Contact INFO

Education

Ph.D. in English (Creative Writing -- Fiction), University of Missouri-Columbia, 2002

• Primary Areas: 20th-Century American Fiction and American Film

M.F.A. (Creative Writing -- Fiction), University of New Orleans, LA, 1997

M.A., English Literature and Language. University of Toronto, 1993

B.A., English Specialist, Philosophy minor. University of Toronto, 1992

Professional Experience

2008 – Present

Associate Professor of Fiction Writing. University of North Texas.

2002 – 2008

Assistant Professor of Fiction Writing. University of North Texas.

Publications

Short Fiction

“Masha.” Aesthetica Creative Writing Anthology 2025. (Aesthetic Magazine 2025)

The Visiting Writer.” Arlington Literary Journal (arlijo.com, spring 2025)

“EDC.” The Bridport Prize 2024 Anthology (RedCliffe Press 2025)

“Why Are These the Things That We Worry About?” The Sun. (May 2024)

"Dolor." Third Coast (Spring / Summer 2020):  76-80

“This Might Hurt Some.” Nimrod (Fall 2019):  30-48

“The Kristian Vang Fan Club.” Witness (Spring 2019):  126-140

“Per Ardua Ad Astra.” Narrative Magazine story of the week April 5, 2019

“Women with Large Dogs.” Cutthroat (Spring 2019): 102-115

“Improv.” Meridian 43 (Winter 2019): 74-86

“A Deeper and Steeper Slope and Slant.” Southwest Review 103.3 (Autumn/Winter 2018): 193-203

“All the Pretty Girls Look the Same.” Crazyhorse 94 (Fall 2018): 118-125

“Dad’s Trying to Be Cool Again.” Fiction 58 (Spring 2012): 192-206

“Face and Fix It.” Iron Horse 10.4 (Fall 2008)

“The Byte Bastard.” Chariton Review (Fall 2008): 25-38

“Halfrica.” Crazyhorse (Spring 2008): 9-22

“The Poplars, 1983.” The Sun (January 2008): 16-22

“Lisbon.” Triquarterly (Spring 2007): 169-177

“Jane from Cameroon.” Michigan Quarterly Review (Spring 2007): 316-327

“Nothing Will Happen That I Don’t Tell You About.” Meridian (Spring / Summer 2006): 92-108

“Reasons For Concern Regarding My Girlfriend of Five Days, Monica Garza.” Crazyhorse (Spring 2006): 87-92

“I Will Soon Be Married.” The Sun (September 2005): 24-31

“Canton NY.” Prairie Schooner (Summer 2002): 107-120

“Heavy Metal Love.” Bellingham Review (Spring 2002): 50-65

“The Girl on the Mailbox.” Dogwood (May 2001): 42-56

“Cementhead.” The Sun (June 2000): 40-46

“Starvation, Class Struggle, Etc.” River City (Winter 2000): 108-124

“Stepdaughter.” The New Orleans Review (Fall / Winter 1997): 98-108

“O’Reely is Dead and O’Reilly Don’t Know It.” Sonora Review (Fall / Winter 1997): 47-57

Grants, Awards, Honors and Republications

2024 — Gival Press Short Story Award ($1000), judged by Joan Goldsmith Gurfield

2024 — Published Finalist, Aesthetica Creative Writing Award in Fiction

2024 – “Highly Commended” story (£100) — the Bridport Prize for the Short Story

2023 – First Runner-up for the Nicholas Schaffner Award, Schaffner Press (Fiction Collection) 

2019 – Second place ($1000) in Nimrod Magazine’s Katherine Anne Porter Prize for Fiction

2019 -- Semi-finalist for Florida Review's Editors' Prize in Fiction

2019 – Finalist for the Narrative Magazine Spring 2010 Fiction Prize ($100)

2018 – First Prize for the Rick DeMarinis Short Story Award ($1300), judged by Mona Susan Power

2018 – Finalist for the Narrative Magazine Fall 2018 Fiction Prize ($100)

2018 – First runner-up for the Witness 2018 Literary Award for Fiction

2016 – “Reasons for Concern Regarding . . .” republished in Monday Nights: Stories from the Creative Writing Workshop at the University of New Orleans. Ed. Frederick Barton and Joanna Leake. New Orleans: University of New Orleans Press, 2016. pp. 319-326

