A Night of Narrative Thursday, April 4, 2024 at 7:00pm
Nothing but story songs! Robert Morgan Fisher is an award-winning Writer/Musician. He has written or co-written countless Americana story song standards including: “Mr. Schwinn,” “A Life in Music” and “Don’t You Wanna Go to Mars?” (which was included in the Maven Rocket is actually now ON the planet Mars). He is also an encyclopedia of story songs. His short fiction has won The Montana Humor Prize, The Chester B. Himes Prize and he was a finalist for the Steinbeck Award. A night of nothing but STORIES in music with a dash of micro-fiction/prose poetry and surprise guests thrown in. Each show contains 95% new material. This is the second show in his 2024 residency and will have a somewhat Gothic feel, since April is the Cruelest Month.
Opening tale by Brian Evenson!
Brian Evenson will open the show with a reading of a very short story. Brian is the most important Slipstream/Weird Fiction writer in America right now. His awards include O. Henry, World Fantasy, The Shirley Jackson, International Horror Guild and Edgar Award.
February 2024: It's happening—the first of Robert’s 2024 Night of Narrative shows at The Main Theater in Newhall, CA. Feb. 1 at 7pm. Nothing but STORY SONGS and a tiny bit of spoken word. Both his Night of Narrative Shows in 2023 SOLD OUT. Reserve your tickets now and spread the word! You can order tickets HERE.
November 2023: Robert performs the Star Spangled Banner on the fantail of the USS Iowa to mark Veteran’s Day and follows that with a short program of veteran-related story songs. The ceremony was covered by ABCNews-7
October 2023: Robert awarded a 6-show residency at the Main Theater in Santa Clarita for a Night of Narrative: Stories & Songs in 2024. The shows will take place on Thursday nights every two months starting on Feb. 1 and ending Dec. 5.
August 2023: Robert performs another Night of Narrative show before a full-house at Boulevard Music in Culver City. It’s 2+ hours of story songs (originals as well as covers) as well as some of Robert’s short fiction and some spoken word pieces by Tom Hubbard and Dylan Brody.
June 2023: Robert’s short story collection You Stay Here short is a Finalist for The Hawk Mountain Short Story Collection Award, winner TBA.
June-July 2023: Robert, a WGA and SAG-AFTRA member has been seen busking rousing songs of Union Solidarność on picket lines around LA with legendary studio sideman folk-brother John O’Kennedy on mandolin.
Robert and the legendary John O’Kennedy holding the line alongside a mystery man with a long face. (That’s actually rumored to be Wordcommando and fellow writer Andrew Orillion).
March 2023: Robert’s short story “Soul of the Storm” published in Volume 5 of SHIFT the official literary magazine of the incredibly hip Middle Tennessee State University. “Soul of the Storm” was the lead story in their Climate Change issue and caused such a stir that they interviewed him.
March 2023: Three of Robert’s UCLA Wordcommandos (known as The Seal Team Six of Veteran Writing Workshops) were honored by WordTheatre in Hollywood at a sold-out Salute to Veteran Writers featuring A-list actors such as Sharon Stone, John Savage, Griffin Dunne, Bill Pullman and many others reading their work at the 400-seat Post 43 Theater. They were honored alongside famous veteran/writers Tobias Wolff, Richard Bausch and Tim O’Brien. John Savage was so wound up by his reading of Tom Bird’s memoir excerpt (a MS which Robert edited, btw—he helped Cedering Fox curate the entire show) that they talked for an hour afterwards about everything from The Deer Hunter to Milos Forman’s Hair — both of which John starred in. Gentle Culpepper sat alongside fellow Vietnam combat veteran and Special Forces soldier Tobias Wolff during the riveting performances where legendary actors tried to outdo each other. It was that kind of night.
Actor John Savage with Wordcommando Brian O’Hare whose short story collection Surrender won the 2022 Veteran’s Writing Award—the biggest award given to veteran/writers.
Robert and soul-brother Brian O’Hare.
