Andrew Bertaina’s character-driven short stories are filled with people who are longing for love and connection, in a world where emotional fulfillment feels just out of reach. These tangled yearnings are on full display in Bertaina’s debut collection of stories, One Person Away from You (University of Arkansas Press), winner of the 2020 Moon City Short Fiction Award. Bertaina’s work has been featured in The Threepenny Review, Witness Magazine, Redivider, Orion, and Best American Poetry. In this first collection, Bertaina deftly explores the inner lives of characters whose unmet desires can make even moments of great happiness feel like an ache.

When Bertaina and I first met, we were both students in American University’s MFA program. Now, colleagues at AU, we often discuss how our writing and teaching intersects, as well as our shared interest in BoJack Horseman. Having been a longtime fan of Bertaina’s short fiction, I was so excited for the opportunity to speak with him about his debut book. Throughout our conversation, we discussed the process of writing a good story, why his characters are filled with such unfulfillable longing, and how women in his life have shaped the understanding he has of himself.

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— 2 weeks ago