In "My Teacher, My Students, Myself" published on September 16, 2024 on THE BREVITY BLOG, Liz deBeer recounts her writing journey from a discouraging comment from a professor to rediscovering her creative passion.
Many years ago, when I was working toward a master’s degree in English at Rutgers University, my instructor, an acclaimed author, saw himself as a gatekeeper: a judge who determined who had a story worthy of telling, as opposed to everyone else whom he felt was wasting his time.
He responded to a short story I handed in with a single word: NO. It was typed on white paper, centered in the middle. No comments, no encouragement, no reflection.
Liz deBeer's flash has appeared in BULL, Fictive Dream, Bending Genres, and others. A volunteer reader for Flash Fiction Magazine and a teacher and writer with Project Write Now, Liz's debut chapbook FAREWELL TO EMPTINESS will be released in April 2026. Follow Liz at ldebeerwriter.com and lizardstale.substack.com.
