I have some bonkers (or more aptly, conkers) news: I won the Chestnut Review Stubborn Writers Contest! I am so thrilled, bewildered, and grateful to the Chestnut Review readers, judges, and my fellow participants. The old adage is true: winning isn’t everything. But it is humbling. And validating. And all those other spectacular feelings that can really lift you as a writer.
This news came at a time when I hadn’t had much good news in a while. It validates my belief in the universe, aggressive perseverance in finding the exact words, and quitting when dead.
This story – “Fish Mother” didn’t come together until it suddenly did. It is a billion percent fiction, apart from the fish-raccoon murder, which made a guest appearance! The gruesome gift that keeps on giving. It is voicey, feminist, and twisty (duh). It was inspired by the short story, “The Yellow Wallpaper,” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman.
Here’s what a reader at Chestnut Review had to say about it:
Absolute banger – I love this story. The writing is pristine, evocative, clever, funny. Narrator’s voice is great. The OB scene is incredible, and the koi thread paired with the narrator trying to get pregnant works marvelously.
Chestnut Review
Can’t wait for y’all to read it in January!
