US Represented

Gary Walker

Gary Walker is a writer, teacher, peanut butter enthusiast, and musician who lives in Colorado. As J.G. Walker, he has had his fiction, nonfiction, and poetry featured in such publications as Flapperhouse, Calliope, Oracle Fine Arts Review, Lullwater Review, and Aoife’s Kiss. His poem “Garbage” was recently published in Constellations: A Journal of Poetry and Fiction, and his story "Placing Mr. T" is forthcoming in Down in the Dirt. He has been teaching composition, literature, and journalism at Pikes Peak Community College since 2012, and he may also currently be hard at work on a new collection of short stories titled Visitation: Stories of Death and Inconvenience. He's on Facebook as J.G. Walker, and on Twitter, he answers to @jgwalkr.

Whatever You Do, Don’t Read the Comments: Why I Don’t Argue About Politics

Here, during my fifty-fifth year on earth, I’ve come to understand something everyone around me knew long ago: I’m not a born team player. Those who know me are underwhelmed by this revelation. Others, please read on. Really, all the evidence is there. I don’t like sports, and I loathed high school pep rallies. Churches […]

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So You Want to Join a Writing Group Part V: Find Your Tribe

Being part of a writing group can be a harrowing experience. No matter how seasoned a writer you are, it’s already difficult to share your work, whether it’s with people you know or complete strangers. Knowing you’re going to hear things you won’t like doesn’t make it any easier. Sometimes, people in workshops can be

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So You Want to Join a Writing Group Part IV: Walk a Mile in My Shoes

We all know what we like to read. Some people gravitate toward literary fiction, while others dig mysteries. That guy over there may not care, as long as he’s reading a good, compelling story. Your girlfriend might be a romance nut, and you might be into steampunk, cyberpunk, or biopunk. I may prefer books with lots

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So You Want to Join a Writing Group Part III: Beware of Hobbyhorses

When a writer begins spending time with other writers, he learns that there’s a long and intimidating list of writing rules in need of memorization. It goes something like this: Don’t use adverbs, do avoid clichés, don’t switch points of view mid-scene, do only use “said” as a dialogue tag, and—most of all, folks—show, don’t

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So You Want to Join a Writing Group Part II: Don’t Make Excuses for Your Work

Here’s the scenario. Today is your day to be critiqued by your writing group. One by one, your peers provide you with thoughtful feedback, analyzing the ins and outs of your work. Everyone is tuned in to your writing, catching a few things you missed—okay, let’s say a lot of things, which is the way

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