Ted Morrissey is the author of several novels and novellas, as well as collections and scholarly monographs. Among his award-winning novels are The Artist Spoke, Mrs Saville, and Crowsong for the Stricken. His most recent book is the novel The Strophes of Job, a prequel to Crowsong. Delta of Cassiopeia: Collected Stories and Sonnets (winner of a Maincrest Media award) was released in 2023. His most recent book is the novel The Strophes of Job. His novel excerpts, stories, poems, critical articles, reviews, and translations have appeared in some 120 publications, among them Glimmer Train Stories, North American Review, Southern Humanities Review, and Bellevue Literary Review.
Contact: jtedmorrissey (at) gmail (dot) com
(April 2, 2024) Caustic Frolic has accepted my story “Riotville” for publication. It is part of a speculative science fiction project I think of as “Fragments from Satellite Desert.” An editor wrote, “[T]he combination of the noir-like, first-person narration and cyberpunk aesthetic made for an excellent, unique narrative voice.” I like that characterization. The issue, whose theme is RÉSISTANCE, is expected to be released in May.
(March 27, 2024) I’ve made a book launch video for The Strophes of Job, which I’ve also uploaded as Bonus Episode 2 to our podcast A Lesson before Writing.
(March 23, 2024) The Strophes of Job, a prequel to Crowsong for the Stricken, set fifty years before, has been published.
(March 8, 2024) My essay “‘Honored by the Error’: The Literary Friendship of Gaddis and Gass” was published at electronic book review as part of William Gaddis at His Centenary: A Gathering of Essays.
(January 15, 2024) Delta of Cassiopeia: Collected Stories and Sonnets won the Maincrest Media Award in the story collection category. It also was a finalist for a Global Book Award and an American Fiction Award.
(January 3, 2024) This year is the William H. Gass centenary, and I have several projects underway to promote the Master’s work, including “William H. Gass at 100: A Reading Journal,” which will be in the form of blog posts as well as videos. The first are posted here.
(November 10, 2023) I’ve published my review of the newest Beowulf translation, translated by Tom Shippey and edited by Leonard Neidorf. It’s a milestone event.
(September 20, 2023) The paperback edition of Delta of Cassiopeia has been released. See the book’s webpage for review blurbs, the book launch video, and links to the hardcover, paperback and Kindle editions.
(July 19, 2023) The Book Revue has posted a generous review of Delta of Cassiopeia: “The stories themselves are delightful. . . . Mr. Morrissey’s love of language is obvious. . . . And if I were to be so bold, there are a few mid-20th century authors I’d compare these stories to, one of whom is Harper Lee and another, is Truman Capote.” — Leslie Obrien, 5/5 stars.
(June 27, 2023) Last week I had the pleasure of participating in the 16th International Conference on the Short Story in English in Singapore, where I met writers and scholars from around the world, but especially Asia, Australia and Europe. As a writer, I shared my story “Oxen at the Well” (which was published by Roi Faineant literary Press); as a scholar, I presented a paper based on the aesthetic theories of my idol William H. Gass.
(April 9, 2023) I’ve made a book launch for Delta of Cassiopeia via video.
(March 30, 2023) Kirkus Reviews has published their review of Delta of Cassiopeia: “… deeply descriptive, imaginative, and sometimes haunting tales; the author excels in setting an atmospheric and natural scene … in vivid, descriptive prose … Morrissey does an excellent job of blending vastly different stories and sonnets together to create one cohesive color.”
(February 27, 2023) I just returned from the Louisville Conference on Literature and Culture, where I had a wonderfully invigorating experience. I presented a paper on William Gass’s final work, “Baroque Prose,” and read my story “The Dreams of Babylon,” publishing by The Bookends Review.
(January 23, 2023) The Historical Fiction Company has named First Kings and Other Stories the gold medalist for 2022 in the novella category. It was published by Wordrunner eChapbooks as a work in progress of my forthcoming novel The Strophes of Job (publication date TBD). HFC also named An Untimely Frost a silver medalist in his the historical novel category.
(November 4, 2022) Nervous Ghost Press has accepted “The Language of Secret Places” for inclusion in the inaugural issue of The Waiting Room.
(September 18, 2022) 9th Story Studios is going to include my story “Midianites” in their Halloween program Oct. 30. So far the story adaptation has only been available to their Wicked Library and Extra Wicked podcast subscribers.
(August 2, 2022) I’ve published the tenth episode (“The Predicament”) of Beneath a Winter Noon, a novel in progress via Kindle Vella. The first three episodes are available for free.
