I want to start with the thing that lights me up the most:  I received more fan mail!  There’s nothing quite like finding out someone out there gets my art, gets me, someone I’ve never met before but have been able to commune with, in some small way, through words, images, and everything that goes unsaid but bubbles just under the surface.  Seriously, this is why I work so hard to get my writing out there. 

And what does it take to do so?  Looking at my 2023 submission data, I received 188 rejections this year.  And 19 acceptances.  Including reprints.  One of those rejections nearly broke my heart, I got so close to getting into a dream publication.  But there’s always next year, and other dream markets.  In fact, I’m waiting on a contract from one place before I can announce the sale, and it’s one I’m very, very excited about… 

This year also marked my third year in a row of receiving a Pushcart nomination, and my second for a Rhysling nomination.  And my first for an O. Henry nomination.  These were all, by the way, for works of horror, or at least on the dark side of things.  On the other hand, I also had a story selected for the inaugural Best of Utopian Speculative Fiction anthology and another story get a shout-out in Tor.com’s list of “Nine (Very) Short Fantasy Stories With Happy Endings.”  Lightness and darkness.  Have I mentioned that balance turned up as one of my core personal values when I did an exercise to identify them in grad school? 

I don’t always nail that balance.  I started off 2023 aiming to dial back my number of writing presentations and workshops, because I’d done a lot of them in 2022 and didn’t want to eat into too much of my writing time this year, even though I really enjoy doing these events.  Well, sure enough, I still ended up saying yes to a bunch of opportunities this year. 

Can you blame me?  I got to fulfill a longtime goal of being a panelist at OryCon, my local con and the place that really helped me level up over the years.  I got to read two short stories for Story Hour, which has a prestigious list of guests, and Hugo House reached out to ask Elizabeth Beechwood and me to teach our workshop for them again, which is always so much fun for us.  I got to share my passion for speculative poetry with the Oregon Poetry Association and serve as a judge for this year’s HWA Poetry Showcase.  And I got to perform some of my works to live accompaniment by Katie Bennett, in the gorgeous Sanctuary Hall.  What a dream come true!

Aah, my bookshelf is getting way more bulging, and it’s not even Christmas yet…  I have contributor copies on the way of 2022 Best of Utopian Speculative Fiction, which includes my story “Song of the Balsa Wood Bird” from Fireside Magazine. 

And Apparition Literary Magazine has released paperback versions of their issues, which are on sale this month for only $4, so don’t delay in ordering!  I’ve always loved their covers and am so happy to have physical copies. 

And some of my friends have recent releases!  I went to the launch party for the anthology Winding Paths, which is themed around games and includes a choose-your-own-adventure narrative option.  I know several of the contributors, and getting their work in one place is such a treat. 

Also, my friend and frequent workshop co-teacher Elizabeth Beechwood has released a collection called Strange Memories.  As soon as it’s back in stock, you bet I’ll be getting myself a copy. 

And finally, earlier this year when I took the train home from the AWP Conference in Seattle back to Portland, I was seated next to a remarkable young woman named Mariia Kharytonova.  We spent the whole four or so hours talking, and it felt like we’d known each other for much longer than that.  She’s from Ukraine and has co-published an anthology with Sofia Vasylenko called 24, available through Impact Ukraine.  This anthology includes interviews with twenty-four people whose lives have been upended by war, along with some of Mariia’s stunning artwork. 

On that note, I’m wishing you all a holiday season of peace, health, and never taking things for granted in life. 

The HWA Poetry Showcase Vol. X is officially available!  Inside you’ll find all manner of delightfully dark verse from members of the Horror Writers Association.  As I’ve stated elsewhere, it was so difficult to narrow the selections down with the other judges and our editor, Angela Yuriko Smith, from all the submissions we received.  A good problem to have.

