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NewPages reviews “Souvenirs and Other Stories”

Souvenirs 3d Book Mock-UpNewPages has a new review posted of Souvenirs and Other Stories, by Matt Tompkins.

The reviewer, Katy Haas, spends much of her review talking about character development. She notes the plain and calm demeanor of Matt’s narrators as they grapple with the surreal, as if each is hoping “to just make it through the life they’re given.” Katy closes her review by saying “In Souvenirs & Other Stories, Tompkins shoves the door wide open and welcomes the surreal into reality. With characters and situations that are relatable despite their oddities, readers are sure to connect with this pocket-sized collection of flash souvenirs.” We couldn’t agree more!

Take a look at the entire review here, and purchase your own copy of Souvenirs here.

James R. Gapinski’s AWP Bookfair table/booth picks

With over 700 presses and organizations represented at AWP, it’s difficult to see them all. Naturally, I need to start with a self-serving plug: your first stop should be Table #2025: The Conium Review.  After that, explore as many new presses and publishers as possible (that’s my gameplan). But it’s good to have a few specific tables in mind—beacons amid the storm.  Here are my top ten exhibitors (in order by table number):

  1. Table #226: Gold Line Press / Ricochet Editions
  2. Table #324: Small Beer Press
  3. Table #343: Fiction Collective 2
  4. Booth #415: NewPages.com
  5. Table #422: NANO Fiction
  6. Table #439: The Review Review
  7. Table #925: Juked
  8. Booth #1007: VIDA: Women in Literary Arts
  9. Table #1122: [PANK] / Tiny Hardcore Press
  10. Table #1837: Two Dollar Radio

So if you’re a bit lost, maybe use these tent-poles as your guide too.  But don’t get stuck on lists and favorites; the most interesting conversations often come from presses you’ve never heard of.

About the Author

James R. Gapinski is The Conium Review‘s managing editor. He holds an MFA in creative writing from Goddard College and teaches writing at Bunker Hill Community College. His work has appeared in theEEELNANO FictionHeavy Feather ReviewJukedAtticus Review, Word Riot, and elsewhere.

A Look at our AWP Postcards

We’ll have flash fiction postcards available for free at this year’s AWP Conference in Minneapolis, MN. The postcards feature Daniel Aristi’s “Mart of Karbala” and Mercedes Lawry’s “The Pale Investigator.” Each limited-run postcard is numbered (50 copies of each variant; 100 copies total). These free postcards will be available at The Conium Review‘s table (number 2025) and at the NewPages booth (number 415). Get yours while supplies last!

P.S. We’ll also have a micro-chap version of John Englehardt’s “This is Great But You Don’t Need It” available for free. More details on that micro-chap soon! Be sure to stop by our table to say “hello” and get some swag (and maybe buy a copy of our latest issue too).

AWP Postcards