(July 24, 2022) Roi Faineant Literary Press published “Oxen at the Well,” part of my novel set against the backdrop of the great snow storm of 1907.
(July 1, 2022) The Bookends Review has published “The Dreams of Babylon,” part of my novel set against the backdrop of the great snow storm of 1907.
(June 8, 2022) Online Book Club has recommended Mrs Saville with 4/4 stars: “The language and overall plot of the book are amazing … recommend[ed] … to anyone who enjoys thrillers and all lovers of prose fiction.”
(May 21, 2022) The Whisky Blot has published “The Falseness of Prophecy” in their Flashes of Darkness anthology. “Falseness” is part of my work in progress set against the backdrop of the great snow storm of 1907.
(April 28, 2022) The Historical Fiction Company his given An Untimely Frost a “Highly Recommended” 5/5 stars rating: “Bravo, bravo, bravo … I am obsessed with this book. If you are a fan of old chilling historical classics in the manner of Mary Shelley or Hardy, then this book is for you…. You will finish by holding this book against your chest as you sit amazed that this is actually a modern day writer who accomplished this eloquent feat.” Read the full review.
(April 18, 2022) The Historical Fiction Company has given First Kings and Other Stories a “Highly Recommended” 5/5 stars rating: “[A] brilliantly written narrative [that] delves deep into the recesses of the human heart, the fears and haunting memories lurking the shadows.” Read the full review.
(April 14, 2022) I enjoyed talking with the Scribes writing group at Lincoln Land Community College about publishing and self-publishing. Here’s the video of the talk.
(March 9, 2022) I had a great time talking to the Sherman (IL) Library Book Club about my novel Mrs Saville. Their generosity extended to allowing me to video record the event. We talked about the book (spoilers abound), and the writing of it — but also many other topics, like Mary Shelley and her novel Frankenstein, as well as writing in general, reading, education, technology, and publishing.
(February 18, 2022) The Online Book Club has posted their review of The Artist Spoke, giving it 4 out of 4 stars: “As I neared the end of the book and reflected on how everything played out, I realized that I actually loved the story. I found myself wanting to do deep analyses of the various aspects of the story.”
(February 4, 2022) The Featured Quill Book Awards have created an Author’s Page for me and The Artist Spoke.
(January 31, 2022) The Artist Spoke received third place in the Feathered Quill Book Awards. “The author tells an amazing story with characters that are fresh and passionate. . . . The author is a master when it comes to literary fiction, drawing the reader in and making them care a great deal about the characters and their relationships.” — Judge’s Statement.
(January 27, 2022) The Prairies Book Review has posted their review of The Artist Spoke: “A gorgeous experiment in literature, worldbuilding, and character, the novel makes for a must-read for morally serious aficionados of literature.”
(January 13, 2022) BookTrib has named Mrs Saville one of their favorite 25 books of 2021.
(January 11, 2022) My story “The Dreams of Babylon” has been accepted by The Bookends Review. It’s part of my work in progress set against the backdrop of the great 1907 snow storm.
(January 3, 2022) My brief critical paper “A Path for Scholarship in Ulysses‘ Second Century: The Effects of Joyce’s Revisions to Episode 9″ has been published by the peer-reviewed Academic Letters.
(November 26, 2021) Pangyrus published my story “A Place of Dangerous Beasts,” part of my work in progress set against the backdrop of the great 1907 snow storm.
(October 14, 2021) I’ve published the fourth episode of my novel in progress, “Beneath a Winter Noon.” It’s being published serially via Kindle Vella, along with my commentary. The first three episodes are free.
(October 9, 2021) “Scent of the Scattered” received an honorable mention in Indie It Press’s Ghost & Horror Short Story Contest: “A haunting tale. The ghosts of mistakes and memory are as terrifying as actual supernatural elements . . . This introspective look into rumor, the confines of society and the horrors of loss weave an interesting tale with fantastical elements.” The story will be published next year by Pangyrus as “A Place of Dangerous Beasts.”
(October 7, 2021) NY Web Publishing has acquired “Hosea” for someshortstories.com.
(October 1, 2021) Big Other has published my article “‘The Solitary Confinement of Their Souls’: On Vladimir Nabokov’s Russian Stories and Novels.”
(September 30, 2021) Fare Forward has published my sonnet “Galaxie” (an honorable mention in their poetry competition).
