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Laura van den Berg, Jessamine Chan, Akil Kumarasamy, Ayşegül Savaş, and Julie Buntin introduce the authors of this summer’s best debut fiction: ’Pemi Aguda, Jiaming Tang, Michael Deagler, Yasmin Zaher, and Gina María Balibrera.
Growing up with strong women around her, Marcela Fuentes has always been keenly aware of how women can break out of gender norms despite domestic and societal tensions. Her debut novel, Marla, is the realization of that knowledge, weaving intergenerational stories with Mexican legend.
“I think the arc of writing a poem is similar to the experience of ascending and descending physical terrain.” —Callie Siskel, author of Two Minds
The first lines of a dozen noteworthy books, including There’s Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension by Hanif Abdurraqib and Glitter Road by January Gill O’Neil.
Essays by debut authors Alma García (All That Rises), Bernardine “Dine” Watson (Transplant), Tommy Archuleta (Susto), Chin-Sun Lee (Upcountry), and Donna Spruijt-Metz (General Release From the Beginning of the World).
“I felt that I knew the characters deeply after years of thinking about these stories.” —Shannon Sanders, author of Company
“I love when a poem is getting there, when I can’t stop coming back to it.” —Alise Alousi, author of What to Count
Interviews with debut authors Tyriek White, Ada Zhang, Mihret Sibhat, Shastri Akella, and Rebekah Bergman, along with excerpts from their books.
“I write when I want to say something to someone in particular—but can’t.” —Aurora Mattia author of The Fifth Wound
“I literally was Damani throughout writing—somehow I became her.” —Priya Guns, author of Your Driver Is Waiting