Red Carpet role call L-R: WCs Peter Trivelas, Pablo Agrio, Elaine Little (whose story was read by Sharon Stone), rmf, Gentle Culpepper, Mark Castro and Mat Ray Von.
L-R: The mighty Tobias Wolff, Wordcommandos Mark Castro and Gentle Culpepper and acclaimed author Richard Bausch.
A page from the red carpet program.
Robert with actor Bill Pullman.
Curtain Call!
February 2023: Robert performs the first Night of Narrative show before a sold-out audience at Coddy Nuckols A-Frame House Concert Series. It’s 2+ hours of story songs (originals as well as covers) as well as some of Robert’s short fiction and some spoken word pieces by Tom Hubbard and Dylan Brody.
January 2023: Robert’s short story “The Anti-Prep” will appear in Dress Him Up: A Tailored Collection of Bespoke Fiction anthology, forthcoming from New Lit Salon Press in 2023.
July 2022: Due to popular demand, Robert’s short story, “Hitler’s Typewriter,” which won the Whitefish Review’s 2021 Montana Humor Prize (judged by Jimmy Kimmel and Huey Lewis—yes, Huey Lewis), has been posted online for all to read and enjoy. It was previously only available in print.
June 2022: Robert’s short story "Extremity" once again chosen as one of 5 finalists for the Missouri Review's 2022 Perkoff Prize which recognizes fiction about health and medicine.
January 2022: Robert’s short story, “Sign Spinner: The Movie,” is named Honorable Mention for the 2021 Rick DeMarinis Prize.
November 2021: Robert's UCLA Wordcommandos work appeared in a WordTheatre Veteran's Day Tribute. Will Mackin (Bring Out the Dog Random House), and Tom Bird (Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam HBO) headlined, followed by seven UCLA Wordcommandos flash fiction pieces read by famous actors. You can listen for free to two of the featured stories at wordtheatre.org/podcast: "Gold Star" by Noelle Brunelle read by Bellamy Young and "Hubby" by Gentle Culpepper read by Gary Dourdan (it's episode 47). Here are the actors who read the stories on November 7:
(clockwise from upper left) Actors David Soul (Salem’s Lot, Starsky & Hutch), Bellamy Young (Prodigal Son, Scandal), Catherine Dent (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,The Shield), Eugene Byrd (Bones, 8 Mile), Gary Dourdan (First Wives Club, CSI: Crimes Scene Investigation), Kevin Kilner (Dynasty, Bonding), Paul Pape (Saturday Night Fever, Voice of Obama, Clinton & Biden Presidential campaigns), Tim Ryan (No Ordinary Family, China Beach) and Vincent Piazza (Jersey Boys, Boardwalk Empire) step into these powerful stories!
September 2021: Robert's story, "Vox Rex," is a Finalist for the Missouri Review Miller Audio Prize in the Humor Category.
September 2021: Robert's short story, "Our Fallen Tribute," which appeared in the 2018 music-themed issue of The Avenue is finally published online after the initial print run completely sold out due to strong reader demand.
August 2021: Robert's short story "Hitler's Typewriter" published in The Whitefish Review and named Winner of the 2021 Montana Humor Prize, judged by Jimmy Kimmel and Huey Lewis.
January 2021: Robert’s short story, “Pipe Dream Paste,” named 2nd Runner-up for the Great American Fiction Prize and published in The Saturday Evening Post.
December 2020: Judy Scott’s memoir about Leonard Cohen, Leonard, Marianne, and Me, which Robert edited, is coming out from Backbeat Books in May of 2021.
December 2020: Robert’s short story, “Himself,” published in Blood and Bourbon #7.
October 2020: Robert’s UCLA Wordcommandos were featured once again at LALitCrawl.
September 2020: Robert’s short story, “Song Pull,” appearing in the Fall issue of Cowboy Jamboree Magazine.
August 2020: Robert’s short story, “Superlative,” which appeared last year in The Potato Soup Journal, selected for inclusion in the Feral Cat Publishers’ forthcoming anti-fascist anthology Dear Leader Tales.
