Poached by Jessica Doe 

Words of delight and pride from Debra Magpie Earling, author of “The Lost Journals of Sacajewea” and “Perma Red”:

I was thrilled to judge the Summer Issue Indigenous Fiction Prize and even more thrilled to see that Native fiction continues to explore the grand universe of storytelling. A few of the stories here reclaim traditional stories and make them wondrous-fresh and alive for new generations. 

I often read that judges have difficulty making selections and judging these stories was truly a challenging task because all are deserving of recognition and awards. I admired every single one, but I was captured by Jessica Doe’s dark short story “Poached” where a desperate woman thinks the solution to her problems might be found in surrogacy, and although I saw just a hair past the narrator, I did not see my way to the story’s beastly conclusion. I felt I was being led, like the narrator, crumb by Hansel & Gretelian crumb to its inconceivable conclusion. Tacey Atsitty’s story, “The Man Who Lived With Monsters,” about a veteran who embraces and thus becomes part of the difficult things he has endured, is a heartfelt, beautiful powerhouse reminiscent of passages from N. Scott Momaday’s House Made of Dawn. “She Who Helped Nanaboozhoo” is a welcoming fantasy and traditional story that brilliantly takes on colonialism. Samantha Gauer’s “City Girl” is a contemporary story that took me back to childhood desires for connection and understanding. Jennifer Gouge’s story “Foodback” is wildly imaginative, a brilliant dystopian tale that makes me believe stranger days are coming. 

I loved participating in this new venture.

For a glimpse into Debra Magpie Earling’s writerly themes and thinking, read her interview with Chapter House.