Joy

A few weeks ago, I wrote a post about short stories, which *may* have had a "persecuted" air to it. Which was in reaction to things I'd read and heard, but that was also somewhat selective listening. Obviously, short stories have many defenders and protectors--thanks to all who wrote to me to say so! I felt much better, and more inclined to look on the bright side.

And there is much brightness, including the speech Lynn Coady made at Luminato, pointing out the artistic experimentation permitted in short stories (I wish I could reproduce it, but of course I can't. This is why everything in the universe should be written down.) And then there is Emily Schultz's new pro-story website, Joyland. Commmitted to keeping the living art of short story, and international, and cool, Joyland's first story is actually one of Coady's (and it is alive, and cool, and very funny and weird). One of mine, "Black-and-White Man", will actually run there in September--I feel priviledged to be a part of the party.

Other joyful news from the land of writing, though not particularly story-focused:
--novelist, book-reviewer, cat-lover, friend-of-mine Lauren Kirshner writes as beautifully and warmly on her new blog as we all knew she would.
--writing, reader, friend to all things bookish Julie Wilson is bringing her crazy-cool literary voyeurism to the youths with Seen Writing, a workshop for teens with poetry readings, on-the-spot writing exercises, and reader models that (cough) you might know. This event is part of the The Scream Literary Festival, which has too many great events to name.

Obviously, the fate of literature, in its myriad forms, is in little danger. Not that we shouldn't all be vigilant and all...

He could not know another tiger
RR