Meaningful, Memorable… and Brief

By Heather Sellers

I teach a course in the craft of brief forms—micro memoir, flash fiction, prose poetry. The course fills quickly: We love brevity. In the age of emoji and SMS, where shortcuts allow and even compel us to communicate simply, broadly, and quickly, we are, as readers, craving stories that are short, yes, but also richly rendered, with figurative language, arresting imagery, innovative formal invention, and depth.

Brief works can be incredibly rewarding to read but madden...