Chris Santantasio

Breaking my 4 month posting hiatus to say my form rejection arrived in the mail yesterday. Seemed newsworthy

“The autumn sun steams the long grass, broken and brown and sweet to smell. Tim settles down in its coarse strands, the better to point up the silkiness of his caramel/colored flanks.”

RIP Edmund While, celebrant of male beauty, glorifier of the homosexual gaze. When I write, his voice hovers near.

Rumpus Original Fiction: Casserole - The Rumpus He trusted her. He loved her. He was waiting for her to provide.

Today at @therumpus.net is a story both sharp and tender, vulnerable and bold. It is the kind of story I aspire to write. Characters that bleed life's fullness, ideas that challenge my priors, and a narrative that expands perception. "Casserole" by @mckatie.bsky.social is one hell of a bake.

It was an absolute JOY to work with you, Katie! I'm thrilled to finally see the story live! Congratulations!

It's Casserole time!! Huge thanks to the fiction team at The Rumpus for giving my weird little story a home ❤️ Actually a bit nervous about people seeing this one so pls let me know your thoughts if you read it ahaha 🫣 😬 link below:

This one didn’t wow me tbh #books

This book was delectable. Sexy, funny, and reflective of July’s combo of artistic vigor and intellectual humility. This is the kind of text I aspire to write.

Literary magazines have been a part of my life for the past decade+ and I am still “finding” great ones. Enjoyed my first issue of Santa Monica Review!

I was at my bf’s parents’ house in Dayton, OH (2019) when I first read “Fugato,” the second story in this collection. I think I was depressed, as I typically was back then, and I’d never read a more convincing portrayal of a psychotic break. It’s just as good as I remember it.

My first Danielle Dutton book. I loved it! Thanks to the folks at the @coffeehousepress.bsky.social AWP booth for the recommendation! I’m already feeling more unfettered, genre-wise.

This stunning and gorgeous stunner just arrived in my mail slot. Yes!

It’s been a while, but I’m back with a book rec for anyone who’s into fiction about the environment, the super-rich, and/or the gap between intent and impact. Eleanor Catton’s BIRNAM WOOD is a literary thriller that places richly textured characters against the lush New Zealand countryside.

@crsantastic.bsky.social in the latest issue of Story, just picked up from AWP

James is every bit as good as the critics say. I was skeptical, but damn is this book affecting in the best possible way.

I’m glad I reread Huck Finn prior to, though. I don’t think it would hit the same otherwise.

Read this on my flight home after being away from my partner for almost two weeks. Bawling. Tears streaming down my face. Incredible. Garth at the height of his powers. My favorite of his work so far.

From Alternative Facts to Political Fictions: A Conversation with Emily Greenberg - The Rumpus We’re always imposing our own subjectivity. Perfect empathy is unattainable.

Exceptionally proud that @egreenberg.bsky.social asked me to interview her for @therumpus.net about her debut collection ALTERNATIVE FACTS. It’s out tomorrow!

Actually loved this one. In 700+ pages there are just a handful of memorable scenes and a few virtuosic passages of description. But that’s life, right? Mann perfectly captures the weight of generations and its bearing on progeny.

Ghostly and impressionistic, Yu Miri’s Tokyo Ueno Station is brief but emotionally dense. I had to read it slowly in short bursts. As a fan of Kawabata and Tanizaki, I found much to relish in this one.

The only thing I can say about When We Cease to Understand the World is that it totally lived up to the hype. A thrilling level of idea density, yet written with utmost clarity. The conclusion took me by complete suprise. Looking forward to rereading soon.

#books
#booksky

Another memorable book I read in 2024 was the new edition of Edmund White's Nocturnes for the King of Naples, with a great intro by Garth Greenwell. I learned so much from how White draws on the character and form of the musical nocturne to shape his narratives.

#books
#booksky

I read all 6 volumes of Knausgaard's My Struggle in 2023 and was so taken by it that I started learning Norwegian and seeking out other Norwegian works in translation. This is how I found Per Petterson's Men in My Situation. It has a hypnotic quality that still preoccupies me. #books

Here’s another one that blew me away in 2024, Paul Yoon’s collection “The Hive and the Honey.” Quiet stories about geographic and generational displacement. The kind of stories I love to write. The kind of stories that are hard to publish these days. Magic.

Oh I’ll have to check that o e out. I can’t believe it took me so long to find her work!

Current Funding Opportunities - Kresge Foundation The Kresge Foundation's current grant and social investment funding opportunities.

For Detroit-based writers and artists, the Kresge Foundation is open for fellowship applications. Learn more here: kresge.org/grants-socia...

These stories are long, slow burns, and the density of ideas is high. Time expands and dilates in delightfully jarring ways. Her intricate plots and deeply sympathetic characters bring new insight to modernity's bland contentions. For fans of Ben Marcus and George Saunders.

I'm a slow reader with high aspirations--so I've never hit my reading annual reading goal. In the spirit of valuing quality over quantity, I'm going to spotlight a few of my favorites starting with Barbar Eisenberg's 2018 collection YOUR DUCK IS MY DUCK 1/2 #books

Thank you!

These acceptances were followed by a call from the editor of Story who offered to publish my short story "The Elms" in the Winter 24-25 issue. You can order the issue and read a sample here. One more acceptance came in October, but I can't share the deets yet. Stay tuned! 6/6

Then, @haydensferryreview.bsky.social published my short lyric piece "Restoration," and nominated it for a Pushcart, my first ever! 5/6

Family Portrait — PINCH “A week after Mom leaves, Dad tells us to stop asking about her. A postcard arrives. We recognize Mom’s handwriting. Dad snatches it away.”

First, @pinchjournal.bsky.social , published my flash piece "Family Portrait," which I drafted during my residency at South Porch in summer 2023 4/6