Ursa Short Fiction Ursa Story Company

Dawnie Walton and Deesha Philyaw introduce us to Reckon True Stories, a brand new podcast hosted by Deesha and acclaimed author Kiese Laymon, dedicated to all things nonfiction.
Listen, then follow the show in your favorite podcast so you don't miss an episode: https://link.chtbl.com/truestories
Guests for Season One include writers Roxane Gay, Imani Perry, Alexander Chee, Minda Honey, Hanif Abdurraqib, and Samantha Irby. Produced in partnership with Reckon.
We'll also have more episodes of Ursa Short Fiction coming this fall! Sign up for email updates: https://ursastory.com
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While we put the final touches on Season Three, we wanted to share an episode from another podcast that we think you’ll love: Black & Published, hosted by Nikesha Elise Williams. 
On today’s episode, Nikesha’s guest is Dolen Perkins-Valdez, author of the historical fiction novel TAKE MY HAND. It's a story based on the real-life Relf sisters of Montgomery, Alabama, who were forcibly sterilized by the workers of a federal family planning clinic in 1973.
Subscribe to listen to more episodes from the latest season of Black & Published: 
https://blackpublished.buzzsprout.com/
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Thanks to our guests, contributors, and listeners for a wonderful second season!
Help us fund Season Three of Ursa Short Fiction by becoming an Ursa Member: 
https://ursastory.com/join/
You can also make a one-time contribution to help fund future episodes. 
We’ll be back very soon — get email updates by signing up for our newsletter: https://ursastory.com/newsletter/
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Deesha and Dawnie chat with Denne Michele Norris, editor-in-chief of Electric Literature and author of the forthcoming debut novel, When The Harvest Comes (Random House). She is also the first Black, openly trans woman to helm a major literary publication.
Norris discusses her approaches to both writing and editing, sharing insights for writers on working with editors. She also talks about the ways different genres — from fiction to essay to memoir — all require their own approaches. Norris asks questions of herself and of the work, aiming to edit “ethically and responsibly and [tell] a beautiful story.”
Support our show by becoming an Ursa Member: ursastory.com/join

Reading List: Stories and Writers Mentioned

Denne Michele Norris

McSweeney's 62: The Queer Fiction Issue

Food 4 Thot Podcast


"An Almanac of Bones" (Dantiel W. Moniz)


The Bluest Eye (Toni Morrison)


Everyday People: The Color of Life Anthology (edited by Jennifer Baker) 


"Daddy's Boy" (Denne Michele Norris)

Jade Jones


Going To Meet The Man (James Baldwin)


Friday Black (Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah)


Milk Blood Heat (Dantiel W. Moniz)


The Secret Lives of Church Ladies (Deesha Philyaw)


What It Means When A Man Falls From The Sky (Lesley Nneka Arimah)


Difficult Women (Roxane Gay)


About the Author 
Denne Michele Norris is the editor-in-chief of Electric Literature, winner of the 2022 Whiting Digital Literary Magazine Prize, where she is the first Black, openly trans woman to helm a major literary publication. A 2021 Out100 Honoree, her writing has been supported by MacDowell, Tin House, VCCA, and the Kimbilio Center for African American Fiction, and appears in McSweeney's, American Short Fiction, and ZORA. She co-hosts the critically acclaimed podcast Food 4 Thot, and mentors emerging writers of color with The Periplus Collective. Her debut novel, When The Harvest Comes, is forthcoming from Random House. 

More from Deesha Philyaw and Dawnie Walton:


The Secret Lives of Church Ladies (Deesha Philyaw)


The Final Revival of Opal & Nev (Dawnie Walton)


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Associate producer: Marina Leigh
Episode editor: Kelly Araja
Executive producers: Dawnie Walton & Mark Armstrong
Author photo: Hilary Leichter
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Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://ursastory.com/join

This week we’re excited to share a very special episode of Ursa Short Fiction — a Member Exclusive where Dawnie Walton chats with Deesha Philyaw about this week’s big news: Deesha has just signed a seven-figure book deal with Mariner Books for a new novel, THE TRUE CONFESSIONS OF FIRST LADY FREEMAN, and short story collection, GIRL, LOOK. The novel is due out in 2025. 
Enjoy this free teaser from our Member Exclusive episode. To access the full episode, become an Ursa Member: ursastory.com/join.  

Links


Author Deesha Philyaw has a 7-figure deal for her next two books (Associated Press) 


“Back Then” (Mike Jones)


Peach Pit: Sixteen Stories of Unsavory Women (anthology edited by Molly Llewellyn and Kristel Buckley)

Mariner Books

Rakia Clark


Punch Me Up to the Gods (Brian Broome) 


More from Deesha Philyaw and Dawnie Walton:


The Secret Lives of Church Ladies (Deesha Philyaw)


The Final Revival of Opal & Nev (Dawnie Walton)


Produced & edited by Mark Armstrong
Associate producer: Marina Leigh
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://ursastory.com/join

Thank you Ursa Members for your support!

This week we’re excited to share a very special episode of Ursa Short Fiction — a Member Exclusive where Dawnie Walton chats with Deesha Philyaw about this week’s big news: Deesha has just signed a seven-figure book deal with Mariner Books for a new novel, THE TRUE CONFESSIONS OF FIRST LADY FREEMAN, and short story collection, GIRL, LOOK. The novel is due out in 2025.

More from Deesha Philyaw and Dawnie Walton:

The Secret Lives of Church Ladies (Deesha Philyaw)
The Final Revival of Opal & Nev (Dawnie Walton)

Produced & edited by Mark Armstrong

Associate producer: Marina Leigh