August 2020: Robert’s short story, “A Woman Burned,” and the companion song “Colorado” written by Robert and Darryl Purpose, published in issue #52 of The Wild Word.
August 2020: Robert’s short story, “Barfquake” published in UK’s Grey Thoughts The Writers Club.
July 2020: Robert's short story "AxePatriot" Appears in Upstreet Issue #16.
June 2020: Robert’s short story, “Abatement,” appeared in the online Canadian journal Pandemic Publications.
October 2019: Robert’s flash-fiction short story “Superlative” published in the Potato Soup Journal.
October 2019: The UCLA Wordcommandos, led by Robert, gave a stellar performance the Annual LA LitCrawl in downtown LA at the Last Bookstore in Sunday, October 6th.
August 2019: Robert’s short story “Artificial Reef,” which is being published in Volume 8 of the Southeast Missouri State University Proud to Be anthology of military service literature, was chosen by the Missouri Humanities Council as the Winner in the Fiction Category with a cash prize of $250.
June 2019: Robert’s short story, “Hannityville Horror,” published in Storyscape Journal Issue 22.
April 2019: Robert read his short story, “I, Clown,” at the LA Times Festival of Books on the campus of USC.
April 2019: Robert read his short story, “Avoidable,” as part of Tasty Words Series at Senator Jones in Santa Monica, CA, alongside Cindy Chupack, Stephen Tobolowski and others.
April 2019: Robert’s short story, “Vacnoids,” will appear in the Keep Texas Salty Anthology, due out in the spring of 2020.
February 2019: Robert’s short story, “The Scorch,” is one of three Finalists for the John Steinbeck Award and appears in Issue #152 of Reed Magazine.
December 2018: Robert’s short story, “Our Fallen Tribute,” appears in the Fall, 2018 issue of The Avenue: A Mid-Atlantic Journal.
November 2018: Robert wins the coveted 2018 Chester B. Himes Fiction Prize for his short story, “The Line.” Judge Antonio Ruiz-Camacho, had this to say:
"What a delight it was to read "The Line." I am usually drawn to rather obscure stories that illuminate through suffering and grief the most neglected crevices of the human condition. But in a time when fiction seems unable to trump reality's desolation, "The Line" is the kind of story I needed to read. It reminded me that, no matter how desolate the world may become, no matter how absurd choosing hope may be, it is in the darkest of times that we should dare embrace our most hopeful dreams.
Inspired by Miguel de Cervantes's Don Quixote, "The Line" is delirious, and gripping, and smart. Its language is swift and sharp, its characterizations bold and quick, and the surprises it holds for you at the end make it ultimately moving. But, above all, it's a daringly funny story – and making a reader laugh out loud is a high, rather tough, art.
And in times of hopelessness, it is also a necessity, an artist's responsibility.
I was so thankful to read "The Line." I enjoyed its joyful, irreverent take on a seemingly untouchable classic of literature. It reminded me how ambitious, how bold, it is to keep hoping for the best even when all you see looming in the horizon is pitch black."
“The Line” will be appearing in The Ocotillo Review Volume 3.1 (release date 02/01/2019).
November 2018: Robert teaches his acclaimed online course, Rub a Little Funny On it starting 11/5. It's "asynchronous" meaning you participate when it's convenient for you and you'll laugh and learn a lot. Join RMF on this gelogenic journey! RESERVE YOUR SPOT NOW or share with any inspired writers you know.
October 2018: Robert will play “The Waiting” live on the XM Sirius Tom Petty Channel between 7 and 10pm on Saturday, October 20th to help mark the one-year anniversary of Tom’s passing.
October 2018: Robert’s short story, “The Line” is one of 20 stories shortlisted for the 2018 Chester B Himes Fiction Prize. Final judge is Antonio Ruiz Camacho and the winner will be announced in November.