(September 13, 2021) The BookLife Prize Critic’s Report has been posted for my novel Mrs Saville: “A tantalizing tale of historical fiction that will keep readers up all night as they, and Mrs Saville, try to unweave a web of intrigue and duplicity.” https://booklife.com/project/mrs-saville-57959
(September 9, 2021) Reader Views has posted a review of The Artist Spoke: “I must say, many readers will love this book, but if you’re a writer or a true literary junkie (as am I), you’ll definitely be able to get with the characters and understand the intense feelings they have. . . [Morrissey’s style is] introspective, concise, warm and delightful.” — Amy Lignor.
(August 30, 2021) My novel The Artist Spoke won the Maincrest Media Award in Literary Fiction. “One of the most original plots that readers may ever come across. A thoroughly engaging read.” — Judge’s Statement.
(August 25, 2021) My linked collection First Kings and Other Stories, published by Wordrunner e-Chapbooks, was a finalist for the American Fiction Award in the category of Novella.
(August 10, 2021) My YA story “Let Them Swim” has been accepted for publication by Eduland (Hong Kong), to be used to help Chinese students learn English. I also developed comprehension and critical-thinking questions for the story. I plan to submit stories to Eduland regularly.
(August 9, 2021) The first two episodes of my new novel in progress, Beneath a Winter Noon, are available via Amazon’s Kindle Vella platform. Follow the novel’s progress, episode by episode.
(July 29, 2021) The peer-reviewed Academia Letters has published my article “The Abduction of Aeschere: A Few Words Regarding a Few Words in My Translation of the Grendel’s Mother Episode.”
(July 9, 2021) BookTrib has posted a review of Mrs Saville: “an eerie novel that I could not put down, and for me, that’s rare. This jewel of a novel hypnotized me into the world of Mrs Saville” — Karina Holosko.
(June 29, 2021) BookTrib is featuring Mrs Saville in their August Book Club selections.
(June 16, 2021) Blooms & Barnacles podcast has posted a recording of James Joyce fans around the world reading from Ulysses (for Bloomsday), and I’m included reading from “Oxen of the Sun” (at the 2:28:50 mark). It’s episode 70.
(June 15, 2021) 9th Story Studios has acquired my story “Midianites” for production in their dramatic podcast series Extra Wicked and the Wicked Library. “Midianites” is part of my work in progress. Other pieces have been published in or by North American Review, Sequestrum, Belle Ombre, Adelaide Books, and Wordrunner e-Chapbooks.
(May 1, 2021) Eclectica Magazine has published my article “Cultural Trauma and the Postmodern Voice,” excerpted from Trauma Theory As an Approach to Analyzing Literary Texts (released in February).
(April 26, 2021) EKL Review has published my prose poetry translation of the Grendel’s Mother episode in Beowulf. My excerpt is titled “Retribution” and corresponds to lines 1321-1590 of the Old English poem.
(April 5, 2021) The poetry collection The Fallen and The Snake-Bitten by Anilesh Anurag has been published by rk publishing venture. I wrote the Foreword for the book.
(March 30, 2021) Foreword Reviews posted the review of The Artist Spoke: “Ted Morrissey’s novel The Artist Spoke is a mysterious, mesmerizing examination of the contrary aspects of the writing life, and the fragility of relationships . . . an exciting literary mystery.”
(March 27, 2021) I’m included in C.A.M.P. — Creators of Art, Music and Poetry, Episode 4, reading from my “Laertes Sonnet Sequence.” (Link)
(March 24, 2021) My story “The Appearance of Horses” is a finalist for the Adelaide Literary Award in Short Fiction and will therefore be included in the 2020 anthology, volume 2. “The Appearance of Horses” is part of a work in progress which includes “First Kings,” “Hosea,” and “The Widow’s Son,” among other pieces still looking for a home. The three earlier pieces were published as First Kings and Other Stories by Wordrunner e-Chapbooks.
(March 14, 2021) The sell sheets for six works of fiction: The Artist Spoke, Mrs Saville, Crowsong for the Stricken, First Kings and Other Stories, An Untimely Frost, and Weeping with an Ancient God.
(February 23, 2021) My article “The Alluring Obscurity of Noir: A Lesson Before Writing” has been published at Big Other Folio: Robert Coover.
(February 20, 2021) Trauma Theory As an Approach to Analyzing Literary Texts: An Updated and Expanded Edition, with Readings has been released in paperback and Kindle editions. See the sell sheet.
