Jonathan Corcoran is the author of the story collection, The Rope Swing, published in April 2016 by Vandalia Press, the creative imprint of West Virginia University Press. His work has been named a finalist for the Flannery O’Connor Award in Short Fiction and a semi-finalist for the St. Lawrence Book Award and is forthcoming in the anthology, Eyes Burning at the Edge of the Woods: Contemporary West Virginia Fiction and Poetry. He received a BA in Literary Arts from Brown University and an MFA in Fiction Writing from Rutgers University-Newark. He was born and raised in a small town in West Virginia and currently resides in Brooklyn, New York. The Rope Swing is his debut.

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Roberto F. Santiago: Congratulations on the release of your first collection The Rope Swing! I am so proud of you! I must say outright that I thoroughly enjoyed it. I have millions of notes in the margins. These notes range from ‘YASSSS!’ and ‘WERK’ to ‘STEAL THIS!’ and ‘THIS is poetry.’

Jonathan Corcoran: The highest kind of literary praise comes from a writer you respect, and you are that, sir. And to have a “capital P” Poet refer to my prose as poetry—I’m breaking out the champagne tonight (well, prosecco, if I’m honest). Thanks you. Seriously. It’s been such a journey getting this book out here. It feels like a victory lap getting to talk about it with you.

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Emma Cline’s debut novel The Girls examines female friendship in a 1960s cult commune modeled on the Manson compound. She was at BookCourt to discuss the novel with Alexandra Kleeman, author of You Too Can Have a Body Like Mine.

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C.E. Morgan’s first novel, All the Living earned her a Pen Award nomination and a “5 Under 35” award. She was at Greenlight Bookstore to discuss The Sport of Kings, her second novel, with Lisa Lucas, executive director of the National Book Foundation.

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The New York City Reading Series Census is an ongoing project to catalogue the contemporary literary scene. Any reading series curator in the New York area can take the survey here.

What is the name of the series, and what is the significance or meaning of the series name?
The name of the series was inspired by the words from the poet Yusef Komunyakaa speaking to the creation of new writing. In an interview and essays he addresses how taking risks brings surprises in ones’ writing that are like discoveries. I had a list of names and my wife helped me select this one.

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With his debut novel, Rich and Pretty, Rumaan Alam has earned himself a place in the Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers Program, a select group of authors the bookseller picksto introduce new writers to the reading public. Alam discussed the book at B&N’s 86th Street location and with Mira Jacob author of The Sleepwalker’s Guide to Dancing.

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