in the Rumpus

Thanks to Kenny Squires for his review of the collection posted at The Rumpus:

"Johnson zeros-in on just the right details to make these pieces work. She’s able to create rich subtext in few words, which makes each story complicated and true, and makes each character feel alive and familiar. Of any new book that I’ve read this year, One of These Things Is Not Like the Others is the one I’ll return to, one that will reveal itself a little more with each read."

To read the full review: http://therumpus.net/2009/10/one-of-these-things-is-not-like-the-others/

Fictionaut Five

My answers to the Fictionaut Five: http://blog.fictionaut.com/2009/10/11/fictionaut-five-stephanie-johnson/

Also, check out the exciting things happening at Fictionaut: http://www.fictionaut.com/

Review of "One of These Things..." in The Short Review

Many thanks to Melissa Lee-Houghton for reading and reviewing "One of These Things is Not Like the Others" for The Short Review.

You can find the review here: http://www.theshortreview.com/reviews/StephanieJohnsonOneofTheseThingsisNotLiketheOthers.htm

And a short interview here: http://www.theshortreview.com/authors/StephanieJohnson.htm

If you'd like a copy of "One of These Things...": http://www.keyholemagazine.com/books/stephanie-johnson/one-of-these-things

New Pages Review of One of These Things...

Thanks to John Madera for his thoughtful and kind words about the collection. If you're interested in reading the full review: http://www.newpages.com/bookreviews/2009_09/sept2009_book_reviews.htm#These_Things

Interview with Adam Robinson @ HTMLGIANT

Adam Robinson was kind enough to read the collection and to pose 11 thoughtful questions about it. The interview is available at HTMLGIANT: http://htmlgiant.com/?p=13719

Short Fiction: "Vanishing Point" in the August edition of Keyhole Digest

I have a new story in the August edition of Keyhole Digest--a fantastic project designed to put free poems and stories into the hands of readers. If you have a little extra time, please consider printing a few copies and dropping them at your favorite places.

http://www.keyholemagazine.com/digest

Tonight's Ustream Reading: Special Guest Matt Bell

Hi, Everyone--

Thank you for joining us at Ustream for the first two readings. Just a quick reminder: this evening is our third and final reading.

Matt Bell, author of How the Broken Lead the Blind, The Collectors, and the forthcoming How They Were Found (from Keyhole Press) will be joining us as a special guest reader. I'm knocked out by Matt's stories and his careful eye for detail, so it's an understatement to say I'm beyond excited to hear him read.

If you're able, please join us at 8PM Central at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/one-of-these-things or catch the live-stream (and archived videos) at http://www.keyholemagazine.com

New Release, Good Deals, and Live Readings Online

One of These Things Is Not Like the Others, has been officially released and is now shipping. Twenty-one stories, 178 pages, and it will only cost you $13.95. Shipping is free!
For only $5 more, get an issue of Keyhole with One of These Things Is Not Like the Others. Or for $4 dollars more, you can get Thomas Cooper’s chapbook Phantasmagoria.
http://www.keyholemagazine.com/books/stephanie-johnson/one-of-these-things

LIVE e-READINGS:
Three nights this week, I will read from my new book (online only). The readings are free and available online here: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/one-of-these-things

Reading Schedule:
Tuesday, July 28 - 8pm central
Wednesday, July 29 - 8pm central
Thursday, July 30 - 8pm central

Praise for One of These Things Is Not Like the Others
“There is, in Stephanie Johnson’s stories, a profound, unflashy magic of seeing. She puts you right up to the beating hearts of her people—from which vantage, you see how they miss one another, and you understand as odd, perfect miracles their moments of connection and knowledge.”—Scott Garson, author of American Gymnopédies

“Stephanie Johnson is a great writer, and I'm consistently impressed by how her quiet, unassuming characters manage to sneak past my defenses to blow me away, story after story.—Matt Bell, author of The Collectors and How the Broken Lead the Blind

“Stephanie Johnson’s fiction—like Raymond Carver’s—celebrates the idea that less, on the page, can be more: her stories are at once lean and rich, poignant and wry, insightful and evocative. An impressive debut.”—Jessica Treadway, author of And Give You Peace and Absent Without Leave

“Stephanie Johnson can accomplish in five hundred words what some writers can only do in five thousand: a complete arc of narrative with compelling characters struggling through the web of human frailties, entangled in passion and dependancy, love and betrayal, insight and ignorance.”—Jeff McMahon, Editor of Contrary


http://www.oneofthesestories.com

One of These Things is Not Like the Others: Now Shipping

"One of These Things is Not Like the Others" the book is out! pick up a copy for $13.95, or buy with a copy of Keyhole for only $5 more http://keyholemagazine.com/books -- and free shipping!

