Stories: The Ariran's last life / Maria Eliza Hamilton Abegunde -- Three letters, one song & a refrain / Chris Abani -- Headstrong historian / Chimananda Ngozi Adichie -- Bread and the land / Jeffery Renard Allen -- Body and soul / Wesley Brown -- Night coming / Desiree Cooper -- Ghosts / Edwidge Danticat -- Been meaning to say / Amina Gautier -- Torturer's wife / Thomas Glave -- Prince Valiant works the black seam / W. David Hall -- Out of body / Glenville Lovell -- A Few good men / David Nicholson.
Novel excerpts: Excerpt from Yellow moon / Jewell Parker Rhodes -- Microstories / John Edgar Wideman -- The Gangsters / Colson Whitehead -- Excerpt from Where the line bleeds / Jesmyn Ward -- Arrivederci, aldo / Kim Skyes
Young adult fiction: Excerpt from Chains / Laurie Halse Anderson -- Excerpt from Up for it : a tale of the underground / L.F. Haines -- Mary Jane / Dorothy Sterling