Rob Costello
Rob Costello (he/him) is a queer man who writes dark fiction for and about queer youth. He holds an MFA in Writing from the Vermont College of Fine Arts, and is an alumnus of the Millay Colony for the Arts and the New York State Summer Writers Institute. His stories have appeared in Hunger Mountain, Stone Canoe, The Dark Magazine, Eclectica, Light and Dark Magazine, Narrative, and forthcoming in Rural Voices: 15 Authors Challenge Assumptions About Small-Town America (Candlewick, October 2020). Since 2014 he has been on the faculty of the Highlights Foundation and works as a book coach with emerging Young Adult and Middle Grade fiction writers. He is rep'd by Marie Lamba at jdlit.com. Visit www.cloudbusterpress.com to find out more.
Works

Rural Voices: 15 Authors Challenge Assumptions About Small-Town America
Think you know what rural America is like? Discover a plurality of perspectives in this enlightening anthology of stories that turns preconceptions on their head.
Gracie sees a chance of fitting in at her South Carolina private school, until a "white trash"-themed Halloween party has her steering clear of the rich kids. Samuel's Tejano family has both stood up to oppression and been a source of it, but now he's ready to own his true sexual identity. A Puerto Rican teen in Utah discovers that being a rodeo queen means embracing her heritage, not shedding it. . . .
For most of America's history, rural people and culture have been casually mocked, stereotyped, and, in general, deeply misunderstood. Now an array of short stories, poetry, graphic short stories, and personal essays, along with anecdotes from the authors' real lives, dives deep into the complexity and diversity of rural America and the people who call it home. Fifteen extraordinary authors - diverse in ethnic background, sexual orientation, geographic location, and socioeconomic status - explore the challenges, beauty, and nuances of growing up in rural America. From a mountain town in New Mexico to the gorges of New York to the arctic tundra of Alaska, you'll find yourself visiting parts of this country you might not know existed - and meet characters whose lives might be surprisingly similar to your own.