Sara Read writes contemporary fiction that aims for both the heart and the mind. Her debut novel, JOHANNA THE THIRD, is slated for publication by Graydon House Books (HarperCollins/HQN) in 2023. In JOHANNA THE THIRD, a soccer mom who was once a rising star in the rarefied realm of high art, steals a world-famous portrait of herself from the narcissistic artist who was once her lover, sending her into hiding and on a poignant, funny, and emotional roller-coaster ride of questionable choices and self renewal.
Sara's short stories have been featured in The Missouri Review, Beloit Fiction Journal, and Zone 3 Press, and she has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. She is represented by Laura Bradford of Bradford Literary Agency.
Before she started writing fiction, Sara got a degree in Women’s Studies from U.C. Santa Cruz. She tried the nine-to-five life for about a nanosecond before moving to rural Virginia to become a flute-maker’s apprentice and traditional fiddle player. Some years and two babies later, she returned to school for a Masters in Nursing. A cancer survivor herself, she now has the distinct privilege of caring for cancer patients.
Sara lives in Charlottesville, Virginia, with her husband, two teens, a terrier, and three snarky cats. She loves a long run, a long road trip, and a long talk with a friend.
Photo credit Jen Fariello 2021
Publications:
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"A Boy I Knew Before I Got Like This" (flash fiction) New Reader Magazine, December 2018. This story also received Honorable Mention in the Glimmertrain Very-short Fiction Contest.
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"Brightwood's Theorem" (short story) Zone 3 Press, Fall 2018. This story was also nominated for a Pushcart Prize.
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"Shift" Beloit Fiction Journal, Spring 2018
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"Kimmo in the Pisgah" Missouri Review, Spring 2018.