(January 18, 2021) BlueInk Review has posted a review of The Artist Spoke: “Morrissey’s supple sentences are a mini-tutorial on craft, pulling a world of emotion from the smallest image.”
(January 17, 2021) Academia Letters has published my peer-reviewed article “Abreat v. Abraed” Reconsidering the Grendel’s Mother Episode in Beowulf.“
(December 16, 2020) Wordrunner has published First Kings and Other Stories.
(November 30, 2020) Wordrunner, who will be publishing First Kings and Other Stories as an e-chapbook, nominated “First Kings” for a Pushcart Prize.
(November 6, 2020) I published my “Laertes Sonnet Sequence” via YouTube as part of a program at the Hoogland Centre for the Arts.
(November 1, 2020) Watch the video book launch of The Artist Spoke.
(October 30, 2020) The 42 Minutes podcast is online in which I discuss William H. Gass, thetunnelat25.com project, and The Artist Spoke.
(October 25, 2020) My new novel, The Artist Spoke, has been published in hardcover, paperback and digital editions.
(22 September, 2020) I was honored to participate in Washington University’s 25th Anniversary Celebration of The Tunnel, along with Joel Minor and Greg Gerke.
(September 7, 2020) The Tunnel at 25 Online Symposium launched, a site I’m hosting dedicated to William H. Gass’s magnum opus. I contributed two pieces to the symposium: “Stripping the Master of Kohler’s Rags” and “The Tunnel: A Chronology & Bibliography,” as well as the Introduction.
(August 21, 2020) Grand Little Things published my sonnet “Mass,” part of my Laertes Sonnet Sequence.
(August 10, 2020) Pollen Press has acquired three of my critical essays on William Gaddis to translate into Russian, in conjunction with their translating and publishing Gaddis’s novel Carpenter’s Gothic.
(August 1, 2020) My abbreviated story collection, which is also a novel in progress, First Kings and Other Stories, has been accepted for publication by Wordrunner as an e-chapbook.
(July 31, 2020) My story “First Kings” has been re-published at Sequestrum, as the runner-up in their Editor’s Reprint Award, and they’ve also posted a brief interview.
(July 22, 2020) My sonnet “Shroud” is featured at Christal Cooper’s Backstory of the Poem series.
(June 25, 2020) Mrs Saville won the Manhattan Book Award in Literary Fiction.
(June 4, 2020) Belle Ombre has accepted my story “Hosea” for publication.
(April 13, 2020) Libreak Magazine published “The Artist Spoke,” an excerpt from my longtime work in progress “The Isolation of Conspiracy.” Litbreak also published my autobiographical statement.
(February 27, 2020) My interview with Greg Gerke regarding his essay collection See What I See was published in spring 2020 (25.1) issue of Rain Taxi.
(February 22, 2020) I presented my paper “The Movement of Matter in Mind’: William H. Gass’s Transformative Translations of Rilke” at the Louisville Conference of Literature and Culture Since 1900.
(January 12, 2020) “The Artist Spoke,” an excerpt from my work in progress The Isolation of Conspiracy, has been accepted for publication by Litbreak Magazine. It is the sixth chunk of the novel to find publication.
(December 11, 2019) “First Kings” has been named runner-up for the Editors Reprint Award by Sequestrum journal.
(November 17, 2019) North American Review has published “First Kings” in its fall issue.
(November 15, 2019) North American Review has posted my piece “On ‘First Kings'” at their blog. My short story “First Kings” appears in the fall issue of NAR. It is an expansion of my 2017 novel Crowsong for the Stricken.
(November 7, 2019) My paper “Beauty Must Come First: The Short Story as Art Made of Language” has been accepted for presentation at the 16th International Conference on the Short Story in English to be held next summer at the University Calabria, Italy.
(September 19, 2019) My review of The William H. Gass Reader has been posted at the North American Review website.
(July 12, 2019) briars lit has accepted my story “Weird Soliloquies” for publication. “Weird Soliloquies” expands the narrative of my 2017 novel Crowsong for the Stricken.
(June 12, 2019) My new book, A Concise Summary and Analysis of The Mueller Report, has been released by Twelve Winters Press. It’s an accurate buy highly readable distillation of the Special Counsel’s report on Russian interference in the 2016 election and Trump’s obstruction of justice.
(May 30, 2019) My poem “Ingots” has been published by Haunted Waters Press as part of their Splash! showcase. “Ingots” is from my Laertes Squence of sonnets.
(April 21, 2019) I presented my paper “Writing Too Good to Publish: A Disheartening Dispatch from the Heartland” at the North American Review Writing Conference in Cedar Falls, Iowa.
