Susan Henderson is a recipient of an Academy of American Poets award, and the Managing Editor of Night Train.  Her work has appeared in Oakland Review's 25th Anniversary Anthology, Zoetrope: All-Story Extra (here and here), Today's Parent, The Pittsburgh Quarterly, Happy, The MacGuffin, Eyeshot, Alsop Review, Opium (January 2003 and May 2004), Carve Magazine, Monkeybicycle, Hobart, Zacatecas: A Review of Contemporary Word, Pig Iron Malt, Word Riot, Mid-South Review, Eleven Bulls, The Edward Society, Insolent Rudder, Ink Pot #2 and #4, Moondance (December 2003, March 2004, June 2004, September 2004) Avatar Review, Bellevue Literary Review, South Dakota Review, The Green Hills Literary Lantern, North Dakota Quarterly,  SmokeLong Quarterly Issue #4 and Issue #5)
, Monkeybicycle Issue 4, North Atlantic Review, Arkansas Review: A Journal of Delta Studies, Salome, The Shore Magazine,  Moonshinestill, The Front Porch, Journal of Modern Post and Other Voices, as well as in a number of pamphlets and training manuals used at Pittsburgh Action Against Rape.
 She recently helped to judge the "20-Minute Stories" contest at McSweeney's. In August 2004, The Future Dictionary of America will be released including political commentary from Susan as well as other writers such as Stephen King, Jonathan Franzen and Dave Eggers.
Listen to an NPR interview with Susan Henderson and Marketing Manager Tom Jackson.Read two personal interviews here:


Interview, Spring 2004

Interview, Summer 2004


Susan read at the recent 215 Festival in Philadelphia, PA. Her story "Not So Much Excitement Around Here" was recently nominated for the Pushcart prize by Arkansas Review. 




Recommended Reading:









Tim O'Brien
The Things They Carried





Denis Johnson
Jesus' Son





Aimee Bender
Girl in the Flammable Skirt






I love everything about this book--its unflinching look at war, the slipperiness of truth and how the stories are often more true when they are fictionalized, the heartbreak within victory and the tenderness within killing. He gets at every paradox that makes us human. 


I love how he finds gorgeous and tender moments inside moments you expect to be fierce and narcissistic. So very honest. 

What's so wonderful about Aimee Bender's stories is that no one else could think them up. They are quirky, imaginative tales that speak about isolation, miscommunications, and the hidden triumphs and heartbreaks in the most bizarre, unexpected actions.