Late last summer, we launched our first flash contest: The Split Lip Summer Mixtape Flash Contest (Vol. 1). It was so much fun to read everyone's different takes on the playlist our judge Juan Martinez came up with, and we're thrilled to bring you the work of our winners in our March issue. Ashley Hutson, author of "Something Else," discusses how her story came to be.

1. How did the playlist inspire you? 

I liked the concept. Each song tells a story, and the playlist itself tells its own story. Whateve...

Pictured

1. My beloved metal tanker desk chair. A neighbor gave me the chair and ginormous matching desk for free about 20 years (and seven houses) ago—the only part I paid for was reupholstering the chair in purple velvet. Most of my books were written at that desk. When we bought this cabin in Tahoe last year, the desk wouldn’t fit up the spiral staircase, so I regrettably had to sell it, but I held on to the chair for dear life. I used the dining table as my desk for a while and eventually found th...

The calendar says March but it's still February in our hearts as we celebrate our beautiful second issue of 2018. This month's featured memoir comes from Francisco Martínezcuello, who gives "Cup of Stars," a glimpse of his reading pile, and the single best word for:

1)      Your last dream: Suicide 
2)      The feeling you've forgotten something: Panic
3)      Your driver's license photo: Detached
4)      Your sense of style: Diaspora
5)...

We're about to descend onto Tampa for AWP! If you missed our Twitter chat, here's a recap of our best advice on how to make the most of the conference and what kind of delights you can expect from Split Lip:

What’s your best #AWP18 survival advice?

--If your airline allows 2 free check ins, pack your suitcase in a bigger empty suitcase for all your AWP shwag and BOOKS. --@jpalmeadows

--Careful when you gossip in public. You never know who is listening and the publishing world is SO small. - @jpalmeadows

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