Not From Here by Angela Mitchell — Carve Magazine
My newest short story, “Not From Here,” is out in the Summer 2015 issue of Carve Magazine, a really terrific online and print journal. I don’t usually write in first person, but this story was sort of an experiment in taking on that voice and I’m pleased that the good people at Carve enjoyed it enough to put it into print. This is also one of only two stories that have made it to print that take place in my real “home”: southern Missouri. I’m not sure why I’ve been so hesitant to set stories in this place that I know better than anywhere else in the world, where my own family has been since early in the 19th century. I think that a lot of us from southern Missouri have a love/hate relationship with home, especially if we left. The Missouri Ozarks brings with it images of hillbillies and backwoods witches and everything else Branson can market and sell, most of it completely fictional. It’s not uncommon for people to believe that the hills are filled with highly superstitious, mystical people, a stereotype that I’ve come to believe is actually grounded in our deep and abiding love for stories, including ghost stories, and practical jokes. Every native family has stories to tell of the pranks pulled by their immediate family and ancestors to scare neighbors and friends, hoaxes pulled off sheerly for the entertainment value. In short, native Ozarkians are more into having a good time than actually believing in magic, but people believe what they want to believe.
In any case, I’ve made my return in fiction writing to the Missouri Ozarks and I’m hoping this is the beginning of a greater, deeper exploration of home. If you’re looking for some additional insight into the writing of this story, pop over to the “subscribe” button on Carve and buy yourself the print edition. Carve does something really incredible for its featured writers by following up with an interview and giving information about the rejection history of every piece–a comfort to anyone slugging it out in the lonely business of literary publishing.
Not From Here by Angela Mitchell — Carve Magazine.
6 Replies to “Not From Here by Angela Mitchell — Carve Magazine”
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Congratulations on the sale to Carve! I’m also looking forward to your re-launch of the St. Louis Writers’ Workshop. Let me know if I can lend a hand.
Thanks, Chris! I’m excited, too, about getting STLWW back up and running and I’m hoping to have some class offerings posted by November-ish. Stay tuned!
Thank you so much for your voice message responding to our discussion of “Not From Here.” When I heard it, I could hardly sit still in my chair! Messages like yours inspire us to keep going. And thank you for answering my question.
I wanted to give you a heads up that we sometimes play voice messages on the podcast. We plan on including your wonderful feedback on our next episode, unless we hear otherwise from you.
We also like to collaborate with authors and produce special bonus content from time to time. Is there an email address I can reach you at to pitch future collaborations?
Hi, Anais! Thanks so much for finding me here. Yes, I’d love to collaborate! My email is amitchstl@me.com. I also spoke with lovely Maya (via email) last week; you may absolutely use my voice message on the program. Again, thank you so much for giving my work your attention. It’s an honor.
Hi Angela,
I came across your piece in Carve and wanted to invite you to send some work our way. You can review our submission guidelines at http://www.juxtaprosemagazine.org/submissions.
Hi, Mackenzie: Thanks for finding me here and, even more, for reading my work in Carve! I’m working on something now; when it’s done–and if it stays under 5000 words–I’d love to send it your way.