Literature
Fiction, essays, poems, and other work from the literary side of Amanda’s life.
Amanda’s literary work moves between memory, desire, wit, and reinvention. Here you’ll find her fiction, essays, poems, and updates on work in progress.
Selected Literary Work
Featured poems, essays, stories, and short-form literary publications.
Radio Lost & Found
IN DEVELOPMENT
California's Inland Empire, 1972. Jolene is twenty-seven, guilt-worn, and escaping to Alaska — just her and her blue heeler on the open Mojave. On a one-night stop in Barstow, a ten-month-old boy disappears before dawn, and Jolene finds herself doing something she swore she never would: caring. Alicia Lombardi hosts a little radio show called Radio Lost & Found. She's been losing things her whole life, too. Then there is Radio: a cosmic voice asking whose stories get carried on the air, and whose get lost. Some things can't be recovered. Some people are worth the effort.
Swagger & Ink
One Slip and a Writer Lost the Ability to Read. That's what happened to Molly Gaudry. Fit Into Me: A Novel: A Memoir is, among other things, the book she wrote on the other side of the accident.
A little old lady goes to the shooting range. She’s the only one who doesn’t flinch! Find out why, here.
Some books you finish and set aside. Others you immediately start over, unable to leave their world behind. Croatian author Lidija Hilje’s debut novel, Slanting Towards the Sea, is definitely one of the latter. Released last month by Simon and Schuster, it deserves to be part of your reading life.
Kate Woodworth's debut novel "Little Great Island" weaves climate change into an intimate island narrative without resorting to dystopian tropes or post-apocalyptic landscapes. Set on a fictionalized island, the story follows Harry, grappling with personal grief, and Mari, an islander with her own complicated past. Through these two characters—one a "summer person," one a year-round resident—Woodworth explores the complex socioeconomic dynamics of island life against the backdrop of our escalating climate crisis.
A mammoth horse crashes through a carnival floor. A mysterious mare named Lady Wonder solves crimes in 1930s Virginia. A Harvard graduate meets his fate alongside his mule in the American West. These are not just stories—they're historical events transformed into spellbinding fiction in Jess Bowers's debut collection, Horse Show.
Jess is passionately committed to her work, which she describes, not only as historical fiction, but also as anti-animal-abuse narratives. Her work combines obscure facts with shrewd imagination.
In this blog, you can read about her life with horses, her writing practice, and the origins of these amazing stories.
As a gay Jewish man, Beck was the target of persecution; yet he worked tirelessly to save lives and help Jews escape Nazi Berlin.
Thanks to your feedback, my short story, “Lost,” has been published in Imogene’s Notebook on Medium.com. And, the really great news is that it has a new ending. I’d love to see what you think of it
The story is behind a paywall, but you can read it for free using this “Friend Link.”
Have a wonderful day!
Katy had me by the third page when she wrote, “. . . when I peer at myself in the bathroom mirror, I hold the skin folds of my chin taut against my earlobes, erasing the years with one small motion.” This precious moment sets the tone for a narrative that is revealing, honest, and beautifully told.
I was reluctant to write this post. But the violence in Israel and Gaza, not to mention the forever war in the Ukraine and other skirmishes around the globe have me thinking about an unforgettable book written by a brave woman.
A Woman in Berlin is the diary written by an insightful woman who lived through the 1945 the Russian occupation of her city. The author was “anonymous” when I discovered it years ago. This haunting narrative can deepen our compassion and strengthen our resolve to strive for peace.
These days we could all use a little more kindness. In New Zealand I learned one approach to raising our kindness quotient. Hint: there’s a role for mirror neurons. I hope you’ll enjoy the post!
It was the pumpkin seeds that started it. An awkward confrontation between two women with very little in common raises questions about what it means to be polite.
Dear Friends,
The past few months have been crazy busy as I’ve been getting ready to launch two new offerings. You’ve heard a lot about the first one…yes, Aging Angry is finally available for pre-sale. Use this code: ASFLYQ6 for 30% off when you purchase the hardbound copy through Oxford University Press. Click here for their aging angry product page. An ebook is in the works and I’m hoping it will be out in paperback too.
The second offering is a brand new website introducing the book and my new blog, “Swagger & Ink.” You can access it here. I’d love to hear what you think of this new design.
Talia Lakshmi Kolluri transports the reader into the lives of beasts ranging from donkey to vulture, from wolf to whale in her astonishing debut collection of short stories published by Tin House.
With great compassion and a charming sense of humor, the work explores Gill’s adventures as an English teacher with Tibet Charity in Dharamshala, India.
Ceridwen Hall breaks new ground in Excursions, her second collection of poetry. These poems seem to relish the freedom afforded by white space.
Olsen's prose never ceases to astonish me. Skin Elegies is no exception. Review and Interview inside.
In Feb, 2020, a student in New Zealand accused me of infecting her with COVID. Roiling with guilt at 3am, I wrote this story.
Immersed in Walker’s latest collection of essays, I found myself laughing, crying, and scratching my head.
After a long and proud history as a “nucleaus of literary arts and experimentation in Amsterdam” and the completion of twelve gorgeous issues of their print journal, Versal is moving into books.
Ceridwen Hall loves turning experience into poems. She likes to take things slowly, registering the details that reveal what's underneath.
The Guardian calls him our "moral gubernator," but Schwartzneger's 7-minute speech is deeply moving.
Jackie's voice is so inviting! She engages social justice issues (race, language, family, immigration) with deep awareness and empathy and yet the book twirls with joy at every turn.
Nuclear Option is Dorothy Van Soest’s fourth novel and from page one, I knew I was in good hands. The work explores the tension between passion and restraint in crisp, resonant prose.
So many "ah ha" moments as we spot familiar figures in these pages. There's Hitler before he was Hitler and Billy Wilder before he wrote Some Like it Hot.
The mid 1980s saw heated debate in the De Gustibus column of the New York times. Who made the best blueberry muffins in Boston?
Anyone who wonders why people are baking for comfort these days has never come home to the olfactory bliss of fresh chocolate chip cookies.
These pages sing in a voice that is nuanced and authentic. Contemplating the sandhill crane's millions of years on earth Balderrama asks, "Will we ever be allowed this kind of being?"
Hungry Ghost Theater takes us from Zanzibar to Santa Cruz through the trials and adventures of a truly complicated three-generation family.
Amanda’s literary notebook. Reflections on books, memory, aging, womanhood, and the American West.
“Books are my magic carpet, carrying me into distant times, strange rooms, and lives I might never otherwise know. Here you’ll find reflections on obscure, beautiful, and unforgettable books, along with occasional wanderings into memory, aging, womanhood, and the landscapes we call home.”
Personal essay
On grief, vulnerability, and national fracture