October 2018: Robert’s short story, “Our Fallen Tribute,” accepted for publication later this fall by The Avenue, a mid-Atlantic online and print literary journal.
October 2018: Robert’s short story, “Silence Between,” is published in the online literary journal, typishly.
September/October 2018: Tickets now available for the 11/11 Veteran’s Day New Short Fiction Series salute to Robert’s UCLA Wordcommandos at The Federal in North Hollywood. Robert will open the show with a set of veteran/patriotic songs. This is sure to sell out. Details and tickets HERE.
September 2018: Robert interviewed by Sandy Jacobson on LA Talk Radio’s Backstage LA. Full interview available on Robert’s AUDIO PORTAL.
September 2018: Robert’s short story, “Wad,” and his essay on the UCLA Wordcommandos appears in the Fall 2018 issue of Teach. Write. Magazine.
September 2018: Robert’s review of Brad Watson’s novel, Miss Jane, will appear in the Fall, 2018 issue of Pleiades.
July 2018: Robert’s short story, "Avoidable," headlines the Rage-Themed issue of THE WILD WORD, a Berlin-based literary magazine.
April 2018: Robert/s UCLA Wordcommando creative writing students will be featured in a special Veteran's Day presentation of The New Short Fiction Series, LA's longest-running spoken word series, this coming Veteran's Day in November.
March 2018: Robert's unpublished short story collection, Cabaret Nation, was one of six Finalists for the 2018 New American Fiction Prize, Judged by Lori Ostlund.
September 28, 2017: Robert will be appearing with spoken word deity Dylan Brody at The Coffee Gallery Backstage David Harvey Presents Show in Alta Dena, CA on Thursday, September 28th at 8pm. Tickets are $10. Robert will open the show with an hour's worth of short fiction and companion songs to those pieces. He will also be reading an excerpt from his new novel, The Long Trample, which is currently making the rounds of top publishing houses in NYC. This will be a very special show.
September 2017: At long last, it looks like The Arkansas Review will soon be posting Robert's short story, "Paintball," which appeared a year ago in their gorgeous print edition. The link currently only shows the table of contents. Hopefully they'll publish a PDF of the entire issue soon.
April 2017: On Saturday, April 29th at 8pm, Robert and Chad Watson will headline West Valley Music at the corner of Vanowen and Valley Circle in West Hills, California. The opening act is the legendary Tom Kell w/ Paula Fong. Seating is limited, so call 818-992-4142 to reserve. Download Flyer
March 2017: Robert's short story collection, You Stay Here: Tales from the Military Family Diaspora is a Finalist for the 2017 New Rivers Press Many Voices Award. The book now goes on the final round and will be published if it wins.
March 2017: Robert is asked to join the faculty of Antioch University Santa Barbara. He will be teaching Fiction, Creative Nonfiction and Screenwriting in their Low-Residency MFA Program.
February 2017: Less than a year after its creation, Robert's UCLA Wordcommandos Creative Writing Workshop for Veterans with PTSD expands to twice-weekly meetings. The program, considered an unqualified success by the VA and UCLA, has seen three participants accepted for publication within the last four months.
January 2017: Finalist Whitefish Review Montana Prize for his unpublished short story, "The Scorch," Judge—Rick Bass
December 2016: Robert's short story, "The Man, The Myth," is one of two short stories to appear in the National Edition of Red Wheelbarrow. Robert traveled to San Jose for the publication party and gave a reading.
October 2016: Hosted the Antioch Alumni Readings at LitCrawl LA in North Hollywood and read his short story, "Vox Rex."
September 2016: Robert's short story, "Paintball," appears in The Arkansas Review.
July 2016: Robert signs for screenwriting representation with Vincent Cesarani of Third Wave.
July 2016: Robert's short story, "Sealed," appears alongside iconic stories by Norman Spinrad and Kate Wilhelm in the definitive Anthology of Speculative War Fiction: Deserts of Fire, published by Skyhorse Books.