(March 30, 2019) Edify Fiction has accepted my poems “Awakening” and “Dignity” for publication. They’re part of my Laertes Sequence of sonnets.
(March 27, 2019) I’m pleased to accept a position on the editorial board of the Journal of Science and Education, School of Education, Hue University, Hue, Vietnam.
(March 18, 2019) Central American Literary Review has published “Madison,” Part IV of my work in progress The Isolation of Conspiracy. Other pieces have appeared in Floyd County Moonshine, Lakeview Journal, and Adelaide Literary Magazine (two issues).
(March 1, 2019) My sonnet “Obsolescence” has been picked up for publication in Prime Number Magazine by guest poetry editor Hedy Habra. It is the third poem in my Laertes Sequence to be published.
(February 23, 2019) I found a receptive audience when I presented my paper “From Tender Buttons to the ‘Heart of the Country’: Gertrude Stein’s Structural Influence on William H. Gass” at the Louisville Conference on Literature and Culture Since 1900, University of Louisville. In another panel, I read an excerpt from my long story “Vox Humana.”
(January 16, 2019) My sonnet “Pilgrim” has been published in the tiny journal. It is the first published poem of my “Laertes Sequence.”
(December 18, 2018) My paper proposal “‘Danc[ing] to Organized Noise’: The Loss of the Literary Voice and Its Consequences” has been accepted for presentation at the MLA International Symposium in Lisbon, Portugal, July 2019.
(November 29, 2018) Spencer Stephens has posted a review of Mrs Saville at his blog (also on Amazon): “The author fits the pieces together with a seamless and terrifying logic. He shows a nuanced understanding of the darkness that lives within us all. He summons a literature-lover’s fantasy and adds context and texture to a landmark novel that many thought had already been examined from every conceivable angle.”
(November 15, 2018) Mrs Saville was named an Awards Finalist for the Best Book Award in Literary Fiction by American Book Fest.
(September 23, 2018) “Medieval Music from Midwestern Universities,” an excerpt from Part III of my work in progress “The Isolation of Conspiracy,” has been published in Adelaide Literary Magazine (#16). Earlier excerpts have appeared here and there, including Adelaide, June 2017.
(September 19, 2018) My sonnet “Shroud” has been accepted for publication by Bellevue Literary Review. “Shroud” is part of my “Laertes Sequence,” which I wrote to my father, who passed away suddenly in 2013. “Shroud” is my first honest-to-goodness poetry publication. Previously my poetry has been written in the service of my prose.
(September 7, 2018) My novel Mrs Saville, a sequel to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, has been published in hardcover, paperback and Kindle editions. The paperback includes the short story “A Wintering Place” and an Afterword by yours truly.
(August 20, 2018) “Medieval Music from Midwestern Universities” has been accepted for publication by Adelaide. The piece is an excerpt from Part 3 of my work in progress, The Isolation of Conspiracy. Adelaide published an earlier piece of the work in their June 2017 issue.
(June 1, 2018) “Vox Humana” (a Crowsong Universe story) has been published by Blue Lake Review.
(May 30, 2018) My prismatic novel Crowsong for the Stricken has won the International Book Award in Literary Fiction 2018 from Book Fest.
(May 30, 2018) I had the honor of being a keynote speaker at the Fifth Annual Conference on Language, Society and Culture in Asian Contexts, May 25-26, in Hue, Vietnam. My speech was “Locating Our Common Humanity through Expressive Writing,” and is available in its entirety here.
(May 1, 2018) The Curvatures of Hurt audiobook, featuring Jenny Bacon, is now available from Audible, Amazon and iTunes.
(April 24, 2018) My novella The Curvatures of Hurt is available in paperback and Kindle editions, and soon an audiobook featuring the voice of Jenny Bacon, who wrote an Afterword for the book. “The Curvatures of Hurt” is also part of the prismatic novel Crowsong for the Stricken.
(November 12, 2017) I’ve uploaded a video of my reading “Beside Running Waters,” a piece from Crowsong for the Stricken which originally appeared in Constellations and was reprinted in the anthology Literature Today (volume 4) and at CommuterLit.com.
News: (November 6, 2017) Crowsong for the Stricken is now available in paperback (as well as hardcover and Kindle editions).
News: (October 25, 2017) Crowsong for the Stricken was reviewed at Spencer Stephens’s blog. “This is a book you can savor in different ways. . . . You’ll experience a slightly erotic shiver when you finish this remarkable work and decide that you should hurriedly read it again. Halloween’s almost here, after all.”
