The O. Henry Prize Stories 2016
Page 36
I lived in the Lower East Side—as does the character in my story, “Winter, 1965”—in a six-floor walk-up—one room, a kitchen with its own bathtub, a toilet and stand-up shower. I was happy because I worked only five days a week and was now free to write and to dream.
But many of my dreams were haunted by the stories, the hard lives and worries—which often became mine—of the sixty or more people on my welfare caseload. Every day there was some new emergency: evictions, utilities shutdowns, suicides. Sometimes in my sleep I would confuse and blend the stories of my clients with my own history of childhood impoverishment in the Bronx. In that Welfare Department period, which lasted a charged year, I never wrote about those people or my life with them: I wanted to escape from them; I wrote anything that was far away from what I was then living.
Fifty-three years later I woke up one morning, having had a dream about a former client, a blind Jamaican woman in her nineties who wanted me to read poetry to her—Longfellow, her favorite. And I began writing this story.
—
Frederic Tuten, Bronx born, has written about art, literature, and film in several periodicals, including Artforum, The New York Times, and Vogue; was an actor in the Alain Resnais movie L’An 01; taught with Paul Bowles in Morocco; and cowrote the cult-classic film Possession. He earned a PhD in literature, three Pushcart Prizes, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and an Arts and Letters Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Tuten is the author of five novels: The Adventures of Mao on the Long March; Tintin in the New World; Tallien: A Brief Romance; Van Gogh’s Bad Café; The Green Hour; and a book of interrelated short stories, Self Portraits: Fictions. He lives in New York City.
Zebbie Watson, “A Single Deliberate Thing”
This story and I had chemistry from the start. I like to approach a story not with a plot in mind, but by throwing together a few elements to see what happens as a result. A drought, a sick horse, a boy. Like the character, I did not quite know the end until it happened. The epistolary-like address presented itself within the first paragraph, long before I realized it was a story about telling and not telling. It is by far the most intuitive story I have written. There are lines that I did not write, I just knew.
Notes (and his haircut) is based on a pony named Snowflake, who lived and died at a farm where I worked. I grew up with horses and sometimes I find it easier to populate my writing with believable equine characters than human ones. I have heard many comments about the connection between the name “Notes” and the theme of letters, but I must admit that I did not notice that myself until the story was already finished. I just thought it was a memorable name. His friend really was a horse named Otter; that one was too perfect to change.
—
Zebbie Watson is from Elverson, Pennsylvania. She is a graduate of Bryn Mawr College. Her stories have appeared in Breakwater Review and elsewhere, and she received a 2016 Pushcart Prize. She lives in Athens, Georgia.
Publications Submitted
Stories published in American and Canadian magazines are eligible for consideration for inclusion in The O. Henry Prize Stories. Stories must be written originally in the English language. No translations are considered. Sections of novels are not considered. Editors are asked not to nominate individual stories. Stories may not be submitted by agents or writers.
Editors are invited to submit online fiction for consideration, but such submissions must be sent to the address on the next page in the form of a legible hard copy. The publication’s contact information and the date of the story’s publication must accompany the submissions.
Because of production deadlines for the 2017 collection, it is essential that stories reach the series editor by July 1, 2016. If a finished magazine is unavailable before the deadline, magazine editors are welcome to submit scheduled stories in proof or manuscript. Publications received after July 1, 2016, will automatically be considered for The O. Henry Prize Stories 2018.
Please see our website, www.ohenryprizestories.com, for more information about submission to The O. Henry Prize Stories.
The address for submission is:
Laura Furman, Series Editor, The O. Henry Prize Stories
The University of Texas at Austin
English Department, B5000
1 University Station
Austin, TX 78712
The information listed below was up-to-date when The O. Henry Prize Stories 2016 went to press. Inclusion in this listing does not constitute endorsement or recommendation by The O. Henry Prize Stories or Anchor Books.
