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The Ploughshares Round-Down: What NYC Editors Say They’re Looking For

What do editors really want? Why are they putting one thing in the rejection pile and preparing for an auction for another? The difficulty in answering these questions is that every editor opens every proposal the same way you open presents from relatives: with hope but trepidation. They never know when it’s going to be…

photograph of a large elk, with tall antlers against the backdrop of a forest

Writers and Their Pets: Nina Mukerjee Furstenau

The ‘Writers and Their Pets’ series began with my own desire to celebrate my dog Sally, and since then I have also invited other writers to share with the rest of us the details of their lives with beloved pets. Today, please enjoy this essay by Nina Mukerjee Furstenau. —Ladette Randolph, Editor-in-Chief Zee was his name. He had liquid…

photo of what appears to be an abandoned industrial site--the photo draws the eye forward, towards the horizon down a long, unkempt road

Walking the Bridge: American Letters From Latin America

When asked whether he saw himself as a Peruvian writer or an American writer in the New York Times last year, following the publication of his newest novel  At Night We Walk in Circles, Daniel Alarcón replied, “Why should I have to choose?” I remember reading that passage in the second paragraph, rereading it, and then rereading it again…

And Then We Came to the End: One Year & Fourteen Books Later

And Then We Came to the End: One Year & Fourteen Books Later

I suck at endings. But that’s something a lot of people say, isn’t it? As if everyone else is really good at quitting a job or relationship or saying goodbye or ending a story. (I’ve never met anyone who claims special talent at this. Ever.) So much rides on an ending—it’s the final impression, the…

Portrait of Danielle Dutton

The Books We Teach #9: Interview with Danielle Dutton

The Books We Teach series will feature primary, secondary, and post-secondary educators and their thoughts about literature in the face of an evolving classroom. Posts will highlight literary innovations in teaching, contemporary literature’s place in pedagogy, and the books that writers teach. In the spirit of educational dynamism, we encourage readers to contribute their thoughts in the…

portrait of Joan Mora

Writing Lessons: Joan Mora

In our Writing Lessons series, writers and writing students will discuss lessons learned, epiphanies about craft, and the challenges of studying writing. This week, we hear from Joan Mora, an attendee of the Napa Valley Writers’ Conference and Oxford University’s Summer Program in Creative Writing. You can follow Joan on Twitter @joanmorawrites. —Andrew Ladd, Blog Editor One…