We’re not surprised Chen Chen picked Amrita Chakraborty’s poem “Seema Asks Me When I First Learned I Was a Girl and I Don’t Know How to Tell Her” as first runner-up in our poetry contest this year; the imagery is simultaneously dreamy and gut-punch strong, grounded and ethereal. Here’s just one thing from Amrita about her poem.

March contributor and second runner-up in our recent flash fiction contest Tammy Heejae Lee is currently working on a novel about expat culture in Seoul. If it’s anything like her story “Roe Soup Dance,” we’re all in! Here’s just one thing from Tammy about the piece.

March contributor and winner of our recent flash fiction contest Jean-Luc Bouchard includes writers such as Kazuo Ishiguro, Toni Morrison, and Akhil Sharma in their list of literary influences—and we wouldn’t be surprised if Jean-Luc was just as much of a notable name someday. Read their prize-winning story “Fun and Fresh” if you don’t believe us! Here’s just one thing from Jean-Luc about the piece.

Musician, teacher, poet—Eddie Krzeminski does it all. Chen Chen selected his poem “I Have Something to Say” to be second runner-up in our recent contest, and you can read it now in our March issue. Here’s just one thing from Eddie about his piece.

Sudha Balagopal’s February issue flash “Things I Can’t Tell Amma” is a blast from the past—1981, to be exact. Learn just one thing about what inspired her to write it.

Ellen Rhudy’s February issue piece “Escape Velocity” is the zombie story of our dreams. Here she shares just one thing about what inspired her to write it.