2011-- Everett Southwest Literary Award ($5000) for a novel manuscript, judged by Sandra Cisneros

2010 -- “Reasons for Concern Regarding . . .” republished in Crazyhorse 50th Anniversary Issue

2009 -- “I Will Soon Be Married” republished in The Mysterious Life of the Heart (Sun Publishing, 2009)

2006 -- “Reasons for Concern Regarding . . .” selected for New Stories from the Southwest 2006 anthology (University of Ohio Press, 2007)

2006 -- “I Will Soon Be Married” cited as one of “100 Other Distinguished Stories” in Best American Short Stories 2006

2006 -- Two nominations for a Pushcart Prize

2006 -- First Prize ($1000) in the H.E. Francis Literary Competition (Judged by Verlyn Klinkenborg)

2005 -- Canada Council for the Arts Grant ($9000 Canadian) for Emerging Writers

2002 -- The Tobias Wolff Award ($1000) for Fiction (Judged by Lan Samantha Chang)

2001 -- First Prize ($500) in the Dogwood Fiction Awards

2000 -- Nominated for a Pushcart Prize

1999 -- First prize ($2000) in the River City Short Story Competition (Judged by Francine Prose)

1997-2001 -- Creative Writing Fellowship (Fiction), University of Missouri

1997 -- Fiction Fellowship for the Prague Summer Writers’ Workshops

Teaching

Graduate Fiction Workshop

Graduate Creative Nonfiction Workshop

Form and Theory in Fiction (Graduate)

Intermediate Undergraduate Fiction Workshop

Advanced Undergraduate Fiction Workshop

Introductory Undergraduate Fiction Workshop

Freshman Writing

Remedial Writing

Introduction to Film

Introduction to World Literature

Introduction to American Literature

Genres: The Novel

Conferences and Readings

Invited Lecture. Parr Library Young Writers Group. Plano TX. October 2012.

Everett Literary Award Reading. University of Central Oklahoma. Edmond OK. April 2011.

Editors’ Roundtable Panel Discussion. Richland College Literary Festival. Dallas TX. March 2011.

Story Reading. Texas Association of Writing Teachers Conference. Fort Worth TX. October 2010.

“Literary Publishing in Uncertain Times.” Invited Lecture. Writer’s Guild of Texas. Richardson TX. March 2010.

“The Pros and Cons of Poetry and Fiction Contests.” Panel Discussion. Associated Writing Programs Annual Conference. Austin TX. March 2006.

Story Reading. Professor’s Corner Lecture Series. Denton TX. May 2004.

Story Reading. North Texas Review Reading Series. Denton TX. March 2003.

Story Reading. Faculty Reading Series. University of North Texas English Department. October 2002.

“Profs and Panderers.” Panel Discussion. Aesthetics vs. Cultural Studies Academic Conference. University of Missouri-Columbia. March 2001.

Story reading. Legacy Art Gallery. Columbia, MO. September 2000.

"The Punk Club and the Lyceum." Disruptive Disciplines Academic Conference. Michigan State University. April 1999.

Story reading. University of Missouri English Department Reading Series. March 1998.

Story reading. University of New Orleans English Department. May 1997.

Service

UNT English Department Search – Creative Nonfiction. (Fall 2024 to present). 

UNT Department of World Languages, Literatures, and Cultures Tenure and Promotion Committee. (Fall 2024 to present).

University of North Texas First Year Writing Advisory Committee (2023-present).  

UNT English Department Search Committee Chair – Three Continuing Lecturer Positions (Fall 2023). 

University of North Texas Graduate Admissions Committee (2015-2023).

Fiction Co-Editor, American Literary Review (2002-2022).

University of North Texas English Department Personnel Affairs Committee (2014-2018).

University of North Texas English Department Website Committee (2008-2011).

University of North Texas English Department Executive Committee (2007-2014).

Editor, American Literary Review (2003-2004 and 2005-2011).

Search Committee, University of North Texas English Department (2010-2011).

Search Committee, University of North Texas English Department (2008-2009).