News: (October 18, 2017) Crowsong for the Stricken received a starred review from Kirkus Reviews. “References place the book in the mid-’50s, and the author describes the small, unnamed town in loving detail, but there’s also a feeling of detachment, as if all of this is happening in a place apart from our own. It also hints at the supernatural, especially when different characters encounter people in crowlike outfits, but it never presents events that couldn’t be ascribed to the natural world. A work that resists easy description; recommended for those looking for something strange and beautiful.”
News: (September 20, 2017) I’ll be reading from my new novel Crowsong for the Stricken at Lincoln Land College’s literature festival Sept. 28. It’s a group reading with John Paul Jaramillo, Allison Joseph and Jon Tribble, from 5 to 7 p.m. in Menard Hall. I’ll be reading an excerpt from “Season of Reaping,” one of the twelve pieces that comprise the novel.
News: (August 27, 2017) My novel Crowsong for the Stricken has been released by my press, Twelve Winters. It’s available in hardcover and Kindle editions. Check out the trailer:
News: (August 2, 2017) My story “Planes” is included in the new (and final) issue of ink&coda. The editors write, “We wanted this issue to stand as the fullest realization of our aesthetic. We believe we’ve succeeded; however, we were surprised by how haunting the whole of it is. Something unknown has crept to the surface in 4.2—perhaps a deeper, unrealized aesthetic, or perhaps our feelings about this issue being our last. Either way an appropriate farewell.”
News: (July 19, 2017) A video of my reading “Communion with the Dead,” a short story of mine published in the Chariton Review in 2008.
News: (July 18, 2017) ink&coda will be including my story “Planes” in their forthcoming issue. Unfortunately this will be the journal’s final issue. The material they have published will, however, be archived at their site. My story “The Drama of Consonants” appeared in the journal a few issues back. Both “Planes” and “The Drama of Consonants” are parts of my prismatic novel Crowsong for the Stricken, which will be released in a few weeks.
News: (July 1, 2017) The Southern Humanities Review (51.1) which includes my story “Sheol,” part of the forthcoming Crowsong for the Stricken, is out.
News: (June 13, 2017) Southern Humanities Review 51.1 will be out soon. It includes my story “Sheol,” part of the forthcoming Crowsong for the Stricken.
News: (May 11, 2017) My story “Beside Running Waters” is posted at CommuterLit.com. The story was originally published in Constellations and it was also anthologized in Literature Today, volume 4.
News: (May 7, 2017) “The Glance of Orpheus II” appears in the new issue Adelaide. It’s an excerpt of Part II of my work in progress titled The Isolation of Conspiracy. Part I, “Meditations on the Word” appeared in Floyd County Moonshine, and the first part of Part II appeared in Lakeview Journal.
News: (May 6, 2017) The story “Erebus” appears in the new issue of Everest.
News: (April 19, 2017) The international literary magazine Adelaide has accepted “The Glance of Orpheus II” for publication. It is an excerpt of Part II from my work in progress The Isolation of Conspiracy.
News: (April 13, 2017) A writing career first. I had two pieces come out in different journals on the same day — both excerpts from my work in progress The Isolation of Conspiracy. Part I, “Meditations on the Word,” is in the journal Floyd County Moonshine; and an excerpt of Part II, “The Glance of Orpheus,” is in Lakeview Journal.
News: (March 11, 2017) Floyd County Moonshine has accepted for publication “Meditations on the Word,” Part I of my work in progress titled The Isolation of Conspiracy. Part II, “The Glance of Orpheus,” is forthcoming in Lakeview Journal.
News: (March 1, 2017) I’ve been invited to join a prearranged panel at the American Literature Association Conference May 24-28 in Boston. The panel is The American Recluse: Contesting Individualism in Narratives of Isolation and Withdrawal, and my paper is “In the Heart of the Heart of Despair: Seclusion in the Fiction of William H. Gass.”
News: (March 1, 2017) I presented my paper, “Modernism’s Last Gasp and the Architecture of William H. Gass’s The Tunnel,” at the Louisville Conference on Literature and Culture Since 1900 Feb. 23. I also been read an excerpt from my long story “The Curvatures of Hurt,” which is part of the forthcoming book Crowsong for the Stricken. The paper is available here.
News: (December 5, 2016) My course on Revisionist Fictions that I’ll be teaching winter quarter in the MFA in Writing Program at Lindenwood University is posted.
