Back in the Literary Magazine World

It’s been a long time since I’ve had a short story in a literary magazine. Well, last year my story, “The Pleasure of Your Company,” was published in Typishly. But a year feels like a long time. I’m happy to report that After the Pause accepted “The Largest Pancakes in Minnesota,” an older story of mine that Sleet Magazine nominated for a Pushcart Prize once upon a time. I’m beyond thrilled to see the story get a new life and excited to be playing with fiction again.

“The Largest Pancakes in Minnesota” is a story about the complicated relationship between a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. It takes places on the morning when the mother-in-law has tricked the daughter-in-law into attending an over-eaters’ addiction group called S.O.N. (Stop Overeating Now). While on the surface their relationship seems hostile, we see a tenderness between them that the daughter-in-law cannot find with her own mother when she needs it most.

Find “The Largest Pancakes in Minnesota” on pages 53-55.

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Nina Badzin hosts the podcast Dear Nina: Conversations About Friendship. She's been writing about friendship since 2014, co-leads the writing groups at ModernWell in Minneapolis, and reviews 30+ books a year on her website.

5 Responses

  1. Mazel tov, Nina! I enjoyed the story. (Is this considered flash fiction?) The dialogue is superb. I’m partial to relationship stories. I continue to publish essays/short fiction and enter competitions. Back at my monthly blog on the Writing Life, too. Wishing you a L’shana Tova and a lovely literary year.

    1. Hi! thank you so much for reading the story. And yes, it’s flash fiction at just under 1000 words.

      I’m glad you’re back to the blogging! I will be visiting.

      Shana Tova!

  2. Nina, your story was wonderful! I admire your ability to say so much with so few words. Almost every sentence had two meanings – the words you used and the implications of those word. I really, really loved it.

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Hi, I'm Nina

HI, I’M NINA BADZIN. I’m a writer fascinated by the dynamics of friendship, and I’ve been answering anonymous advice questions on the topic since 2014. I now also answer them on my podcast, Dear Nina! I’m a creative writing instructor at ModernWell in Minneapolis, a freelance writer and editor, and an avid reader who reviews 50 books a year. Welcome to my site! 

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Hi, I'm Nina

DEAR NINA: Conversations About Friendship is a podcast and newsletter about the ups and downs of adult friendship. I’m the host, Nina Badzin, a Minneapolis-based writer who accepted a position as a friendship advice columnist in 2014 and never stopped. DEAR NINA, the podcast, started in 2021, and has been referenced in The Wall Street JournalThe Washington PostTime Magazine, The GuardianThe Chicago TribuneThe Minneapolis Star Tribune, and elsewhere

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