First Fiction 2019
Our annual debut fiction roundup features novelists Ruchika Tomar, Chia-Chia Lin, Miciah Bay Gault, De’Shawn Charles Winslow, and Regina Porter.
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Genre: Fiction
Prize for Thrillers Sparks Debate
Writers debate the merits of an award for a fictional thriller that does not feature violence toward women.
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Be Bold: A Profile of Ocean Vuong
Following the acclaim of his debut poetry collection, Ocean Vuong found power in imagination and freedom in embellishment and wrote a stunningly original novel: On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous.
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Rescuing Lethem’s Legends
Novelist Jonathan Lethem handpicks his favorite forgotten books for reissue in a series published by Pushcart Press.
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Ten Questions for Mona Awad
“So much can come of being willing to shut up and pay close attention to the world around you.” —Mona Awad, author of Bunny
University at Albany, SUNY
PhD Program
Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, Cross-Genre
Albany, NY
Application Deadline:
Thu, 01/15/2026
Application Fee:
$75
University at Albany, SUNY
MA Program
Poetry, Fiction, Creative Nonfiction, Cross-Genre
Albany, NY
Application Deadline:
Rolling Admissions
Application Fee:
$75
University of Kansas
PhD Program
Fiction
Lawrence, KS
Application Deadline:
Mon, 01/05/2026
Application Fee:
$65 ($85 for international)
Affiliated Publications/Publishers:
The Goldfinch
Caption:
The Goldfinch, adapted from the Pulitzer Prize–winning novel by Donna Tartt, follows a young man who turns to the world of art forgery after the loss of his mother. Directed by John Crowley, with a screenplay by Peter Straughan, the film stars Ansel Elgort, Nicole Kidman, Sarah Paulson, and Jeffrey Wright.
Genre:
Reshaping Memory
“Experiencing gives you a ‘first’ person perspective. You see others while you act. Watching gives you a ‘third’ person perspective. You learn something about how others see you,” says Elizabeth Loftus, a UC Irvine professor who studies memory, in Julia Cho’s New York Times piece on how watching a recording of an event can alter one’s initial memory of the experience. Write a scene in which your character attends or participates in a performance, party, or special occasion. Explore how her initial memory of the experience changes once she watches a video of the event. What stands out from the recording that hadn’t been noticed before? How does this reshape her memory?
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