Entry Level

by Wendy Wimmer

Entry Level, the debut short story collection of Wendy Wimmer, selected by Deesha Philyaw as the winner of the 2021 Autumn House Fiction Prize, focuses on an eclectic cast of characters trying to find, assert, or salvage their identities.

These fifteen stories center around the experience of being underemployed—whether by circumstance, class, gender, race, or other prevailing factors—and the toll this takes on an individual. Wimmer pushes the boundaries of reality, creating stories that are funny, fantastic, and at times terrifying. 

Her characters undergo feats of endurance, heartbreak, and loneliness, all while trying to succeed in a world that so often undervalues them. From a young marine biologist suffering from imposter syndrome and a haunting to a bingo caller facing another brutal snowstorm and a creature that may or not be an angel, Wimmer’s characters are all confronting an oppressive universe that seemingly operates against them or is, at best, indifferent to them. These stories reflect on the difficulties of modern-day survival and remind us that piecing together a life demands both hope and resilience.

 

190 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 24, 2022

About the author

My debut short story collection ENTRY LEVEL: STORIES received the 2021 Autumn House Fiction Prize, positive reviews including one from Publisher's Weekly, and a starred Kirkus review. The Washington Post called it one of the short story collections worth reading for fall 2022, and People Magazine called it "gleefully subversive" in its Best New Books feature. The collection sold out on the first day of release and is currently in its third printing less than a year into release. A selection from the book was chosen for Electric Literature's short story features by Kristen Arnett and it was the most read piece on EL in 2022. The book was also recently named to Kirkus Reviews Best Indie Short Fiction for 2022 as well as an honoree for the Society of Midland Authors 2023 Book Awards. My fiction has appeared in literary journals like Barrelhouse, Waxwing, PaperDarts, Per Contra, ANMLY, Blackbird, Drunken Boat and more, as well as receiving nominations for AWP's Intro to Journals, Best New American Voices and two Pushcart nominations. My non-fiction and journalist work has appeared in Self, Sassy, Glamour, Allure, Pink, The Believer and won numerous awards including Editor of the Year and several ASPBE's silver award for Original Web Commentary.