News
3 NFFR stories in new Norton Anthology

— From Meg Pokrass, NFFR Founding Editor — I'm thrilled to be holding an advanced reading copy of W.W. Norton's anthology New Micro: Exceptionally Short fiction edited by Norton Anthology's editor James Thomas and microfiction author Robert Scotellaro! I was delighted...

read more
The Creative Process

—The Creative Process (Paris) in Collaboration with NFFR— We’re very excited here at New Flash Fiction Review! A handful of excerpts from New Flash Fiction Review‘s last 5 years have been selected by The Creative Process for an upcoming exhibition as part of the...

read more
Two by Two Story Collaborations

Feature Editor, Pamela Painter   I was delighted when Meg Pokrass asked me to be a Feature Editor for New Flash Fiction Review.  Here is my first Feature and one that I hope will continue beyond the first Two by Two Story Collaboration. The Guidelines: ...

read more
“Something Lost” Contest Winners 2016

Congratulations to Leonard Kress and Joe McDade, who tied for first place in our "Something Lost" microfiction contest! There were so many strong entries, it was nearly impossible to decide. Thank you to everyone who entered this contest!   What She Said by...

read more
Flash Worldwide by Robert Shapard

Flash Worldwide: A New Anthology, Flash Fiction International, from W.W. Norton   The following notes are from a ten-minute talk for AWP, April 10, 2015. Please excuse the short-hand logic and colloquial grammar —Robert Shapard, Editor I want to talk about 4...

read more
Contest Winner 2015

Our 2015 Contest Winning story is "Fun and Wonderful Toy" by Joseph Young She was about to come—eyes back, knees up, chin toward the ceiling—when he heard it. “Shhh!” he said. He put his palm across her teeth.  From the wooden steps, the sound of it slinking. “What is...

read more
Pamela Painter and Randall Brown

Peace My daughter built a wall across the basement with an overturned couch, cushions, blankets, a table on its side. A peace line, she called it. It had taken Missy an entire afternoon, but finally she allowed her brother and me to visit.  Enchanted, Dell asked...

read more

The Truths Behind a Pumpjack Dare, Northern Alberta, 3rd July, 1991 by Kate Axeford

I’d hauled myself skywards on steep metal rungs. You were safe below, hurling taunts like stones. We’re two brothers, poles apart, but I’d climbed the ladder. I’d had to. You’d dared me to rodeo the Donkey.

Ernst Is Coming Home by Jack Morris

The rumours arrive on the dawn wind and by mid-afternoon the village ladies have landed in Leonora’s kitchen to disembowel the news.

After by Claudia Monpere

and after and after and nothing changes, just the names of the children. This one drew birds wearing hats. That one had an orange juice popsicle for an imaginary friend.

Rosetta Post-its by Guy Biederman

Los Gatos Tienen Hambre, says the post-it on the fridge. Since when did the cats learn Spanish, since when did they learn to write? The same could be asked of you, says another post-it.

Prudence by Christy Stillwell

They put the shock collar on the boy and that was it for the nanny. First they put the collar on one another. They were professors in English and Philosophy, all of them smart people.