Valerie Fioravanti

Writer * Writing Instructor * Coach

Valerie Fioravanti Home     Sacramento Workshops     Stories on Stage     Contact Me      
WRITER
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I write fiction, essays, and prose poems. My story collection, The Brooklyn Shuffle, was recently a finalist for the Tartt First Book Award. My stories have appeared in North American Review, Cimarron Review, Hunger Mountain, and Green Mountains Review, among others. My stories and prose poems have earned four Pushcart Prize nominations, and special mention in Pushcart Prize XXVIII. I received a Fulbright Fellowship (Italy) to research my novel, Bel Casino, which is one of two novels currently in the works.

INSTRUCTOR
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I teach short story and multi-genre classes online for the UCLA Writers' Extension and private workshops from my home in midtown Sacramento. I've previously taught writing for New Mexico State University and National University's MFA Program. Please email me if you would like further information about my teaching schedule/interests.

COACH
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If you are a writer who prefers individual mentoring, I do work with writers privately when my schedule allows. My coaching methods are holistic; in addition to comprehensive feedback on specific work, I discuss your overall writing needs and recommend authors and/or craft books to study. Sometimes I suggest/assign exercises. For coaching, I charge a per page rate of $10 per page for short pieces.
A page, for billing purposes, utilizes Times New Roman 12 pt font, double spaced, with one-inch margins.

For poetry or scholarly writing, I recommend the services of Dorine Jennette.

EDUCATION
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I received my Master's of Fine Arts (MFA) degree in Fiction from New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, NM, under the fine tutelage of writers Kevin (Mc) McIlvoy, Robert (Boz) Boswell, Toni Nelson, and Connie Voisine.

I received my Bachelor's of Arts in Liberal Arts with an emphasis in Literature/Writing from the New School in New York City, where I was born and raised.




                          

LINKS

I have three stories published online:

"Kissing Decisions" in Night Train

"Bouquet" in Babel Fruit
(This is a reprint. "Bouquet" was originally published in Green Mountains Review.)

"Distance" in Pindeldyboz

I have two stories available in .pdf form:

"Beer Money" from Harpur Palate,
Volume 6.2

"Mama Loves You" from the premier issue of Cantaraville (large file warning: this is a review copy of the entire issue). My story begins on page 158.




Below is a video from my reading at the Sacramento Poetry Center in June. I'm reading a condensed version of my story "Garbage Night at the Opera." The videographer is poet Tim Kahl.















NEWS
My short short "Kissing Decisions" is the story of the week over at Night Train.
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Stories on Stage was featured on Capitol Public Radio's Insight program last week. You can listen to the clip here (we're at the end).
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The Fall 2009 issue of REAL is out, and includes my story "Local Man."
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At the UCLA Writers' Extension in 2010, I'm teaching Advanced Short Story this spring, and Flash Fiction in Summer. If interested, you can view my instructor page. For the Flash Fiction course, we'll be reading exclusively from online literary journals that publish flash frequently, if not exclusively. Each week we'll focus on a different journal/site. I'm having a great time reading through the archives of magazines like Mississippi Review online, Pindeldyboz, Vestal Review (and six others!).
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I was interviewed about my workshops by the Sacramento Press, a local paper that encourages citizen journalism. You can read the article here.
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The new issue of Silk Road (Volume 4) includes my essay "Becoming Italian." This journal focuses upon travel and place-based writing, so if that's an interest you should check them out.
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Thanks to Shelley Blanton-Stroud for including my workshops as part of five ways to scratch that local literary itch. Shelley writes for the Examiner on all things literary in Sacramento. You can read her article here.
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New Pages mentioned my story "Beer Money" in their review of Harpur Palate. The reviewer wrote, "If fiction is supposed to make humans more tolerant...this is a must-read story for the journey to enlightenment." You can read the full review here.