Flash fiction goes by many names: micro-fiction, nano-fiction, short-shorts, and with the emergence of Twitter-fiction; twiction and twisters have also entered the fray. Whatever you choose to call it one thing's for sure: these pint-sized tales often punch way above their weight.
But what compels writers, whose very craft depends on the richness of language, to voluntarily limit their word count-- in some cases to only 6? And what compels readers to read them? This hour we speak with authors and editors in an effort to understand the endurance, evolution and appeal of flash fiction.
GUESTS:
- Tom Hazuka- Author and English Professor at Central Connecticut State University. He's the editor of Flash Fiction Funny: 82 Very Short Humorous Stories
- Paul Beckman- Flash fiction writer and teacher from Madison CT. His most recent collection of stories is called Peek
- Ben White- Creator and Editor of Nanoism, a Twitter fiction magazine. On the web at Nanoism.net
- Rachel Fershleiser- Co-creator of the Six Word Memoir Project and Co-editor of Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure
- Meg Pokrass- Flash fiction author and competition judge. Her newest collection, The Dog Looks Happy Upside Down, is out in June
MUSIC:
- "To Make A Long Story Short" by The Dovells
- "To Make A Long Story Short (She’s Gone)” by Willie Nelson
- “Long Story Short” by Boy Named Banjo
You can join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.
Colin McEnroe and Chion Wolf contributed to this show.
