Tomas Baiza, director of Academic Advising and Support, recently had two short stories published.
“A Reckoning” appears in the anthology 101 Proof Horror published by Czykmate Productions and the Canadian horror outlet, HauntedMTL. The story was one of several hundred submissions for the book and was selected after various rounds of judging.
It centers around a young mother and her mother-in-law who, in their own ways, struggle to find a sense of belonging in the upscale neighborhood in which they find themselves. Their struggle is made worse by a phenomenon that terrorizes the residents of their hillside enclave and both are forced to confront their innermost demons if they hope to survive.
Baiza’s story “Stud” also was accepted by PANK Magazine, whose mission is to promote access to “innovative poetry and prose” and publish “the brightest and most promising writers for the most adventurous readers.” PANK solicited entries for their #Latinxlit Celebration series, judged by UCLA’s Rubén Quesada.
“Stud” follows a 14 year-old’s struggle to navigate the challenges of peer, gender and racial identity development.