Stuff and Things

It’s been a busy month. The Intersection reading on the 17th was fantastic because of all the friends, family, and friends-that-feel-like-family that came out. I had a cheering section, which was really cool, since it was my second public reading ever and I was more than a little nervous. The free wine helped, too.


(Pic by Mattie Bamman--poet, friend, and wino.)

Intersection reading, me and the girls: Geri, Robin, me, Kristin, Tiffany (and Tiffany's dress)


Dad flew out for the day. Quite possibly his first-ever literary event...

Some other writing news:

In its Winter/Spring 2009 issue, Sycamore Review will publish “The Rocks,” an oft-rejected story I’ve always been proud of.

The “Ms. Yamada’s Toaster” mini-book is now available for direct order from UT Press, here.

“Christmas Stories” will appear in North American Review’s Summer 2009 issue.

The editors at Kartika Review have nominated “Cram Island” for a Pushcart Prize. It’s my first nomination and I’m thankful for the recognition.

From December 10th to January 7th, I’ll be in residence at the MacDowell Colony, an artist colony in Peterborough, NH. It’s hard to imagine what it’ll be like spending Christmas with a group I haven’t met yet, but if it’s anything like recent years' festivities, I’m sure I will enjoy myself. (And I’ve finally found justification for getting that collapsible travel hula hoop!)

My mailing address from 12/10-1/7:

100 High Street
Peterborough, NH 03458

Please send stuff and things. Especially edible stuff, or things with your handwriting on them. Those are the best.

As Advertised: Tomfoolery!

Wine tasting in the Santa Cruz mountains...how come I don't look like I'm holding the wheel or watching the road?


Cooper-Garrod Vineyards. Ask a guy who's 6' 8"--my trunk is NOT small.

Literary Awards Reading @ The Intersection 11/18

I'm excited for next Tuesday, the 2008 Jackson Phelan Tanenbaum Literary Awards Reading & Reception at SF's Intersection for the Arts. I'll be reading in amazing company, with the Phelan Award winner for poetry, Alison White Benis, and Tim Z. Hernandez, winner of the 2006 American Book Award. I'm also thrilled that many people special to me are making the weeknight trip into the Mission, and will meet one another for the first time.

Event details can be found on Intersection's website.

You can read what the judges said about "Ms. Yamada's Toaster," the manuscript of stories that won the Jackson Award, here.

San Francisco Intersection for the Arts Jackson Award

I'm honored to share the news that part of my collection of stories set in Japan (Ms. Yamada's Toaster) has won the 2008 Jackson Award from the San Francisco Foundation. The winner in poetry is the fantastic Allison Benis White.

The judge's review of MYT:

"The three short stories that comprise Kelly Luce's fiction manuscript, "Ms. Yamada's Toaster," are engaging feats of imagination and awakening. In the collection's title story, divinity becomes as accessible as a toasted piece of bread. "Cram Island" takes karaoke to a place beyond song while the last and longest story, "Rooey," maps intricate social and emotional terrain. Each narrative effectively challenges commonly held beliefs and raises important questions about the multi-layered relationship between life and death. As if "working a jigsaw puzzle in the dark," Luce masterfully threads ordinariness through a focused lens, be it a street, an alley, or a beer bottle, with captivating results. A fusion of magic and reality dramatically expands the possibilities of our human existence. These stories do not end with their last sentences but rather they are a shore from which the reader sets sail on a journey of transformation. And it is truly "a marvel for anyone who care(s) to look.'"

The award reading will be held Nov. 18 at 7pm at Intersection for the Arts, 446 Valencia Street in San Francisco. Free wine!

Yes We Did!