July 2024 – Andrew Careaga

Published in Periwinkle Pelican

Just when you thought the Great Cicada Invasion of 2024 was well behind us, along comes a poem I wrote about those pesky critters in the online literary journal Periwinkle Pelican. Check out “Thirteen Ways of Hearing a Cicada (With Apologies to Wallace Stevens),” published today.

Friday Five: Q&A with Thea Swanson, editor of Club Plum Literary Journal

‘It’s important to me to keep this going for years.’

Thea Swanson, founder and editor of *Club Plum Literary Journal*

When I first learned about this cool online journal called Club Plum Literary Journal and read about its mission to offer readers and writers “an ongoing literary conversation, a resonant entry into a beautiful or strange or dark place,” I knew I wanted to be a part of it. And I was thrilled when editor Thea Swanson selected one of my writings to include in the latest issue, which came out earlier this month. Once I learned the piece had been accepted, I invited Thea to take part in a Friday Five, itself an attempt at an ongoing literary conversation. Read on for insights from Thea about the journal she founded (now in its fifth year), her thoughts on writing and creativity, and a special touch she adds to each published piece.

Friday Five: on great books, flash fiction, writing advice, late bloomers, and Alice Munro

Some recent reads worth sharing:

Writing, fast and slow

Sometimes the writing flows like a fast, steady stream. The stories gush forth nearly fully formed and require only minor modifications before they’re ready to ship. That is how my short story “Hypnotist” came about. I wrote the whole thing in a single setting, then returned to it for a few revisions.

New work in ‘Club Plum Literary Journal’

A piece I wrote called “The Things My Father Used to Eat” is included in the latest issue of Club Plum Literary Journal. The latest issue went live last Friday. Huzzah!

Image: screenshot of list of contributors to Club Plum Literary Journal, Volume 5, Issue 3