"Solee" is Crystal Hana Kim's first published story; it appeared last year in The Southern Review. It was one of over a hundred and fifty fiction debuts that editors of literary magazines submitted to PEN America's new Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers, and it was one of the twelve chosen as a winner by judges Marie-Helene Bertino, Kelly Link, and Nina McConigley. Their selections have been collected in PEN America Best Debut Short Stories 2017. The story is told from the point of view of a young girl in rural Korea, who develops a crush on her parents' friend when he comes to visit the family. What I love about this story is that it's built from details and sensations. It seems so true to the way we actually experience life. "Solee" unmakes and remakes my perceptions of the world. - Yuka Igarashi

About the Author: Crystal Hana Kim's debut novel, If You Leave Me, is forthcoming from William Morrow in 2018. She has received scholarships from the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference, Hedgebrook, and the Brush Creek Foundation for the Arts. Her story "Solee" was chosen as a 2017 PEN America/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize winner. Her fiction has been published in The Southern Review and the PEN America Best Debut Short Stories 2017 anthology. She holds an MFA from Columbia University and an MS from Hunter College.

About the Guest Editor: Catapult publishes books of the highest literary caliber, offers writing classes taught by acclaimed emerging and established writers, produces an award-winning daily online magazine of narrative nonfiction and fiction, and hosts an open online platform where writers can showcase their own writing, find resources, and get inspired.

From the campus of Louisiana State University, The Southern Review publishes distinct literary voices from around the world that both evoke the innovation of its founders, Robert Penn Warren and Cleanth Brooks, and respond to the diversity of its contemporary readership. With each new issue The Southern Review strives to discover and promote engaging, relevant, and challenging literature - including fiction, nonfiction, and poetry - and feature exciting visual art from across the South and around the globe. Look for work from The Southern Review on our website, as well as in in this year's Pushcart Prize anthology, Best American Poetry 2017, Best American Nonrequired Reading 2017, and PEN America Best Debut Short Stories 2017.

The PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers recognizes twelve emerging fiction writers each year for their debut short story published during a given calendar year in a literary magazine or cultural website; all twelve stories appear in the Catapult anthology. Each of the twelve winning writers receive a cash prize of $2,000 and will be honored at the annual PEN America Literary Awards Ceremony in New York City. Submissions for the 2018 prize will be accepted through November 10, 2017.

About the Publisher: Electric Literature is an independent publisher amplifying the power of storytelling through digital innovation. Electric Literature's weekly fiction magazine, Recommended Reading, invites established authors, indie presses, and literary magazines to recommended great fiction. Once a month we feature our own recommendation of original, previously unpublished fiction. Recommended Reading is supported by the Amazon Literary Partnership, the New York State Council on the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts. For other links from Electric Literature, follow us, or sign up for our eNewsletter.


Genre: General Fiction

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