This is an update to a previous post. My friend, Rebecca Roanhorse recently reminded people to post about what works were eligible for awards, saying, “Don’t self reject!” Award eligible work by Rebecca Roanhorse I had to write and ask her what it meant, what to do. I joined Worldcon in time to nominate the work of others for a Hugo. I’m keeping a running list of those. Cat Rambo keeps up with much in her blog.

In this spirit I am sharing the two pieces I had published last year. Kweli Journal is the fabulous online presence of Laura Pegram’s hard work and love. It’s a good place to be. They published Man Made Monsters in early November. Kweli nominated this story for a Pushcart.

“Man Made Monsters” is the Frankenstein baby I thought about for two years before I sat down one night and gave it life in the wee hours. When I was done, it was exactly what I wanted. A month later it wasn’t. Tommy Orange read it and loved it. But he saw the same lack I saw. He gave me permission to kill and resurrect it. Laura Pegram saw the places where I was afraid, poked them, and encouraged me to do to my creation what needed doing. Limbs were chopped off and replaced. The proper eye colors were set and named.

I’m happy with it again. It’s set in Cherokee Nation in 1856.

Another piece published in 2018 is “Me & My Monster.” It’s the story of a girl and a goatboy and summer love. It exists next to a lot of great work, including creative work by Tommy Orange, Heid Erdrich, and Tiffany Midge. Transmotion is a great academic publication centered on the work of Vine Deloria, but exploring contemporary Indigenous literature. They do great work over there. Thanks, Dr. Theo Van Alst.

Here’s a link to that piece: Me & My Monster

Both stories are part of a literary speculative fiction collection I’m working on.

Happy reading.