An Interview with Aamer Hussein on Characterization
Aamer Hussein was born in Karachi. In 1970, at the age of 15, he moved to London to complete his education. He graduated from SOAS with an Honors degree in South Asian Studies. He simultaneously studied European languages. He began to publish short fiction in the 1980s. Mirror to the Sun, his first collection including...
Craft Corner: The Art of Diversion in Fiction
We’ve all heard the phrase, “Life is not a straight line.” This holds true not just for our own experiences, but also for the types of stories and lives of characters we encounter in stories. Yet, in fiction, the temptation often exists to create linear journeys, with heroes marching steadfastly towards their goals. But what...
In Honor of the Eclipse
As BGSU is abuzz with excitement for the total eclipse, we at MAR can’t help but consider how the moon has been reflected in literature, more specifically, poetry. The moon has been an object of curiosity since the beginning of time, with many cultures regarding the moon as a symbol of power that holds the...
Why We Chose It: “The Retch” by Colten Dom
Mid-American Review fiction staff selected “The Retch” by Colten Dom for publication in Volume XLII, Number 2. “The Retch” is one of those stories that contains seemingly incompatible subjects: on the literal level, it is about dog vomit; on a thematic level, it delves into marriage, family, nostalgia. One of the pleasures of the story...
An Interview with Jose Hernandez Diaz
Jose Hernandez Diaz is a 2017 NEA Poetry Fellow. He is the author of The Fire Eater (Texas Review Press, 2020) Bad Mexican, Bad American (Acre Books, 2024), The Parachutist (Sundress Publications, 2025) and Portrait of the Artist as a Brown Man (Red Hen Press, 2025). He has been published in The Yale Review, The...
Meet the MAR Interns – and our food critics!
Who are we: I’m Carlee (she/her), an English major who has been reading poetry for MAR for two semesters. My most recent read was Don’t Call Us Dead by Danez Smith. It was evocative and powerful and I highly recommend it. Fun Facts: I am a self-proclaimed germaphobe but I will eat food off the...
An Interview with Han VanderHart
Han VanderHart is a queer writer and arts organizer living in Durham, North Carolina. Han is the author of the poetry collection What Pecan Light (Bull City Press, 2021) and the chapbook Hands Like Birds (Ethel Zine Press, 2019). They have poetry and essays published in The Boston Globe, Kenyon Review, The American Poetry Review, The Rumpus,...
Book Review: Minor Prophets
Minor Prophets by Blair Hurley. Ig Publishing, 2023. 286 pages. $17.95, paperback. Minor Prophets, the exciting second novel of accomplished author Blair Hurley, is one of the best books I’ve read all year. The novel tells the story of Nora, the former child-mouthpiece of a Pentecostal, doomsday-prepping cult led by her father in Michigan’s Upper...
Featured Writer: Amorak Huey + Interview
On Thursday, February 29th at 7:30 pm, Poet and writer Amorak Huey will be reading some of his work for the Spring 2024 Prout Chapel Reading Series at Bowling Green State University. The reading will be held in the Prout Chapel on the BGSU campus. The event is open to the public. Amorak Huey, a...
How to Play “Forcemeat”: The Boardgame
If you haven’t yet read the article on how this game changed my life, you can find it here. These are the instructions and materials for the board game adaptation of “Forcemeat” by Henry Goldkamp, which appeared in issue 42.1 of Mid-American Review. If you enjoy this game, please consider making a small donation to MAR here,...
A Forcerant: My Descent Into Muskmelon/Muskrat Madness
Our favorite game is Muskmelon or Muskrat. Think of anything in the world, then ask: Is it closer to a muskmelon, or a muskrat? ––Henry Goldkamp, “Forcemeat,” Mid-American Review, issue 42.1 That’s it. That’s the game that “Forcemeat” is built around. Before adapting this poem into a full-blown board game, I liked it just fine....
Craft Corner: Collaborative Writing Exercises
A massive ugly face sits on a long neck, attached to a mess of tentacles for arms and the skinny legs of a flamingo. You might see a drawing like this on the walls of an art classroom: an exquisite corpse. Most of us remember this activity from our childhood. You begin by folding a...