I’m excited for OryCon this weekend!  Here’s where you can find me: 

• Getting Past Imposter Syndrome panel on Fri., Nov. 10 at 3pm, with Laura Anne Gilman and Kat Richardson – Many promising writers don’t enjoy interacting with publishers and other writers and dislike attending conventions because, despite modest success, they experience something called imposter syndrome. What is it? Can you avoid it? If you—or your writer friends—experience it, what should you do? Come discuss with our panel.
• Dayjob or the Dream panel on Fri., Nov. 10 at 9pm, with Eric Distad and Manny Frishberg, moderated by Mousewrites – Whether you’re fresh out of school and wondering whether to invest in creating or continuing education, or reevaluating your mundane life and debating taking time off to create, how do you balance the need for money with the spark in your soul?
• Katherine Quevedo Reading on Sun., Nov. 12 at 2:30pm – I’ll read a selection of my short fiction and poetry. I’m planning to focus on fantasy and science fiction for this one, since I just read a bunch of my horror poems last weekend.

One final reminder that Haunted Tales and Eerie Melodies is taking place in Portland, for free, tomorrow afternoon!  Here’s the lineup: 

• Remy Nakamura, with accompaniment by Matt Brislawn
• Katherine Quevedo, with accompaniment by Katie Bennett
• Elle Mitchell, with accompaniment by Julian Kosanovic
• Sarah Walker, with accompaniment by Obadiah Baird
• Nathan Carson, with accompaniment by Erin Jane Laroue
• …and Frances Lu-Pai Ippolito will be our MC

If you’re local or in town this weekend for the Portland Book Festival, I hope you can make it! We’ll be in the beautiful Sanctuary Hall from 2-4pm.  (Also, I’ll be giving another reading a week later at OryCon.)

I just heard from Russ López, editor of LatineLit, that he’s selected my story “The Galapagos Widows” as one of his nominees this year for the Pushcart Prize, as well as the O. Henry Award!  I’m honored and so grateful he gave my story a home, especially among so many other works focusing on this traditionally underrepresented part of the world.  (My story centers on Ecuador, which sadly is experiencing a lot of turmoil these days.)  Please go peruse the other works on LatineLit, too. 

If you’re in the mood for more dark fiction, I hope you’ll check out the recording of the reading that Steve Toase and I did this month with the awesome folks over at Story Hour.  Seriously, Steve’s writing is lovely and haunting, so go give it a listen.  You can stick around and see how terrible the lighting is in my office at night, ha!  I read “Until It Has Your Reflection” from Nightmare Magazine and “Tree Eyes” from Frost Zone Zine. 

If that still isn’t enough horror for you, and you’ll be in the Portland area for the Portland Book Festival, mark your calendars for Haunted Tales and Eerie Melodies.  I’ll be reading along with four other authors, each of us accompanied by the live stylings of some fantastic local musicians.  For my portion, I’ll have the multitalented Katie Bennett accompanying me on piano!  This free event will be hosted by the Oregon Chapter of the Horror Writers Association. 

I can now share the details of my November in-person events!  Plus, reminders for online events, including this week:

• Come to Story Hour online tomorrow evening, where author Steve Toase and I will take turns reading some of our short fiction. 
• Then on Saturday I’ll be part of the Oregon Poetry Association’s online conference, a great deal for a full day of programming—including my session, The Art of Speculative Poetry. Come learn about the long roots of this literary tradition, how speculative poetry is thriving today, and how to start exploring these genres in your own work.
• If you’re in the area on Sunday, Nov. 5, I’ll be participating in Haunted Tales and Eerie Melodies, part of the Portland Book Festival’s Cover to Cover programming.  At this free event, several other authors and myself will take turns reading our work to live musical accompaniment!  This event is hosted by the Oregon Chapter of the Horror Writers Association. 
• And the following weekend, Nov. 10-12, I’ll be at OryCon 43.  I’m scheduled for 2 panels on Friday and a reading on Sunday.  Very excited to discuss some important career considerations for writers as well as share some of my fiction and poetry. 
• And don’t forget, Elizabeth Beechwood and I will be teaching our online workshop, Creating Nonhuman Characters, through Hugo House on Nov. 18. 

