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Opportunity: FREE table space – AWP Chicago

2011-12-13T08:30:00.015-05:00

This is a freebie opportunity open to A) writers, B) indie lit journals and small presses wanting an additional way to flag down passers-by, and C) low-res MFA students, alumni, or program reps who’d like the opportunity to talk up your institution.

The Fact:
Chicago’s 2012 AWP is fast approaching and I have an opportunity to share.

The Setting:

Thanks to my publisher, Continuum Books, I have a table exclusively to myself, for The Low-Residency MFA Handbook: A Guide for Prospective Creative Writing Students (link). Last year, I invited writers and low-res program reps (directors, faculty, students) to hang with me and talk to folks about their programs and their interviews in The Handbook and it was a HUGE success. It was also successful for some author pals who were able to brag about and sell their books. (As you can see from these candid shots, my table’s a good time.) I want to share my space again by opening up my second chair throughout the conference.

If you’ve ever attended AWP, you know the Bookfair is a wonderful chance to meet and mingle with just about everyone (or, 9,000+ attendees if you want to get particular). The Bookfair runs Thurs-Sat from 8:30am – 5:30pm.

The Opportunity:

I’m currently scheduling for the Bookfair and will freely offer my second chair and half of my table space to any low-res related person, author with a need to promote, or indie journal/small press rep who needs an opportunity to reach new people. I’d like to divide the schedule into 2-3 hour chunks, so have a look at the Conference Schedule to see when you might be able to devote some time to promoting your books/program/self/press and let me know when you’d like to sign up. If you want to sign up for more than one block of time, that’s fine. If you want a friend/colleague to tag along, that’s fine. Let me know your avails.

You’re invited to bring along your books/lit journals, program brochures, biz cards, appropriate signage, and your stellar personality. My table this year is located at A5, which looks pretty good on the map (close to restrooms and coffee carts!). Once you confirm a time with me, I’ll even help promote your presence via social media, word of real-life mouth, etc.

Oh, sure, you think there’s a catch. Not really. Well, yeah, sometimes I’d like a break to grab a coffee or a bite to eat, maybe walk around the Bookfair to stretch my legs and say hi to folks, and I do have two sessions I am participating in, so – yes - it matters to me that I have some break relief here and there. But, really, I’m giving up a free chair and half a table’s worth of space while you’re in that chair. It seems fair to cover for me while I re-caffeinate, right?

How-To:
Email me and we’ll chat. Soon. The conference is right around the corner and the sooner my table schedule is solid, the sooner I can start bragging about your presence and location in the Bookfair.

Disclaimer:
While I’d love to say yes to everyone, this is a limited time offer since this is a limited space kind of situation. So, what are you waiting for? Email me now: lori@loriamay.com

PMC: grad-level CW classes open for audit

2011-12-02T14:00:00.000-05:00

PINE MANOR COLLEGE INVITES LOCAL WRITERS
TO AUDIT GRADUATE-LEVEL CREATIVE WRITING CLASSES

For Immediate Release
Contact: Tanya Whiton, Assistant Director
whitontanya@pmc.edu (617) 731-7697

[Chestnut Hill, MA, November 2011] Pine Manor College is pleased to announce that a select number of graduate-level creative writing courses will be open to the public for auditing during the winter residency of its Solstice MFA Program, scheduled from December 30, 2011 to January 8, 2012. Classes are open to serious writers working at all levels; auditors are encouraged to complete the advance preparation requirements for any MFA class they wish to attend. The registration fee is $30 per course for Solstice graduates/$40 per course for the general public; the deadline for enrolling as an auditor for winter 2011 Residency is Friday, December 23, 2011.

For course descriptions, our audit policy, and a downloadable registration form, go to: http://www.pmc.edu/mfa-classes-for-audit.

Winter 2012 MFA classes that are open to the public include:

Prose (fiction and nonfiction):
· Looking Back In Fiction
· Seeing Anew: What Prose Writers Can Discover From Graphic Novelists About Crafting Stories
· Everything Matters: The Sentence

Creative Nonfiction:
· The Fundamentals Of Food Writing: An Introduction
· Sentimentality In Memoir

Writing for Young People:
· Inspiring Young Readers & Writers
· Picture Book Techniques

Poetry:
· Talking Back, Taking Back: Moments Of Re-appropriation In Native Poetry
· Saying The Poem: Bringing The Fictionist’s Art Of Dialogue Into Poetry

Inspiration, Outreach, and Social Media:
· Higher Ground: How To Enrich Your Community And Make A Difference Through Your Art
· The Demons That Keep You From Writing
· Best Practices For Writers Using Social Media

ABOUT SOLSTICE & PINE MANOR COLLEGE
As an undergraduate institution consistently ranked among the most diverse in the country, Pine Manor College emphasizes an inclusive, community-building approach to liberal arts education. The Solstice MFA in Creative Writing reflects the College’s overall mission by creating a supportive, welcoming environment in which writers of all backgrounds are encouraged to take creative risks. We strive to instill in our students an appreciation for the value of community-building and community service, and see engagement with the literary arts not only as a means to personal fulfillment but also as an instrument for real cultural change.

For more information, visit www.pmc.edu/mfa

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MFA Clinic @ Politics & Prose

2011-11-04T07:48:00.001-04:00

The Fiction MFA Clinic:
An Insider’s Insights on Applying, Getting in, and Making the Most of Your Time in Graduate School
Facilitated by Nicole Idar

If you’re in the midst of researching MFA programs and need a little insider know-how, you may want to check out this upcoming workshop hosted at Politics & Prose Bookshop in DC. The two-hour lunchtime class will cover the application process, how to decide on a program right for you (or if, indeed, the MFA is right for you), tips on writing strong letters, and will also cover how to succeed in and after the program, etc. Questions are welcome in a supportive setting. Everyone is welcome regardless of publication history.

The Details
Info and sign-up here, on the Politics & Prose website
Price: $30 ($25 members)
Monday, November 14, 12 – 2 p.m.

Suggested Book
The Creative Writing MFA Handbook: A Guide for Prospective Graduate Students, by Tom Kealey

Also Recommended
The Low-Residency MFA Handbook: A Guide for Prospective Creative Writing Students, by Lori A. May (!)

Writer's Workshop in a Book: The Squaw Valley Community of Writers on the Art of Fiction, ed. Alan Cheuse & Lisa Alvarez

Naming the World: And Other Exercises for the Creative Writer, by Bret Anthony Johnston

About The Instructor
Nicole Idar left a career in financial journalism to pursue an MFA in fiction from George Mason University, enrolling 10 years after she earned a BA in English & American Literature from Harvard University. She was the 2010-2011 Thesis Fellow in Fiction at GMU, and won the Mary Roberts Rinehart and Dan Rudy awards for her stories. Her work has appeared in the New Ohio Review and World Literature Today, and is forthcoming in Rattapallax. She remembers feeling anxious about whether or not to apply to MFA programs when she was still a journalist, and wishes this class had been available at the time!

latest publication: accents poetry anthology

2011-11-01T11:56:00.000-04:00

I’m very pleased to share my latest publication, Bigger Than They Appear: Anthology of Very Short Poems (edited by Katerina Stoykova-Klemer). In this anthology of 250 poems, you’ll find my poem “Hindsight” in good company, alongside authors like Barry George, Joy Gaines-Friedler, Thom Ward, and many, many more.

Visit the Accents Publishing website for more info and to order.

The Official Info
Bigger Than They Appear: Anthology of Very Short Poems is a 316-page volume of poems of up to 50 words, including titles. Whether poignant, funny, tragic, or inspirational, each poem is always complete and memorable, representing a world larger than the space it takes on the page. This book features work by 192 contemporary masters of the short free-form poem.

What Others Say About Bigger Than They Appear

"There are sharp flashes of light, moments when the miraculous world reveals itself to us swiftly, fully. And, because the mind is also a miracle, the lucky words sometimes arrive to capture that revelation and through it witness what it means to be alive. That is the gift of this gorgeous collection."

– Mary Ann Taylor-Hall

Details and Ordering
Publication Date: December 1, 2011
Format: Softcover, 5" x 7"
Pages: 316
ISBN: 978-1-936628-07-0
Price: $15.00
Shipping begins Nov 21/11

Sections in the Anthology
The 250 poems in the anthology have been organized into the following nine sections:

A Field Remembers
Open Season
Perfect Dwelling
Portrait of the Artist as an Anagram
Miscellaneous Merchandise
Directly Across from Me
Ritual
The Meaning of Need
When You Become a Body

Visit the Accents Publishing website for more info and to order.

Reviewer to Student: Low-Res MFA Handbook

2011-10-21T14:49:00.000-04:00

Back in January of this year, Rhonda Browning White shared a review of The Low-Residency MFA Handbook on amazon. In her review, as a prospective student, Rhonda shared this sentiment:

May's discussions on teaching philosophy, format, residency community, pedagogy (or lack thereof), and even life after the MFA held priceless information that helped to direct me to programs that will best fit what I need and desire…. Highly and strongly recommended to anyone considering a low-residency MFA program. Kudos to Lori May for putting together such an informative, concise piece of work!

Recently, on her Inspiration for Writers blog, Rhonda shared her experience as a first-timer in a low-res program. From her research, Rhonda selected – and was selected by – Converse College. I was so pleased to hear about Rhonda’s program acceptance and her entrance into Converse, I simply have to share her excellent blog post about what it’s like to take the big step.

Without further ado, here is a repost of Rhonda Browning White’s account, originally posted on her blog here:

My First Semester in an MFA Writing Program
by Rhonda Browning White

I had no idea what to expect when I arrived on the idyllic campus of Converse College for my first semester in their MFA in Creative Writing Program. I was nervous about meeting my dorm-mate (Me? Staying in a dorm? With a total stranger? At my age?), who turned out to be a spectacular poet, mother and now my sweet friend. I wondered if I’d be accepted among a group of sixty students, forty-five of whom already had a history together, or if the professors and visiting authors would look down from their lofty positions as they berate my writing. After all, these people were real writers—authors whose names I recognized, whose novels and poetry collections sit on my bookshelves even now.

I needn’t have worried.

These same instructors and brilliant students are now my friends: we touch base via email, follow each other’s daily lives on Facebook, share links to interesting blog links and sometimes chat on the phone about everything from a class assignment to a great novel we’ve read to a recipe you’ve just got to try!

But what is a low-residency program, and what do you do in it, I’m often asked. Well I can’t speak for all of them, but I can tell you about mine. Here’s a typical day in the life of a Converse low-res student:

Breakfast in the dining hall (surprisingly yummy food), begins at seven and lasts until nine, and you are welcome at a table with your cohorts, or you might want to sit with a professor or a visiting author to chat about, oh, anything.

Before the first session of the day begins following breakfast, students can attend one-on-one meetings with their faculty mentor to discuss the semester syllabus, to brainstorm about a current project, or to chat about suggestions for their reading list. On some days, student group meetings are held in this time frame, as well. If students don’t have a scheduled meeting, they’ll often use this for a leisurely chat over coffee, free writing time, strolling the campus grounds (beautiful gardens, impressive statuary and quiet nooks for settling in with a good book).

The day’s first craft lecture follows. Doesn’t this sound boring? I mean, come on, a craft lecture? Let me tell you, these things are amazing! This semester, Dan Wakefield taught us using his late friend Kurt Vonnegut’s fiction, authors Leslie Pietrzyk (my mentor this semester—Yay!) and Marlin Barton gave inspiring lectures on story beginnings and using violence in fiction, and national bestselling author Robert Olmstead lectured on how characters’ thoughts can change the whole direction of a story. Powerful stuff, and these were only a few of the fiction lectures! “But wait,” you say, “do you mean you studied things other than fiction in a fiction program?” Absolutely! One of the reasons I chose Converse is that students are encouraged to attend lectures by professors outside their primary genre. Not only does this present inspiration in directions you might not have considered, but it provides a broader scope should you decide to teach in the future. Hence, I enjoyed seminars by phenomenal poets Denise Duhamel, Suzanne Cleary and Albert Goldbarth. I also benefited from seminars, lectures and readings by guest faculty and speakers, including Brock Clarke and Marshall Jon Fisher and faculty Susan Tekulve and our amazing program director Rick Mulkey.

A leisurely two-hour lunch followed each day’s first seminar, when you’d hear chatter and laughter throughout the dining hall and across the campus as new relationships budded and old friendships grew fonder. Of course, some of this two-hour period was usually spent writing or reading, digesting not only dessert but the instruction and information we’d received in our day’s first lecture.

A walk in the sun across the campus green led us to our afternoon workshop. Workshops are broken into genre—fiction, non-fiction and poetry—and each workshop includes only five to ten students and one or two professors in a roundtable setting. It’s here where the real work occurs, where students watch their skills grow like magic and their writing improve before their eyes. No kidding. I’m still amazed at how much better my writing was on the last day as compared to the first day. Not only were we instructed in methods to improve our work, but we applied those things to our writing and discussed what worked and what didn’t. Workshops were very “hands on,” and over the course of the residency, each student had an hour’s discussion and constructive critique of their own work by the workshop instructors and fellow students. Instructors welcomed our questions and encouraged each student to offer feedback and share their opinions of the selections we read and the writing exercises we completed.

A second stimulating lecture period followed our craft workshop. Some days, these periods consisted of events like a panel discussion of authors or even a sit-down Q & A with Algonquin Publishing’s Executive Editor Chuck Adams. Receiving this kind of insight into the world of publishing is critically advantageous to a developing author’s success and, as students, we were ever aware that we were being provided a “secret map” that will guide us through the tangled jungle of submission and publication.

Dinner (and more laughter) follows this last lecture of the day, then we’re treated to an hour of guest speaker, faculty or student readings. The readings are casual and comfortable, and some of the stories and poems shared take us from hilarity to tears and back again. The night’s readings end with a social hour, which tends to morph into social hours. As our ten-day residency progressed, these social gatherings grew longer as our conversations grew deeper and our friendships became stronger. A few at a time, students and faculty disbursed to grab a snack, study, write, or do a load of laundry. The common areas of the dorm (usually the veranda) always remained a social meeting place, however, even into the wee hours. Get an idea you need to bounce off someone? Head to the veranda. Can’t think of a word you need to complete a rhyme in your sestina? Head to the veranda. Can’t finish your bag of popcorn? Don’t worry, your friends on the veranda will devour it for you. Eventually—sometimes as the sky begins to brighten again—the rocking chairs slow, and the last few upright writers head to their beds and dream of new stories before time to rise and do it all again.

Too soon, our residency ended, but the flame of passion for writing still burns strong as each of us work from home to complete our semester assignments. We study the novels and books on our individualized reading lists. We write critical theory papers about what we’ve read, discerning what works and what doesn’t in those stories, and deciding what we’ve learned that we can apply to our own writing. We also write our own stories or essays or poems—creating packets that we’ll send to our mentor every three or four weeks. We stay in touch with our mentors and our cohorts, and always, we look forward to the next semester, when we’ll be together with our like-minded, creative family at Converse.

***

Thanks to Rhonda Browning White for the permission to repost this excellent description of a first-timer’s experience in a low-res program!

Visit Rhonda’s blog here.
Learn more about the Converse College MFA program here.
Buy a copy of The Low-Residency MFA Handbook on amazon.

If you have a low-res experience you'd like to share, email lori@loriamay.com.

MCEA – Conference & Reading

2011-10-13T14:12:00.000-04:00

This Friday, October 14, I’ll be reading poetry and nonfiction at the annual Michigan College English Association (MCEA) conference. The full day of events begins at 9:30, with my reading taking place 11am-12:15pm. A full schedule and registration forms are available online here.

Conference Theme
The theme for the 2011 Michigan College English Association Conference is “Taking Risks” and will be held the campus of University of Michigan – Dearborn on October 14, 2011. The conference is at the Fairlane Center Campus, 19000 Hubbard Drive, Dearborn, Michigan 48126. Registration begins at 8:30. Sessions run from 9:30 to 3:15.

Keynote Speaker
This year’s keynote address, entitled “The King James Bible in Contemporary American Works”, will given by Professor James Vanden Bosch. Vanden Bosch has taught English at Calvin College for over twenty-five years, with a special interest in English grammar, grammar for ESL teachers, corpus linguistics, and Cormac McCarthy’s fiction and drama. He regularly teaches short courses in Moscow, directed a semester-abroad program in Budapest, and recently taught in Lintong, China.

Vanden Bosch has degrees from Calvin College, Ohio University, and the University of Chicago Divinity School. At Calvin, he has been named the Professor of the Year (2001) and has won the Presidential Award for Exemplary Teaching (2010).

This 400th anniversary of the King James Bible has prompted Vanden Bosch to explore the influence of the King James Bible on several contemporary American writers.

About MCEA
The Michigan College English Association is an organization dedicated to the following mission:

•Providing opportunities for the discussion of the preparation and professional improvement of college teachers of English through annual meetings, publications, and conferences with representatives of other professional organizations;

•Encouraging the humane as well as the immediate practical study of language and literature;

•Maintaining and developing the functions of English studies as a major element in American higher education;

•Promoting fruitful interrelationships among English and other disciplines; and

•Interpreting the relationships of the study and teaching of English to society at large

MCEA is a state affiliate of the College English Association and sponsors an annual conference dedicated to promoting the above goals.

