New Blog and Social Networking Editor, Claire Harlan-Orsi

As PS blog readers already know, the great Ted Wheeler has taken over as Prairie Schooner’s Web Editor–which brings me, a newbie, to the position of Blog and Social Networking Editor! Let me say, first of all, that I’m tremendously grateful to Ted, Marianne, and Kwame for giving me this opportunity. I’ve been a fan of the magazine and a submissions reader for a couple years now, and I’m excited to take my involvement to the next level. I promise not to abuse the privilege by posting pictures of my dog.

To introduce myself: I’m a PhD student here at UNL, concentrating in fiction writing. I’ve had fiction published in the Cincinnati Review and essays in MAYDAY and The Believer. The reverse timeline of my life (starting from where I am now) goes something like this: UNL PhD, Youth Job Developer for the City of Chicago, counselor for first generation college students in Providence, student at Brown University, disaffected youth in Bloomington, Indiana, and pre-schooler in Brooklyn, New York. Now I spend most of my time reading student papers, writing, reading great books, hanging out with my girlfriend, walking the dog, and watching RuPaul’s Drag Race, in order of most to least time invested.

A few things I’m excited to do with my new editorship: interact with PS readers, interview contributors, work with awesome guest bloggers, exercise my tweeting muscles, and generally keep my finger on the pulse of the literary beast. See you back here soon!