May, 2016: Britta Lee Shain's memoir about her love affair with Bob Dylan, Seeing the Real You at Last, is released to critical praise. Robert worked extensively with Britta as her Book Coach and is prominently mentioned in the acknowledgments.
May 2016: Robert's short story, "Ascension," appears in The Journal of Microliterature.
May 2016: Robert's review of Peter Selgin's The Inventors is published in The Rumpus.
April 2016: Robert is hired by UCLA to run a weekly creative writing workshop for veterans suffering from PTSD.
April 2016: Robert's story, "Lamplicker," will appear in a forthcoming issue of 34th Parallel.
March 2016: Robert's story, "Titty," appears in Intrinsick Mag.
February 2016: Robert's story, "The Man, The Myth," has been selected to appear in the 2016 edition of Red Wheelbarrow, due out in the Fall.
November 2015: Robert will be teaching an ONLINE course for Antioch's Inspiration2Publication Program in February titled Be Heard! Recording Your Writing. Cost is only $99 — register HERE.
November 2015: Robert's short story "Performance" earns publication and an Honorable Mention in the Gemini Magazine 2015 Flash Fiction Competition.
November 2015: Robert co-hosts a writing workshop at Antioch University alongside Patrick O'Neil (Gun, Needle, Spoon Dzanc Books 2015).
October 2015: Robert's short story, "Sealed," to be published in the forthcoming anthology, DESERTS OF FIRE, alongside stories by Kate Wilhelm, Norman Spinrad and others. DOF features stories taking place in or during the Iraq War. The audio version of the story first appeared in Golden Walkman Magazine in 2014.
August 2015: Registration is now open for Robert's Online Antioch I2P course, Rub a Little Funny on It: Humor in Short Fiction. Class takes place in October—reserve HERE.
July 2015: The Spry Literary Journalinterviews Robert regarding his short story, "If It Hurts," which they published in 2014.
July 2015: Robert's prize-winning short story, "Vox Rex," airs on the Missouri Review's Soundbooth Podcast. The podcast can be heard HERE.
June 2015: Robert is hired as a Writing Specialist for Antioch University.
May 2015: Robert hired by A-Team Entertainment as a script doctor for a feature film project with major stars attached.
April 2015: For the second year in a row, Robert's unpublished collection of short stories about military dependents, You Stay Here, named as a Long List Finalist for the 2015 Serena McDonald Kennedy Fiction Award. Short List Finalists to be named this summer and the Grand Prize winner will be published in the fall.
March 2015: Robert's online course Find Your Brand, Find Your Voice is once again being offered by Antioch University's I2P (Inspiration to Publication) Program. The course studies famous short stories and authors with an eye towards Branding. The next start date is May 2nd, 2015 and those interested should reserve now HERE. Robert also works as a Certified Book Coach—both privately and for Antioch University. For more information or help with your writing project contact Robert directly (see CONTACT).
March 2015: Robert’s essay on the dynamics of fiction characterization, "T" for Triangulation, is published in the Spry Literary Journal.
October 2014: Robert's short story course which he designed for the Antioch University Inspiration to Publication (I2P) Online Program, Find Your Brand, Find Your Voice, is successfully launched. In 2015, Robert will continue teaching at Antioch and also work as an I2P Book Coach.
October 2014: Robert's short story "Wand," was an official selection at the LA LitCrawl in North Hollywood and read by actor David Bickford.
Fall 2014: Robert's short story "Air Show" appears in Volume 2, Number 4; Summer 2014 issue of 0-Dark-Thirty, the official literary magazine of the Veteran's Memorial Project.
September 11, 2014: Robert is featured in Artist's Entrance, Ep. 5, Tracy Newman's acclaimed interview series with Los Angeles Singer Songwriters.
September 2014: Robert voices the role of serial killer Clayton Broom in the audiobook version of Lauren Beukes's best-selling thriller Broken Monsters. Stephen King says: "Scary as hell and hypnotic. I couldn't put it down... I'd grab it if I were you."
