Author Archives: Stefen Styrsky
The Bad Batch
It’s a movie by the inventive writer/director Ana Lily Amirpour. (Her first film A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night was described as a Persian vampire spaghetti Western.) I reviewed The Bad Batch for Litbreak. If you have a chance, … Continue reading
Red Squirrels
Two months ago the website Litbreak published my story Red Squirrels. I should’ve mentioned it then, but you know how thing sometimes just get away from you. Anyway, I’m really proud of this story. It was a stretch stylistically and … Continue reading
The North Water by Ian McGuire
Here’s the latest in my very occasional series of 500-word book reviews. Thanks for reading! The North Water by Ian McGuire (Henry Holt and Co, 2016) It’s the late 1850’s and the disgraced surgeon, Patrick Sumner, fresh from the Sepoy … Continue reading
Don’t Be Afraid to Tell Your Story; or the Genius of Roxane Gay
I have to confess to a problem. I’m afraid to tell stories. It’s not that I fear the actual telling, writing about a series of events that build to some sort of climax and/or resolution. Rather, I’m afraid to begin … Continue reading
Moonlight: A Film by Barry Jenkins
My review of Moonlight is now up on Litbreak. If you have a second, please check it out! Moonlight
Isaac Babel and Flash Fiction
My short essay about Isaac Babel’s flash fiction is now up on SmokeLong Quarterly, a website dedicated to the form of flash. The essay is part of their “Flash, Back” series that “asks writers to discuss flash fiction that may … Continue reading
Effective Use of Cliche in Narrative
Along with “Show, don’t tell,” the other writerly maxim most commonly batted about is to avoid the use of clichés. Nothing marks a novice writer (or one who isn’t really trying or not paying attention) more than sentences filled with … Continue reading
Hitchcock Truffaut and Some Thoughts on Craft
Artists of all types – writers, painters, composers, et al. – have always drawn inspiration from work by other artists in their chosen fields. I’m often inspired to write after reading a really good story, one I find beautiful or … Continue reading
Experimenter: The Stanley Milgram Story
Normally I don’t write blog entries about work I publish. Too self-promoting, too “look at me, look at me!” even this selfie age. Blogs should be about something other than the writer. In this case I’m making an exception. I … Continue reading
Stefen Styrsky 