The Plot to Assassinate Oprah

The new issue of West Branch is out, and it contains my short story “The Plot to Assassinate Oprah.” I’m proud of this one. It’s one of the messier and more ambitious things I’ve done.

Sometimes, when I’m writing a story and it’s just me alone in my head, I lose track of what a story will be when it’s out there in the world. I’m so focused on “going there” that I block out all my internal censors (the little old ghost aunts who read over my shoulder), which is good, but which means I sometimes get… rough. It wasn’t until I saw the galleys on this story that I thought “Holy Crap! This story is messed up!” Not so much for the titular plot, which is pretty tame as assassination plots go, as for some rough gay sex stuff that the teen protagonist obsesses over.

You should totally hit up West Branch and buy the issue.

I hope you like it.

Posted on: January 4, 2012, by : Sam J. M.
File under: New Publications