Panel: Writing Fiction. These authors tackle difficult subject matter with freshness, clarity, and force. Allen-Yazzie infuses her book with tart, twisted humor while Gills mixes a chaotic world with hints of magical realism. Allen-Yazzie is the author of The Arc and the Sediment, which deals with issues such as the relationship between women and mental illness in fiction. Allen-Yazzie’s stories have appeared in Eclectica Magazine, Black River Review, and Dos Passos Review. She holds an MFA in creative writing from the University of Utah. Gills is the author of Why I Lie, which won the Utah Arts Publication Prize. Both hilarious and painful, Why I Lie is a book of short stories chronicling a young man’s attempt to do good in a violent world; the Salt Lake Tribune calls the tales “disturbingly convincing.” Gills’ stories have appeared in Oxford American’s Best of the South issue, Shenandoah, and The Gettysburg Review. He teaches writing in the Honors Department at the University of Utah.