Antonya Nelson

All the would-be writers out there claiming that having kids makes it impossible to start a novel should take a tip from Antonya Nelson. When the kids are young and demanding, write short stories during Sesame Street. When they get older and head to grade school, expand with a novel or two. When adolescence hits, go back to short stories, but be careful not to touch on anything too overtly autobiographical. That formula may sound simplistic, but with insight, empathy, and wily craftsmanship, Nelson has made it work. Now, with her kids in phase three, she’s produced a new collection of short works. Many of these stories dwell on the miasma of miscommunication, the cruelty, and the loneliness that falls upon both adults and sub-adults during those delightful teen years.