L. Shapley Bassen

 Coming from SHY CITY HOUSE [Chicago] Fall/Winter ’24

Who would enjoy reading BLUE MONKEYS?

Manhattan Meets Atlantis: What begins as a New York story expands over space and Time, from Manhattan to Bronze Age Crete, from the Hamptons to Yellowstone Park & Seattle. BLUE MONKEYS features 2 scholars who decipher the ancient Minoan language Linear A and translate the story of a sea-faring bull leaper – Pasikennae’s excerpts have the same title as the novel they fit inside like a Matryoshka doll. PLUS, a young woman with synesthesia is doing research at Rockefeller University AND an LA nanny finds love with a dentist from Barcelona — on Crete where another character is filming a volcano-special effects movie. This Upmarket novel is upbeat!

2023

FICTION

12/26/23 The day after Christmas, short story “Where is Her Wallet?” was selected for publication in Zero Readers Issue 6. https://www.zeroreaders.com/ https://pencilhouse.org/

12/14/23 The Heartland Review wrote, “Thank you for sending us [short story] “Why Is Lucky Named Lucky? ” We love it and would like to publish it in the next issue!” The Heartland Review Press, kctcs.edu. 

 9/13/23 NOVEL BLUE MONKEYS ACCEPTED FOR PUBLICATION!!!

shycityhouse.com SHY CITY HOUSE publisher wrote, “Your style and characters are top notch. I love how you’ve built the plot and framed it through a lens you thoroughly understand, while still revolving everything around the characters. It’ll fit right in with what we’re publishing at Shy City House. Realistically, we could see BLUE MONKEYS in print between fall 2024 and spring 2025.” 

POETRY

12/6/2023 Accepted first for their Spring 2020 issue, “After the Race” did eventually appear in the Fall 2023 issue! https://smokyquartz.org/fall-2023-issue/after-the-race/

 10/15/23 “Uncle Phil,” “Niagara was a Coral Reef,” and “Pegasus” appeared in Pegasus, the Kentucky State Poetry Society’s journal. https://pegasus-poetry.org/2023/10/27/l-shapley-bassen/