News: (October 4, 2016) Mrs Saville, a novel in progress, will be published serially at Strands Lit Sphere.
News: (September 20, 2016) Trauma Theory As a Method for Understanding Literary Texts (Mellen) is available for pre-order and will be released November 2.
News: (August 3, 2016) My course on the Long Story & Novella that I’ll be teaching this fall in the MFA in Writing program at Lindenwood University is posted.
News: (August 2, 2016) An excerpt of the second section of my novel in progress, The Isolation of Conspiracy, will be published in Lakeview Journal. It will appear under the title “The Glance of Orpheus.”
News: (May 25, 2016) My story “Planes” (originally published by Lavender Wolves Literary Magazine) was a finalist for the Sequestrum Editors’ Reprint Award.
News: (April 29, 2016) I have joined the MFA in Writing faculty at Lindenwood University as an online instructor, and will begin by teaching a literature course on the “The Long Story and Novella” this fall.
News: (March 28, 2016) “The Pedigree of Self-Publishing,” a short article, is included in the newest issue of North American Review (301.2). Available for purchase here.
News: (February 2, 2016) “Crowsong for the Stricken” has been published by Flyleaf Journal. “Crowsong” received the Editors’ Reprint Award 2015. From the email informing of the award: “Although you were in good company with many other accomplished contributors, we were absolutely enchanted by your story and its unique premise of a small town plagued both by disease and paranoia. The style of the language and the overall tone seemed to harken back to the stalwarts of the literary fantasy and horror genres like Ray Bradbury and Shirley Jackson.” The story originally appeared in Noctua Review, and it will be the title story of a collection released later this year.
News: (January 7, 2016) My story “Beside Running Waters” has been reprinted in Literature Today, volume 4.
News: (December 28, 2015) The novella Weeping with an Ancient God was included on the Chicago Book Review‘s list of the Best Books of 2015.
News: (October 4, 2015) Fiction on the Web has published the my long short story “The Curvatures of Hurt.” It is the final story in a collection of related stories that will come out next year, titled Crowsong for the Stricken.
News: (August 4, 2015) Southern Humanities Review has accepted the my short story “Sheol” for publication. It is part of a collection of related stories yet to be released.
News: (June 30, 2015) Everest magazine has accepted the my short story “Erebus” for publication. “Erebus” is part of a collection of related stories that may be out next year.
News: (June 13, 2015) I presented my paper “Fictionalizing the Life and Voice of Washington Irving” at the North American Review Bicentennial Conference. The paper was about his writing of the novel An Untimely Frost. Visit my 12 Winters Blog to read the paper.
News: (May 18, 2015) “A Hot and Cold ‘Frost,'” a review of the novel An Untimely Frost, is in Chicago Book Review: “There are moments of true brilliance in An Untimely Frost. It reads like a post-modernist emulating Henry James, which proves to be an intriguing combination. The novel’s ending is as strong as many, and the author’s writing is in turns funny and harrowing.”
News: (May 5, 2015) “A Sensory Feast,” a review of the novella Weeping with an Ancient God, is in Chicago Book Review: “[A] full story with no detail to miss.”
Update: (March 24, 2015) My post, “Professor Tolkien’s Rebel Readings of Beowulf,” expanding my review of Tolkien’s translation is on the North American Review blog here.
News: (March 20, 2015) My review of J.R.R. Tolkien’s translation of Beowulf, “A Dragon-Worthy Treasure,” has been published in the North American Review (300.2).
News: (December 1, 2014) my story “The Ancient World” has been accepted for publication by The Snapping Twig. “The Ancient World” is one of a nearly complete collection of connected tales titled A Murder of Stories, which should be out in book form in 2015. The stories in the collection are all set in the same Midwestern village, usually in the 1950s, with reoccurring characters, themes and motifs — but each is a unique experiment in narrative style and/or structure.
News: (October 28, 2014) My short story “Bitterness on the Tongue” has been published by the Blue Bonnet Review. “Bitterness on the Tongue” is one of a growing collection of connected tales, titled A Murder of Stories. Others have appeared in the Tulane Review, Noctua Review, Constellations, and Black Denim Lit, while others are forthcoming in Stone Crowns Magazine and Lavender Wolves Literary Journal. The stories are set in the same unnamed village and have reoccurring characters, themes and images. Yet each is a unique experiment in narrative style or structure.
News: (October 27, 2014) The short story “Planes” is a featured “Scary Story” on WUIS public radio. Listen here.
