Alexander Ramirez Publishes Paper in International Literary Magazine The visiting assistant professor of English’s short story, “The Recipe,” was published in the fall 2026 issue of the Prairie Schooner blog.

By Abby Harlan
October 23, 2026

Alexander Ramirez, visiting assistant professor of English at Washington and Lee University, recently published his short story, “The Recipe,” in the Prairie Schooner, an international literary magazine.

The story, which was featured as part of the portfolio of Latinx flash memoirs, is an exploration of Ramirez’s relationship with his grandfather through the culinary process of making carnitas, a popular Mexican dish. The story quickly shifts from providing directions for preparing the meal to specific details about this parental figure’s personality and life through the eyes of the author. Ramirez intertwines the meticulous cooking process with personal childhood memories of his grandfather to showcase the connection that results from having a shared culture.

Ramirez chose to make his grandfather the focus of this story following his passing a few months prior to the piece’s submission deadline. He wanted to use the opportunity to memorialize as well as share the impact these small moments of bonding have on a person over the course of their life.

Ramirez has been a member of the W&L faculty since 2024. He previously taught English courses at Colgate University, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) and North Central Texas College. Ramirez earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English at California State University, Sacramento, as well as a Ph.D. in creative writing from UNL.