Dear prospective reader,
I’m Andrei Atanasov, criminal lawyer and, more importantly, writer.
You’ve reached Attempts To Tell The Truth, my curated corner of the internet.
Here, I publish short, literary essays and stories inspired by some of my favorite authors, while trying to discover my own voice and hone my craft.
I’m based in Romania, a country you probably don’t know much about, which is a good thing for both of us: I can share my stories with a new audience, and you’ve just discovered a writer with a fresh perspective.
What’s my style like?
For essays, think Sherman Alexie meets David Sedaris, while my fiction reads like Raymond Carver had one too many drinks with Roberto Bolaño and decided to call up Yoko Ogawa for a chat.
That’s setting a high bar, I know. You don’t have to take my word (pun not intended, just accepted) for it (in fact, please don’t, always make up your own mind about things).
To that end, how about a sample?
Before you take the leap and subscribe, here are some of my most popular pieces:
Swimming Lessons - A braided essay about summer friendships, death, and truth.
The Lords of Summer - A true story of a lost friendship, green fields, and bygone summers.
Coda - The emotional travails of a middle-aged man who finds out his childhood bully just died.
Snow-Fox vs. Leukemia - What do you do when even your awesome powers aren’t enough to save your child? Snow-Fox comes to grips with his son’s cancer, and the fact that the only one who’ll be able to save little Georgie is himself.
So, do people actually like this stuff?
It seems so. Here’s what readers (including some big names) have been saying:
Andrei is a sharp writer who always leaves me pondering a question and wanting more. —
of
Andrei writes bravely, from the heart, in a way that warmly invites self-reflection and meaningful conversation around the subject of being human. —
of
I really enjoy everything you write, so keep going on writing the way you do 😉 — Sara B, long-time reader
What a thoughtful (and joyful!) newsletter. Andrei is a lovely writer. —
of
Andrei! That last line! Damn! —
on The Lords of Summer
If you're looking for a storyteller with excellent craft, diverse trains of thought, and a big heart, Andrei is that person. —
of Nōto by Erika Tovi
What an incredibly beautiful story! I absolutely loved it. To be able to create something like that, and so quickly, shows such talent, real creativity. —
, reader, on Santa’s Last Job
In closing, a bit more about me.
Andrei Atanasov is my pen name. It’s surprisingly similar to my real name, though, in that both are Bulgarian in origin and are connected to immortality.
Professionally, I’m a criminal lawyer working in the public sector, but my real passion has always been literature.
I’ve been a voracious reader for years, ever since my high school Romanian teacher introduced me to the wonders of the literary world, and I have been writing seriously since the end of 2019, when I penned a short story about a man who set himself on fire.
Since then, my stories and essays have been published and reprinted in numerous literary magazines, including Eunoia Review, Flash Fiction Magazine, and Every Day Fiction.
These days, my work tends to be lighter in tone (even, sometimes, comedic), though not always.
What I’m most interested in is truth, of the kind that only literature can reveal: the complexity and beauty of the human spirit, the contradictions inherent in every one of us, reflected by characters that feel real. This concept defines what I write much better than genres.
What else can I say? If you enjoy your stories with a hearty side of truth, you’re in the right place.
I hope you stick around.
—A.