News: (October 4, 2014) Anne Drolet reviewed An Untimely Frost in the fall 2014 North American Review: “In An Untimely Frost, Ted Morrissey takes us on a haunting journey through mid-19th-century London. . . .The novel becomes an engrossing mystery and more than a simple historical novel . . . a wonderful read that draws the reader in. . . .” News: (August 29, 2014) My story “The Drama of Consonants” is in the summer 2014 issue of ink&coda. “The Drama of Consonants” is part of a series of related stories. Others have appeared in the Tulane Review, Noctua Review, Constellations, and Black Denim Lit, while others are forthcoming in Stone Crowns Magazine and Lavender Wolves Literary Journal. The stories are set in the same unnamed village and have reoccurring characters, themes and images. Yet each is a unique experiment in narrative style or structure.
News: (August 24, 2014) Weeping with an Ancient God, a novella, has been released by Twelve Winters Press. The book includes illustrations by Adam G. Perschbacher and an interview by Beth Gilstrap. News: (August 8, 2014) My story “Season of Reaping” is in the August issue of Festival Writer. “Season of Reaping” is an especially experimental narrative, combining prose from multiple characters’ points of view, and villanelles embedded in the text of the story. It is part of a series of related stories. Others have appeared or are forthcoming in the Tulane Review, Noctua Review, Constellations, Black Denim Lit, Stone Crowns Magazine, Lavender Wolves Literary Journal and ink&coda.
News: (July 26, 2014) The Beowulf Poet and His Real Monsters continues to be added to notable collections around the world, recently the British Library and the Library of Congress. Other noteworthy libraries include Notre Dame, Duke, Pepperdine, Purdue, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts, as well as research libraries in Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Germany, France, Iraq, and elsewhere. See the complete list on WorldCat. News: (June 28, 2014) My short story “Planes” will be included in an upcoming issue of Lavender Wolves Literary Journal. “Planes” is part of a series of related stories. Others have appeared in the Tulane Review, Noctua Review, Constellations, and Black Denim Lit, while another is forthcoming in Stone Crowns Magazine. The stories are set in the same unnamed village and have reoccurring characters, themes and images. Yet each is a unique experiment in narrative style or structure.
News: (May 29, 2014) Men of Winter is now available for Nook — and has been reformatted for Kindle as well. News: (May 25, 2014) The audiobook edition of Figures in Blue is available from Audible.com, Amazon and iTunes. News: (April 14, 2014) My brief article “The Loss of Intellect” has been posted on North American Review’s blog. It’s an extension of my review of William H. Gass’s novel Middle C based on Gass’s mid-1990s predictions about the effects of technology and the Web on young minds in particular.
News: (March 8, 2014) My short story “Scent of Darkness” is in the March issue of Black Denim Lit. “Scent of Darkness” is part of a series of related stories, others of which have appeared in the Tulane Review, Noctua Review and Constellations.
News: (January 7, 2014) The novel An Untimely Frost is available in paperback from Amazon as well as for Kindle, from Barnes & Noble, including for Nook, and from Espresso Book Machine. Visit the Twelve Winters Press site for a complete list of sellers. News: (December 2013) The poem “A Painful Commerce” has been collected in The Muse: An International Journal of Poetry, volume 1, issue 2, edited by Pradeep Chaswal, Deepak Chaswal and Mohammad Arif.
News: (December 2013) WUIS Public Radio has aired an interview with me, discussing the novelette Figures in Blue and the forthcoming novel An Untimely Frost, among other topics. See the Interviews page for others as well.
News: (November 18, 2013) North American Review posted “The Psychic Origins of Creativity” on its blog.
News: (October 25, 2013) The novelette Figures in Blue is now available in print through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Espresso Book Machine.
News: (August 2, 2013) Men of Winter, a Revised & Expanded Edition, has been released by Twelve Winters Press and is now available in paperback from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Espresso Book Machine. It will soon be available in a variety of formats from multiple sources. Download a printable flyer. News: (March 12, 2013) The monograph The Beowulf Poet and His Real Monsters was released by Edwin Mellen Press. It is the first time that the postmodern critical model of trauma theory has been used to gain insight into the classic Old English poem. The book is available in various formats, and scholarly journals may request free copies for review. Please see the monograph’s page for further details. Update: Edwin Mellen Press awarded the monograph the D. Simon Evans Prize for distinguished scholarship–the Press’s highest honor.
Ted Morrissey 
