The characters—young and old, queer and straight, contemporary and historical—who inhabit Lynn C. Miller’s stories often find themselves in defining moments and crisis situations. As they search through the archives of memory, truth, and experience, they seek to understand not only the past and present but themselves.
Stretching the definition of “archive” Miller builds interconnected webs that surprise, much like the seemingly random papers collected in a box of materials. Fraught relationships, mistaken identities, mysterious disappearances, and the search for love play out in these stories. Friendships are celebrated, ex-husbands cross the line, and Gertrude Stein attempts to write her memoir.
An unusual collection that proves greater than the sum of its parts, The Lost Archive will haunt readers with the intensity of its vision.
Awards:
- Gold medal winner award in short story collections from the Midwest Independent Publishers Association (MIPA), 2024
- Bronze award winner, the Foreward Indies, 2024
- Finalist, Next Generation Indie Book Awards in the LGBTQ+ category, 2024
Reviews:
“A deftly crafted, uncommon, extraordinary, entertaining, and thought-provoking collection of original stories by an impressively talented author that will linger in the mind and memory of the reader long after it is finished and set back on the shelf.”—Midwest Book Review
“As Lynn Miller’s people search the archives of their lives to establish or reestablish their purpose, she shows us, file by file, story by story, how intimately we are all connected to each other. The Lost Archive is laced through with humor and heartache, interwoven with strange, charmed moments of joy.” —Jesse Lee Kercheval, author of Underground Women
“Miller’s The Lost Archive gives us an astonishing and pleasing array of styles and modes in stories that both move and surprise us with their depth and inventiveness. Ranging from a tiny yet powerful gem in which a young girl learns that her father gets letters from a secret child to a compelling treatment of the turmoil in Gertrude Stein’s household, this collection shows a virtuoso’s command of short fiction’s full range.” —C. W. Smith, author of Girl Flees Circus
“These twenty-two stories are pinned with precision into four exhibits showcasing unexpected human behavior. Lynn C. Miller highlights the decisions we make, big and small, that bring us together and pull us apart. Memory is key—the fallibility of it and the way in which it makes each of our lives a distorted dream. I fell into this book nosefirst and didn’t stop furrowing until I came out the other side.” —Sherrie Flick, author of Thank Your Lucky Stars and Whiskey, Etc.
“Crisp, smart, accessible and engaging.”—Albuquerque Journal Read the full review.
“So many of the stories read stuck with me, I couldn’t stop thinking about them in between sittings, and I just kept reaching for it again….”—@rumpledpages Read more of the review.
“Miller turns her hand to first-, second-, and third-person points of view with consistent skill, her descriptions of people and places are detailed and vivid, and the dialogue between her characters is authentic and believable….I felt uplifted by these stories where women take back control and twist the narrative….There are also less uplifting stories that nonetheless convey important, resonant messages about sexism and rape culture. The Lost Archive is a well-written and wide-ranging short story collection that’s full of interesting ideas.”—Dr. Alice Violett Read the full review.
Interviews:
Five Directions Press, “Interview with Lynn C. Miller”: Includes a discussion of the writing of The Lost Archive, as well as the art and craft of short story writing itself. Read the full interview.
ABQ Magazine, “Weaving Through Lives,” an interview with Lynn C. Miller. Read the full interview.
New Books Network, “The Lost Archive,” an interview with Lynn C. Miller. Listen here.
