Writer
My new short story, “Birthday at the Hermitage,” is out now in The Los Angeles Review. It’s set at a hermitage on the outskirts of Ávila, Northern Spain, where I spent many summer afternoons as a child. Writing it gave me the chance to revisit those grounds. I even reached out to the hermitage to confirm some details about the preserved crocodile at the sanctuary entrance, and the keeper sent me a wonderfully thorough description and photos. 🙃
I’m honored to have my short story, “Silencing,” in the May issue of World Literature Today. The piece takes place in Ávila, Spain—where I spent part of my childhood after leaving Bosnia—and it follows an older woman who, while spying on her neighbors out the window, gets herself caught in a complicated misunderstanding. Huge thanks to editor Michelle Johnson and her team for all their care. I’m thrilled to be included in this dream magazine, and in such wonderful company. 
My flash essay, “Francisco, from My Class,” detailing an episode from my childhood in Spain, appears in the new issue of Gigantic Sequins, available for pre-order now.
Lana Spendl 