For more info, visit http://www.michcea.com/.

Rochester Writers' Conference - Oct 8th

2011-10-01T10:32:00.001-04:00

The 4th Annual Rochester Writers' Conference will be Saturday, October 8, 2011 at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan.

Workshops, Lectures and Panel Discussions

Fiction and Non-fiction

New, Published, and Working Writers Welcome

www.RochesterWriters.com

Book Publishing
Magazine Editors
Travel Writing
Non-Fiction Book Proposal
Culinary Writing
Traditional Research Methods
Staging a Scene in a Novel
Self-Publishing
Writers' Workshop
And More!

Visit http://www.rochesterwriters.com/ to download a registration form or to sign-up online today!

***

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 27, 2011

Rochester, Michigan – Local writers, authors, and educators will be presenting a variety of workshops, lectures, and panel discussions at the Fourth Annual Rochester Writers’ Conference on Saturday, October 8, 2011 on the Oakland University campus.

“The ongoing success of the conference proves the need for this kind of professional development in the Greater Rochester Area,” states Michael Dwyer, founder and organizer of the event. Dwyer, freelance writer and speaker, goes on to say that, “This year’s theme is Get Published!”

Dwyer, a Rochester Hills resident, will be presenting Travel Writing Basics for freelance writers interested in delivering travel articles that are unique, fresh, and sell. Also new this year is Culinary Writing presented by Lisa Howard. Ms. Howard has attended the conference the last three years. From attending the conference she took home with her valuable information that she put toward her culinary writing career. Lisa is now published monthly and will share her knowledge with her own workshop.

Authors will have many reasons to attend the conference. Three area authors will be holding a Self-Publishing Panel at the event: Cindy LaFerle and Gerry Boylan from Royal Oak and Cynthia Harrison from Macomb. Christine Purcell, Acquisitions Editor for Elder Signs Press, will talk about Book Publishing the traditional way. Karen Knox, author and IT Manager at the Rochester Hills Public Library, will offer a presentation on Traditional Researching Methods. Lori A. May will offer a talk on The Non-fiction Book Proposal and Annick Carthew, of Rochester Hills, will teach attendees how to Stage a Scene for a novel.

Freelance writers need to keep up with trends and network to stay working. Several local magazine editors will be presenting ways to pitch publications and get published as a freelance writer. Online outlets, local magazines, and national publications all need good content. New and established writers will benefit from hearing the thoughts of working editors.

Attendees will select four out of a dozen presentations to tailor-fit their interests. Lunch and refreshments will be included with registration. “Networking with the presenters is one of most beneficial aspects of attending – so bring your business cards,” remarks Dwyer, “And all of our presenters are Michigan residents. We support our state and prove that local writers can be and are successful. The event is truly Made in Michigan.”

Early Registration is only $99.00 until October 1, 2011. After that and on the day of, registration will be $125.00. A complete list of all the presentations, details and secure online registration are available at http://www.rochesterwriters.com/.

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Solstice & The Foundation for Children’s Books

2011-09-29T07:28:00.008-04:00

SOLSTICE MFA in CREATIVE WRITING PROGRAM ANNOUNCES NEW PARTNERSHIP WITH THE FOUNDATION FOR CHILDREN’S BOOKS

[Chestnut Hill, MA, September, 2011] The Solstice Low-Residency MFA in Creative Writing Program of Pine Manor College is proud to announce a new partnership with The Foundation for Children’s Books (FCB), a nonprofit organization that cultivates children’s curiosity, creativity, and academic achievement by igniting in them a love of good books. The FCB and Solstice MFA Program will co-host the first in a series of biannual events, “What’s New in Children’s Books” —a half-day conference featuring authors, illustrators, and library and bookstore professionals— Saturday, November 5th from 8 a.m.–noon on the Pine Manor College campus, 400 Heath Street in Chestnut Hill.

“What's New in Children's Books?” will feature illustrator Bryan Collier, winner of the Caldecott Honor Award and the 2011 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award for Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave, written by Solstice MFA faculty member Laban Carrick Hill; middle-grade and teen novel writer Mark Peter Hughes, whose book Lemonade Mouth is now a Disney Channel movie; Penny Noyce, doctor, educator, mother of five, and author of Lost in Lexicon: An Adventure in Words and Numbers; and Terry Schmitz, owner of the Children's Book Shop in Brookline, MA. The conference includes coffee and refreshments, new books from the Children's Book Shop, and book sales and signing.

As one of the few low-residency MFA programs to offer a concentration in writing for children and young adults, the Solstice MFA Program of Pine Manor College has worked to integrate writers whose work is targeted toward a variety of audiences.“The Solstice MFA Program believes that our children and young people deserve high quality literature that reflects the diversity of America,” says Solstice MFA Director Meg Kearney. “Our new partnership with the Foundation for Children’s Books underscores our mutual goals of putting good books into the hands of young readers, and introducing writers and illustrators to the people who play a vital role in exciting children about literature: teachers and librarians.”

ABOUT SOLSTICE & PINE MANOR COLLEGE

As an undergraduate institution consistently ranked among the most diverse in the country, Pine Manor College emphasizes an inclusive, community-building approach to liberal arts education. The Solstice MFA in Creative Writing reflects the College’s overall mission by creating a supportive, welcoming environment in which writers of all backgrounds are encouraged to take creative risks. We strive to instill in our students an appreciation for the value of community-building and community service, and see engagement with the literary arts not only as a means to personal fulfillment but also as an instrument for real cultural change.

ABOUT THE FOUNDATION FOR CHILDREN’S BOOKS

Founded in 1983, the FCB has served librarians, teachers, and children’s authors and illustrators by presenting a professional development speaker series and workshops. Beginning in 2005, the Foundation expanded its mission to serve teachers and urban students in grades K-8 by bringing acclaimed children’s book authors and illustrators into under-served schools in Boston. As part of its mission to build a bridge between the inspiring and dynamic creators of children’s books and their audience of young readers, the FCB has brought 23 authors and illustrators into 18 elementary and middle schools in Boston; these visits include book donations.

Directions to Pine Manor College, complete bios of our authors, and more information about the Solstice MFA in Creative Writing Program can be found at www.pmc.edu/mfa.

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Solstice/Pine Manor: 4 new fellowships

2011-09-22T12:27:00.000-04:00

THE SOLSTICE MFA IN CREATIVE WRITING PROGRAM OF PINE MANOR COLLEGE OFFERS FOUR FELLOWSHIPS FOR WRITERS

[Chestnut Hill, MA, September 2011] The Solstice Low-Residency MFA in Creative Writing Program of Pine Manor College is pleased to offer four $1,000 fellowships for writers: The Dennis Lehane Fellowship for Fiction; the Michael Steinberg Fellowship for Creative Nonfiction; the Jacqueline Woodson Fellowship for a Young People’s Writer of African or Caribbean Descent; and the Sharon Olds Fellowship for Poetry.

All fellowship awards are based on the quality of a writing sample.

Fellowship applications are due October 14, 2011 (not a postmark date; materials must be received in our offices before or on October 14). Fellowship applicants are strongly encouraged to apply early. Notification letters will be mailed to winners only on November 15, 2011. Awards must be applied toward the winter residency/spring semester directly following acceptance; fellowships cannot be deferred or applied toward a summer residency/fall semester start.

About our donors (underwriters of the Sharon Olds Poetry Fellowship wish to remain anonymous):

A former staff writer for HBO’s The Wire, Solstice MFA writer-in-residence Dennis Lehane is author of nine novels, including Mystic River, Shutter Island, and Gone, Baby, Gone —each of which has been made into a feature film— and the fall 2010 release, Moonlight Mile.

Solstice MFA writer-in-residence Michael Steinberg is a memoirist, essayist, and founding editor of the literary journal, Fourth Genre: Explorations in Nonfiction. His memoir Still Pitching was named the 2003 Independent Press memoir of the year.

Solstice MFA consulting writer Jacqueline Woodson is author of numerous books for children and young adults, including Feathers, a Newbery Honor Book; Miracle’s Boys, winner of the Coretta Scott King Award; and Locomotion, winner of the Horn Book Award.

ABOUT PINE MANOR COLLEGE

As an undergraduate institution consistently ranked among the most diverse in the country, Pine Manor College emphasizes an inclusive, community-building approach to liberal arts education. The Solstice MFA in Creative Writing reflects the College’s overall mission by creating a supportive, welcoming environment in which writers of all backgrounds are encouraged to take creative risks. We strive to instill in our students an appreciation for the value of community-building and community service, and see engagement with the literary arts not only as a means to personal fulfillment but also as an instrument for real cultural change.

Directions to Pine Manor College, complete bios of our authors, and more information about the Solstice MFA in Creative Writing Program can be found at www.pmc.edu/mfa.

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call: hand-to-hand book sale tales

2011-09-08T12:53:00.000-04:00

Inspired by this recent blog post at Vouched Books (thanks to Leslie Pietrzyk, prof at Converse College, for sharing on FB & of course to VB for writing in the first place), I’d like to make a Call for Hands – true tales about your fave hand-to-hand poetry book sales.

Be it at readings, literary festivals, or in your office cubicle, if you’re a poet you’ve most certainly sold a book hand-to-hand – and it’s that personal one-on-one sales that keep us selling. Oh, sure, some poets will say they’re not interested in sales or that poetry, actually, doesn’t sell. Well, if you have a book the reality is you need to sell it. If you want another book. If you want to help keep our small presses alive. If you want to keep poetry alive.

So, then, here’s the call: send me an email at lori@loriamay.com (rather than posting here in response, so we can keep these stories accumulated for a later reveal) sharing a favorite hand-to-hand sales moment. Maybe you sold a book to someone who “just doesn’t get poetry” or maybe you met a fellow poet and struck up a conversation that turned into a years-long friendship. Go on. Dig up the past and share the goods. Because, industry necessity or not, we all do enjoy sharing our work with others.

Send in your fave moments of doing so and I’ll compile a hit list for the world (or at least my modest blog readership) to see. Who knows. You may just inspire a shy seller to get out there and work it a bit more.

Send your hand-to-hand poetry book sales recaps to lori@loriamay.com.

(Yes, of course, if you’re compelled to share your prose sales story, send it along. I’m open!)

new low-res MFA: U of Tampa

2011-08-25T12:23:00.000-04:00

The University of Tampa is joining the ranks of institutions offering low-residency MFA creative writing programs. With its first residency just around the corner—January 5-14—I’m pleased to share this Q&A with the director, Jeff Parker.

Jeff, thanks for joining us. Congratulations on your recent appointment to Director of The University of Tampa low-residency Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing Program. Maybe you can start by sharing a bit of your own background and what drew you to the Tampa program.
Sure. I'd been Director of the MA in Creative Writing at the University of Toronto, which reserves its second year exclusively for one-on-one mentorships between each student and a mentor. I'd also spent the better part of the last decade organizing parties for writers in St. Petersburg, Russia, and Lisbon, Portugal, in which we bring North Americans together with writers from abroad. In short, I saw in the Tampa program an opportunity to bring these two kinds of things together. So I left my cushy teaching job at UToronto and came down here to do a lot of work and see if we could make something bang-up.

I see the first residency is scheduled for January 5-14; what can incoming students expect during this inaugural residency and those that follow?
Well, for a taste, they can expect a reading and craft talk from George Saunders, and they can expect Francine Prose giving her awesome Chekhov lectures. They can expect a program including trips to Zora Neale Hurston's place in Eatonville and Jack Kerouac's last house in St. Petersburg. They can expect to be part of the first cohort in a very unique program. It will be the smallest group there will ever be. We're expecting 20, so about six or seven each from fiction, poetry, and nonfiction. To be on the ground floor...

For the four terms in between residencies, how will students work from home? Can you tell us a bit more about the one-on-one mentoring and what Tampa has set up as goals for these project semesters?
The main goal we have for the students is that they get better. Students will work with mentors however best suits the two of them. This is what it's really all about, this experience, and it's the heart of the program. We'll spend a lot of time during the residency getting the two together to come up with a plan, knowing in advance that plans and writing don't always will out.

What makes the Tampa program unique? Why should prospective low-res students consider your program?
The most important thing for me is getting faculty who are among the most interesting writers working today and who also have reputations as great teachers. Also, our program will bring in writers from all over the world: Canada, Europe, Russia, Portugal, South America, Africa--you name it. We intend down the line to hold optional residencies abroad as well, but not simply as study abroad components, as part of larger programs that immerse our students in the cultural and literary scene abroad. It's part of a larger emphasis on writers getting up and doing things with their work. We're working on so many aspects of the program right now, and defining as we go.

What are your plans for the upcoming AWP conference? What presence will Tampa have in Chicago?
We're working with the University of Tampa Press on a book about literary mentors, which might sound kind of boring but when you start collecting the little writings and scraps from letters and photos that we've been getting, it's a riot and something like a tribute to what we're trying to do. We'll probably have a reception for the book and hand them out at the booth. Other than that we'll just kind of be there with the UT Press and Tampa Review to talk with anyone about the program if they want to talk about it.

Finally, where might students find more information about the program and what are the application deadlines for the January residency?
Deadline for the first residency in January is Nov. 1. All the info is on the website: http://www.ut.edu/mfacw. Or anyone can email me directly utmfacw@gmail.com.

***

new: The Towers by David Poyer

2011-08-18T07:41:00.001-04:00

If you’ve been reading my blog for a bit, you may recall an interview I did with author David Poyer back in Oct 2010. Poyer is back with an intense new release. I’m pleased to share the details below:

THE TOWERS – A Novel of 9/11/2001.
St. Martin’s Press.
August 30, 2011
ISBN-13: 978-0312613013
Get it on amazon.com

On the morning of September 11, 2001, Commander Dan Lenson, USN, is visiting the Pentagon. On that same morning, his wife, former Undersecretary of Defense Blair Titus, is at a job interview at the World Trade Center. In the action-packed scenes that follow, both Dan and Blair have to fight to survive the attacks. Meanwhile, NCIS agent Aisha Ar-Rahim is investigating a terror cell in Yemen, and former SEAL Teddy Oberg is pitching an action movie to investors in LA.

Teddy, Aisha, and Dan immediately become involved in the military reaction to the attack. Dan is assigned to the staff of the Joint Special Ops team in Afghanistan. His mission: to overthrow the Taliban government. Aisha undertakes a dangerous undercover mission in Yemen to uncover links to Osama bin Laden and ultimately his location in the Shah-i-Khot Valley, Afghanistan. Teddy, having rejoined the SEALS, is assigned to Task Force Cutlass, a mission that takes him to the border of Pakistan to hunt down and kill bin Laden. Meanwhile, Blair struggles with recovery from serious injuries, and has to decide which course her life will take from here.

***

The 13th Dan Lenson novel, The Towers is a fascinating, accurate depiction of the events of September 11 and the military response, informed by interviews and deep sources in the Navy, the SEALS, the Marines, the NCIS, and the author's own military experience. A past master of fast-paced sequences and heart-pumping drama, David Poyer takes the reader into the center of the action and face-to-face with the enemy.

Buy The Towers on amazon.

About the Author
Captain David Poyer is the most popular living author of American sea fiction. His military career included service in the Atlantic, Mediterranean, Arctic, Caribbean, the Middle East, and Pacific. The Towers is the thirteenth in his continuing novel-cycle of the modern Navy and Marine Corps, following The Med, The Gulf, The Circle, The Passage, Tomahawk, China Sea, Black Storm, The Command, The Threat, Korea Strait, The Weapon and The Crisis (all available in St. Martin's Press paperback and ebook formats). He lives with novelist Lenore Hart and their daughter on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. Visit him at at http://www.poyer.com/ or on Facebook.

2011 Critique Mania – Soundings Review

2011-08-09T08:30:00.002-04:00

I’m pleased to say I’ve been invited to participate with the Soundings Review Critique Mania yet again this year. Annually, Soundings Review (part of Whidbey Writers/NILA) gathers the support of authors, editors, and agents to read over submitted manuscripts in a fundraising effort. Here are the details if you’d like to submit your work for feedback and help support this great organization:

see details & submission guidelines here and see list of participating editors, agents, and authors here

What: Critique Mania: Professional Agents, Authors, and Editors will write a critique of your writing!

When: Submission between August 1 and August 31, 2011; authors have until October 1, 2011 to respond and return manuscripts.

Where: By mail or online! No gas to buy, no planes or ferries to catch, no clock to watch!

How to submit: By Mail – Submitters will mail one poem or one prose manuscript that is postmarked August 1 - 31. We have authors for all genres. Length varies – most accept work of up to two pages of poetry or up to 1,000 words of prose, but some will take longer work. Check out our authors’ bios for length restrictions and genre preferences.

Online – Visit http://soundingsreview.submishmash.com/submit and follow the directions for submitting and paying online – this will be through PayPal or credit card; this is only for work that is up to 2 pages of poetry or up to 1,000 words of prose. If you want to submit a longer piece online, you may do so; however, you’ll need to send us a separate check to cover the longer work. We will hold the work until we receive your check in the mail.