June 2014: Robert graduates from Antioch University with an MFA in Creative Writing with a specialization in Fiction and a 4.0 GPA. Robert will be teaching his first online class at Antioch during the 2014 Summer-Fall Semester.
Summer 2014: "Sealed" (audio short story written and voiced by Robert) airs in Golden Walkman Magazine (podcast)
Summer 2014: Robert's essay on reading, "To Bail or Not to Bail," published on the Bleed—Jaded Ibis Publishing site.
Spring 2014: Robert's short-story, "Burrito," published in Psychopomp Magazine.
Spring 2014: Robert's short story, "Welcome to Sire's," published in issue 26 of Britain's prestigious glossy journal, 34th Parallel.
Spring 2014: Robert's graduate school thesis novel-in-progress, The Long Trample, named as a finalist for the 2013 Dana Awards.
Spring 2014: Robert's unpublished collection of short stories about military dependents, You Stay Here, named as a finalist for the 2014 Serena McDonald Kennedy Award.
November 16, 2012: Robert Morgan Fisher's song "Don't You Wanna Go to Mars?" has won the Best Folk/Acoustic Category at the prestigious 2012 Hollywood Music In Media Awards. The song is from his new album Notes for a Novel (available on disc and digital from CDBaby.com) and features Janis Ian lending harmony. Earlier this year, "Don't You Wanna Go to Mars?" placed in the Top 6 Folk Songs of the Year in the 2012 Song of the Year Competition and has been added to the JPL rotation of songs used to wake up astronauts in space. The star-studded, red-carpet HMMA ceremony took place at the Henry Fonda Theater in Hollywood and winning this award is considered to be a major career milestone for a music artist.
November 1, 2012: "Notes For A Novel" reaches #1 on the Roots/Folk Internet Radio Airplay Chart!
"Don't You Wanna Go to Mars?" nominated for the 2012 Hollywood Music in Media Awards in the Folk/Acoustic category.
September, 2012: One of three writers selected to have their "traffic-themed" short stories read by Emmy-winning actors as part of The City of LA's Artmaggedon city-wide event.
"Don't You Wanna Go to Mars?" makes SONG OF THE YEAR list of The Top 6 Folk Songs of 2012.
Included in 2010 Galleycat Best Authors on Facebook List.
Honored by City of L.A.'s New Short Fiction Series™ in 2010 with a produced reading of four selected stories from Cabaret Nation.
Runner-Up, 2010 Ohio State University Fiction Prize for short story collection, Cabaret Nation.
Prominently mentioned in the acknowledgments of Jillian Lauren’s best-selling memoir, Some Girls: My Life in a Harem (Penguin 2010) and Marika Roth's memoir and Book-of-the-Month Club selection All the Pretty Shoes (Wyatt-MacKenzie 2011).
New Regency (2008) and Paramount (2010): Script options for the feature film comedy, My Middle Earth Crisis.
2006: Two of Robert's songs "We'll Buy a Flag" and "Jester King" reach #1 on the Neil Young Living With War Songs of The Times Chart - beating out several thousand other songs.
Grand Prize, Lyric Category, 2006 International Narrative Songwriting Competition for "Angel Within."
Atomium Pictures/DreamWorks: 2-time option for screenplay adaptation of Robert's comic novel Minor Weiss (2003).
New Century Writer Award for Best Unpublished Novel: Minor Weiss (2002).
Grand Prize, Washington State Film Office Screenwriting Competition for adaptation of his dramatic novel, Set the Poem Free (2000).
Publishing Online Great North American Fiction Prize for Best Unpublished Novel: Set the Poem Free (2000).
Writer for UPN reality show Red Handed (2000).
Staff Writer/Producer/Actor for Premiere Radio Comedy from 1995-2001.
Staff Writer for The Watcher, a one-hour anthology series on UPN (1994).
Grand Prize, Writers Digest Screenwriting Competition: Swappers (1994).
September 28, 2017: Robert will be appearing with spoken word deity Dylan Brody at 
