Hi writing friends and welcome to the end of the month! For the last week of April, I'm offering a popular writing exercise from my little how to write magical realism manual, Delicious Strangeness. I've used this prompt in most of my writing classes, because it just about always yields something interesting and usable. It's … Continue reading What we found at the beach — a magical realism writing exercise
Author: Stephanie Barbé Hammer
Stephanie Barbé Hammer is a prose writer, magical realist, and a committed, intermittent poet. A 5-time nominee for the Pushcart Prize she has published work in Hayden's Ferry, Pearl, CRATE, Rhapsoidia, NYCBigCityLit, the East Jasmine Review, Apeiron, Inlandia, Literary Alchemy and the Bellevue Literary Review among other places. Her fabulist novel _The Puppet Turners of Narrow Interior_ appeared in March 2015 with Urban Farmhouse Press. Her poetry collection _How Formal?_ was published in 2014 with Spout Hill Press and her prose poem collection _SEX WITH BUILDINGS_ was published in May 2012 by Dancing Girl Press. Stephanie is addicted to teaching; she taught composition for the first time ever at Edmonds Community College. She is currently managing editor for SHARK REEF literary magazine and trying to make something happen with her second novel manuscript.
Story Time Sunday returns — Ajar
Dear friends -- a while back (a few years ago), I launched a madly ambitious plan to post a new little story every week. I burned out. I liked the idea though, so I'm going to try to post a new little story once a month, on the last Sunday of every month. Well, I … Continue reading Story Time Sunday returns — Ajar
At last! 2nd Visit to Bad Germany, part 2
In my previous post from many months ago, I made my 1985 trip to the German Democratic Republic (aka East Germany, aka "bad" Germany) sound like a good time, didn’t I? It was a good time. But it wasn’t always comfortable. It was not always fun. One of the worst experiences I had on this … Continue reading At last! 2nd Visit to Bad Germany, part 2
an interruption: The magic of the east, in COUNTER PART, “Twin Cities” ep (Spoilers)
East Germany, that is. I've been trying to write alot lately about the people that I encountered in the place I have been facetiously calling "Bad Germany," by which I mean of course the erstwhile soviet satellite, The German Democratic Republic or Die Deutsche Demokratische Republik. I have a strange short story making the rounds … Continue reading an interruption: The magic of the east, in COUNTER PART, “Twin Cities” ep (Spoilers)
2nd visit to bad Germany, part 1
Friends -- I’ve been writing about the German Democratic Republic (aka East Germany, aka "bad" Germany) in the light of discussions about communism, Russians, the cold war, and most recently fascism and the connections to all of these things in this country. Here’s the first installment of my 2nd trip. By 1985, I had received … Continue reading 2nd visit to bad Germany, part 1
A tale of two countries (part 1)
Friends – I generally use this blog to talk about the unreal, but today I want to talk about something real. I want to talk about a country that used to exist. It’s gone now. It’s been gone for almost 30 years. And most of us don’t remember its existence. That’s how successfully it has … Continue reading A tale of two countries (part 1)
Scared of Magical Realism? Try this writing exercise (writing prompt from Mount SAC Writers Weekend 2018)
scared of fancy schmancy magical realism? try this writing exercise!
