The launch event was PACKED. Enthusiastically emceed by Michelle Brafman, who wrangled eight contributors who read brief excerpts from their work and answered questions from the crowd. Dean said it was fun, but if it were 8 men, we’d still be there.
The readers included
Maud Casey
Ellen Herbert
Kyi May Kaung
Raima Larter
Molly Woods Murchie
Judith Turner-Yamamoto
Paula Whyman
Joyce Madelon Winslow
Laura Zam
But my favorite thing was meeting up with a former student, Eugenia Tsutsumi. She took an undergrad workshop with me years ago, then went on to complete our MFA program at Mason. She told me that I showed the class how to write short-shorts (not likely. Best I can do is show someone that they exist), and she claims that experience has led to her getting a story accepted by Caketrain. I am hugely excited by this. Another former student, Sam X. Brase, just placed a piece in The Foundling Review. I’m unjustly proud of his accomplishment, especially since he credits Handsome! Dave! Erlewine! ™ with editing help on that story.
