I stumbled upon your site as I was googling my name to make sure no salacious pictures show up (I applied for a job or two in town and wanted to be sure the internet wouldn’t sabotage my chances).

I’m glad I found you and this site sooner than later. The site is an awesome idea, and you’re a good, contemporary writer making great strides.

Since your critique is the first thing that pops up when someone searches my name and the story title, I have to respond.

It seems the goal of this site isn’t to objectively review or critique work, but rather, just shoot from the hip on what was read on a given day, which is fine, but I do see there is a good amount of bias in what you personally like and don’t like. According to your aesthetics, I would have an uphill battle in convincing you of the value of my work. You have a clear preference for quiet, bleak stories about single, depressed women written by women, and the use of “dialect” and simile is not your favorite thing.

Quotes: ” Also, it strikes me that nearly all of the stories I’ve reviewed for this site have been by women. Perhaps this is one reason why women are so grossly underrepresented in literary magazines; it may not have anything to do with overt sexism but the fact that the editors of these publications are men and they prefer to read work by men same as I prefer to read work by women. This doesn’t make it okay or anything, but it’s a valid reason, I think.”

“Okay, so I clearly enjoy stories about sad single women.”

“It seems like the kind of thing I should like, as it’s about a sad aging single woman (I swear I’m not even seeking these stories out anymore; they’re just falling into my lap).”

I could be jumping to conclusions, but this is the trend I’ve seen from your most recent posts.

As of now, my stories follow a black, male protagonist through childhood and adolescence with good doses of loud things and “dialect” (I’m a grammarian by trade and definitely respect Standard American English, but I feel there’s plenty of room for dialect and syntax bending. Cringe if you will, it’s all language to some).

So I may be wrong, but it would appear your judgement is a difference in aesthetics, rather than a critique of just plain bad writing or storytelling–this was not an objective, solicited review.

And, to a certain extent, I do have to agree with the idea of bias in what is read and valued. It is much easier and more inviting to slip into the personas of characters who come from similar backgrounds. I think Mary Gaitskill and Alice Munro are total champions, but Sherman Alexie and Junot Diaz are soul food for me.

The value in work is more within grasp when it speaks directly to your experience.

To be honest, I don’t think the vast body of my work would be something that you’d like, and that’s okay. I read and respect a variety of different authors who do amazing things, but no matter how much I understand and enjoy their techniques, I have to stay true to my style, characters, and what I enjoy doing. If a writer can’t do that much, there’s not much point to writing, except for killing time, avoiding the lonely thoughts.

Every writer has a voice and audience. It’s just a matter of matching them.

But with that being said, considering your tastes and abilities as a solid author, if in the coming years, I could write one story or chapter that keeps your attention, that would be an accomplishment worth having. There are always more arrows to add to the quiver. Always more work to do.

This whole publishing thing and putting work out in front of the public eye is new for me, and the internet, in all it’s wonder, adds another dimension to small circles. Hopefully, I do not come off as too combative, defensive, amateurish, or asshole-ish.

As I place more work, I’m sure there will be enough good and bad said about it in various places, which is just the nature of the beast. It’s not like I’ve never been ripped up in workshop and greatly benefited from it, but I have to stand behind this first big publication, sentimental and silly as that may seem.

Sometimes when interacting with pages it’s easy to forget there are still living, breathing people working behind them.

Corny and unrealistic as I know this is, I always hope the community of contemporary writers can be happy for each others successes and see how those successes, big and small, could benefit art, cultural, and even the lives of people who don’t read all that much. This isn’t exactly the case, but I can always hope for generosity.

Anyways, I’m glad I had a chance to open a dialogue with you. Your work has reminded me of what quiet stories should be: studies in tension with alarming ideations used as texture. There is a power in subtlety any writer would do well to entertain.

Sorry I couldn’t satiate your cravings for brilliance, but I’ll continue to grind.

Best of luck,

–Ron A. Austin

Nike Free TR for kvinder

And for the HACKS who purport to “review” stories for this mindless, immature excuse for a blog; THAT’S how to write a review.
You should all demand your parents’ money back for those worthless MFAs you’re so proud of, you may have “earned it”, but ya didn’t learn it.