This month we’re featuring Pittsburgh writer Lisa Slage Robinson, author of Esquire Ball: Stories From the Great Black Swamp, which was just released in February. Robinson was named a finalist for Midwest Review’s Great Midwest Fiction Contest, and her work has appeared in many literary publications.

Pittsburgh author Sharon Flake released the second book of her three-book children’s series, Hattie Mae Begins Again, on January 13, 2026. The series chronicles the adventures and challenges of young Hattie Mae, who leaves home to attend an elite boarding school in Philadelphia.

For Anna Bruno, Pittsburgh wasn’t just a great place to grow up; it was the perfect setting for her second novel, Fine Young People. She currently resides in Iowa, but her Pittsburgh roots are evident in the coming-of-age murder mystery set at a prep school in Sewickley. Bruno attended high school at Shady Side Academy in Fox Chapel, which provided the inspiration for the fictional St. Ignatius school, the setting for the book. 

Rodney Phillips’ debut novel began in a less than traditional way: in the warehouse of a discount furniture store in Pittsburgh, thirty-seven years ago. Phillips was 19 years old and working his way through college, and his job allowed plenty of downtime. To pass the hours, he started writing.