Interview: Recommended Reading

Ravi Mangla asked me to participate in his Recommended Reading project. You can read my interview (as well as great interviews with Matt Bell, Scott Garson, Barry Graham and many others) here: http://readreadreadreadreadreadread.blogspot.com/2009/07/stephanie-johnson.html.

Dzanc: Short Story Month Essay Collection

Dzanc is an incredibly important presence in the literary community and they sponsor a number of wonderful and significant programs and services (which you can read about on their site). If you are able, please consider supporting them and picking up this collection.

http://emergingwriters.typepad.com/dzanc_books/2009/06/short-story-month-essay-collection.html

One of These Things Is Not Like the Others: Available for Pre-order from Keyhole

For more information about pre-ordering the collection (which will ship on July 21), please see Keyhole's site: http://www.keyholemagazine.com/updates/pre-order-stephanie-johnsons-collection-one-of-these-things-is-not-like-the-others

For more information about the collection: http://www.keyholemagazine.com/books/stephanie-johnson/one-of-these-things

Thanks, Peter. And thanks to everyone who has been so supportive of me and of these stories. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it.

Stamp Stories @ ML Press

ML Press has a project underway called "Stamp Stories" and I'm excited that my story "This is the First Evening of the Rest of Your Life" will be distributed as a free square with all purchases made from Greying Ghost press.

For more information about the Stamp Story endeavor as well as a list of authors whose work is being freely distributed with other small presses: http://mudlusciouspress.blogspot.com/2009/03/new-endeavor-stamp-stories.html

For information about Greying Ghost Press: http://www.airforcejoyride.com/gg

In the words of ML Press, support writers, support small presses, support literature.

Short Story Month

Thanks to Dan Wickett for his kind words about "Discontent" and my forthcoming collection.

To read his post at Emerging Writers Network: http://emergingwriters.typepad.com/emerging_writers_network/2009/05/short-story-month-discontent-by-stephanie-johnson.html

Short Story Month

Thanks to Steven J. McDermott for discussing the title story from my forthcoming collection as part of Short Story Month.

To read Steven's post at Storyglossia: http://www.storyglossia.com/blog/2009/05/short-story-month-stephanie-johnson.html

For more information on Short Story Month: http://emergingwriters.typepad.com/emerging_writers_network/2009/04/short-story-month.html

Flash Fiction: "Discontent" in Hobart (Web)

My flash fiction piece "Discontent" is now available in the May edition of Hobart.

http://hobartpulp.com/website/may/johnson.html

Check out the rest of the issue, too. There's a lot of great reading here.

Flash Fiction: "One of These Things is Not Like the Others" in Wigleaf

The title story from my forthcoming collection is live at Wigleaf: http://wigleaf.com/200903one.htm

There's also a postcard on the main page: http://www.wigleaf.com

If you're looking for great reads, spend some time browsing the site. Wigleaf publishes interesting and thought-provoking work.

Flash Fiction: "A Case Study in Accidents" in Contrary

The new issue of Contrary (one of my favorite journals) is live and I'm pleased that my piece "A Case Study in Accidents" has been included in the Winter 2009 issue.

To read my story: http://www.contrarymagazine.com/Contrary/Accidents.html

To read the entire issue: http://www.contrarymagazine.com/Contrary/Winter-2009.html

And, might I also recommend Jeff McMahon's piece "Skateboarding With Mouloud" (http://www.contrarymagazine.com/Contrary/Mouloud.html) and a piece by Kevin Heath from the Autumn 2008 issue (http://www.contrarymagazine.com/Contrary/Matches.html).