The Inner Loop and The Writer’s Center present a FREE virtual chat about the craft of fiction! We’re joined by Shelagh Powers Johnson to discuss her short story collection, A History of Existing Life. Shelagh is in conversation with author Michael Don.
A History of Existing Life is The Inner Loop’s Author’s Corner spotlight. The Inner Loop cultivates and promotes the distinctive literary culture of Washington, DC. Author’s Corner supports local authors’ independently published books by spotlighting them in community programming and collaborations.
RSVP below to receive login information (our virtual events are held via Zoom). FREE and open to the public, all times Eastern
We encourage you to order a copy of the book from your local, independent bookseller or online from Bookshop.org »
Shelagh Powers Johnson teaches English and Creative Writing at Bowie State University and is the faculty editor of the university’s literary magazine, The Torch. She received her MFA in Fiction from American University and is currently working on a PhD in English and Creative Writing. Her work has previously appeared in the Portland Review, Night Train, the Grace and Gravity Anthologies, and Ghost Parachute, among others. Her debut short story collection, A History of Existing Life, is coming out this August. You can view her TEDxTalk, “Creative Writing: A Transformational Practice,” on YouTube and find her at www.shelaghjohnson.com.
Michael Don is the author of the story collection Partners and Strangers (Carnegie Mellon University Press), a finalist for the 2019 Foreword Indies Book of the Year Award in short fiction. His work has appeared or is forthcoming in journals such as The Threepenny Review, Passages North, Washington Square Review, Puerto Del Sol, and The Southampton Review. He is a professor at George Mason University and co-organizes the Fox City Lit reading series in Fairfax City, Virginia. His second book is coming out with Cornerstone Press in 2028.
About A History of Existing Life
“The language in Shelagh Powers Johnson’s debut collection strikes the rare and perfect balance between understated and surprising. The characters in these stories span time periods and geographic location but are united by Johnson’s astute observation of brutality and heartbreak- but also the beauty and redemption-of the every day.” -Amanda Parrish Morgan, author of Stroller, named one of The New Yorker’s Best Books of 2022
“A History of Existing Life is filled with lush, dark, haunting, and intricate prose and piercing observations. Old lovers briefly reunite. A woman’s paintings transform into a living dreamscape. Everyone reckons with their past. Johnson’s exquisite stories probe into the inner workings of relationships, of parents who love and who betray and disappoint. Let this collection surprise and envelop you.” -Lauren D. Woods, author of The Great Grown-Up Game of Make-Believe, winner of the Autumn House Press 2024 Fiction Prize
If you need an accommodation for this event, please contact us at access@writer.org. We will attempt to fulfill all requests, but advance notice is necessary to arrange for some accessibility services.
Enjoying our free events? Help us offer more programs to support writers with a $10 donation »