Another Year: A Short History Of a Big Something

A year ago two days from now I sent my very first submission to MLR Press. I hadn’t meant to do that. Hooked was supposed to be a short story I would try to self-publish, and then forget about this whole Being A Real Author deal.

But someone I know through writing, someone who has become so incredibly dear to me over the years, said, “No. Shoot for the moon. Try a publisher.”

So I did. After I pressed send on that submission email (oh my God, such an embarrassing email too. I can’t think about...