News & Notes

One Who Really Writes

Becky Mandelbaum on Imposter Syndrome and Shapeshifting Memories

Author Becky Mandelbaum discusses “Emotional Morons,” a short story featured in our July 2022 issue, touching on the story’s distinctive setting at an artificial lake in Kansas, the main character’s profound insecurities, and more.

Two Writers, One Name

Sun readers who pay close attention to our contributors’ page may have noticed a recent coincidence: our October 2021 issue featured an essay by Michelle Herman, and the following month a poem by Michele Herman. The first name wasn’t a typo.

What Poetry Can Do

Kathryn Jordan on Writing, Inspiration, and Life after Cancer

Since the pandemic lockdown began, Kathryn Jordan has treated her time like a sabbatical: taking morning hikes in the woods, playing piano, and focusing on her writing. She met with Sun Editorial Assistant Staci Kleinmaier via video call to discuss writing and her poem “My Late Breast” in our April 2021 issue. This poem is Jordan’s first publication in The Sun.

The Life of Saint James

At one point I had over three hundred pen pals, many of them Sun readers who supported me with letters and stamps. They offered money, but the state would routinely take 60 percent, and I would rather starve than give them that; so I asked only for books and postage. Starting a literary career behind bars requires heroic amounts of U.S. postage.

The Best Thing About Fiction

A Q&A With John Holman

“White Folks,” a short story in our September 2020 issue, was written by John Holman, who grew up in Durham, North Carolina, just a few miles from The Sun’s editorial offices in Chapel Hill. Holman was preparing to teach an online class at Georgia State University for the first time due to the pandemic when Sun Associate Editor Finn Cohen caught up with him.

A Certain Type of Magic

A Q&A with Gary Jackson

Jackson’s poem in our February 2020 issue, “After the Reading,” details a fraught exchange after a poetry reading. Over e-mail he discussed listening to (and writing, and editing, and loving) poetry, and his affection for superhero comics -- especially the bad guys.

Devin Murphy on Adventure, Empathy, and Learning to Open Up

Murphy says he has submitted stories to The Sun for about a decade, but this is the first we’ve published. We caught up to discuss his new story, his maritime exploits, and the most valuable lessons he learned from a mentor.

Farewell My Lovelies

Colleen Donfield’s Goodbye after Twenty-Five Years at The Sun

We’re grateful to Colleen for the years she’s spent shepherding manuscripts, encouraging writers, and shaping so many of the pieces we’ve published in The Sun.

Staff Profile: Senior Editor Andrew Snee

This year Andrew celebrated not only his fiftieth birthday but also twenty-five years at The Sun.

Featured Contributor:
Parnaz Foroutan

Parnaz Foroutan’s essay “A Single Suitcase” appears in our July 2019 issue. We asked her about living with the threat of wildfires, emigrating from Iran, and writing her forthcoming memoir, Home Is a Stranger.