Best American Mystery Stories 2012, which includes my story, “Looking for Service,” is now available in bookstores (and online, obviously).  My story appears immediately after Thomas McGuane’s story, and though that’s just the chance of the alphabet, it’s thrilling to have my work beside his.  The book also contains stories by Mary Gaitskill, K.L. Cook, Daniel Woodrell, and others.

My collection of stories, The Empty House, was named a finalist for the 2012 Flannery O’Connor Award.  This is the second year in a row I’ve been a finalist in this contest.

Through the generous grant from the Elizabeth George Foundation, I was able to travel to Guatemala to research a novel in progress.  The trip also allows for a huge amount of writing time.  Here’s a view of a volcano outside of Antigua, Guatemala, taken from the roof of my hotel.

Volcano Agua in Guatemala

My story, “The Highline Highway,” appears in Forty Stories, an anthology edited by Calvert Morgan, published by Harper Perennial.  The anthology is available as a free pdf here (and will soon by available as an e-book):  www.fiftytwostories.com.

My short story, “In the Ravine,” is out in the Summer 2012 issue of The Antioch Review.

I found out today, 01/07/2012, that I have been awarded a generous grant from the Elizabeth George Foundation to fund travel and research toward my novel in-progress, The Free Country.  I am extremely grateful and excited about this support.

My story, “The Empty House,” has been included in the 70th Anniversary Issue of The Antioch Review, which collects the best work of the past 10 years.  I’m honored, as ever, to appear in this magazine.