2026 Anthony Award Short Story Nominations

So, so excited to announce that I've been nominated (TWICE) for a Best Short Story Anthony Award. And, both stories are set in New York City.

Best Short Story Nominees for 2026 Anthony Awards ballot

Finding Jimmy Baldwin, originally appeared Crime Ink Iconic: An Anthology of Crime Fiction Inspired by Queer Icons, edited by Salem West and John Copenhaver. The story has also been selected for this year's Best American Mystery and Suspense anthology. It is a story about the vulnerability of iconic writer, thinker, activist, James Baldwin, and his navigation of the worlds of celebrity and his allegiance to his roots. If you're attending Bouchercon 2026 in Calgary, you can read Finding Jimmy Baldwin here on my blog. And, if you think it has merit, I'd appreciate your vote for the prestigious Anthony Award.

My short story, Brotherly Love appears in a very fun anthology (especially if you're a theatre geek like me), Every Day a Little Death: Crime Fiction Inspired by the Songs of Stephen Sondheim. My short story was inspired by Sondheim's musical Road Show. I never saw it, and it had a very circuitous path to Broadway. I listened to the soundtrack a dozen or so times, read a fabulous book about the Sondheim lyrical canon called: Look, I Made a Hat: Collected Lyrics (1981-2011) , and thought about the approach of one of my favorite film director's approach to story telling,--Alfred Hitchcock. Writing Brotherly Love gave me the opportunity to add Easter eggs, create a psychologically battle between a detective and suspect, think about the dynamics of 1930s NYC. And, of course, express my admiration for Sondheim.

I'm going to try to get permission to reprint Brotherly Love on this blog.

Happy writing and reading!!!