Request an author: As work arrives, it will be disbursed in the order received; you can request your first three choices off the list of authors; if that person has already received all the manuscripts they’ve agreed to review, your work will be sent to the next author on your list. If all your authors have maxed out, your work will go to another author (alphabetical) who works in your genre. First come, first served.

How much: Twenty-five bucks! That’s $25.00 for the base length (2 pages poetry or 1,000 words of prose) when you submit by mail. If you submit online, the base fee is $30.00 (but no envelopes, paper, or postage are required). What a deal! For each additional page of poetry or each additional 500 words of prose, add $5. Note: online submission has a set $30 rate, so if you want to do longer work online, you have to mail a check for the difference.

How to figure cost: a 4-page poem submitted by mail would cost $35.00 ($25.00 base rate plus $10.00 for extra two pages); the fee online would be $30.00 base rate plus $10.00 for extra two pages, for a total of $40.00. Fiction of 2,000 words submitted by mail would cost $35.00 ($25.00 base rate plus $10.00 for additional 1,000 words) and online would be $40.00 ($30.00 base rate plus $10.00). Each submission is one fee; if you want to submit more manuscripts, submit them individually.

For mailed submissions, enclose two stamped envelopes, one for forwarding the material to an agent/author/editor and one for returning the material to you (so one envelope should have your address on it, and one should be blank). If you submit the material online, your response will be through e-mail, so be sure to include your e-mail address.

Professional critiques normally range from $30.00 – $75.00, and most of these people aren’t usually available for this work. Should you wish to include an additional donation toward Soundings Review, we’ll be ecstatic!

Why? Because receiving this sort of feedback is a terrific benefit to you AND because ALL the proceeds go to support our magazine, Soundings Review. Everybody wins!

see details & submission guidelines here and see list of participating editors, agents, and authors here

The St. Lawrence Book Award

2011-08-01T08:41:00.002-04:00

The St. Lawrence Book Award

About the Prize

Black Lawrence Press is currently accepting submissions for the 2011 St. Lawrence Book Award, an annual award that is given for an unpublished collection of short stories or poems. The St. Lawrence Book Award is open to any writer who has not yet published a full-length collection of short stories or poems. The winner of this contest will receive book publication, a $1,000 cash award, and ten copies of the book. Prizes are awarded on publication.

The entry fee for the prize is $25 and the deadline is August 31. For more information about how to submit your manuscript for the prize, follow this link.

Previous winners of The St. Lawrence Book Award include Marcel Jolley, Stefi Weisburd, Jason Tandon, Fred McGavran, Yelizaveta P. Renfro, and Brad Ricca. Last year’s winner was Katie Umans.

Visiting The Red Earth MFA at OKCU

2011-07-27T08:43:00.006-04:00

I’m finally caught up just enough that I can take a few moments to share my experience in visiting one of the newest – and hottest – low-residency MFA programs. When I met Danita Berg at the 2010 AWP Conference and Bookfair in Denver CO, it was evident how excited the then soon-to-be Director was about the launch of Oklahoma City University’s Red Earth MFA. We immediately clicked and kept in contact since that fateful meeting and I was ecstatic when Danita invited me as a guest speaker and workshop presenter for the inaugural residency.

Let me tell you, visiting Oklahoma City in the middle of July is a hot, hot experience. Temperatures averaged in the 105-107 range and yet the environment couldn’t have been more inviting. This was my first time visiting the city and I was sure to take advantage of all it has to offer—great food, significant landmarks, and a gorgeous scenic Route 66 drive were all a part of my trip. Of course, the purpose of my visit was centered on the campus and what a lovely campus it was. There is a beautiful juxtaposition of old meets new and I enjoyed having a tour of some of the more unique components of this campus. Let’s just say if you’re a writer interested in furthering your education and you just happen to also be a former beauty pageant winner, we need to talk. I think I may have found a financially beneficial program for you!

Now, more about the residency…. This was the program’s first residency and I was truly impressed with the welcoming and energetic faculty. No one seemed anxious about getting things right; it already felt like each and every person had made themselves at home and that a community had been long ago established. Really, it was just a few days into the program when I arrived so it was quite the sight to see that students and faculty had already bonded so closely in so little a time. I had the pleasure of speaking throughout a day dedicated to visiting writers, including myself and novelist Matthew Quick. We had the run of the afternoon and evening and it was great to spend so much quality time with the students.

Matthew read from The Silver Linings Playbook and then presented a workshop on using first person narration; then I took over to read poetry from stains and discuss the ins and outs of working within multiple genres, prior to presenting a workshop on social media and online networking for writers. We both spoke to how we came to the writing life, but the meat of that discussion was reserved for the public event in the evening, “Literary Living: Developing a Creative Career.” Matthew and I shared the stage of The Kerr McGhee Auditorium where not just students and faculty, but general members of the public – and a surprise visit from Telemundo! – filled the seats. We read; we gave a brief history of how we each became and continue to sustain ourselves as writers; then we opened up the floor to a wealth of inquisitive and insightful questions.

All in all, the visit was a success. As authors, we were welcomed and treated as valued guests. As visitors to a new program, we saw a lovely community in the making. The students seemed to feel that they had made a strong choice for their writing paths and were receptive to the sessions presented to them. The faculty I had the pleasure of getting to know – like Kerry Cohen and Jeanetta Calhoun Mish – only cemented for me the idea that this program is one that will grow with its dedicated foundation team. It’s certainly a program to watch and Director Berg should be proud of this strong launch.

The Red Earth MFA is a two-year program that includes five residencies. Students have the option of working within fiction, nonfiction, poetry, screenwriting, or any other sub or cross genre that speaks to them and, through the course of the program, students will complete a manuscript length project for which they will receive continual feedback and support. What’s more, The Red Earth MFA provides two optional concentration strands for students: pedagogy and professional writing. For those interested in the professional strand, students will work on developing their skills in communications and editing; for the pedagogy strand, students are guided in the skills of teaching writing. Each strand provides students with an opportunity for individual study as well, and for those who prefer to focus solely on their creative work this is also an option. So, it seems to me, The Red Earth MFA provides a number of customizable options, making this a truly personalized experience based on what the student’s needs and goals may be. For more info on the program, visit this link.

All in all, I had a wonderful time visiting Oklahoma City University and feel honored to have been a part of this inaugural residency. The Red Earth MFA is a newcomer to the scene of low-res programs and you can learn a bit about its development in The Low-Residency MFA Handbook, but keep an eye on it. I know you’ll continue to hear more as the months and years progress. I can already see how this program is going to flourish with its unique approach to providing real-world opportunities for students. I’m just so pleased and honored to have been witness to part of its successful kick-start.

USA Today’s Collegiate Correspondent Program

2011-07-25T11:17:00.000-04:00

Did you know USA Today provides opportunities for undergrad students to gain hands-on journalism experience with a leading national newspaper? The USA Today Collegiate Correspondent Program selects applicants to write weekly news pieces under the editorial direction of the pros—and students receive some modest compensation for their experience.

The mentoring experience is a definite perk, plus students also get to see their work published on usatodaycollege.com. Selected works are also considered for publication in the print and online versions of USA Today.

For more info about the program, visit the USA Today Collegiate Correspondent Program. Don’t forget to share the link with your students!

more than one MFA?

2011-07-23T12:53:00.002-04:00

Today I'm working with writing students at Macomb College. We're working on building and designing writing blogs, so we're mostly just posting for fun. But, here's a question that came up in discussion:

Is there such a thing as having too many degrees?

What do you think about this -- Can you have more than one MFA? Why might you pursue a second masters in writing? Or is that just redundant?

We're curious. Respond away. We'll be right here, moving around pics and stuff.

low-res job opening: Spalding University

2011-07-22T17:14:00.000-04:00

This job posting comes from the AWP eLink job bank. Good luck!

Spalding University’s brief-residency Master of Fine Arts in Writing Program is seeking qualified applicants for part-time adjunct teaching in all areas: poetry, creative nonfiction, writing for children & young adults, screenwriting, playwriting, & fiction. Applicants should hold an MFA or PhD in the area of concentration, have published at least one book in that area or have one fully produced play or screenplay, & have had teaching experience. Applicants of diverse backgrounds, particularly African American & Hispanic, are strongly encouraged to apply. An application should consist of a packet including (1) a cover letter, (2) professional vita, (3) a writing sample of at least twenty pages from a book, & (4) two letters of recommendation concerning suitability for teaching in a low-residency program. These materials will not be returned, but a stamped, self-addressed postcard if included in the packet will be returned to acknowledge receipt of the applications. Materials should be sent to: Sena Jeter Naslund, Program Director, MFA in Writing, Spalding University, 845 South Third Street, Louisville, KY 40203-2188, & marked "Faculty Application in (Area of Interest, poetry, etc.) Applications for the MFA adjunct positions will be received during the month of September 2011 only. For information on the program, see www.spalding.edu/mfa. Spalding provides transportation for faculty to & from the residency, as well as housing. All job offers are contingent upon successful completion of a criminal background check & pre-employment drug screen.

***

For more academic job listings, visit the AWP eLink job bank.

new discussion forum for writing students

2011-07-15T09:00:00.000-04:00

AWP has opened up a section of the Writers' Circle web forum to former and current creative writing students to discuss their experiences with prospective students.

If you're a graduate who can share tips and advice for prospective students, you may want to stop by to share your experiences. If you're a prospective student, you'll find resourceful folks who can respond to your pressing questions.

Current Discussion Topics Include:
- Choosing a Residential Program
- Choosing a Low-Residency Program
- Getting the Most Out of a Program

Join the discussion here: http://forums.awpwriter.org/

social media & resources for writers

2011-07-12T08:19:00.004-04:00

As promised to the students at OKCU's low-residency MFA creative writing program, I am sharing a few links related to social media and online networking. This post has been updated since the previous list with a few new updates--so, it's happily shared with any and all who might find these resources useful.

Happy surfing….

Social Networking & Community Sites

Facebook
Facebook’s Networked Blogs
Twitter
Red Room
PW.org Speakeasy
AWP discussion forums
Book Marketing Network
Freelance Writers Network
CrimeSpace
Think Poemata
Read Write Poem
Poets and Writers Registry
Shewrites.com
BlogHer
Harlequin
Shelfari
GoodReads
Google Plus
Huffington Post article on the new Google+

Web & Blog Hosting

Reasonably Priced Website Design Software

Authors on Amazon
Amazon.com: Author Central
(if you currently have books for sale on amazon, take advantage of this free program!)

Marketing Tips

Writing Magazines with Online Resources

Agent/Editor Research

Book Trailers Video
For those of you looking to expand your promotions with multi-media, I thought I’d suggest a few links to demonstrate some of the really cool things writers are doing lately, in an effort to market their work. I hope you enjoy these examples:

There are so many more great resources for writers to take advantage of online, but hopefully this small sampling inspires you to research, network, and connect with others passionate about the pen!

Feel free to comment and share some of your favorite online resources for connecting writers to the greater community.

free public lit event: Oklahoma City University

2011-07-06T07:50:00.002-04:00

I’m very excited about a full day of upcoming events in Oklahoma City. I’ve been invited to speak with the low-residency MFA students at Oklahoma City University and will be presenting on social media for writers, building a writing life, etc. While the daytime activities are especially for students, The Red Earth MFA in Creative Writing program at OKCU is offering a free public event on the evening of Tuesday, July 12 at 7pm. I’ll be sharing the stage with author Matthew Quick and I hope you’ll stop by if you’re in the area.

Here are the official details from the press release:

Creative Writers to Speak at Oklahoma City University About Creative Living

OKLAHOMA CITY — The Red Earth MFA in Creative Writing program at Oklahoma City University will host authors Matthew Quick and Lori A. May for a free public lecture titled “Literary Living: Developing A Creative Career.” The event will take place in The Kerr McGee Auditorium in the Meinders School of Business at 7 p.m. July 12.

A panel will focus on how the authors pursue professional and literary careers in writing.

For several years, Quick told his high school students that they should take risks and do amazing things because “there is potential in all of us.” He chose to follow his own advice — he quit his tenured teaching position, sold his house, floated down the Peruvian Amazon and formed The Bardbarians (a two-man literary circle), backpacked around Southern Africa, hiked to the bottom of a snowy Grand Canyon, soul searched and finally began writing full-time in his in-laws’ unfinished basement, resulting three years later in the finished manuscript “The Silver Linings Playbook.”

He found an agent, who sold the novel in several countries before selling the movie rights to the Weinstein Company. In 2010, Quick released his latest young adult novel, “Sorta Like a Rock Star.” He now lives in central Massachusetts with his wife, novelist Alicia Bessette.

Quick will speak about how to “live an examined life, and how Thoreau promised success unexpected in quiet hours for those who dare to live the life they imagine, for those who advance confidently in the direction of their dreams.”

May is a poet, novelist and freelance writer whose work has appeared in several publications including The Writer, Writer's Digest, Rattle, January Magazine, Pop Matters and American Road Magazine. In January 2011, May’s edited book, The Low-Residency MFA Handbook: A Guide for Prospective Creative Writing Students, was published with Continuum Books. A longtime freelancer, May’s educational background is in English, creative writing, editing and corporate communications. She is also a part-time writing instructor at Fanshawe College in Ontario and Macomb Community College in Michigan. Born in Canada, May now lives and writes on the shores of Michigan. (http://www.loriamay.com/)

The Red Earth low-residency master of fine arts degree program at Oklahoma City University begins its first residency July 6. For more information, visit the website www.okcu.edu/english/redearthmfa/.

“The Red Earth MFA in Creative Writing program is geared to people who want to live a creative life but understand that in order to do so, one must find a path that financially sustains them as well,” said program director and writing professor Danita Berg. “Our guest authors epitomize that kind of life.”

Read the full OKCU press release here: http://www.okcu.edu/news/?id=5036

Visit the Red Earth MFA program website here: http://www.okcu.edu/english/redearthmfa/

low-res handbook less than $10 on amazon!

2011-07-05T12:17:00.000-04:00

Wow, I was just taking a look at the Kindle edition of The Low-Residency MFA Handbook and noticed amazon.com also has an incredible sale on the paperback version of my book! Right now, it’s selling for $9.73 and eligible for super saver shipping, so I simply had to share. I haven’t seen the book priced this low since… well, ever!

If you’re looking for a great price, now’s the time to get over to amazon.com.

While there, you’ll see this lovely review from Midwest Book Review:

A Master of Fine Arts degree is something quite prestigious to achieve, but it isn't always easy to cease your career to pursue it. The Low-Residency MFA Handbook: A Guide for Prospective Creative Writing Students is an advisory for those who are pursuing their MFA and want to use the low-residency route to this level of degree. Made up of several brief residencies throughout the pursuit, Lori A. May fully describes what is required for to make this work, drawing on those who have experienced this on their route to their MFA. The Low-Residency MFA Handbook is a must for anyone trying to push their creative writing educational credentials to the next level.

- Midwest Book Review

If you've been thinking about whether a low-res program might be for you -- or you know someone thinking about his/her own writing ambitions -- I hope you'll pick up The Low-Residency MFA Handbook to aid in your research and let me know what you think!

Accents Publishing 2011 Poetry Book Contest

2011-06-10T07:28:00.001-04:00

Accents Publishing is happy to announce its 2011 International Poetry Book Contest.

Two winners will be selected – one by an independent judge, Lisa Williams, and one by the Senior Editor and founder of Accents Publishing, Katerina Stoykova-Klemer. Each winner will have his/her submission published and will receive a $500 cash prize. Additionally, the winners will be invited for a featured reading at a book premiere celebration event. All contest entries will be considered for regular publication with Accents Publishing, as well.

The entry fee is $20.00. Multiple submissions are allowed, as long as each one is accompanied by a separate entry fee and submission form. Winning books may be pre-ordered at the time of submission for $10.00 each.

A complete submission should include the following:
• A completed submission form
• Your manuscript, including
          o An acknowledgement page, if necessary
          o Two title pages – one with name and contact information, one without
• Your biography or CV
• A check or a confirmation of payment via Paypal covering the $20 entry fee, plus any optional book preorders

Please do not include a SASE, as notification will be made by email only.

We will accept submissions between February 1st and July 31st. Winners will be announced in August. The contest is open to any poet writing in English. Employees of Accents or family members of judges are ineligible to participate. Simultaneous submissions will be accepted, but please notify us immediately if your manuscript is accepted for publication elsewhere.

Manuscripts should conform to the following guidelines:
• 60 to 120 pages of poetry
• Table of contents
• Single spaced
• Numbered pages
• 11 pt font minimum

Your name should not appear anywhere within the manuscript. Please do not send your only copy of your work, as manuscripts will be recycled.

