March 2025 – Andrew Careaga

Bonus Friday Five: Q&A with ‘Night Watch’ author Mathew Goldberg

‘I’m not someone who gets hit with flashes of inspiration, but someone who sits down and works, facing the screen for a set amount of time even if nothing comes from the session.’

Last night, Mathew Goldberg celebrated the release of his award-winning debut collection of short stories, Night Watch, with a release party at Two Friends Bookstore + Cafe in Bentonville, Arkansas. I hope it’s the first of many occasions for Mathew to celebrate this accomplishment. With his book hot off the presses, I wanted to deviate from my usual Friday Five routine to squeeze in a bonus question-and-answer session with this talented writer while this collection is brand new.

Mathew is an associate teaching professor of English at my former employer, Missouri University of Science and Technology, and he was kind enough to send me a galley proof of the book. I can tell you that it’s brilliant and well worth the read. It’s no surprise the collection won the 2025 Spokane Prize for Short Fiction from Willow Springs Books, the publisher of Night Watch.

At Missouri S&T, Mathew teaches creative writing, composition, American literature, and detective fiction. To readers familiar with S&T’s focus on STEM education, Mathew’s duties may sound a bit fish-out-of-water, but his background — he holds a biomedical and electrical engineering degree from Duke as well as an MFA from Arkansas — gives him unusual insights into many of the students in his courses. (There are, of course, English and humanities students at S&T, and no doubt they too are keen to learn from this talented writer and academic.)

Many of the stories in Night Watch first found purchase in magazines like The Atlantic and Shenandoah. His fiction also has earned Pushcart Prize nods and semifinalist spots in contests like the Iron Horse Literary Review Book Prize.

Read on to learn more about Mathew’s perspective on the writing craft, teaching at a STEM-focused university, and advice to his fellow writers. And once you’re done reading, make plans to pick up a copy of Night Watch as soon as you can. (For readers from the St. Louis area, you might want to make plans to catch Mathew’s reading and book signing next month at Left Bank Books in St. Louis. Can’t make it in person? No worries. Left Bank plans to stream the presentation over its YouTube channel.)

Friday Five: Q&A with Natalie Welsh, editor of Syncopation Literary Journal

‘If we listen to each other’s stories—whether told through music, poetry or prose—we may realize that there is so much that connects humanity.’

Those who know me well know I have a deep affection for music. Many other writers share this interest. Natalie Welsh is one of them. She loves music and writing so much that she created a literary magazine that celebrates the fusion of music and storytelling called Syncopation Literary Journal.

Cover of the inaugural issue of Syncopation Literary Journal.

With a Bachelor of Arts in anthropology and a Master of Arts in humanities from York University, Natalie brings a rich academic background to her editorial work. She’s also a multi-talented artist. Both writer and musician, she is proficient on piano and guitar, and has had her short fiction published in New Sociology: Journal of Critical Praxis, Indelible Literary Journal, and Duck Duck Mongoose Magazine. Based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Natalie launched Syncopation in 2021 as a platform for musicians and writers to explore the rhythmic interplay between sound and narrative. The first issue went live in January 2022. I was thrilled Natalie saw fit to include my essay “Not Fade Away” in volume 4, issue 1 of her journal, and I’m happy that a couple more pieces I wrote will appear in volume 4, issue 2, later this year.

In this Friday Five, on the final Friday of Women’s History Month, I’m happy to introduce readers to Natalie and her labor of love.

Introducing LitLinks (blog feature and AI-generated podcast)

Thanks to the wonders of AI and an idea from Ashley Budd, I am entering the world of podcasting with a new feature I’m calling LitLinks.

LitLinks is an occasional compilation of literary- and writing-related content posted right here on the blog and also fed into Google’s NotebookLM AI research assistant to create an audio summary of all those links. That way, if you don’t have the time to read all those great links, you can listen to the podcast-style presentation while driving, jogging, doing the dishes, or avoiding your daily chores.

Friday Five: Q&A with flash fiction writer/litmag editor L Mari Harris

‘The Ozarks are full of all-cap CHARACTERS. I never tire of listening in on people’s conversations …’

On her website, L Mari Harris describes herself simply as a “Writer, Reader, Ozarks Dweller.” But like the tales she spins, the simple description is sneakily deceptive. It belies a more complex and nuanced character. As I continue to feature outstanding literary women in this month’s Women’s History Month Friday Five series, I’m delighted to introduce this brilliant creator of short fiction and creative nonfiction to readers.

I first got hooked on L Mari’s prose after reading “Baby,” a tiny piece that packs a wallop — one of those stories that sticks with you for a long time. She’s written many other great pieces before and since; find them here.

L Mari is also the managing editor of trampset, a literary magazine you should have on your reading list. Read what she has to say about her writing life, editing trampset, and life in the Ozarks.

Friday Five: Q&A with writer and sociologist Rebecca Tiger

“… the more honest I am about myself and others … the more my work resonates with people.”

In today’s Women’s History Month Friday Five, I’m happy to feature Rebecca Tiger, a writer and sociologist known for her work in both creative and academic spheres. As an associate professor of sociology at Middlebury College in Vermont, she teaches courses on topics like punishment, deviance, drugs, and celebrity, often blending sociology with creative nonfiction. As a creative writer, she has published fiction and nonfiction in various literary journals, including an award-winning essay recognized in a 2024 creative nonfiction contest(“Where’s Charlie,” published by Roi Fainéant Press). Rebecca also teaches creative writing in jails.

I first discovered Rebecca’s writing via her flash fiction piece “Dissection,” a powerful story about life, death, and family published in Trampset. I’ve since read other pieces by her — fiction as well as nonfiction — and have always been moved by the power of her stories and the way she puts the words together. Read on to learn more about her writing and academic work, her advice to other writers, and teaching creative writing to the incarcerated.