I still feel new to this but it seems like now is a good time for an eligibility post for any awards for work published this year! (I’m looking at you, Hugo Awards and Nebula Awards, since those are nominated by members and not publishers.) Anyway, I had two short stories published this year, only one of which is blatantly in the SFF category:
The Pigeon Keeper|’s Daughter in Strange Horizons (a story that I love love love ❤ It’s about Taiwan and power and magic and pigeons!)
Some Humanity Still in Quarterly West (menacing! short!)
Honestly, it’d be a dream to be a finalist for one of these awards that I’ve been following for decades. I would so love to be nominated, especially because I’m not sure other folks think of me as a speculative fiction writer? My earliest published work was in SFF magazines and there’s a special place in my heart for the genre. Also, I’m totally manifesting going to Worldcon in Chengdu next year!
Anyway, I’m back east from my dreamy residency at Storyknife where I wrote poems and journal entries and short stories and organized my novel a bit. I saw the northern lights and the first snow and the lawn has my steps etched into it from my restless walking when I couldn’t go on the roads due to ice the last couple of days. I ran on Homer Spit a few times and hiked to the beach from Diamond Creek and saw a sea otter. The sunsets were beautiful and the neighborhood dogs wanted to be my best friend. Maura’s food was spectacular, as was the company of everyone involved. What a shock to come back to 60-degree weather (but not a bad shock, I’ll say!) after about 24 hours of travel.
In more news, I’m shortlisted for the Granum Prize!!! The winner and finalists will be announced next week—regardless of the outcome, I’m thankful to be on this shortlist with these amazing writers and have this validation of my work. Congrats to everyone!