sub to Tahoma Literary Review now!

Today is the last day to submit to the forthcoming issue of Tahoma Literary Review.

While editors Joe and Kelly have been making their selections over the past few months, you might want to take a chance on squeaking in during these last few hours of open submission.

While you’re there, check out their great blog posts and discussions like:

On pulling the rejection trigger

You don’t have to apologize for not having an MFA

About those cover letters

You can also follow TLR updates on their Facebook page: www.facebook.com/TahomaLiteraryReview

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start-up shout-outs: new lit opportunities & more

I’m so pleased to see some new endeavors by literary pals, I just have to share. Joe Ponepinto and Kelly Davio are working toward the launch of Tahoma Literary Review, and Kim Loomis-Bennett recently launched Collage: Book Reviews. Here’s what you need to know:

Joe Ponepinto recently made this announcement on his blog about the launch of Tahoma Literary Review. Kelly Davio shares info about TLR on her blog, as well. With this powerhouse editorial team, their mission is simple: publish amazing work and pay writers fairly. Pay writers. For creative work. You read that right. Kelly and Joe are on a mission and setting high standards. Be sure to check out those respective blog posts for more info about their plans. If you don’t already know these lovely literary citizens, here’s a brief intro:  

Joe Ponepinto is a former book reviews editor for Los Angeles Review and the author of a short story collection, The Face Maker and other stories of obsession. He is a graduate of the MFA program at the Northwest Institute of Literary Arts and his work has been published in dozens of literary journals.

Kelly Davio, also a graduate of the NILA writing program, is former Managing Editor for The Los Angeles Review and current Associate Poetry Editor for Fifth Wednesday Journal. She is also a book reviewer for Women’s Review of Books. Her debut collection, Burn This House, is available from Red Hen Press.

The TLR website will launch later this month and submissions will open on March 1, 2014. Like Tahoma Literary Review on Facebook for continued updates.

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Kim Loomis-Bennett has just launched Collage: Book Reviews, a new online resource that aims to cover an eclectic mix of new books. Kim’s poems and book reviews have previously appeared in The November 3rd Club, The Copperfield Review, Poet’s Quarterly, and Hippocampus Magazine. She has an MFA in Creative Writing from Wilkes University.

I’m thrilled for Kim and am delighted that her first poetry review for Collage is my new book, Square Feet. Read Kim’s review here.

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While I’m at it, I also want to give a shout-out to both Laurie Lowenstein and Barbara J Taylor. Laurie’s book, Unmentionables, is the debut release from Kaylie Jones Books, and Barb’s book, Sing in the Morning, Cry at Night, will be released as the second KJB title very soon. Kaylie Jones Books is a new imprint of Akashic Books, based in Brooklyn, and I have to give a slight disclaimer for my shout-out; I’m a nonfiction editor with KJB, so of course my pride in these releases is a bit biased, but who cares. I’m proud of these two amazing debut authors—and so proud of Kaylie Jones for embarking on this incredible journey of discovering new voices.

Unmentionables, by Laurie Lowenstein, is available here.

Sing in the Morning, Cry at Night, by Barbara J Taylor, will soon be available here.

Like Kaylie Jones Books on Facebook for updates and news.

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That’s an amazing amount of good news to share. My best wishes for Joe, Kelly, Kim, Laurie, Barb, and Kaylie. Readers and writers, have fun checking them all out…

National Dzanc Workshop Day in MI

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.