Entries should be mailed to:
Accents Publishing
Attn: Katerina Stoykova-Klemer
P.O. Box 910456
Lexington, KY 40591-0456
USA

Accents Publishing is an independent press for brilliant voices. For more information, or to download the submission form, please visit us at http://www.accents-publishing.com/.

grad level writing classes open for audit

2011-06-06T08:00:00.001-04:00

Pine Manor College invites local writers to audit

graduate-level creative writing classes

Pine Manor College is pleased to announce that a select number of graduate-level creative writing courses will be open to the public for auditing during the summer residency of its Solstice MFA Program, scheduled from July 8–July 17, 2011.

Classes are open to serious writers working at all levels; auditors are encouraged to complete the advance preparation requirements for any MFA class they wish to attend. The registration fee is $25 per course for Solstice graduates/$35 per course for the general public; the deadline for enrolling as an auditor for the summer 2011 Residency is July 1, 2011.

For course descriptions, our audit policy, and a downloadable registration form, visit http://www.pmc.edu/mfa-classes-for-audit

Summer 2011 MFA classes that are open to the public include:

Fiction:
• The Political Novel
• The R&R Moment: Recognition & Reversal
• Point Of View in Fiction
• The Slant-Wise Mirror: Creating Speculative Fiction Images That Reflect Reality

Creative Nonfiction:
• The Experimental Essay: A Class for All Genres
• The Travel Essay as Gateway To Sacred Space

Persona - Across Genre:
• The Multiple Selves Within Me: Narrator As Persona In Literary Nonfiction
• Persona: Writing About Someone Other Than Yourself (Poetry & Fiction)

Poetry:
• Be Bold! Revise!
• Introduction to Prosody
• About the Music Inside Your Lines

Special Guest Q&A:
• Q&A with three-time Newbery Honor Winner Jacqueline Woodson

Need more info?
Contact: Tanya Whiton, Assistant Director
whitontanya@pmc.edu
(617) 731-7697
http://www.pmc.edu/mfa

new low-res MFA: Arcadia University

2011-06-03T08:09:00.002-04:00

Have you discovered one of the latest additions to the low-res MFA family? The Arcadia University Creative Writing MFA program is the only program of its kind in the Philadelphia area and the first residency launches later this summer!

In addition to providing attentive online learning, the program will take students abroad to Edinburgh, Scotland for a unique learning experience.

There is still time to apply for the July 22 deadline in order to attend the residency and begin the program this year.

For more info on the MFA program, visit Arcadia’s website: http://www.arcadia.edu/mfa-creative-writing.htm

Want to know something else very cool? Arcadia hosts The Creative Writing Institute on campus July 8-10--and the credit can be applied to the MFA program. This institute is for intermediate to advanced creative writers who want to hone their skills over four weeks of discussion and workshops. Students will get personal feedback from Arcadia’s Creative Writing faculty and their peers during both the weekend on campus and four weeks of online workshops.

More info on The Creative Writing Institute: http://www.arcadia.edu/creative-writing-institute.htm

On Facebook? “Like” Arcadia University Creative Writing MFA here: http://www.facebook.com/arcadia.creativewriting

For more info, contact MFA Coordinator Joshua Isard, M.Sc., M.A., Adjunct Professor of English, or visit: http://www.arcadia.edu/mfa-creative-writing.htm

new articles in The Writer

2011-06-02T08:00:00.001-04:00

Wow. I have not one, but two articles in the current issues of The Writer. Have you picked up your copies of the June and July issues yet? Get a sneak peak of the table of contents below, beneath the descriptions of my latest articles.

In the June issue of The Writer:
"Bypass obstacles to traditional publishing"
Self-publishing is increasingly offering ways to proactively take control of your writing.
In this article, I interview authors Betsy Warland, Tung-Hui Hu, Becky Wolsk, and Richard Nash.
June table of contents

In the July issue of The Writer:
"Find new readers by presenting at conferences"
Where to look for speaking opportunities, and how to pitch the show organizers.
In this piece, I interview Dr. Susan L. Roberson, Carol Dorf, and Loreen Niewenhuis.
July table of contents

If you’re not a subscriber to The Writer, you can pick up a copy at your local bookshop. Or, go on, cave in and be a regular. Subscribe to The Writer here. Happy reading!

riding radio waves & other roller coasters

2011-06-01T09:58:00.000-04:00

It’s been a hectic/chaotic spring (now summer?), but it’s about time I get some updating done around here. I have much to share…

I’m honored that the lovely Katerina Stoykova-Klemer interviewed me recently for Accents - A Radio Show for Literature, Art and Culture on WRFL 88.1 FM, Lexington KY. It seems the MP3 recording of the interview is now uploaded and archived online so you can listen for free! Visit Katerina’s log list to hear some incredible interviews with writers like Molly Peacock, Jared Smith, Silas House, and so many wonderful talents; you’ll see my interview listed on March 25, 2011: http://www.katerinaklemer.com/radio

While admittedly delayed in reporting this, I’m thrilled to share this lovely interview I did with Karin Gillespie over at the Girlfriends Book Club. Karin asked some really great questions and prodded me to talk a bit more about The Low-Residency MFA Handbook, my poetry, and general writing questions. I hope you’ll check it out.

Hey, did you know I have a poem, “The Boat House,” in New Mirage Journal? Really. It’s right here.

While there are a few other bits of news to update as far as magazine articles and publications, I’ll save those for next time. Right now I just want to take a moment to express my appreciation for my regular blog readers and those that pop by even occasionally. As I mentioned, it’s been a crazy past few months and I really didn’t think I’d slip away for such a time but I certainly appreciate you coming back to see what’s new.

I do have some unfortunate news to share. Sadly, time and resources have come to an indefinite end for me regarding Poets’ Quarterly. I know this poetry review journal has held a special place for many of you and I don’t think I could have had any more dedicated contributors than what came my way with PQ. If you’re a writer who’s been around long enough to submit to a few places, you have undoubtedly encountered it before: a web zine is born with good intentions and a full load of steam, but time/money/resources dry up and it’s so hard to sustain and keep up the momentum, even when you have a dedicated readership.

I’d like to think Poets’ Quarterly will make a comeback some day. I’d like to think the great contributors PQ worked with will be back on board and that the ever-supportive readers will come back, too. For now, though, I’d like to just express my humble thanks to all who made PQ work for the time it did. I’d also like to encourage you to read and submit to those amazing journals that can keep it happening, issue after issue. Editing and producing a journal is a full-time, often unpaid job. It’s worth it; we do it because we love it and it’s important to play a role in the larger lit community. But, sometimes something just have to give. Sadly. Just be sure to share your love and support for those journals you admire. It may just keep them afloat a little bit longer.

Until next time…
L.

will return after these messages

2011-03-13T11:03:00.000-04:00

This is what happens when I find myself buried under a stack of deadlines and to-dos. Once I clear this mountain of paper, I’ll be back to my blogging schedule asap.

In the meantime, have fun checking out some very cool electrico-lit.

National Dzanc Workshop Day in MI

2011-03-02T13:02:00.001-05:00

The second annual National Dzanc Workshop Day, a charity event benefiting writing programs for school children, is planned for Saturday, April 9.

Creative writers in all genres are invited to participate in the workshop, titled “More Creative Plots, Deeper Characters.” The session will include writing exercises and discussions about craft. Joe Ponepinto and Gwendolyn Jerris will lead the workshop at the Royal Oak Public Library (222 East 11 Mile Rd) from 10 a.m. to noon.

Admission is $30 per attendee, and all proceeds go to Dzanc’s Writers in Residence program, which places professional authors with individual schools or classrooms. The writers return each week to build relationships with students and develop their potential as writers and poets.

Dzanc Books, a nationally known book publisher and writer advocate, is based in Ann Arbor. They are coordinating dozens of similar workshops around the country, all taking place on April 9.

When & Where
Royal Oak Public Library
222 East 11 Mile Road
Royal Oak, MI 48067
April 9, 2011 - 10am-12pm
Admission $30
Registration

Workshop Description
This workshop examines the traditional sections of a short story (beginning, middle, end) and shows how an understanding of each of these aspects of structure can result in more creative plots and deeper characters. Through a series of discussions and prompts, we’ll lead attendees through techniques that can expand the possibilities of their writing.

Since this is a morning workshop, we’ll have free coffee and pastries too.

Workshop Leaders
Joe Ponepinto is an editor with the Los Angeles Review and holds an MFA in Fiction. His short stories and criticism have been published or accepted for a variety of journals, most recently Vestal Review, Apalachee Review, Stymie, Tottenville Review, and, of course, LAR.

Gwendolyn Jerris is the founder and leader of the fiction writing group Writers by the Woods, which meets in Beverly Hills, MI. She has a BA in Creative Writing from Antioch College and a Secondary (6-12) English and History Teaching Certificate from Wayne State University. She's in her 3rd term at Goddard College, earning an MFA in fiction.

The Writer-in-Residence Program
Since 2006, the Dzanc Writer-in-Residence Program has been committed to increasing literacy in public school students in Michigan and beyond. During each school year, Dzanc places a professional author with an individual school or classroom, who returns each week to build a relationship with students and develop their potential as writers and poets.

More Info
Visit http://www.dzancbooks.org/dzanc-day/2010/10/19/michigan.html.

Contact Joe Ponepinto, jpon@thirdreader.com if you have questions about the Royal Oak workshop.

call for subs: Ginosko Literary Journal

2011-02-25T07:09:00.001-05:00

I’m happy to share this notice I received from Robert Paul Cesaretti, Editor of Ginosko Literary Journal: http://www.ginoskoliteraryjournal.com/

GINOSKO LITERARY JOURNAL
Accepting short fiction & poetry, creative nonfiction, interviews, social justice concerns, spoken word recordings.

Editorial lead time 1-2 months; accept simultaneous submissions & reprints; length flexible, accepts excerpts. Receives postal submissions & email—prefer email submissions as attachments in Microsoft Works Word Processor or Rich Text Format. Copyright reverts to author. Submissions read year around.

Publishing as semiannual e-zine. Check downloadable issues on website for style & tone. Use latest version of Adobe Reader.

E-zine circulation 5000+. Website traffic 750-1000 hits/month.

Also looking for artwork, photography, music to post on website and links to exchange.

Ginosko Short Fiction Contest: theme “Awakening.”
Deadline May 1st, decision June 1st.
$1000 prize; winner published on website.
$12 entry fee
Write money order or check out to Ginosko or use PayPal account GinoskoEditor@aol.com.

Classifieds $50/6 months, 100 words max.

Ginosko (ghin-océ-koe)
To perceive, understand, realize, come to know; knowledge that has an inception, a progress, an attainment. The recognition of truth by experience.

More info: http://www.ginoskoliteraryjournal.com/

call for subs: Off the Coast

2011-02-23T07:04:00.001-05:00

I’m happy to share this notice I received from Off the Coast: http://www.off-the-coast.com/

Off the Coast Submission Guidelines

Poetry: Send 1-3 previously unpublished poems, any subject or style cut-and-pasted in the body of an e-mail. If attaching poems, please also include in the body of the e-mail. Postal submissions with SASE with sufficient postage for return. Please include contact information and brief bio with submission.

We accept simultaneous submissions, but please inform us if your work is accepted elsewhere.

If sending both poems and artwork, please send in separate e-mails.

Artwork: We accept B&W graphics and photos to grace the pages of Off the Coast, and color or B&W for the cover. Send 3-6 images in jpg format. We prefer you select and send images rather than send a link to your website.

Reviews: For reviews, send a single copy of a newly published poetry book. Please send bound books only, we do not review chapbooks.

Contributors receive one free copy. Additional copies of the issue their work appears in available for half the cover price.

Off the Coast is a quarterly journal with deadlines:
March 15
June 15
September 15
December 15

Editorial decisions are not made until after the deadline for each issue. Notifications go out the first two weeks of the month following the deadline date eg: early April for March 15 deadline.

For samples of poetry, art and reviews, visit our website: http://www.off-the-coast.com/

Sample issues available for $10. Subscriptions to Off the Coast are $35. Two-year subscriptions are $60 (25% off the cover price).

Forward all inquiries and submissions to: poetrylane2@gmail.com

Or:
Off the Coast
P.O. Box 14
Robbinston, ME 04671
http://www.off-the-coast.com/

interview w/ poet Natasha Nuhanovic

2011-02-21T07:59:00.001-05:00

I’m pleased to share the link to this newly published interview I did with author Natasha Nuhanovic for Northern Poetry Review.

Full interview: http://www.northernpoetryreview.com/interviews/lori-may/natasha-nuhanovic.html

The latest from Northern Poetry Review is an ‘all interview’ issue, also featuring:
Richard Greene interviewed by Carmelo Militano
Ian Burgham interviewed by Catherine Graham
Robin McGrath interviewed by Jacob Bachinger

Check it out!

Unrelated, but a Sure Win
Also, congrats to blog follower Elle Solace for winning a signed copy of stains: early poems. Elle, be sure to email me with your postal addy so I can get your winnings to you! lori@loriamay.com

new low-res program: Tampa

2011-02-18T12:38:00.010-05:00

During AWP, I had the pleasure of meeting Donald Morrill, the Associate Dean of Graduate and Continuing Studies, University of Tampa. Morrill is interviewed in detail within this recent article announcing the new UT low-residency program. Read the article here.

Points of Note:
-The inaugural residency is scheduled for Jan 5-14, 2012
-The two-year program includes four terms and five residencies
-Genres include poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction
-This is the first grad program for UT’s College of Arts and Letters
-Tuition is $7,200/term, plus optional campus housing
-UT is conducting a national search for a program director

Read the article by Shivani Kanji

Visit the UT low-res MFA website

http://www.ut.edu/mfacw/

new low-res funding opportunities

2011-02-14T07:53:00.001-05:00

Warren Wilson MFA Program for Writers Announces The Rona Jaffe Foundation Graduate Fellowship in Creative Writing

For release, from Warren Wilson College

The Warren Wilson MFA Program for Writers and The Rona Jaffe Foundation are pleased to announce The Rona Jaffe Foundation Graduate Fellowship in Creative Writing. The fellowship will cover two consecutive semesters’ tuition and the fees for two residencies, plus a generous stipend to cover books, travel to residencies, childcare, or loss of income while attending each residency.

The Rona Jaffe Foundation will award one fellowship annually to an incoming female creative writing student in poetry or fiction. The Rona Jaffe Fellow will be chosen by the MFA Admissions Committee in consultation with the Director. The decision will be based on the quality of the application manuscript, essays, and recommendations.

“We’re thrilled to be able to offer an incoming student this remarkably generous support from the Rona Jaffe Foundation,” says Debra Allbery, Director of the MFA program. “Our low-residency MFA attracts ‘emerging’ writers of all ages, from a wide variety of backgrounds; this fellowship recognizes the full range of costs involved in pursuing this degree. We’re honored to be the first low-residency MFA program to receive this funding.” The Foundation has also established graduate fellowships for women writers in Ms. Jaffe's honor at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and the graduate Creative Writing MFA Program at New York University.

“The Rona Jaffe Foundation is very pleased to support a first-year, female graduate student at Warren Wilson College,” said Beth McCabe, Foundation Trustee and Director of the Writers’ Awards program. “Our collaboration seems like a natural fit. For over fifteen years, the Foundation has supported emergent women writers through its Writers’ Awards program. More recently, it has established fellowships with several distinguished graduate programs and artist colonies to further its mission.”

McCabe adds, “Many of Warren Wilson’s students come to the low-residency program because it allows them the opportunity to pursue their MFAs without uprooting their lives. For some writers this is key for returning to school. In particular, many women writers have to juggle the multiple responsibilities of work and motherhood while struggling to sustain their writing careers. We are pleased to be able to help some of the most talented among them pursue their creative goals by supporting their graduate study in creative writing at Warren Wilson.”

The first Rona Jaffe Foundation Fellowship will be awarded in March 2011 for a student entering the Warren Wilson MFA program in July.

The Rona Jaffe Foundation recognizes that women writers make special contributions to our culture and, through its Writers’ Awards program and sponsored fellowships, tries to address the difficulties that some of the most talented among them have in finding time to write and gaining recognition. Celebrated author Rona Jaffe (1931-2005) established The Rona Jaffe Foundation Writers’ Awards program in 1995. It is the only national literary awards program of its kind dedicated to supporting women writers exclusively. Since the program began, the Foundation has awarded more than $1 million to emergent women writers.

More info about funding at Warren Wilson: http://www.warren-wilson.edu/~mfa/newwebsite/FINANCIAL_AID.php

More info about low-residency MFAs: The Low-Residency MFA Handbook: A Guide for Prospective Creative Writing Students available at amazon

2011 Press 53 Open Awards

2011-02-11T08:41:00.000-05:00

I’ll soon be sharing a review of the 2010 Press 53 Open Awards Anthology, so what better time to share the details of this year’s contest:

2011 Press 53 Open Awards

Deadline for Entry: March 31, 2011

DETAILS:
First Prize Novella and First Prize, Second Prize and Honorable Mention in each category published in 2011 Press 53 Open Awards Anthology, October 2011.

By entering the Press 53 Open Awards Writing Contest, writers give Press 53 permission to publish the entered work or works in the Press 53 Open Awards Anthology and to list the author’s name in the Press 53 Open Awards Anthology and on the Press 53 website. Author retains copyright to the work or works entered and published. Press 53 is granted a one-time right to publish the work or works in the Press 53 Open Awards Anthology.

