VCU English students release Flash Fiction compilation

Mark Robinson
Assistant Spectrum Editor

An independent publishing house headed by two VCU students is releasing its fifth book tomorrow at Velocity Comics on W. Broad Street.

The “Front Porch Flash Fiction” release party will start at 7 p.m. Friday night and feature readings from four of the contributing writers.

Sink/Swim Press’ “Front Porch Flash Fiction” is a compilation of concise short stories, most of which are penned by VCU English students. The project marks a step in a different direction for the three-year-old company.

“This is the first book that we didn’t have to compromise on anything, be it size, price point or cover design,” James Moffitt, the founder of Sink/Swim Press, said. “We did the entire book start-to-finish, and it turned out exactly how we envisioned it.”

Morris Reese, Moffitt’s partner at Sink/Swim, agrees.

“We’ve got an amazing artist and an amazing finished product, and I think it’s because we’re slowly learning what’s feasible to do.”

Moffitt, an English graduate student at VCU, funds all of Sink/Swim’s releases out of pocket. He admits the company hasn’t profited from any of its releases yet, but he’s hopeful that “Front Porch Flash Fiction” will be the first to do so.

Reese, a senior English major at VCU, joined Sink/Swim two-and-a-half years ago to help handle the editorial responsibility. He has since branched out and expanded his focus to the art and design facet of the company’s releases.

Reese believes the flash-fiction style teaches writers to focus exclusively on the vital information.

“It gives you a chance to flex that literary muscle without feeling like you’re obligated to pump out thousands and thousands of words,” he said.

Both Moffitt and Reese are adamant about accepting submissions for upcoming projects. Though they don’t know what their next project will be, they aspire to put out a graphic novel at some point in the near future.

“Lit is not a mainstream thing,” Moffitt said. “Especially this kind of stuff, where there are communities of writers that are pushing each other to put out better work and make stuff that is aesthetically and literarily challenging.”

Can’t make it to the release party? Don’t fret. Moffitt and Reese will hand deliver a copy of their latest release to you if you live in Richmond, and pay the $8, of course.

The night of the book release party, Velocity Comics is having a 20-percent-off storewide sale. Sink/Swim press will also be selling some of their previous publications at discounted prices.

Sink/Swim Press’s publications are regularly distributed at Chop Suey Books, as well as Velocity Comics in Richmond. All of their books and music are also available online through their website.

For more information about Sink/Swim, including submission guidelines, visit their website at http://sinkswimpress.com.