Hit Like a Girl
“It’s hard not to see the similarities between Fight Club and Kyle Collins’ story, ‘Hit Like a Girl’. But here, we’re given the privilege of the written word to ponder. Macy is just a kid from a shitty place trying to make a space for herself.
From Collins' startling sentences that jar, to his use of different styles to narrate Macy’s life, ‘Hit Like a Girl’ is a story about Macy finding a way — her way — to take care of herself and discovering others who desire the very same.” — Nora Lange
Normal Woman at the Saturday Morning Farmer’s Market
“Alaina Dean’s odd story is awesome because of its strangeness — a young woman combating an unnamed illness, estranged from herself, with a boyfriend who is of no help.
Her eerie take on the mundane — like returning trips to the farmer’s market and her sister’s maybe-lover waiter — builds tension beautifully. What she really desires is meat from the butcher. This is worth reading to the end.” — Nora Lange
The River
“Alexa Brahme's pared-down yet rich and chilly story, ‘The River’, is one of opposites. The surprises that steer this fable-like tale — the (literal) heavy stones that meet levity, the emotional weight of this small town, her role in a marriage and in motherhood, the fairy-like daily wear of her silk robe — dazzle. There’s something unsettling here, undeniably simple in form, that makes a lasting impression.” — Nora Lange