Cover Photo: This graphic is a close-up of the ‘Best Debut Short Stories 2021’ book cover, and includes the words "A conversation with Robert J. Dau Prize Winner Heather Aruffo" along with the author's headshot
Photograph courtesy of Heather Aruffo

A Conversation with ‘Best Debut Short Stories 2021 Author’ Heather Aruffo

“I think medical terminology can be incredibly beautiful and I love integrating it into my work.”

Best Debut Short Stories 2021: The PEN America Dau Prize are open now

The Southern ReviewThe Laurel Review

The Southern Review.

Where did you find the idea for this story?

What was your writing process like for this story?

What kind of research went into this story? When working with real events, how did you decide what to fictionalize versus when to stick to facts?

Der SpiegelAtlanticHow Ratko Mladic Descended into Madness

In “Force, Mass, Acceleration,” details about Ana’s private life and her dreams of becoming a doctor are presented alongside those of Balkans history and Yugoslavia’s collapse. On a craft level, how did you think of the interplay between these two storylines, and how did your own job as a medical writer come into play?

How has the Robert J. Dau Prize affected you?

What’s the best or worst writing advice you’ve ever received and why?

Finally, where do you discover new writing?

Pop Song One StoryThe Alaska Quarterly ReviewThe Southern Review

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