CONTEST CATEGORIES:
Poetry (submit 3 poems to be judged and published as a group. Three poems equal one entry)
Flash Fiction (fiction up to 750 words)
Short-Short Story (fiction of 751-2000 words)
Short Story (fiction of 2001-5000 words)
Creative Nonfiction (up to 5000 words)
Novella (fiction of 12,000 to 25,000 words)

HOW TO ENTER:
Visit http://www.press53.com/OpenAwards_2011.html for full contest details, rights, submission procedures, and a list of this year’s judges.

AWP 2011 recap & thanks

2011-02-09T08:47:00.003-05:00

What a week. AWP 2011, hosted in Washington DC, was again a whirlwind experience, and again an event for which I am so pleased to have connected with friends and colleagues from around the country and beyond.

I must first offer thanks to a number of people who made my presence in the bookfair a success: Celeste Gainey, Tod Goldberg, Clark Knowles, Patsy Sims, Jim Warner, Kobbie Alamo, Deb Henry, Debra Allbery, David Stevenson, and Winona Wendth were all so wonderful in helping out at the table for The Low-Residency MFA Handbook: A Guide for Prospective Creative Writing Students. You all rock and I thank you so much for your time, enthusiasm, and support during the bookfair.

Thank you, also, to Millicent Borges Accardi who worked the table while promoting and selling (many copies!) of her recent poetry books. Millicent was a lively and engaging addition to the bookfair space and I owe her gratitude for helping out with some of the time slots during the conference.

I am so pleased that ALL copies of The Low-Res Handbook I brought along and shipped sold out! I was empty handed by early Saturday morning and I am just so thrilled with the response. It was great to meet prospective, current, and past students, and others interested in picking up the guidebook or just chatting about their experiences. The programs featured in the book were all very supportive of the coverage they received and overall I don’t think I could have asked for a better response from this conference.

I loved that my table was in view of Los Angeles Review, as it meant I was able to wave to poetry editor Kelly Davio and also have a convenient way to connect with LAR and Red Hen folks including Eleonora Nord and Joe Ponepinto. I also met the charming publisher and editor of Paul Dry Books (who also helped me out with some much-needed tape on Day One!); it’s always nice to have good bookfair neighbors.

There was no shortage of people stopping by the table to see me and I am so grateful to put faces to names for many ‘online friends’ finally. I’m glad Sheila Lamb popped by, author Claudia Manley, and I was lucky to flag down the beautiful duo Ned Balbo and Jane Satterfield. It was also nice to see Valerie Wetlaufer and Georgia Ann Banks-Martin! There was so much traffic at the table, I have to give a blanket thank you to all for stopping by, as it’s just too long of a list to name everyone.

When I finally had a chance to make my rounds in the bookfair, it was lovely to chat with Kevin Morgan Watson (publisher/editor of Press 53), Kitty Lewis (Brick Books), the crew at NewPages.com, Leslie Maxwell (the lovely and talented nonfiction editor at Phoebe who worked with me on a recent piece), the joyous Accents Publishing table, and Marie Gauthier and Jim Schley from Tupelo Press, to name but a few. It was also great running into Richard Nash (Cursor) and poet Molly Peacock, and so many other folks I wish I could name them all.

Thanks to Andrew Gray, director of UBC’s optional-residency MFA program, I also learned about the development and launch of CCWWP – the Canadian Creative Writers and Writing Programs conference that is planned for May 2012 in Toronto. Wonderful news!

Speaking of MFA programs, I understand there are five (!) new low-res programs possibly in the works: Arcadia University (PA), St Mary’s College of MD, Union Institute & University (OH), U Tampa, and … John Cabot University (Italy). Wow. Definitely some great things in the works I’ll be checking into as time rolls on.

The panel I moderated Friday morning was a great success thanks to panelists Meg Kearney, Kathleen Driskell, Tod Goldberg, and Michael Kobre. Thank you for making this a fruitful discussion and thanks to all fifty attendees for adding to the discussion. Thanks also to Jim Warner, assistant director of the program at Wilkes, for contributing some comments about innovative social media usage by their MFA program. Jim also hosted a pretty awesome poetry slam event which I was pleased to attend!

In the bookfair I picked up lots of books and journals, plus a fun bag from Harvard Review and of course I managed to subscribe to enough zines and journals to keep my postal carrier cursing. Speaking of magazines, it was lovely to again connect with Jeff Reich from The Writer, whose table cleared a ton of freebie magazines!

Overall, AWP in Washington was a great time and I’m already looking forward to Chicago in 2012. Due to this year’s success, I’m thinking of booking a table in the bookfair and will be looking to offer a few guest signings and promotional opportunities to fellow writers. Stay tuned for more info as the time draws near.

Thanks, again, to all who made this conference a hit. It was great to connect with so many friends and colleagues and I hope you all had a memorable time in Washington.

Opp: residency @ U Arizona Poetry Center

2011-02-08T17:47:00.000-05:00

University of Arizona Poetry Center: Each summer, the University of Arizona Poetry Center in Tucson offers a month-long residency, including a stipend of $150 per week, to a poet, fiction writer, or creative nonfiction writer who has published no more than one full-length book.

This year one poet & one prose writer will be selected; each will spend two to four weeks in Tucson between June 1 & August 31 developing his or her work. The resident is provided with housing, but is responsible for food, travel, & other expenses.

Applications are reviewed by a committee of poets & prose writers comprising UA faculty, Poetry Center staff, & local writers.

Submit up to 10 pp. of poetry or 20 pp. of prose with a three-page proposal, resume or CV, and $15 application fee by February 25, 2011.

Visit the Poetry Center website for an application & complete guidelines: http://poetry.arizona.edu/

rave: Carolyn Smart & Jan Conn

2011-01-31T12:25:00.000-05:00

While I meant to blog about each of these poetry books months ago, today’s timing is perfect. That’s because in just a few days, AWP goers can stop by to see Brick Books (Table C-7, Hall B North) in the book fair to pick up copies—and this is something I highly recommend. In the spring issue of Poets’ Quarterly, I’ll have full reviews for both of these, but I simply have to suggest you seek them out at AWP this week, too.

Carolyn Smart’s Hooked leads the reader through seven sequential poems about seven women: Myra Hindley, Unity Mitford, Zelda Fitzgerald, Dora Carrington, Carson McCullers, Jane Bowles, and Elizabeth Smart. Part persona, part dreamy perspective—past and present—these poems take you into a world, into someone else’s skin, and into herstory like only Smart can.

“Written on the Flesh” is the first of seven, beginning with this detail and epigraph:

Myra Hindley: July 23, 1942—November 15, 2002

Mass murder is a novel written on the flesh
— Ian Brady: 1938 –

From “Written on the Flesh”…

ii

as a girl I
used to write a lot of stories
laughed and sang
made up jokes
was bad at needlework
couldn’t bear domestic science

loved the mouth organ
played it for Maureen
mums liked me
I was a good babysitter

was a catholic, took communion
after that boy drowned I cried
and prayed and prayed

God is a disease, a plague, a weight ‘round a man’s neck
said de Sade
oh, God, yes
said David, who was there,
while his wife Maureen sat home with Mum

what’s all the noise about
Gran asked
it’s just the dogs I said

The details:
Hooked by Carolyn Smart
120 pages
ISBN 9781894078696
News & reviews at Brick Books
Buy at amazon
Buy at AWP Bookfair: Table C-7, Hall B North

***

Jan Conn’s Botero's Beautiful Horses is a sensual blend of dream and fantasy, with a hint of inspiration from Remedios Varo’s surrealistic paintings. This is a meaty collection where animals and humans blur lines as does wake and sleep, dream and reality. With a sense of loss and longing, power despite despair, Conn’s collection is both confrontational in its inquest yet comforting in its baring of the soul.

“The Event”

Here comes white death, the sky
thrill-seeker
shipwrecked,
       the barked dog
       thicker and richer and redder.

The event,
the golden syrup of it,
melancholy beauty, she’s
       giving it all up: fan
       focus, brocade gown.

You could be my antitype, my other
other, genesis of ringed
things, foolhardy gumshoe
       locked in a cupboard.
       Strange embrace.

Zebra hidden in a striped zoo,
let your thoughts go
loose and slack.
       Make a run for it
       before the light stumbles.

The details:
Botero's Beautiful Horses by Jan Conn
144 pages
ISBN 9781894078719
News & reviews at Brick Books
Buy at amazon
Buy at AWP Bookfair: Table C-7, Hall B North

***

Remember to visit Brick Books during AWP in the Bookfair at Table C-7, Hall B North. Also, check back for links to full reviews for each of these titles in the spring issue of Poets’ Quarterly. *** ***

rave: Home By Now by Meg Kearney

2011-01-27T09:02:00.000-05:00

This is so long overdue, as I have been meaning to share and encourage you to pick up a copy of Meg Kearney’s Home By Now (Four Way Books, 2009) for a long, long time. Belated or not, this is still a book I highly recommend for its cleverness, insightfulness, and pure joy of language.

Without a doubt, Kearney’s collection has earned–well deserved I might add–incredible praise and laughter for her metaphorical poem “First Blow Job.” I had the pleasure of hearing the poet read at a recent event and hearing the matter-of-factness in her voice sealed the sweetness of this humorous perspective for me. Here’s a quick taste (no pun intended):

Suddenly I knew what it was to be my uncle’s Labrador retriever,
young pup paddling furiously back across the pond with the prized
duck in her mouth, doing the best she could to keep her nose in the air

so she could breathe. She was learning not to bite …

I don’t want to ruin it for those who haven’t yet read the full poem, but you must believe the metaphor plays out so magically, so cleverly, that it’s probably the most known and loved piece from this collection.

Yet it’s important to note that Kearney’s collection is not made up of light, easy humor. In fact, there is much weight and heart–and disheartening moments–within this book, that the sheer complexity and variety of Home By Now alone make it a standout recommendation. To prove the 180-degree turns you’ll stumble upon, here’s a poem to consider:

September 12, 2001: View of Downtown
Manhattan From My Bedroom Window

The amputee insists
her legs are still
down there

She feels them
burning—
She knows

when the smoke clears
they will be
standing

Long lines that linger, short lines with emotional punch, persona and voice that capture your breath and make you crave more… Home By Now is a fascinating collection that gives so much in 60+ pages, in such an accessible style that’s zeroed in on language and emotion, it’s impossible not to recommend. Trust me, you’ll fall in love. Actually, don’t just take my word for it. Home By Now was the Winner of the 2009 LL Winship/PEN New England Award for Poetry, a finalist for the Paterson Poetry Prize, and a finalist for Foreword Magazine's Book of the Year. Not bad. Now go check it out.

Buy it on amazon

Visit Meg Kearney’s website

signing & special guests @ AWP Bookfair

2011-01-25T09:16:00.001-05:00

Please visit Table H-8 to pick up a copy of The Low-Residency MFA Handbook: A Guide for Prospective Creative Writing Students (Continuum Books) during the 2011 AWP Conference and Bookfair. I’ll be on site to share information and sign copies.

More info about The Low-Res MFA Handbook: http://www.loriamay.com
Order your copy via amazon here.

Throughout the conference, a number of MFA program reps will be dropping by Table H-8 to talk about their programs and elaborate on their interviews included in The Low-Res MFA Handbook:

THURSDAY FEB 3

Celeste Gainey, alumnus, Carlow University

Tod Goldberg, director, UC Riverside/Palm Desert

Clark Knowles, alumnus, Bennington College

Patsy Sims, director, Goucher College

Jim Warner, assistant director, Wilkes University

FRIDAY FEB 4
Kobbie Alamo, alumnus, Northwest Institute of Literary Arts
Debra Allbery, director, Warren Wilson College
David Stevenson, director, University of Alaska Anchorage
Robert Begiebing, director, Southern New Hampshire University
Meg Kearney, director, Solstice/Pine Manor College

SATURDAY FEB 5
Carol Berg, alumnus, Stonecoast/University of Southern Maine
Winona Winkler Wendth, alumnus, Bennington College

Also, be sure to stop by and say hello to a few SPECIAL AUTHOR GUESTS!

FRIDAY FEB 4
Millicent Borges Accardi (8:30am-12:30pm)
Deb Henry, Fairfield University (11:30am-1:30pm)

SATURDAY FEB 5
Deb Henry, Fairfield University (11:30am-2:30pm)
Millicent Borges Accardi (3-5:30pm)

Millicent Borges Accardi will be selling copies of her recent titles, Injuring Eternity (World Nouveau) and Woman on a Shaky Bridge (Finishing Line Press). More info at http://millicentborgesaccardi.com/.

Deb Henry, who is also an alumus of Fairfield University’s MFA program, will be talking about her novel, The Whipping Club (represented by Rob Weisbach Creative Management).

More info about The Low-Res MFA Handbook: http://www.loriamay.com/

See you at AWP!

reader review: Low-Res MFA Handbook

2011-01-24T08:10:00.001-05:00

I’m pleased to share this reader review of The Low-Residency MFA Handbook from amazon.com:

"May's discussions on teaching philosophy, format, residency community, pedagogy (or lack thereof), and even life after the MFA held priceless information that helped to direct me to programs that will best fit what I need and desire.

Highly and strongly recommended to anyone considering a low-residency MFA program. Kudos to Lori May for putting together such an informative, concise piece of work!"

Read Rhonda’s full review here

For more information about The Low-Residency MFA Handbook: A Guide for Prospective Creative Writing Students (Continuum Books, Jan 2011), visit my website here or take a preview inside the book on amazon.

FREE PREVIEW of Low-Res MFA Handbook

2011-01-18T13:19:00.000-05:00

Tempted to pick up a copy of The Low-Residency MFA Handbook, but want to see the goods first? Thanks to technology, my publisher has created a brief online preview wherein you can read the Preface and get to know the Table of Contents a bit better.

CLICK HERE for a preview of The Low-Residency MFA Handbook: A Guide for Prospective Creative Students.

If you like what you see, here are a few places you can order online:
ECampus
amazon.com
Powell’s Books
Continuum Books

The Low-Residency MFA Handbook: A Guide for Prospective Creative Students features 49 programs and 150+ interviews….

Table of Contents

Preface

Chapter 1: An Introduction to Low-Residency MFAs

Chapter 2: Is the Low-Residency Model Right for Me?

Chapter 3: The Selection Process

Chapter 4: The Application Process

Chapter 5: Funding

Chapter 6: The Programs

Chapter 7: The Residency Experience

Chapter 8: Non-Residency Semesters

Chapter 9: Pedagogical Preparation

Chapter 10: Learning from Experience

Chapter 11: Life After the MFA

Chapter 12: AWP Membership & Services

Appendix A: Extended Interviews

Appendix B: Quick Reference

Appendix C: Additional Resources

Acknowledgements

Kudos

“What an invaluable handbook! Lori A. May has done her research, knows her stuff, and, what's best, lets the programs speak for themselves through her extensive interviews. There's a chorus of quotes from faculty, students, and graduates in The Low-Residency MFA Handbook. Anyone making the decision to apply for an MFA should consult this wise guide. May's clarity and authority make it a gold standard."

- Molly Peacock, author of The Second Blush

“The Low-Residency MFA Handbook is an important book, not only for prospective students, but for program faculty and administrators as well. This guide will prove invaluable for students preparing to apply for low-residency MFA programs and will inform them of what to expect once they gain acceptance. The low-residency MFA in creative writing is increasingly popular, and there has been a lack of resources available to students, faculty and administrators. The Low-Residency MFA Handbook fills that void."

- Derick Burleson, author of Melt

CLICK HERE to read the ONLINE PREVIEW FOR FREE

Opportunity: want an author signing at AWP?

2011-01-13T14:54:00.000-05:00

This is a no-stings-attached opportunity open to writers with a book to sign or lit journals wanting an additional way to flag down passers-by.

The Fact:
AWP in DC is just a few weeks away and I have an opportunity to share.

The Setting:
Thanks to my publisher, Continuum Books, I have a table exclusively to myself, for The Low-Residency MFA Handbook: A Guide for Prospective Creative Writing Students (link). Throughout the conference, a number of low-res program reps (directors, faculty, students) will be coming by to hang with me, and talk about their programs and their interviews in The Handbook.

The Predicament:
Saturday is by far the busiest and most joyous day of the conference. That being said, my departure flight has me leaving the conference a couple hours early. This leaves some desirable real estate available—and I want to make sure someone gets to take advantage of that. On the house. No strings attached.

The Opportunity:
If you’re a lit mag representative or an author with a somewhat recent book you’d like to promote and sign the last few hours of AWP’s amazing bookfair, you are welcome to have your 15 minutes of fame for roughly two and a half hours (3-5:30pm). You’re invited to bring along your books/lit journals, appropriate signage (since I’ll take most of mine with me), and your stellar personality. Heck, I'll even help promote your scheduled presence. Not bad, right?

But, Wait, There’s More:

Since this is my table and I can invite whomever the heck I want to join me, I can even find another time during the bookfair to make a seat for you, so you can max out your presence (in some rather fine company, I might add).

