As the semester winds down at work, I spent this week discussing the last set of student stories in a workshop, and having conferences about several thesis novels that bring to a close the degrees of some students I've had the privilege of working with and getting to know for two or three years. Everything worth saying for and against MFA programs and creative writing degrees in general has probably been said at this point and a whole lot more besides, but to me it's always exciting and rejuvenating to see the passion and commitment and enthusiasm of these students, these writers and artists. Sure, they have ahead of them the same ups and downs of writing and publishing so many of us know all too well. But right now none of that matters: they've made something because they believed it was worth making, and they've worked hard to bring that vision into the world because they want it to be there alongside all the less welcome things the world puts on display. There's no way in which that's not a hopeful, beautiful thing, and it buoys me each semester and year. 

Reading submissions and publishing writers on our website buoys me too, and I'm grateful to be able to do it. This week we brought you a review by Emily Webber of Brian Evenson's story collection Good Night, Sleep Tight, published by Coffee House Press. We're glad to have Emily review for us again.

And this week also kicked off a themed month of stories about Hunger, starting with "Disappearing Acts" by Amanda Miles-Ricketts. We're honored to share Amanda's work for the first time.

Elsewhere, contributor Steve Edwards ("Heaven and Earth, Horatio," 2017) will teach an online course in January on "Rediscovering Your Story: Memoir Writing" for Larksong Writers Place and enrollment is open.

Finally, Necessary Fiction's editors will soon share some of our reading highlights for the year, but we're also curious to know about yours. What are you recommending or giving to others? What are the books that stuck with you this year? Let us know and we'll try to include it in an upcoming newsletter.

Until next time, and thanks for reading,

Steve Himmer