Recently, Kate Gale sat down with NHPR's Word of Mouth segment to share her story of growing up on High View Church Farm, a group she considered "cult-like." This is an interview you don't want to miss. Listen to the full thing here.

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Pete Fromm and Cherie Newman discussed Pete's latest novel, If Not For This, on MTPR this week.

Pete reads and explains an excerpt from his book, and gives the listeners an inside look at the book's characters, Maddy and Dalt.

Here is a snippet of what Pete had to say about writing If Not for This:

"I really did want to write…a love story…these guys are so nuts about each other. I wanted to write a story about that, where it stays that way, where the bond only tightens."

You can listen to the full discussion here.

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Anne Rasmussen from Late Night Library interviewed author Ron Koertge about his latest flash fiction, Sex World.

In the interview, Anne and Ron engage in an enlightening discussion about the author's unique writing style and the array of thought-provoking themes in his new book.

Here's a snippet of what Ron has to say about the contrast between fantasy and realism in his work as well as in his own life:

"So my life-when-I’m-writing isn’t a fantasy life to distract me from what is solemnly referred to as real life. It is my real life. The wall between fantasy and realism isn’t a wall for me at all. It’s a porous membrane."

To read the interview, click here.

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PEN Center USA recently announced the winners and finalists for their 2014 Literary Awards, and we are delighted that B.H. James' novel Parnucklian for Chocolate was selected as a finalist in the fiction category!

To view the full list of finalists and winners, click here.

Congratulations to B.H. James on this honor!

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A recent blog post on La Bloga featured an interview with Red Hen author Veronica Reyes about her recent win at the International Latino Book Awards. Veronica tied for first place in poetry with Laurie Ann Guerrero, and received second place in cover design. Congratulations again to Veronica on the awards!

To read what Veronica had to say about the awards ceremony and the rest of the La Bloga article, click here.

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Congratulations to Jessica Piazza's Interrobang for winning the Balcones Poetry Prize from Austin Community College!

Interrobang by Jessica Piazza, published by Red Hen Press, is Piazza's first book. Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Piazza earned a BS at Boston University, where she interned with US Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky, and an MA at the University of Texas; she has recently completed a PhD in English Literature and Creative Writing at the University of Southern California.

The judges of the Balcones Poetry Prize agree that “Piazza's poetry has an air of potent volatility. She works with a great knowledge of and love for words.” “The wordplay, with sounds developing sense in surprising ways, makes for great fun and insight. Often working within the sonnet form, the poet "makes it new" through her voice that remains uninhibited by rhyme scheme or line length and even seems to thrive on such strictures.” She “will grab you by the hand and run with you through familiar mazes of form, stopping briefly to delight in intimacy and assonance.”

Piazza will read from Interrobang at Austin Community College on April 8th, 2015.

Congratulations Jessica Piazza!

Congratulations to Red Hen author Peggy Shumaker for winning the Rasmuson Foundation's top honor, The Distinguished Artist Fellowship!

One of the Rasmuson Foundation's purposes is to provide artists the resources to concentrate and reflect on their work, to immerse themselves in a creative endeavor, and to experiment, explore, and develop their artistry more fully.

Again, congratulations Peggy Shumaker for winning this prestigious award from the Rasmuson Foundation! To watch a mini documentary of Peggy Shumaker, click here.

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Congratulations to John Van Kirk! His debut novel, Song for Chance, has placed in the 2014 Eric Hoffer Award.

Van Kirk's book received an Honorable Mention in the General Fiction category. The Eric Hoffer Award "honors independent books of exceptional merit."

To find out more and see the rest of the finalists, click here.

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Congratulations to Andrew Lam! His book Birds of Paradise Lost is on the shortlist for the William Saroyan International Prize for Writing.

Lam's book placed in the Fiction category shortlist. The award is named after William Saroyan, a Pulitzer Prize and Academy Award-winning American writer and playwright, best known for his short stories about humorous experiences of immigrant families and children in California. The award is "intended to encourage new or emerging writers and honor the Saroyan literary legacy of originality, vitality and stylistic innovation."

To find out more and see the rest of the finalists, click here.

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David Mason's verse novel Ludlow is featured in the Washington Post to commemorate the 100th year anniversary of a massacre that led to the murder of two dozen striking coal miners. "On April 20, 1914, thugs working for Colorado Fuel & Iron and the Colorado National Guard attacked striking coal miners at Ludlow," and Mason's verse novel brings this history to light.

According to Mason, his verse novel is not intended to be a "propaganda for unions or a diatribe against corporations. It’s a book about storytelling, the union of memory and imagination, the manufacture of meaning.”

To read the full blog, click here!

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Andrew Lam's debut novel Birds of Paradise Lost is a finalist in the 83rd Annual California Book Awards.

His book is one of two finalists in the First Fiction category. The California Book Awards are one of the oldest literary awards in the nation. They strive to annually recognize the state’s best writers and illuminate the wealth and diversity of California-based literature.

To read more about the award, click here.

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Brynn Saito's The Palace of Contemplating Departure has been nominated for the Northern California Book Award in Poetry as one of the best works by a Nor Cal author.

The award, sponsored by the Northern California Book Reviewers (NCBR), honors the work of writers and recognize exceptional service in the field of literature in northern California. The award ceremony will take place Sunday, April 27.

To find out more, click here.

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Veronica Reyes sat down with El Paseo Times and gave some insight into her artisitc process and her new book of poetry.

"'Poetry just comes out of you, those moments when you're just kind of the medium," Reyes said. "You become kind of a little sculptor creating with space.'"

You can read the full interview here!

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Ms. Magazine is celebrating National Poetry Month by announcing and presenting five different feminist unpublished poems. The first is Veronica Reyes's "The Hawk."

You can read Ms. Blog's feature and the "The Hawk" here!

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Artsmith announced Peggy Shumaker as their Artist of the Year! This honor is given to an artist who "exemplifies mastery in her or his field and generosity to others."

Congratulations Peggy!

You can read the full article announcing Peggy as the winner here!

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