Hi Everyone,

During this episode, Shastri Akella discusses his Best American Short Story, “The Magic Bangle.”

The podcast episode is also available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.

Please read the story before listening to the podcast episode.

It’s available here at The Fairy Tale Review.

I hope you enjoy this discussion with Shastri as much as I did!

Cheers,

Kelly

PS: As always, I would love to hear about your favorite stories! Please send ideas anytime.

Bio: Shastri Akella’s debut novel, “The Sea Elephants,” has been published by Flatiron Books (USA, Canada) and Penguin (India). He was a writing resident at the Fine Arts Works Center (2021) and the Oak Springs Garden Foundation (2023). He’s the winner of the 2022 FracturedLit Flash Fiction Contest and the 2023 Best Microfiction Contest. His writing has appeared in Guernica, Fairy Tale Review, CRAFT, The Masters Review, Electric Literature, World Literature Review, The Rumpus, and elsewhere. He earned an MFA in Creative Writing and a PhD. in Comparative Literature at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He’s an Assistant Professor of Creative Writing at Michigan State University. Contact him for readings and book signings at your bookstore, college, or library at shastriakella.com.

Shastri Akella’s book is available here.

Upcoming Podcast Schedule

Free and available on Spotify, Apple, and Substack, as well as other podcast platforms.

March 1st: Toni Ann Johnson

April 1st: ‘Pemi Aguda

May 1st: Jim Shepard

June 1st: Molly Dektar

Upcoming interview schedule:

Paid subscribers and former guests are welcome to join me for live interviews with these writers below. Please read the story beforehand and come ready to discuss it with the author :)

On February 17th at 1 pm EST, I will talk to ‘Pemi Aguda about “Manifest.”

On March 4th at 1 pm: Jim Shepard: “The Queen of Bad Influences.”

On April 8th at 11 am: Molly Dektar: “The Bed & Breakfast.”

If you are a member of the Conscious Writers Collective with Maya C. Popa, you are also welcome to join us for the interviews. I highly recommend CWC. The instructors are amazing, and everyone is extremely supportive. I hope you will check it out!

In other news, I am heading to France from March 11th to May 29th to serve as the Resident Fellow at VCCA’s Moulin à Nef campus. If you’re nearby (or heading there for a residency), I’d love to see you!

Cheers,

Kelly

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