Ellen Birkett Morris

Ellen Birkett Morris

Ellen Birkett Morris is the author of Beware the Tall Grass, winner of the Donald L. Jordan Award for Literary Excellence, judged by Lan Samantha Chang, published by CSU Press. She is also the author of Lost Girls: Short Stories, winner of the Pencraft Award and finalist for the Clara Johnson, IAN and Best Book awards. Her fiction has appeared in Shenandoah, Antioch Review, Notre Dame Review, and South Carolina Review, among other journals. She is a winner of the Bevel Summers Prize for short fiction. Morris is a recipient of an Al Smith Fellowship for her fiction from the Kentucky Arts Council. Morris is also the author of Abide and Surrender, poetry chapbooks. Her poetry has appeared in The Clackamas Literary Review, Juked, Gastronomica, and Inscape, among other journals, and in eight anthologies. Morris won top prize in the 2008 Binnacle Ultra-Short Edition and was a finalist for the 2019 and 2020 Rita Dove Poetry Prize. Her poem “Abide” was featured on NPR’s A Way with Words. Her essays have appeared in Newsweek, AARP’s The Ethel, Oh Reader magazine, and on National Public Radio. Morris holds an MFA in creative writing from Queens University-Charlotte. https://www.ellenbirkettmorris.com/
Interview: Austen’s Persuasion Inspires Modern Take in All Stirred Up 

Interview: Austen’s Persuasion Inspires Modern Take in All Stirred Up 

All Stirred Up, Brianne Moore, Alcove Press – Winter is a great time to escape into books that feature food, a bit of romance and family drama. Brianne Moore’s All Stirred Up offered a modern take on Jane Austen’s Persuasion that features competing restaurateurs, interfering family and the captivating backdrop of Edinburgh, Scotland.

Themes of Loneliness Underlie Parker’s Short Stories

Themes of Loneliness Underlie Parker’s Short Stories

Snapshots, Eliot Parker, Morgan James fiction – Eliot Parker grew up in Appalachia, so it is no surprise that his award winning collection of short stories Snapshots is rooted in the people, places and customs of the region. His stories have a dark, sometimes surreal edge, befitting the author, who also pens mystery novels.

Grief Binds Women in The All-Night Sun

Grief Binds Women in The All-Night Sun

The All-Night Sun, Diane Zinna, Random House – Diane Zinna’s The All-Night Sun tells a story of grief, loss, and friendship between Lauren Cress, a 28-year-old English teacher from Washington, D.C., and Siri, an 18-year-old art student.

Interview: A Small Thing to Want

Interview: A Small Thing to Want

A Small Thing to Want, Cawood, Press 53 – A Small Thing to Want is a series of stories about the tricky nature of love and relationships. It chronicles how the choices we make are often influenced by the ghosts of failed relationships and lost love. Shuly Xóchitl Cawood discusses the creation of the collection, working across genres and how to stay motivated.