How-To:
Email me and we’ll chat.

Disclaimer:
While I’d love to say yes to everyone, this is a limited time offer since this is a limited space kind of situation. So, what are you waiting for? Email me now: lori@loriamay.com

video killed the poetry star

2011-01-10T14:23:00.000-05:00

Okay, so maybe “poetry star” is a misnomer. But I like puns and I love 80s music, so deal.

It’s not the most refined display of technological genius, but I’m experimenting with video and wanted to show off my baby steps.

The following video features three poems originally published in the December 2010 issue of Black Dahlia Journal. It’s a great journal: check it out.

Without further ado… I present “Haiku Trilogy.”

Converse College MFA Residency – Jan 2011

2011-01-07T09:05:00.001-05:00

I had the pleasure of presenting two lectures at the Converse College MFA residency this past weekend. I have to say, it was a nice bonus to be visiting the area during 60+ degrees of heat each day compared to the mid-20s we’ve been experiencing here at home in the Midwest. Although, perhaps it was the drastic difference in temperatures that influenced my post-MFA flu bug. Yuck.

However, my visit to the residency was absolutely wonderful and I was pleased to hear great readings from faculty members Robert Olmstead and Sarah Kennedy. The students and faculty were a great crew and Oh. My. Goodness. The food was amazing. I was well fed and am thinking fondly of it now, how nice it was to have taste buds that worked for such a fine spread. Thank goodness the flu/cold didn’t kick in until my return home.

The food was on par with the rest of the residency, which was hosted for the first time at The Pine Crest Inn, in Tryon NC. What a lovely and inviting establishment. It was a joy to sit around the fireplace in the evening with an adult beverage in hand and enjoying the various conversations with friends old and new.

For the business part of things, I presented two lectures. On Sunday I talked about “Literary Living: Developing a Creative Career” and on Monday I shared a few tips for breaking into the nonfiction market, as well as detailed what publishers are looking for in nonfiction book proposals. The students were wonderfully attentive and inquisitive and it was a joy to be in their presence.

Now that I’m back home and a bit under the weather, it feels like I missed out on the first week of the New Year. But, with a little luck and a lot of rest (and coffee) I’ll be back in full swing in no time. A belated happy new year to you all…

Q&A with author Vickie Weaver

2010-12-30T08:30:00.001-05:00

Billie Girl, from author Vickie Weaver, won the 2009 Leapfrog Literary Press Contest and was published Sept 1, 2010. Vickie is a 2005 graduate of Spalding University’s MFA Program (Louisville, Kentucky). Her next novel, Job’s Daughters, is taking form on the page. On Vickie’s website you’ll find event schedules, a ‘reader’s guide’ and more info about her writing.

Thanks for joining us, Vickie. Tell us a bit about Billie Girl and how the story came to be.
After reading As I Lay Dying, by William Faulkner, I kept returning to the end of the novel, and the woman Anse Bundren marries right after burying his first wife. As we know, Anse was far from what we'd call 'a catch.' How desperate might a woman be to marry this man? Surely, no one else wanted her or she would not have become the second Mrs. Bundren. So the idea of a girl that no one wanted stuck with me. The remainder of the inspiration came from century-old photographs of pioneer women: unplucked eyebrows, no makeup, unflattering hairstyles, weathered faces and stern expressions, shapeless dresses. Many of them look like men in women's clothing. Billie Girl was born out of these two observations.

How have the fall promotions come along for you? I’ve noticed you’ve done a lot of traveling for booksignings and related events. How do you manage your writing time while keeping up with the “business” side of things?
Touring is part of the package when a book is published. It’s tough for a first-time unknown author to get her name out there, so I go as much as I can. It’s my routine to head to my office after dinner to write, revise, research, brainstorm—and I like to stick with that because it grounds me. Sure, there have been times when I’m not as productive because I’m tired or distracted. When I have tour details to iron out, three hours in my office to write can be reduced to fifteen minutes, but it’s my goal to at least say hello to my characters every day. They miss me.

You’ve won several awards for your writing, which leads us to the natural conclusion that you’ve also entered a number of contests. How do you determine which ones to enter? How do you know what contests may be right for your work?
Placing in contests is a good way to build writing credits. My writer friends often give me a heads up about contests. Many are listed in publications such as Poets & Writers—it’s a great resource for contests, and grants, too. Besides reading the contest blurb, I check out the contest website for all details to make sure my work is a fit (subject matter, length, genre). I do standard submissions, too (no contest fees!). I can’t always study the literary journals I submit to, to see if they are right for me; I can’t afford to subscribe to them all, and honestly, I don’t like to take the time. I probably should not admit that but it’s true. There are days when I do a Hail Mary and send off my work.

What can you tell us about your experience with the Spalding University MFA program? Do you keep in touch with many of your alumni?
I went to college late in life; I was 48 when I earned a BA in English (minors in Creative Writing and Women’s and Gender Studies). I enrolled at Spalding University in 2003. The first time I stepped into a plenary lecture I was overcome with emotion (it sounds trite but it’s true) to be in a room full of writers. Without speaking to anyone, without knowing one person there, I knew we shared a passion for the written word that had brought us all to the same place. Spalding is the best thing I’ve ever done for my writing, and for my sense of self. I do keep in touch with a handful of alumni, and return to Kentucky often, to visit during every residency that I can. It’s become my second home.

You’ve also done a fellowship at Spiro Arts Community. What did you work on and how was the fellowship beneficial to you?
Because my writer friends encouraged me to try retreats, I did an online search one night and found Spiro Arts. I applied and was absolutely floored that I was chosen. Most of my time there (May 2009) was spent revising the two novels I’d written, Below the Heart and Billie Girl. And I had just started my third novel, a contemporary tale of Job’s daughters (from the Bible). The fellowship was a gift—to be able to write any time I wanted without thought of home-related tasks (laundry, grocery shopping, cooking, cleaning, social commitments) was a bit surreal. But that month gave me more than time to write. It helped me (at the age of 57) to look inward, to listen to my heart, to build self-confidence and independence. The Spiro Arts Community values the arts, and it showed in their respectful regard for my profession. I will ever be grateful to them. There are many fellowship opportunities for writers; all you have to do is some research. Apply, and cross your fingers!

What are you working on now?
While I am still tweaking Below the Heart, and writing a short story every now and again, most of my writing time is spent on Job’s Daughters. I just try to write something every day. I love what I do.

*****

For the latest news and details regarding Vickie’s events, visit her website: http://www.vickieweaver.com/.

Low-Res MFA Handbook officially available!

2010-12-28T12:09:00.000-05:00

The release date may very well say January, but amazon and other online retailers are shipping orders! If you shop on amazon.com, you can also use the “Look Inside” feature to catch a glimpse of a few chapters. Here’s the basic rundown of what’s inside:

Features 49 programs and 150+ interviews

Available now from Continuum Books

The Low-Residency MFA Handbook: A Guide for Prospective Creative Writing Students

(ISBN 978-1-4411984-4-0)

Table of Contents

Preface

Chapter 1: An Introduction to Low-Residency MFAs

Chapter 2: Is the Low-Residency Model Right for Me?

Chapter 3: The Selection Process

Chapter 4: The Application Process

Chapter 5: Funding

Chapter 6: The Programs

Chapter 7: The Residency Experience

Chapter 8: Non-Residency Semesters

Chapter 9: Pedagogical Preparation

Chapter 10: Learning from Experience

Chapter 11: Life After the MFA

Chapter 12: AWP Membership & Services

Appendix A: Extended Interviews

Appendix B: Quick Reference

Appendix C: Additional Resources

Acknowledgements

Kudos
“What an invaluable handbook! Lori A. May has done her research, knows her stuff, and, what's best, lets the programs speak for themselves through her extensive interviews. There's a chorus of quotes from faculty, students, and graduates in The Low-Residency MFA Handbook. Anyone making the decision to apply for an MFA should consult this wise guide. May's clarity and authority make it a gold standard."
- Molly Peacock, author of The Second Blush

“The Low-Residency MFA Handbook is an important book, not only for prospective students, but for program faculty and administrators as well. This guide will prove invaluable for students preparing to apply for low-residency MFA programs and will inform them of what to expect once they gain acceptance. The low-residency MFA in creative writing is increasingly popular, and there has been a lack of resources available to students, faculty and administrators. The Low-Residency MFA Handbook fills that void."
- Derick Burleson, author of Melt

Click here to order The Low-Residency MFA Handbook: A Guide for Prospective Creative Writing Students on amazon.

new issue of The Ambassador Poetry Project

2010-12-24T09:00:00.001-05:00

The Ambassador Poetry Project publishes poems from and about Michigan and Ontario. Submissions are open year-round and the journal is published online two to four times each year.

The Winter 2011 issue is now online and features work from eleven poets including Linda Leedy Schneider, Gregory Loselle, and Lynn Tremblay.

Visit http://www.ambassadorpoetry.com/ for the current issue and the ongoing call for submissions.

because I love coffee that much

2010-12-23T08:36:00.002-05:00

I declared it to the world on Starbucks.com.

words + paint + scissors

2010-12-21T09:32:00.001-05:00

I was digging around in one of my stationery folders, on the hunt for watercolor paper, when I came across a small collection of oddities: ‘greeting cards’ I made a few years back with ink, watercolor, and magazine cutouts.

I’m not a ‘serious’ artist – as you can see in full visual evidence – but I do, from time to time, like to play with texture and color to get the creative juices going in preparation for a writing session.

I am also not afraid of embarrassing myself, so I’m happy to share…

"Virgin Gets Around"

"Divas"

"Art Imitates Life"

I know, clever titles, right? But, these are simply a means to generate the creative vibe. Perhaps I should just stick to writing. ;)

Interview & Poetry in The Smoking Poet!

2010-12-17T12:14:00.001-05:00

I’m honored to be featured in the Winter issue of The Smoking Poet. Zinta Aistars, the founder and editor-in-chief of TSP chatted with me about so many writerly things (ideas and creativity, teaching, editing, the lit community, etc) and shares this really in-depth interview with me here.

The issue includes three of my poems:
Down on the Corner, Public Display of Affection, and Triangular Distortions.

TSP was also kind enough to reprint Zinta's recent review of stains: early poems to accompany the interview. Be sure to check out The Smoking Poet for a full and fantastic winter issue that also features a great interview with Dorianne Laux, an abundance of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction, and detailed info about the upcoming TSP 5th anniversary reading: Puttin’ on the Dog.

Thanks to Zinta for an enjoyable interview!

reviews/ immigration/ haiku

2010-12-14T12:13:00.000-05:00

I have an assortment of news bites to share today:

The latest issue of Poets’ Quarterly is now online at http://www.poetsquarterly.com/. The issue is packed with 20 new reviews and four author interviews. Do check it out and if you’re interested in submitting, have a look at the Submission Guidelines. Also, PQ is looking to fill a few volunteer editorial positions. See link and info on the main page.

Speaking of reviews, I have a review of Slant Room by Michael Eden Reynolds up on Northern Poetry Review.

I’m also pleased to have a creative nonfiction piece, “Rearview Mirror,” online at Phoebe Journal (George Mason University). This piece was written about a year ago and is a reflection of some of my (driving) experiences in my first year as a US resident.

Like haiku? I have six poems over at Black Dahlia Journal. Have a look!

And, finally, just a reminder that Review Copies of The Low-Residency MFA Handbook: A Guide for Prospective Creative Writing Students (Continuum Books, Jan 2011) are available. Send an email with your name, postal address, and publication affiliation to lori@loriamay.com.

Is a low-residency MFA right for you?

2010-12-09T09:57:00.001-05:00

Chapter 2 Excerpt in The Writer

The release of The Low-Residency MFA Handbook: A Guide for Prospective Creative Students (Continuum Books, Jan 2011) is right around the corner and you can get a sneak preview in the January issue of The Writer magazine.

An excerpt adopted from Chapter 2, “Is a low-residency MFA right for you” is on pages 21-22. Click here to see the Table of Contents for the January 2011 issue of The Writer.

Available January 2011 from Continuum Books

The Low-Residency MFA Handbook:
A Guide for Prospective Creative Writing Students
ISBN 978-1-4411984-4-0
Pre-order for $13.46 at amazon.com

Reviewers, contact lori@loriamay.com

More information: http://www.loriamay.com/

review copies! The Low-Res MFA Handbook

2010-12-07T11:46:00.000-05:00

Review copies are now available for The Low-Residency MFA Handbook: A Guide for Prospective Creative Writing Students (Continuum Books, Jan 2011). If you would like to request a review copy, please send an email with the name of your media outlet and your full contact information: lori@loriamay.com

Available January 2011 from Continuum Books

The Low-Residency MFA Handbook: A Guide for Prospective Creative Writing Students (ISBN 978-1-4411984-4-0)

Features 49 programs and 150+ interviews

The Low-Residency MFA Handbook:

A Guide for Prospective Creative Writing Students

Table of Contents

Preface

Chapter 1: An Introduction to Low-Residency MFAs

Chapter 2: Is the Low-Residency Model Right for Me?

Chapter 3: The Selection Process

Chapter 4: The Application Process

Chapter 5: Funding

Chapter 6: The Programs

Chapter 7: The Residency Experience

Chapter 8: Non-Residency Semesters

Chapter 9: Pedagogical Preparation

Chapter 10: Learning from Experience

Chapter 11: Life After the MFA

Chapter 12: AWP Membership & Services

Appendix A: Extended Interviews

Appendix B: Quick Reference

Appendix C: Additional Resources

Acknowledgements

- Molly Peacock, author of The Second Blush

“The Low-Residency MFA Handbook is an important book, not only for prospective students, but for program faculty and administrators as well. This guide will prove invaluable for students preparing to apply for low-residency MFA programs and will inform them of what to expect once they gain acceptance. The low-residency MFA in creative writing is increasingly popular, and there has been a lack of resources available to students, faculty and administrators. The Low-Residency MFA Handbook fills that void."

- Derick Burleson, author of Melt

Available for pre-order:

Amazon.com Continuum Books

Reviewers, please contact lori@loriamay.com.
More information is available at http://www.loriamay.com/.

website, handbook, and the art of prioritizing

2010-12-03T14:22:00.000-05:00

Newly updated website! (Finally... and hurrah!)

Humbling, but true. Yes, the writer who advocates effective use of social media and connecting with others… fell off the map. Humbling? Yes. Hypocritical? Goodness, no. Because really, as great a medium as social media is, we writers also have a gazillion other responsibilities to manage and sometimes, well… sometimes that means we have to prioritize and fall off the dot com map for just a moment. Just long enough to breathe and catch up.

I do think social media is one of the most important tools we writers have in our proverbial toolbox, particularly in terms of keeping up with the community. How else would I hear about Jessie Carty’s adventures with her writing class or the lovely and talented Kelly Davio receiving not one, but two Pushcart nominations (!), or Jane Friedman’s first new coat in six year (completely relevant: we writers need to stay warm!). Social media – Facebook, Twitter, blogging, all of it – is necessary to my survival as a writer and necessary for my ‘keeping up with what’s what.’ Mostly, keeping connected online makes me feel like I’m not alone and, really, writing is pretty solitary, right, so why not feel part of a larger community?

And… yet… there comes a time or two in one’s writing life that the deadlines pile on, submissions are stacked high, editing awaits, and if a person has any sense of life in the real concrete world there are general life to-dos and busywork to be done. It’s normally quite easy to keep up with the online business while tending to all of the above, but sometimes even social media advocates need a break. As you can see from the lack of blog posts in the last week or so, I took that much-needed pause to just get back above water.

It’s all about balance. And balance is often a battle and one that never really goes away. Yet, it’s possible to find – make – the time to fit in all of these little tasks and bigger priorities, take a break, and come back healthier for it. It’s like tucking away a nearly complete poem or story and spending time away from it before revisiting with an editorial eye. Our brains just need a pause now and then.

But then we get back to work. So here I am, happy to be back and renewed, eager to share some upcoming events, releases, and post some new author Q&As to the blog, etc, etc. If you’d like to be a Q&A guest on here, please let me know! I’m happy to showcase emerging and established authors alike.

I’m sure over the next couple of months you’ll grow tired of it, but I have to start sharing some pretty exciting (to me, at least) news about my next release: The Low-Residency MFA Handbook: A Guide for Prospective Creative Writing Students. I’ll save the hardcore info for another post, but you can get a sneak peek on my recently updated website. I’m also pretty stoked about some new poetry acceptances soon to appear in journals including Ragazine, Ramshackle Review, and Caper Literary Journal.

There’s much on the horizon so you’ll soon see… I may take a break now and then, but even in the quiet moments I’m working, working, working. It’s all a part of finding that balance we all seek.

Until next time…

I'm....

2010-11-24T01:16:00.001-05:00

[Out of Order]

...due to an embarassing to-do list. But I'll be back soon with more lit news and author interviews.

worth sharing: calls for sub

2010-11-16T12:54:00.000-05:00

Ontario Veterinarian College Call for Submissions
Deadline: November 30, 2010

Ontario Veterinary College is pleased to a send a call for submissions for our anthology, Animal Companions, Animal People, Animal Doctors, to be published by Ontario Veterinary College in 2011. To mark its 150th anniversary in 2012, the Ontario Veterinary College is producing a book-length collection of poems, stories, and essays about the myriad ways companion animals enrich our lives and our imaginations, as well as about the veterinary professionals who sustain and are part of our life-long relationship with our animals.