A Public Space
Brigid Hughes, editor
general@apublicspace.org
apublicspace.org
quarterly
Able Muse Review
Alexander Pepple, editor
staff@ablemuse.com
ablemuse.com
semiannual
Agni
Sven Birkerts, editor
agni@bu.edu
bu.edu/agni
semiannual (print) / biweekly (web)
Alaska Quarterly Review
Ronald Spatz, editor
aqr@uaa.alaska.edu
uaa.alaska.edu/aqr
quarterly
Alligator Juniper
Skye Anicca, editor
alligatorjuniper@prescott.edu
prescott.edu/alligatorjuniper
annual
American Short Fiction
Rebecca Markovits and Adeena Reitberger, editors
editors@americanshortfiction.org
americanshortfiction.org
triannual
Antioch Review
Robert S. Fogarty, editor
Christina Gabbard, managing editor
cgabbard@antiochreview.org
review.antiochcollege.org/spring-2015
quarterly
Apalachee Review
Michael Trammell, editor
mtrammell@cob.fsu.edu
apalacheereview.org
semiannual
Apt
Carissa Halston and Randolph Pfaff, editors
carissa@aforementionedproductions.com
randolph.pfaff@gmail.com
apt.aforementionedproductions.com
annual (print) / weekly (web)
Arcadia
Chase Dearinger, editor
chase@arcadiamagazine.org
arcadiamagazine.org
quarterly
Arkansas Review
Marcus Tribbett, editor
mtribbett@astate.edu
altweb.astate.edu/arkreview
triannual
Baltimore Review
Barbara Diehl, editor
editor@baltimorereview.org
baltimorereview.org/index.php
annual (print) / quarterly (web)
Bellevue Literary Review
Stacy Bodziak, editor
info@BLReview.org
blr.med.nyu.edu
semiannual
Black Warrior Review
Zachary Doss, editor
blackwarriorreview@gmail.com
bwr.ua.edu
semiannual
Bomb
Betsy Sussler, editor
betsy@bombsite.com
bombmagazine.org
quarterly
Booth
Robert Stapleton
booth@butler.edu
booth.butler.edu
semiannual (print) / weekly (web)
Border Crossing
Julie Brooks Barbour, Mary McMyne, and Jillena Rose, editors
bordercrossing@lssu.edu
lssu.edu/bc/index.php
annual
Bosque
Lynn C. Miller, editor
lynn@bosquepress.com
bosquepress.com
annual
Boulevard
Richard Burgin, editor
richardburgin@netzero.com
boulevardmagazine.org
triannual
Brain, Child
Marcelle Soviero, editor
editorial@brainchildmag.com
brainchildmag.com
quarterly
Bridge Eight
Coe Douglas, editor
coe@bridgeeight.com
bridgeeight.com
semiannual
Carve
Matthew Limpede, editor
editor@carvezine.com
carvezine.com
quarterly
Chautauqua
Jill Gerard and Philip Gerard, editors
clj@uncw.edu
ciweb.org/literary-arts/literary-journal
annual
Chicago Quarterly Review
Syed Haider, editor
cqr@icogitate.com
chicagoquarterlyreview.com
quarterly
China Grove
Luke Lampton and R. Scott Anderson, editors
chinagrovepress@gmail.com
chinagrovepress.com/china-grove-a-literary-journal
semiannual
Cimarron Review
Toni Graham, editor
cimarronreview@okstate.edu
cimarronreview.com
quarterly
Colorado Review
Stephanie G’Schwind
creview@colostate.edu
coloradoreview.colostate.edu/colorado-review
triannual
Confrontation
Jonna Semeiks, editor
confrontationmag@gmail.com
confrontationmagazine.org
semiannual
Conjunctions
Bradford Morrow, editor
conjunctions@bard.edu
conjunctions.com
semiannual
Copper Nickel
Wayne Miller, editor
wayne.miller@ucdenver.edu
copper-nickel.org
semiannual
Crab Orchard Review
Jon Tribble, editor
jtribble@siu.edu
craborchardreview.siu.edu
semiannual
CutBank
Billy Wallace, editor
editor.cutbank@gmail.com
cutbankonline.org
semiannual
Dappled Things
Meredith McCann, editor
dappledthings.editor@gmail.com
dappledthings.org
quarterly
December
Gianna Jacobson, editor
editor@decembermag.org
decembermag.org
semiannual
Denver Quarterly
Laird Hunt, editor
denverquarterly@gmail.com
du.edu/denverquarterly
quarterly
Descant
descant.ca
CLOSED
Ecotone
David Gessner, editor
info@ecotonejournal.com
ecotonemagazine.org
semiannual
Eleven Eleven
Hugh Behm-Steinberg, editor
elevenelevenjournal@gmail.com
elevenelevenjournal.com
semiannual
enRoute
Jean-François Légaré, editor
info@enroutemag.net
enroute.aircanada.com
monthly
Epoch
Michael Koch, editor
mk64@cornell.edu
english.arts.cornell.edu/publications/epoch
triannual
Event
Shashi Bhat, editor
event@douglascollege.ca
eventmagazine.ca
triannual
Exile
Barry Callaghan, editor
exile2@sympatico.ca
theexilewriters.com
quarterly
Faerie Magazine
Carolyn Turgeon, editor
submissions@faeriemag.com
