MTS 07: Short-short nonfiction & creating literary community with Penny Guisinger

Welcome to episode seven of More to the Story, a podcast all about telling true stories and sharing them with the world!In this episode, I talk with previous Under the Gum Tree contributor, Penny Guisinger. Penny Guisinger lives and writes on the easternmost tip of Maine. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in Fourth Genre, River Teeth, Guernica, the Brevity blog, Solstice, Under the Gum Tree, and others. Her first book, Postcards from Here, was recently released by Vine Leaves Press. Her second book, Shift, is in progress. Penny is the founding director of Iota: Short Prose Conference and a graduate of the Stonecoast MFA Program. She lives with two dogs, two kids, her wife, and a family of porcupines that trundle across the lawn like bulldozers.In this episode, we talk about:Penny’s new book, Postcards from HereWriting short-short prose, and assembling a bookFinding material to write about by paying attentionGetting published, and finding the exact right home for your workIncriminating ourself one the page first, before anyone we right aboutThe importance of creating and participating in literary communityIota: The Conference of Short Prose, annual writing conference Penny foundedVisit Penny online at pennyguisinger.com, and on Twitter @pennyguisingerVisit us online at moretothestorypodcast.com and visit Under the Gum Tree at underthegumtree.com. Get full access to More to the Story with Janna Maron at moretothestory.substack.com/subscribe