We’re going to be hosting a reading and interview with Patricia Q. Bidar on January 31st at 9pm NYC. We hope you’ll come and help us celebrate the publication of Patricia’s debut short fiction collection, Pardon Me for Moonwalking.
Date: January 31
Time: 9pm NYC. Please check for your particular time zone
Duration: around 90 minutes
Zoom Link: Request the link by sending an email to editor@smokelong.com
Dive into the bittersweet, beautifully peculiar world of Patricia Q. Bidar’s Pardon Me for Moonwalking, a collection of short stories that illuminate the offbeat, the tender, and the painfully human. Each story offers a glimpse into the extraordinary moments of seemingly ordinary lives, from fleeting encounters with strangers to lifelong battles with identity and connection.
Bidar’s characters grapple with isolation, unspoken longing, and the complex tangle of relationships in settings that range from suburban living rooms to shadowy city streets. With sharp prose, wry humor, and poignant insights, this collection explores themes of love, regret, and the elusive search for meaning in a chaotic world.
Pardon Me for Moonwalking is a literary kaleidoscope of modern life, showcasing the subtle beauty of human resilience and the power of small, unexpected connections.
Patricia Quintana Bidar is a Los Angeles native whose first publication came at age 58. Her short works have appeared in Waxwing, Wigleaf, Smokelong Quarterly, The Pinch, Atticus Review, and Moon City and have been widely anthologized including in Flash Fiction America (W.W. Norton), Best Small Fictions 2023 and 2024 (Alternating Current), and Best Microfiction 2023 (Pelekinesis Press). Patricia’s novelette, Wild Plums (ELJ Press) is available from Amazon. Her collection of short works, Pardon Me For Moonwalking, is coming in 2025 from Unsolicited Press. Patricia Bidar lives with her family and unusual dog outside of Oakland, California. Visit patriciaqbidar.com
In its third year, The March Micro Marathon will be, as usual, a prompt-a-day whirlwind for 24 days. You’ll exchange drafts of micro fiction, non-fiction, and prose poetry in small groups and gather for a series of online events (all recorded for participants unable to attend live). We’ll finish with 3 competitions, and participants who are not already in SmokeLong Fitness will be invited to workshop with SmokeLong Fitness until the end of April!