For more information visit http://www.vetlit.ca/.

*****

Greg Grummer Poetry Award
Submission Deadline: November 15, 2010

Phoebe sponsors the annual Greg Grummer Poetry Award Contest. The author of the winning poem will receive $1000 and publication in the Fall issue of Phoebe. For complete guidelines visit http://www.phoebejournal.com/?page_id=9.

*****

Phoebe “First-Ever Nonfiction” Contest
Submission Deadline: December 1, 2010

Shauna Cross is judge - $250 grand prize + publication in Phoebe. Visit http://www.phoebejournal.com/?page_id=135 for more information.

*****

Cream City Review Poetry and Creative Nonfiction Contests
Submission Deadline: December 31, 2010

*The Beau Boudreaux Poetry Prize, judged by Quraysh Ali Lansana, author of They Shall Run: Harriet Tubman Poems and Southside Rain

*The David B. Saunders Prize for Creative Nonfiction, judged by Deb Olin Unferth, author of Vacation and the forthcoming Revolution: The Year I Fell in Love and Went to Join the War

An entry fee of $15 must be included for each story, essay, or group of 3-5 poems. Entrants are welcome to compete in more than one genre, or submit multiple pieces in the same genre. The entrant’s fee includes a free copy of the issue in which the contest winners will be announced and published.

For further details and conditions, please visit our site at http://www.creamcityreview.org/submit/.

*****

Best of luck!

Q&A with author Loreen Niewenhuis

2010-11-11T09:00:00.001-05:00

Author Loreen Niewenhuis has two new books set for release in 2011, A 1-000 Mile Walk on the Beach and Atlanta.

Thanks for joining us, Loreen, and congratulations. With two books scheduled for release in 2011, it sounds like you've been busy! How do you manage your time between writing, study, and work?

I'm quite lucky to be able to focus on my writing full-time at this point. Not that I'm making a living at it, but I've been a stay-at-home mom for a few years and have been able to devote increasingly more time to my writing as my sons have gotten older.

Tell us about your experience with Spalding University's creative writing MFA program. How did the program help you develop discipline and time management for writing and for life?

Spalding was the perfect place for me: a great community of people who are passionate about writing and teaching and making each student a better writer. The residencies were both informational and inspirational. I liked that the intense residencies were followed by solitary and productive months working with a mentor via packets. The packet schedule imparted a certain structure to my writing and my ability to set goals for my work, and this structure has persisted long after graduation.

The first book we'll see from you in 2011 is A 1,000-MILE WALK ON THE BEACH, to be released in March by Crickhollow Books. What is your connection to Lake Michigan and what inspired you to make this figurative and literal journey?

I've always been drawn to Lake Michigan. It's the place I go to center myself. I reached a point in my life where I wanted to take on a big challenge, something that would test me, that I could throw myself into. I decided to take on the lake, to walk all the way around it. In a way, I internalized the lake by completely encircling it.

You're obviously familiar with the Great Lakes, but I'm sure you learned a great deal about your environment as you made the journey. What surprised you most about Lake Michigan?

Walking the varied geology was a revelation to me. I knew that the Great Lakes were formed by glaciers, but to actually walk the entire shoreline of Lake Michigan gave me a unique perspective. I saw the hand of the glaciers in the perched dunes in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. I recognized the work of wind and waves to loft the massive sand dunes I climbed. Hiking the dense limestone deposits in Michigan's Upper Peninsula and the eroding clay cliffs in Wisconsin completed the geological picture of the lake for me.

It was satisfying to connect the lake into a unified view instead of the pinpoint glimpses that I got by visiting the lakeshore at various access points over the years.

How does your writing across genres work in your favor? Or does it? Is it challenging to pen both fiction and nonfiction?
I am, at heart, a fiction writer. It has been a challenge to write nonfiction, especially when it comes to revealing myself on the page. I think that moving between the genres has expanded the way I think about my writing. There is a bigger range of projects I can undertake in the future. The research aspect of A 1,000-MILE WALK ON THE BEACH was fun and I hope to do another project like it in the future.

What can you tell us about your summer 2011 release, ATLANTA?

This book is a novella that was originally written as a screenplay. I actually began writing movie scripts even before I got my MFA. After graduating from Spalding, I returned to one of those scripts and adapted it into a short novel.

So, yes, I hope it gets adapted into a film, because I have the screenplay in my desk drawer (ha!).

I lived in Atlanta for several years and the city has stayed with me. This novella is a snapshot of Atlanta at a time when it was growing, almost bursting at the seams as it transitioned into a major urban center. It's a tapestry of lives woven together in the neighborhoods of Atlanta, and I hope it gives readers a sense of the vitality and life of the city.

I understand you're now working on a new novel, TUMOR BOARD. Can you give us a hint of the premise?
Since this is the first full-length novel for me, I wanted to create a structure that was transitional between short stories and the novel form. So, the novel has a central spine that is told in present tense. This spine is the Tumor Board meeting that takes place in major hospitals. It is where specialists gather together for one hour each week to discuss difficult cancer cases. In this room there are surgeons, radiologists, nurses, doctors-in-training, researchers, pathologists, etc.

Branching off of this meeting are chapters for each character: one in their past, and one in their future. In the first half of the novel, you get all the glimpses into each of their past, in the second half, into their future. By the end of the novel, the reader will know a significant arc in the life of each character.

It takes place in Detroit in Grace Hospital which used to exist, but was torn down in the '70s.

Loreen, we'll definitely have you back to talk about each of these releases in more detail, but in the meantime, where can readers learn more about you and your work?
The blog about my walk around Lake Michigan (where I continue to post information about the Great Lakes) is at http://laketrek.blogspot.com/.
My author website is http://lniewenhuis.com/.
I also have a fan page on Facebook where I'll post updates about readings and signings.

*****

Winter Wheat 2010: MAR Festival of Writing

2010-11-09T12:24:00.000-05:00

Registration is open for Winter Wheat: The Mid-American Review Festival of Writing. The event takes place this weekend, Nov 11-13, on the campus of Bowling Green State University. There are more than 50 sessions and workshops to choose from (!) so no matter your level or genre of interest, there’s something for everyone. The festival also includes readings by Jim Daniels, Lola Haskins, Andrew Ervin, Gaylord Brewer, and Rebecca Meacham. There’s also an Open Mic and a Book Fair on Saturday.

I’m leading a session for writers and social media: “Promote your writing by building an online presence” will take place Friday, Nov 12 from 2:30-3:45pm.

Full festival info is online here. Let me know if you have any questions about my session: lori@loriamay.com

I hope to see you there!

worth sharing, worth reading

2010-11-04T09:15:00.001-04:00

The Kenyon Review Literary Festival
November 5-6 Gambier, OH
w/keynote speaker W.S. Merwin, US Poet Laureate
Details: http://www.kenyonreview.org/programs-litfest.php?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=november2010

*****

Speaking of KR...
They’ve just launched an occasional new series detailing why a particular submission is selected for publication. If you’ve ever submitted – or want to submit to KR – check it out and learn why editors at The Kenyon Review selected Elizabeth Chandler's “Blue Bear” for the Winter 2011 issue. Read:
http://kenyonreview.org/news_full.php?ID=11127&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=november2010

*****

Pass it on and on and on....
Another great read for the week was shared via Paper Darts Literary Journal on Facebook and is absolutely worth sharing again. Read “Support for Lit Mags Begins with Writers” as posted on The Things They Read:
http://thethingstheyread.wordpress.com/2010/11/02/support-for-lit-mags-begins-with-writers/

*****

Have a great week!

review: The Plath Cabinet

2010-11-02T09:45:00.001-04:00

The latest issue of Cerise Press is now available and in it you’ll find my review of The Plath Cabinet by Catherine Bowman. Check it out:
http://www.cerisepress.com/02/05/unboxed-secrets-the-plath-cabinet-by-catherine-bowman

Q&A with author David Poyer

2010-10-28T07:26:00.001-04:00

Hi, David. Thanks for joining us for a Q&A. You've received some very nice early praise for your November release, Ghosting. Congratulations! Can you tell us a bit about your main character, Dr. Jack Scales, and his story?
Well, Lori, Jack has a lot to do with some real surgeons I've come in contact with! Not to say all surgeons are like this - some are regular people, among them the ones who helped me with this book - but others seem to feel that since they can do one difficult thing well, they're qualified to do just about anything else with no necessity for learning or training whatsoever. This sometimes arrives mixed with not a little arrogance. So I searched for what natural arrogance I own, mixed it with my observations, and came out with Jack. A guy who means well and loves his family, who is ambitious and hardworking and very competent in one area, neurosurgery, but who has some very unlovable traits - which end up carrying a heavy price, both for him, his wife, his son, and his daughter, when he's put to the test.

Ghosting is quite different from your Dan Lenson thrillers. What drew you to this particular story?
This happens very seldom, but the idea of a sailing thriller was suggested to me by someone else - in this case Sally Richardson and George Witte at St. Martin's. I guess I'd mentioned my sailing to them over the years enough times that when I said I wanted to do a shorter book than the Lensons, to gain a little respite for additional research on the next big one, they said, "Why not do a sailing book?" I respect them enough that instead of dismissing the idea out of hand, which I usually do with plot suggestions from others, I went away and thought about it. I did know that this time I wanted to try all new characters, in fact a whole family, to write about family dynamics, which I had never done before. And once the ideas of arrogance and pride and a family in danger tied in with one of my perennial topics - the need for competence at sea - GHOSTING began to take shape. When I added a few of my own most harrowing sailing experiences, like the lightning storm, the outline was practically complete. (The lightning storm and strike depicted in the book actually took place off Cape Hatteras about three years ago - I had to change very little about it!)

You admit to being in a bad mood when you had to kill off some "good" characters from Ghosting. How attached do you get to your characters in draft form? How does this affect your editing process?
Oh, I get very attached! I would not make a good Buddhist. So when bad things started to happen to Arlen and Jack and Haley and Ric, and some terrible things indeed do, it wrecked me. As if they were my own family. It made it hard to edit, yes, but after thirty plus novels, there's enough professional detachment from the prose after the first draft's white heat that I can view a passage dispassionately, and turn it into finished work.

Is Ghosting planned as a stand-alone title or will you be developing Scales' story into a series?
This is definitely a one-off. However, I'm discussing another sailing novel with St. Martin's now. It will really depend on how many fans buy GHOSTING. So if you want to see more, buy this one - for yourself, or as a holiday gift for someone you know who loves boating and the sea!

Is Dan Lenson's series to be continued? What can readers look forward to since The Crisis, your December 2009 release?
I've just completed the first draft of a huge 9/11 novel, tentatively titled THE TOWERS, that will be published in August 2011. When I started to think about a 9/11 book, I realized that each of my major continuing Modern Navy characters - Dan, Blair, Aisha, and Teddy - might well have been in a location that would directly involve them in the shocking events of those days. So it begins at the Pentagon and in New York, and goes from there to Oman and then Afghanistan.

What else are you up to in your writing life? How has this year been for you in the Wilkes University MFA program where you teach?
I have some great students at the low-residency program at Wilkes. We are now the largest low-res writing program in the US! And it's due to our stellar faculty and administration. My current students are writing supernatural stories, ecothrillers, horror, high fantasy, sea novels, and middle grade fiction. One of my recent grads, Kevin Voglino, was nominated for the Lambda Prize. I don't think there's a better way to get started for someone who hopes to write. You work one on one with an established author, from planning the book through to final text and marketing. I wish such a program had been around when I was starting, in the 1970's - it would have saved me years of false starts and wasted effort. In today's market, you just can't afford not to know what you're doing. There's no way anymore to learn on the job. You have to be perfect the moment you step out on the field.

Do you have any upcoming appearances you care to mention?
I don't do that many; the ones coming up are listed on my website. I'm a big supporter of rural libraries, so many of my appearances are there, including the Chesapeake Public Library on Nov. 12. I'll be at the Mariner's Museum early next year discussing the Civil War at Sea books, and at Wilkes in January and June for residencies. I might go to the Savannah Book Festival with Lenore when THE RAVEN'S BRIDE comes out; she's been invited to headline there.

Where can readers learn more about your books, events, and other writing news?
Take a look at my site, http://www.poyer.com/. There's more about GHOSTING and the other books as well, plus some good info on writing.

Many thanks to all my fans, and to you, Lori!

*****

Dzanc needs you / upcoming Q&A

2010-10-26T07:32:00.000-04:00

Check in on Thursday for a Q&A with author David Poyer, author of Ghosting.

In the meantime, please share this info with writing workshop instructors you know and love:

Dzanc Books is looking for volunteers to lead workshops as part of Dzanc Day 2011, the annual fundraiser that helps fund the more charitable parts of the press. Full info here:
http://www.dzancbooks.org/blog/2010/10/22/dzanc-2011-call-for-workshop-leaders.html

Q&A with poet & publisher Tonja Bagwell

2010-10-21T06:00:00.003-04:00

Today’s Q&A is with poet Tonja Bagwell. She is the curator for Poetic Travelers, a reading series hosted at Lawrence Street Gallery in Ferndale MI. Tonja is also the publisher of Jafansta, which you can read more about here.

How long have you been coordinating the Poetic Travelers reading series? What have been some of the highlights over the years?
In January 2009, I founded a poetry series that was named Poetic Tea Sippers because we met at a teashop in Ferndale. In April, I changed the name to Poetic Wine Sippers when I moved to a wine shop in Northville. In May, I moved back to Ferndale to Lawrence Street Gallery (LSG) under the new name of Poetic Travelers. As I pondered my travels and thought about how amusing (yet confusing) it was to tell features and followers that I had changed names and venues -- again, I was inspired to choose an appropriate name that would suffice in any city at any venue. Thus, Poetic Travelers was born and a new sense of adventure was instilled in poet friends who were excited by the thought of being a traveling poet.

Fortunately, LSG is a fabulous venue that gives the feel of traveling to a new venue. Each month the gallery showcases different art exhibits by its various members. A few of the artists at LSG have embraced Poetic Travelers by joining Open Mic, helping with marketing and set up, as well as hosting. The beauty of art combined with poetry makes Poetic Travelers and LSG a good match.

Poetic Travelers features poets and musicians who travel from various places throughout the southeast Michigan area. Open mic performers and guests have traveled from various counties in Michigan and from out-of-state. For two months last year and three months this year, I became the celebrated Poetic Traveler who gave significance to the name when I traveled eight hours by car to host Poetic Travelers.

Poetic Travelers welcomes and appreciates lyrical talents and creativity. If you have a unique and interesting way of expressing yourself through words or music, contact me. I don’t focus on how many books you have published, how many awards you have won, or how many venues you have been invited to read at when selecting features. During the same month, one feature may be a confident veteran who has done a multitude of readings and the other feature may be a nervous novice making their debut. I am pleased to say that the novice poets who began their poetry-reading career with Poetic Travelers have been traveling to some notable venues and have made a name for themselves.

During a few of my absences from hosting, a few select poet friends have graciously hosted Poetic Travelers. I am forever grateful and elated to have poet friends who are just as passionate as I am when it comes to making sure Poetic Travelers is a series where everyone can come and feel the joy of a compassionate host and supportive poetry family.

Who's on the Poetic Travelers schedule this fall/winter?
Earlier in October, we had John Jeffire, poet and author of Stone+Fist+Brick+Bone as a feature. Joining him was Monica Condiff, a fresh writer from Ohio, who made her performance debut with Poetic Travelers. John Smolinski, poet and author of We Fight to Remember (Jafansta, Inc., 2010) hosted.

In November, John Smolinski will host an interesting trio: Mark C. Durfee, poet and author of Stink: Poetry and Prose of Detroit; James R. Tomlinson, poet and author of Adopted Behaviors and Michelle Brooks, poet and author of the soon-to-be released collection, Make Yourself Small.

In December, Poetic Travelers is honored to feature award winning poet, musician and author of Moonwalking, David "Blair" Blair. Raven "CagedBird" Martin is the other featured poet and Laura Bodary, poet and author of Flock, Feed, Fly will host.

Poetic Travelers will begin its third year in 2011 and the schedule is TBA.

What's happening in the publishing world at Jafansta, Inc? Are there any new titles soon to make a debut?
Jafansta, Inc published We Fight to Remember this year and next in line is i awoke... and fallen leaves to be released soon. There are other titles in the works, including a memoir and a self-help guide.

