The guy who is probably my favorite living short story writer has a new story in the Fall 2006 issue of Virginia Quarterly Review.
The guy's name is Dan Chaon, and you can read his story "Shepherdess" here.
On a Dan Chaon-related sidenote, I'm actually teaching his story "Prosthesis" tomorrow afternoon, along with Maile Meloy's "Ranch Girl" and Peter Orner's "The Raft." It's point-of-view day in Beginning Fiction Writing, and my boss is going to be there, taking notes, so she can write a more thorough recommendation for me should I end up applying for teaching jobs elsewhere later this fall.
Am I nervous? you ask. Um, yeah. Pretty much. The last time I had someone in the classroom, I over-prepared and my students froze up, seemingly intimidated by the outsider's presence. I gave my class warning this time, though, and advertised it as an opportunity to show the chair of the department how smart they are. Now, I just have to concentrate on not over-preparing, which, admittedly, is an odd thing on which to have to concentrate, and somewhat defeats the purpose, I think.
We'll see if I can make it work.
4 comments:
Break a leg!
Good luck! "Ranch Girl" and "Prosthesis" are both fantastic stories. I haven't read "The Raft", but if it's in the same league, then I better check it out.
Well? How'd it go?
Thanks for wishing me well, Flood and Matt.
Fringes (and anyone else who may have been curious): Things went pretty much the way they do the rest of the time, which is exactly what I was hoping for.
Well, I was a little sweatier than usual, but I don't think my boss will hold that against me.
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