Stories: The Ariran's last life / Maria Eliza Hamilton Abegunde --
Three letters, one song & a refrain / Chris Abani --
The Headstrong historian / Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie --
Bread and the land / Jeffery Renard Allen --
Body and soul / Wesley Brown --
Night coming / Desiree Cooper --
Ghosts / Edwidge Danticat --
Been meaning to say / Amina Gautier --
The Torturer's wife / Thomas Glave --
Prince Valiant works the black seam / W. David Hall --
Out of body / Glenville Lovell --
A Few good men / David Nicholson.
Novel excerpts: Excerpt from Yellow moon / Jewell Parker Rhodes --
Microstories / John Edgar Wideman --
The Gangsters / Colson Whitehead --
Excerpt from Where the line bleeds / Jesmyn Ward --
Arrivederci, aldo / Kim Sykes.
Young adult fiction: Excerpt from Chains / Laurie Halse Anderson --
Excerpt from Up for it : a tale of the underground / L.F. Haines --
Excerpt from Mary Jane / Dorothy Sterling.