A Chorus of Cousins, a Garden of Fists: Readings by Melissa Llanes Brownlee, Matt Mitchell, and Kathy Fish

Micro is a podcast for short but powerful writing. Each episode features a few short pieces of fiction, creative nonfiction, and/or poetry read by the author.

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We’re taking notes on craft this episode, as the micro-pieces featured here are perfect examples of control in writing. Combining beautiful prose with deft changes in tone, these pieces are glorious and damaging, beautiful and violent.

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The first very short and very powerful piece of microfiction packs so much voice, so much emotion, into such a brief space that the perspective of the onlookers—collective cousins—almost feels necessary as they bear witness. It’s called “To Ever Love One Girl.” It was written by Melissa Llanes Brownlee and published by Milk Candy Review.

The next poem marries beautiful language and nature imagery with the sting of bodily damage, each turn falling softly, then cutting, both floral and medical. It’s called “Lay Me on the Table + Put Flowers in My Mouth.” It was written by Matt Mitchell and published in Frontier Poetry.

The third piece has received a number of awards and has been included in anthologies and craft books, and for good reason; the power of individual words used with precision within this tiny space, as well as the devastating change in tone, are simply awe-inspiring. “Collective Nouns for Humans in the Wild.” It was written by Kathy Fish and published in Jellyfish Review.

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Melissa Llanes Brownlee is a native Hawaiian writer living in Japan.

Matt Mitchell is intersex as hell and wrote The Neon Hollywood Cowboy published by Big Lucks in 2021.

Kathy Fish’s most recent work may be found in the Norton Reader, Copper Nickel, Washington Square Review, and is forthcoming in Ploughshares.

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Micro is edited and curated by Dylan Evers and produced and hosted by Drew Hawkins. Theme song is by Matt Ordes.