faeriemag.com
quarterly
Fairy Tale Review
Kate Bernheimer, editor
ftreditorial@gmail.com
fairytalereview.com
annual
Fantasy & Science Fiction
Charles Coleman Finlay, editor
fsfmag@fandsf.com
sfsite.com/fsf/index.html
published six times a year
Farallon Review
farallonreview.com
Suspended Publication
Fence
Rebecca Wolff and Paul Legault, editors
rebeccafence@gmail.com
fenceportal.org
semiannual
Fiction
Mark Jay Mirsky
fictionmageditors@gmail.com
fictioninc.com
semiannual
Fiction River
Kristine Kathryn Rusch and Dean Wesley Smith, editors
subscriptions@wmgpublishingmail.com
fictionriver.com
published six times a year
Fifth Wednesday Journal
Vern Miller, editor
editors@fifthwednesdayjournal.org
fifthwednesdayjournal.com
semiannual
Five Points
David Bottoms, editor
fivepoints.gsu.edu
triannual
Fourteen Hills
Heather June Gibbons, editor
14hills.net
semiannual
Gargoyle
Richard Peabody, editor
rchrdpeabody9@gmail.com
gargoylemagazine.com
annual
Glimmer Train
Linda Swanson-Davies and Susan Burmeister-Brown, editors
editors@glimmertrain.org
glimmertrain.com
triannual
Gold Man Review
Heather Cuthbertson, editor
heather.cuthbertson@goldmanpublishing.com
goldmanreview.org
annual
Grain Magazine
grainmag@skwriter.com
grainmagazine.ca
quarterly
Granta
Sigrid Rausing, editor
editorial@granta.com
granta.com
quarterly
Green Mountains Review
Elizabeth Powell, editor
gmr@jsc.edu
greenmountainsreview.com
semiannual
Grey Sparrow Journal
Diane Smith, editor
dsdianefuller@gmail.com
greysparrowpress.sharepoint.com
quarterly
Grist
Helen Stead, editor
hstead@vols.utk.edu
gristjournal.com
annual
Gulf Coast
Nick Flynn, editor
gconlineeditor@gmail.com
gulfcoastmag.org
semiannual
Harvard Review
Christina Thompson, editor
info@harvardreview.org
harvardreview.fas.harvard.edu
semiannual
Hayden’s Ferry Review
Chelsea Hickok, editor
hfr@asu.edu
haydensferryreview.com
semiannual
Huizache
Dagoberto Gilb, editor
editor@huizachemag.org
huizachemag.org
annual
Hunger Mountain
Miciah Bay Gault, editor
hungermtn@vcfa.edu
hungermtn.org
annual
Indiana Review
Peter Kispert, editor
inreview@indiana.edu
indianareview.org
semiannual
Iron Horse Literary Review
Leslie Jill Patterson, editor
ihlr.mail@gmail.com
ironhorsereview.com
published six times a year
Isthmus
Ann Przyzycki, Randy DeVita, and Taira Anderson, editors
editor@isthmusreview.com
isthm
usreview.com
semiannual
Jabberwock Review
Becky Hagenston, editor
jabberwockreview@english.msstate.edu
jabberwock.org.msstate.edu
semiannual
Kenyon Review
David H. Lynn, editor
kenyonreview@kenyon.edu
kenyonreview.org
published six times a year
Labletter
Sarah Marrs, editor
thelabletter@labletter.com
labletter.com
annual
Lady Churchill’s Rosebud Wristlet
Gavin J. Grant and Kelly Link, editors
150 Pleasant St., #306
Easthampton, MA 01027
(no e-mail submissions)
smallbeerpress.com/lcrw
semiannual
Lake Effect
George Looney, editor
gol1@psu.edu
behrend.psu.edu/lakeeffect
annual
Literary Imagination
Archie Burnett, editor
litimag.oxfordjournals.org
triannual
Little Brother Magazine
Emily M. Keeler, editor
info@littlebrothermagazine.com
littlebrothermagazine.com
semiannual
Little Patuxent Review
Steven Leyva, editor
editor@littlepatuxentreview.org
littlepatuxentreview.org
biannual
Make
Kamilah Foreman, editor
info@makemag.com
makemag.com
semiannual
Malahat Review
John Barton, editor
malahat@uvic.ca
malahatreview.ca
quarterly
MĀNOA
Frank Stewart, editor
mjournal-l@lists.hawaii.edu
hawaii.edu/mjournal
semiannual
Massachusetts Review
Jim Hicks, editor
massrev@external.umass.edu
massreview.org
quarterly
Meridian
Emily Temple, editor
readmeridian.org
semiannual
Michigan Quarterly Review
Jonathan Freedman, editor
mqr@umich.edu
michiganquarterlyreview.com
quarterly
Mid-American Review
Abigail Cloud, editor
clouda@bgsu.edu
casit.bgsu.edu/midamericanreview
semiannual
Midwestern Gothic
Jeff Pfaller and Robert James Russell, editors
info@midwestgothic.com
midwestgothic.com
quarterly
Mississippi Review
Andrew Malan Milward, editor
msreview@usm.edu
usm.edu/mississippi-review/index.html
semiannual
Montana Quarterly
Scott McMillion, editor
editor@themontanaquarterly.com
themontanaquarterly.com