Whew!  We’ll see if I can fit some writing in there, too.  I have to share, I went to my local Powell’s bookstore and found the September/October 2023 issue of Asimov’s—my first time going to a bookstore and finding a publication with one of my pieces in it!  Checking that off the bucket list. 

I’m stoked to see that Tor.com included my story “The Menagerie Machine” on their list of “Nine (Very) Short Fantasy Stories With Happy Endings”!  If you’re looking for some short fantasy reads to brighten your day, this is the list for you. 

I’ve been thinking a lot about endings lately.  I’ve been reading about closure and anti-closure, particularly in poetry, and a few months ago TOWER Magazine tweeted my comments below about an ending I admire.  This was part of the lead-up to their End-themed issue. 

Then there’s the DIY MFA book, which breaks down endings into a matrix—the analyst side of my brain loves a good diagram—based on the result that a character wants (or, believes that they want), whether or not they get it at the end, and—tellingly—whether they still want it.  That last piece is huge. 

I don’t have one set outcome I seek to provide in my work.  I love happy endings, and these probably make up the majority of what I write.  However, I also love bittersweet ones, dark ones, ambiguous ones, at various points depending on my mood and, especially, on what the story or narrative poem demands.  I probably have overall tendencies I’m not crisply aware of (I’m actually far more of an idealist than a cynic).  I prize variety.  It’s probably why, for example, the editor of Wyngraf called out my cozy fantasy novelette “A Petrified Heart” as “certainly the darkest story of the issue” in his introduction. 

People talk about stories, even dark ones, having an undercurrent of hope.  That resonates with me.  Even with the horror I write, I don’t see hope as a weakness.  I never see it as trite or twee or insignificant.  I think it’s an essential component of survival.  I went with a friend to see Ada Limón give a talk in Portland earlier this year, and one thing the poet laureate shared jumped out at me:  “Hope is work.”  She meant this in a good, worthwhile way.  Yes.  Let’s go do the work.

I’ve got a flurry of events coming up in the next couple of months, some online and some in-person: 

• Online – Wed., Oct. 4 – I’ll be doing a reading for Story Hour, along with Steve Toase.  Join us for some spooky stories!
• Online – Sat., Oct. 7 – I’ll be presenting The Art of Speculative Poetry as part of the Oregon Poetry Association’s online conference.  Looking forward to bringing the joy of genre to poets. 
• Two in-person events in early Nov. (both in Portland) – More details forthcoming, but keep an eye on the programming for the Portland Book Festival Cover to Cover community events as well as OryCon 43…
• Online – Sat., Nov. 18 – Elizabeth Beechwood and I are co-teaching our workshop Creating Nonhuman Characters again for Hugo House.  We’re passionate about this topic and want to help writers bring more of these fascinating characters into being. 

I’m thrilled that my poem “Fragrances of the Night-Blooming Space Garden” is included in the September/October issue of Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine!  I’ve dreamt of being published in Asimov’s for years, since back when a writer friend of mine lent me a bunch of his copies, which I proceeded to binge-read on my work breaks when I went back to the office after maternity leave.  I was a tired and frazzled new mother, desperate for an escape during those precious chunks of free time, and the gorgeous, thought-provoking works within Asimov’s were like a balm for me. 

Fittingly, “Fragrances of the Night-Blooming Space Garden” is about seeking comfort.  I’ve always been prone to homesickness.  I remember my family flying across the country to visit relatives when I was in grade school, and I got this unsettled feeling in the pit of my stomach.  No particular reason—it was a lovely visit—except that it wasn’t home.  I combined that feeling with movie scenes I recalled with futuristic gardens, often holograms, and envisioned them being real plants.