Patricia Traxler

"The Mushrooms of Maisie Zupnik" - In this award-winning story set in San Francisco, a quirky and self-absorbed young artist-photographer's friendship with an outspoken and unconventional old woman offers insight into her own flawed priorities and the uncompromising nature of time. "The Mushrooms of Maisie Zupnik" won the Writers Voice of New York City's Open Voice Award for Short Fiction and was originally published in Hanging Loose.









"A First-Name Basis" - This story about loneliness, love, and lies in Cambridge was the winner of the Hackney Literary Award for Short Fiction and also won the Georgia State University Award for Short Fiction. It was originally published in the Georgia State University Review.









"Earthly Luck" - The 36-year old poet-protagonist of this Pushcart Prize nominated story returns home to Southern California for a visit and sees her ex-husband for the first time since she left their marriage to be with a womanizing playwright in a small Midwest town. This witty and poignant story is told with an irony that keeps it free of sentimentality, and its protagonist's quiet regret rings true. "Earthly Luck" was originally published in Glimmer Train Stories.