Radio interview: The Round Schoolhouse & the legend of Thunderbolt
December 10, 2018 § 2 Comments
V
ery enjoyable conversation this morning with Olga Peters of the Green Mountain Mornings radio show on WKVT Radio 100.03 FM about the local landmark and the historical characters that inspired my novel-in-progress, The Confession of Michael Martin, one of fifteen works selected for the 2018 long list of the Historical Novel Society’s New Novel Award. HNS describes it as “A novel of adventure, friendship, and immigrant life inspired by the true story of early American outlaws that is intriguingly different from Hollywood mythologies.”
The history behind the story is also of local interest because it represents a landmark in early Vermont and Brattleboro publishing. It’s of general interest because it’s an early entry in the great American outlaw myth, and because of what it tells us about the power of narrative to grip the human imagination and about the blurred lines between what we call history and what we call fiction. I’ll be presenting the research in a roundtable discussion sponsored by the Brattleboro Words Project at 6pm this Thursday, December 13, at 118 Elliot Street in Brattleboro. If you’re in the neighborhood, please come by!
If you’re interested in the topic but can’t make the discussion, listen to the 10 minute interview here. My heartfelt thanks to Lissa Weinmann of The Brattleboro Words Project and Olga Peters (feel better soon, Olga)!
New short fiction out
November 25, 2018 § Leave a comment
A freshly-minted short story (one of the first to appear post-A Field Guide to Murder & Fly Fishing) is out in Western Press Books’ wonderful new anthology, Manifest West: Transitions & Transformations. The story is titled “Gunnison Gorge.” It concerns a lonely traveler who gives a ride to a mysterious couple on his way to a remote fly fishing river in a wilderness area of central Colorado. He worries that the woman may be in some kind of trouble, and believes himself well-positioned to do something about it.
To read “Gunnison Gorge,” at least for now, you have to order the anthology. But that’s a great thing to do anyway, especially if you want to support literature and/or are interested in writing about the contemporary American west!
New short fiction out in Blueline
June 12, 2017 § Leave a comment
Pleased to see my short story, “The Knife,” out in the lovely new edition of Blueline, a print-only literary magazine dedicated to the “spirit of the Adirondacks.” This is a story that’s been in the works for a long time, involving a young man from the city who moves to rural Vermont to work for an unorthodox businessman who teaches him to hunt, with troubling results.
The story does not appear in A Field Guide to Murder & Fly Fishing, so for now at least, the only way to read it is to order your own copy of Blueline (issue 38).
Advance praise & early reviews: A FIELD GUIDE TO MURDER & FLY FISHING
February 17, 2017 § 4 Comments
Deeply honored by these early reactions to my forthcoming short fiction collection, which launches officially on April 7, 2017. Excerpts linked to full reviews:
“From the mountain lakes of the Colorado Rockies to cobbled streets of Spain, this fascinating collection of short stories by Vermont-based writer Tim Weed (Will Poole’s Island) never disappoints. The stories are more about choices than they are about fly fishing or murder, but time and again Weed’s vivid characters in these thirteen tales of dark adventure are forced to confront a vision of themselves—or others—that’s not quite as positive as they’d hoped . . . A Field Guide to Murder and Fly Fishing is a collection you’ll be happy to get lost in.” Julie Reiff (full review at Ploughshares).
“Tim Weed’s A Field Guide to Murder & Fly Fishing is a fiction collection of the first order. I found myself parceling out the stories to make them last. These are stories that will live a long time both on the page and in your heart.” —Joseph Monninger, author of The World as We Know It.
“In his first short story collection, novelist Tim Weed shows his stunningly impressive range—transporting readers from the heights of the Andes and the depths of the Amazon to the backstreets of Rome and Granada. Many of Weed’s stories have a hint of the mysterious, even the supernatural, but they are all grounded in sharply-rendered material worlds so fresh one feels one might step directly into the literary photographs he has created and stroll around for a while. A top-notch debut, not to be missed.”—Jacob Appel, author of Einstein’s Beach House (full review at Goodreads)
“Each story is a jewel, cracking open what matters most: love, family, and our big beautiful planet.” —Ann Hood, author of The Book That Matters Most
“A Field Guide to Murder & Fly Fishing is more than a collection of adventure stories. It is a significant and moving collection of ideas, snapshots, and visions that leave a lasting impression . . . Never predictable, this collection is a must for travelers, adventure seekers, and anyone who cares to examine the depth of [Weed’s] varied and flawed characters.” —Ron Samul (full review at We Are the Curriculum)
Stay tuned for the official announcement of the April 7, 2017 release on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and the email newsletter. No need to wait though! Pre-order the collection at Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
Short fiction collection a finalist for the New Rivers Press Many Voices Project
April 24, 2014 § Leave a comment
I actually got a call about this a few days ago, but I didn’t want to post it here until it was “official,” i.e., until the public announcement had been made. Anyway, now that is is official, I am honored to report that my short fiction collection, provisionally titled Crime and Fly Fishing, has been selected as one of ten finalists for this year’s Many Voices Project prize! New Rivers Press is a wonderful Minnesota-based organization whose mission, in part is to “publish and promote enduring contemporary literature.” The Many Voices Project (MVP) is an annual competition the press has run since 1981 for “new and emerging” writers, meaning writers that have not published more than two books of creative writing. MVP is the oldest competition of its kind and has a prestigious reputation, and I couldn’t be more excited to be among the finalists. Please keep your fingers crossed!
New short fiction out at Sixfold
February 1, 2014 § 7 Comments
Hey everyone, my short story “The Afternoon Client,” winner of the Crime Category in the 2013 Writer’s Digest Popular Fiction Awards, is now up at Sixfold. You can read it on-line here, or, if you’d rather have a a print version of the entire winter fiction issue and at the same time support the efforts of this innovative little review, you can order the paperback here.
I hope you enjoy the story!
Story Wins Writer’s Digest Popular Fiction Awards
December 19, 2013 § Leave a comment
Just found out a story of mine won the 2013 Writer’s Digest Popular Fiction Awards! Crime category, if you can believe it. Very pleased, and I didn’t even have to commit a crime. Though I did write about one . . .
The story is titled “The Afternoon Client.” It will appear in January at Sixfold, and again in May/June at Writers Digest on-line. I’ll post the links once they’re up.
Tim Weed 