Sean Madden

Poet, Fiction Writer

Lincoln, CA
California US
Website: 
www.seanmadden.org

Author's Bio

Sean Madden works for the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office. He holds an MFA from the University of Kentucky and a BA from UC Berkeley. His stories, essays, and poems have appeared in nationally and internationally recognized literary and scholarly journals. He lives in the Sierra Nevada foothills with his wife and sons and is currently seeking representation for a story collection. He is also at work on a novel.

Education: 
University of Kentucky MFA

Publications & Prizes

Fiction

Journals:
Blue River Review
,
Chautauqua
,
Copper Nickel
,
Dappled Things
,
Los Angeles Review
,
Nonconformist Magazine
,
The Coil
,
Umbrella Factory Magazine
,
Waccamaw Journal
,
White Wall Review

Poetry

Journals:
580 Split
,
Arkana
,
Belmont Story Review
,
Broad River Review
,
Carousel
,
Glassworks Magazine
,
Harpur Palate
,
Hawaii Pacific Review
,
Jelly Bucket
,
MacGuffin
,
Mantis: A Journal of Poetry, Criticism & Translation
,
National Poetry Review
,
Ponder Review
,
Roanoke Review
,
Sierra Nevada Review
,
Slant
,
Sport Literate
,
Stillwater Review
,
The Emerson Review
,
Two Thirds North
,
William & Mary Review
Prizes won: 
  • Pushcart Prize (Nominated by The Emerson Review for "Note for Inspector," 2022).
  • 52nd Jerry Jazz Musician Short Fiction Contest (Finalist for "The Growing Terror of Nothing to Think About," 2019).
  • Luminaire Award for Best Prose (Finalist for “How the Lonesome Engine Drivers Pine,” The Coil, Alternating Current Press, 2018).
  • Fourth Annual Emerging Writers Prize (Co-recipient, The John Updike Review, 2017).
  • Tuscany Prize for Catholic Fiction (Finalist for “The Sister’s Inheritance,” 2014).

Personal Favorites

Favorite authors: 
Marcel Proust, John Updike, Bernard Malamud, J.F. Powers, Flannery O'Connor, Richard Russo, John Cheever, Haruki Murakami, Claire Keegan, John Banville, Victor LaValle, Ron Hansen, Chaim Potok, Emma Donoghue.
What I'm reading now: 
Old God's Time by Sebastian Barry

More Information

Gives readings: 
Yes
Travels for readings: 
Yes
Identifies as: 
American
Prefers to work with: 
Any
Fluent in: 
English
Born in: 
San Diego, CA
California
Raised in: 
San Diego, CA
California
Please note: All information in the Directory is provided by the listed writers or their representatives.
Last update: Jan 10, 2025