Can you tell us about the calls for submissions for the upcoming anthologies? What sort of work are you looking for? When will these anthologies be published?
Jafansta is accepting submissions of poetry, prose, essays, letters, songs, quotes, creative non-fiction, short narratives, and all forms of written creative expressions from the following populations: Substance Users/Abusers; Incarcerated (current & former); Homeless (current & former); and LGBT. All are welcome to submit if they are familiar with or have connections with members of these populations. The submissions are for an anthology series that will be entitled Step Into My Shoes. The purpose of the anthologies will be to provide a voice for misunderstood and ostracized populations in society. Their written word will convey a message to others with hopes that they will better understand the thoughts, feelings, and life from the perspective of a member of the selected population. Expressions can be serious or humorous. There is no fee and submissions are accepted from anywhere in the world. Each anthology will be published separately, so the release dates will vary. At this time, I can only estimate sometime in 2011. You may submit your work via e-mail poetry@jafansta.com and please write “poetry submission” in the subject line or via regular mail at Jafansta, Inc., 47448 Pontiac Trail, Ste. 144, Wixom, MI 48393. Please visit www.jafansta.com/anthology.aspx for more details.

What about your own poetry? Are you working on anything new?
Due to the fact that I wear the hats of mom, mental health counselor, writer, publisher, editor, massage therapist, and founder of a new online organization, Feminine Unity, I don't dedicate as much time to writing poetry as I would like to. However, I am continuously writing new poems whenever I can take advantage of inspirational moments. I have categorized many of my poems and I’m planning to publish them into four different collections. The questions I ask myself are: 1) when will I put the finishing touches on at least one collection? 2) which book will I publish first? and 3) whom will I consult with about publishing my books? I have never done a small chapbook, so I have been thinking of self-publishing one.

*****

For more info about Jafansta and the calls for submissions, visit http://www.jafansta.com/.

Come back next week for a Q&A with David Poyer, author of Ghosting.

R.I.P. Zaida May, 15yrs

2010-10-19T15:57:00.000-04:00

R.I.P. Zaida May, 15yrs

My very best friend.

An excellent writing assistant.

The quirkiest cat I have ever known.

My sounding board for… everything.

You’ll be missed, remembered, and loved each day.

Sweet dreams, Zaida.

Thank you for the joy.

Thank you for the love.

guest blog: Joe Ponepinto, On Criticism #2

2010-10-14T01:56:00.000-04:00

Welcome to Part 2 of 2 guest blogs by Joe Ponepinto. Joe is a graduate of the MFA program at the Northwest Institute of Literary Arts, and is currently the Book Review Editor for the Los Angeles Review, a literary journal published by Red Hen Press in Southern California. Joe was a journalist, political speechwriter and business owner before turning to writing full time. He’s founder and president of the board of the Suburban Detroit Reading Series. His work has been published in journals including Vestal Review, Fifth Wednesday, Raven Chronicles and others. Joe blogs at http://otnipenop.com/.

On Criticism, Part 2: "Learning to Take It"
By Joe Ponepinto

Having your work critiqued by a writers’ group is something like voluntarily submitting to an intervention. Everyone tells you they love you (or at least, your efforts), and then proceeds to list everything they think is wrong with you and how you need to change it. Okay, maybe it’s not that bad, but when you’re on the receiving end of a particularly rough critique session, it can seem this way.

As I said in the previous post, many writers act as though critiquing a story means they MUST find fault with it, and they spare no effort to see flaws in plot, point of view, tense, tone, theme … you name it, often forgetting to praise what they did like, or more importantly, to assess the author’s intentions and how well s/he carried them out.

I’ve seen many writers crushed as stories they believed were their best work were ripped to shreds. And I’ve seen many of those writers never return to their groups. I don’t have to imagine what they felt, because I experienced the same thing when I was much younger, and I didn’t write creatively again for years.

The usual response to any appeal to be positive in critiques is, “A writer has to have a thick skin,” or “If a person can’t take it, he has no business being a writer.” There’s some truth to those sayings, but remember that for most writers, the craft is very personal, and they have a tendency to take criticism aimed at the writing as attacks on their worth as a person.

Over the years, I’ve developed a few techniques for dealing with criticism. The goal of these is to put some perspective on the practice, so that it can be useful, without being harmful. Keeping these in mind helps me from viewing criticism as an attack on my ability to write.

1. Consider the Source: Who’s delivering the criticism? How much writing experience does this person have? Has s/he been published? Amateur status doesn’t invalidate criticism, but I’ve found that sometimes the most vociferous criticism comes from writers with the least publishing experience. The most experienced writers in a group usually restrict their comments to suggestions (rather than absolutes) about how to make the work better.

2. Does the criticism pertain to literary conventions, or is it based on the critic’s personal taste? Pay close attention to what’s being said. A bad critic will invoke personal opinion without using a source or examples from literature. A good critic will attempt to analyze the author’s craft in relation to his/her intention, as well as back up the opinion with outside references.

3. Inaccuracies in the Reading: When a critic brings up points in a story that are clearly inaccurate, such as character names or specific events, I tend to tune out the comments. This happens often when the reader disliked the subject, or the particular genre or style of the piece, and had to force him/herself to read the entire text, usually by skimming instead of reading closely. But reading closely to determine the author’s intent and ability to use craft is what critiquing is all about. A critique based on a bad reading is no critique at all. I’d actually prefer a critic to tell me s/he just couldn’t get into the story (although it was extremely well written, of course), and therefore will not offer a critique. I can handle readers disliking the style or subject—what I can’t stand is the sometimes mean-spirited critique that results from that.

4. What if the group’s criticism is divided? Occasionally members of a group will split as to whether an aspect of a story worked or not. Unless the people who didn’t like it have a strong rationale for change, I usually look at the plus side. If it worked for some people, it will work for others. Remember, no piece of writing will work for everyone, and it’s futile to try to make it that way.

5. A Preponderance of Feeling: But if a strong majority of the reviewers finds the same problem in a story, that’s when a writer should take the criticism seriously.

6. The Importance of Time in Accepting Criticism: Since I’m going to wait a few weeks or months before attempting the next draft of a story, it gives me time to let the criticism it’s received chip away at the wall of my writing subconscious. I admit (and you can probably tell from these tips) that I don’t yield to much criticism. But I find that over time, the more valid points of criticism linger, and refuse to be dismissed. By then, the protectiveness in which I encase my first drafts softens, and I’m more willing to accept the aspects of the story that need improvement.

*****
For more great blogs and commentaries by Joe Ponepinto, be sure to visit his blog: http://otnipenop.com/

I’m pleased to share another guest blog next Thursday, with poet and publisher Tonja Bagwell. Tonja is the curator of the Poetic Travelers reading series at Lawrence Street Gallery in Ferndale MI and the publisher of Jafansta, Inc. Come by next week to hear Tonja discuss upcoming events and new releases.

Thurs guest blog & Sat workshop

2010-10-12T12:36:00.000-04:00

Just a quick reminder for those in SW Michigan – I’m leading a workshop this Saturday at Macomb Community College:

Social Media for Writers
3 hours: Sat Oct 16th 10am-1pm
Course # 80333
$39 registration through MCC

*****
Macomb Community College
South Campus
14500 E. 12 Mile Road
Warren MI 48088
View Campus Map

Register by phone: 586-498-4000
Questions? Email me at lori@loriamay.com.

Also….

Be sure to drop by on Thursday, for guest blogger Joe Ponepinto. This is Part 2 of Joe’s essays on criticism, with Part 1 linked here. Visit Joe’s blog to see what else he has to say about writing and publishing: http://otnipenop.com/

See you Thursday!

guest blog: Joe Ponepinto, On Criticism

2010-10-07T07:06:00.001-04:00

Welcome to Part 1 of 2 guest blogs by Joe Ponepinto. Joe is a graduate of the MFA program at the Northwest Institute of Literary Arts, and is currently the Book Review Editor for the Los Angeles Review, a literary journal published by Red Hen Press in Southern California. Joe was a journalist, political speechwriter and business owner before turning to writing full time. He’s founder and president of the board of the Suburban Detroit Reading Series. His work has been published in journals including Vestal Review, Fifth Wednesday, Raven Chronicles and others. Joe Ponepinto blogs at http://otnipenop.com/.

On Criticism
By Joe Ponepinto

If you are, like me, a member of a writers’ group, everything you write for potential publication is subject to criticism. That criticism can be categorized as professional (editors and agents), or well-intentioned amateur (your writers’ group), but in most cases it is fundamentally flawed. In fact, much of the criticism writers receive does more to keep them from writing than it does to encourage.

The biggest problem with some criticism is that it sets up a false relationship between the writer and the critic, in which the writing is being judged not on its merits, but by a different set of criteria.

In the case of professional critics, sometimes known as agents and editors, the criterion is simply, will it sell? This criticism is a business, and the profit motive must be acknowledged, and that motive influences the efforts of many writers. It tells them they must write in a certain style, or comply with the conventions of a particular genre in order to be published, and that being published is the only measure of success for a writer.

That belief also influences criticism from practiced amateurs, such as members of a writers’ group. But the real trouble with group criticism is that the relationship between the writer and the critic becomes unbalanced. The writer cedes power and authority to the critic. This can be dangerous for the writer, because most amateurs, when given an opportunity to criticize work, approach it from the viewpoint that they MUST find flaws in it. In some cases they attack manuscripts with the attitude that they will not only find defects, but also that those imperfections are all they will find. The very word “criticism” connotes negativity to many amateurs.

This doesn’t do much for the psyche of the writer, who not only has to endure the critique session, but then must cope with lingering doubts over the value of his/her efforts. Because those efforts usually come from the writer’s soul, and because writers, by nature, are particularly sensitive to criticism, the cumulative effect drives many would-be writers to close their laptops permanently.

The attitude of many amateur critics, that they must find only flaws in every work, is puzzling. There are many stories, which, if these critics had read them in a journal or book, would have been praised as works of art, and their supposed “flaws” would have been ignored because the published writer surely “knew what s/he was doing.”

So what I’m arguing for is that members of writers’ groups (or MFA classes or workshops, etc.) adopt a different approach. Get away from the stance of the authoritative, powerful critic and consider submissions for what they are—drafts of materials that could be published. Read stories as though they might appear in a book or journal. The reaction will then be more balanced and fair.

For myself, before I get into specific praise and criticisms, I try always to consider two main criteria. The first comes from a comment made by Henry James. He said, “The only obligation to which in advance we may hold a novel, without incurring the accusation of being arbitrary, is that it be interesting.” And that’s the only consideration he thought important. Face it, if the story is interesting, you’ll probably read it, despite whatever other shortcomings it might have.

My second criterion is also fairly simple, and builds on James’s: what is the writer trying to do, and is s/he doing it? That’s separate from the “interesting” consideration, since a writer can do a fantastic job of crafting a story and it might still fall flat because the subject is of no interest to some readers. Conversely, the premise may be wonderful, but the story doesn’t work because the writer hasn’t thought out the point or reason for the writing. This allows me to get into more specific comments that are geared towards helping the writer realize the goals of the work.

But always I try not to allow personal tastes to influence my comments. That’s not to say I haven’t in the past, or that I don’t when reading for personal knowledge or enjoyment. But when it comes to criticism, which I look at as a request for help in achieving a goal, I try to keep in mind what that writer’s goal actually is, and encouragement that the goal can be reached is as important as anything else I might say.

*****
Joe's Part 2, "Learning To Take It," will appear on this blog Thursday, October 14.

upcoming guest / submishmash Qs

2010-10-05T07:13:00.001-04:00

Be sure to drop by on Thursday, for guest blogger Joe Ponepinto. Joe is the Book Review Editor for the Los Angeles Review, a literary journal published by Red Hen Press. His current novel, tentatively titled Who Will Cry for Paris?, is represented by Andrea Hurst Literary Management.

Joe will be sharing two blogs: this Thursday and next Thursday, Joe is sharing a few thoughts and tips for the workshop/critique experience. Part one is this week and then you’ll have to come on back next Thursday for Joe’s wrap-up. In the meantime, visit his blog to see what else he has to say about writing and publishing: http://otnipenop.com/

And now I have a question for the writers out there who regular submit and for editors who regularly receive submissions….

As a writer, I’m a big fan of submishmash. I love the ease of submitting material online and enjoy the occasional obsessive inquiry to see what my submission log looks like. I wonder, does most everyone agree that submishmash is complete genius? Have you, as an editor or author, had any less than stellar experiences?

I’m considering signing on for a publisher’s account with submishmash to handle the review submissions that come in for Poets’ Quarterly. This would not only decrease the storage of my email inbox, but most importantly – and why I am giving it serious consideration – it sounds like I can have multiple administrators log in to access the submissions. This certainly appeals to me, as I’d like to increase the editors/readers at PQ and think this is likely a nice solution for providing a central location in accessing submissions.

Any thoughts? Does anyone use submishmash for review submissions? Any pitfalls I should consider? I’d certainly welcome your comments by email, lori@loriamay.com, if you’d rather not post to the blog. Thanks for sharing your experience.

By the way, I should also mention that if you are familiar with submishmash and love how easy it is to use AND have an interest in volunteering some time as an assistant editor, I’d love to hear from you. Just in case I do get the ball rolling with an online submissions manager, it’d be nice to know who might be interested in taking on a very part-time job (with admittedly little pay, but a whole lot of praise and a super cool title).

Remember to come back on Thursday for Joe Ponepinto’s take on criticism.

guest blog: author Chandra Hoffman

2010-09-30T11:07:00.000-04:00

I’m pleased to introduce a guest blogger today. Chandra Hoffman received her MFA from Antioch University in 2007. Her current book, CHOSEN, features a young caseworker increasingly entangled in the lives of the adoptive and birth parents she represents, and who faces life-altering choices when an extortion attempt goes horribly wrong.

The following was previously posted on Chandra’s website. You can find more of her essays here: http://www.chandrahoffman.com/essays/

*****

Would You Like to Take a Look at My Dinosaur Book?

There is a story in my family's folklore about my oldest brother's first day of school—the lone time my mild-mannered, kid-loving father wanted to smash some six-year-old skull. My brother was a slightly geeky type, a skinny-necked proficient reader from the age of two who stepped on to the playground that September morning with an encyclopedia about dinosaurs he had memorized tucked under his arm. My father watched anxiously as my brother approached clusters of children and asked, with a hopeful lilt to his voice, if they would like to take a look at his dinosaur book?

The story goes that the kids were not mean, just preoccupied with monkey bars and chucking sand, but my brother's requests went ignored. This stirred a zealous rage in my father, even as he talks about it now, the angst of a parent as their child ventures out into the world to lukewarm reception. In his words, "I wanted to grab those kids by their little chicken necks and pin them up against the bricks and hiss that they'd look at his damn dinosaur book, and they'd better like it, understand?"

I experienced something similar when my younger sister was on the outside of a bitchy, sixth-grade classroom clique-fest--a crazed hunger to prowl the town by moonlight and sniff out these mean-spirited girls, eviscerate them slowly with all a mother bear's fury.

In our family, we call these Mattress Moments, based on the horse race in Siena called the Palio, where riders and horses are protected from their treacherous turns in dashes around the town's plaza by the residents' mattresses. That is how I show love--protecting my darlings from life's sharp corners and painful falls, taking it all in my super-absorbent springs.

And now this fall another of my children heads out into the world, only this time it's my paper and ink baby, my newborn novel. I'm experiencing spasms of that same anxious protectiveness. But for what? This is not my oldest son who is small and speaks differently or my middle boy who hides his insecurities behind fists and teeth or my baby girl with her withering Ice Queen stare. This is a book, a story, and although the characters are dear to me, they are their own imaginary entities. My protagonists won't scour the two-star reviews at Amazon to find out exactly what makes them unsympathetic, unlovable or clichéd.

Am I afraid for myself, then, the ego of the artist? I don't think so. I have a pretty healthy self-esteem, a confidence in my ability as a storyteller and I am proud of this novel. But nobody likes to be misunderstood.

Pre-publication, I have received beautiful jacket blurbs from respected writers, fabulous Kirkus and Booklist reviews, but one day this past July I tripped out of the starting gate with a mediocre one from Publisher’s Weekly. You can see this review here, and unfortunately, on every major bookseller's summary for CHOSEN.

I reeled for a week, memorized the monologue on the critic from Ratatouille, until I remembered my oldest son and a playground incident that happened this spring. Hayden is a very small eight-year-old, so short we have to cuff the hems of his little brother's size six pants. He was born with a medical condition, a craniofacial defect, which may or may not have anything to do with his height. One lunch hour on the playground, Hayden was called a 'midget'. I took it hard. Driving home, I told him not to worry, that we could talk to the specialists at our annual appointment in June, assured him that the window was still open for us to consider supplements of Human Growth Hormone and--

"Mom?" he interrupted me. "I like the size I am. I fit perfectly inside the hockey net when I'm in goal. It's not my problem if someone wants to make themselves feel better by calling names."

Of course he is right. When a critic calls my beloved characters 'weakly realized’, or my debut novel an ‘inexpert exercise’, it is not my problem. Not every book is for everyone—I’ll confess that my boys and I have tried three times to get swept up in the Harry Potter hype without success.

Never mind the naysayers. I’ll just steer my babies over towards the swings, where the kids seem a little friendlier, more open-minded, and see if there’s someone over there who might want to take a look at my dinosaur book.

*****

To learn more about Chandra Hoffman, visit her website. Visit amazon to learn more about and purchase the book.