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From My Bookshelf: A Wedding in Great Neck, by Yona Zeldis McDonough

by Erika Dreifus on
4

Today marks the release date for A Wedding in Great Neck, the latest novel by Yona Zeldis McDonough. My Machberet wishes Yona a hearty Mazel Tov!

Some of you may recognize Yona for her role as fiction editor for Lilith magazine. I can still remember picking up the phone in my kitchen 10 years ago when Yona called to let me know that she and the magazine wanted to publish my short story (which the magazine retitled “Polar Region”). Yona is responsible for affirming and advancing the work of so many fiction writers, especially those of us on the emerging end of things. We owe her a lot.

Which is one reason why I was so happy to be offered a complimentary advance reading copy of A Wedding in Great Neck, and why I’m equally pleased to give it a public shout-out here. If you follow me on Goodreads, you know that I read this hefty book in all of two days. It’s a family story–reminiscent of tales spun by Jonathan Tropper and Joshua Henkin–that takes place in a brief span (in this case, a single wedding day). There are lots of Jewish characters, some of whom you’ll likely respond to more positively than others. (Personally, I wanted to shake teenaged Justine more than once, especially each time she began spouting off against Israel.)

Here’s wishing Yona and her new book much success as they meet the world together.

Monday Markets/Jobs/Opportunities for Writers

by Erika Dreifus on
Disabled
  • New scholarship opportunity: “The second annual River Teeth Nonfiction Conference [takes place in Ashland, Ohio, in May] is pleased to announce that it is offering four merit-based scholarships for students currently enrolled in undergraduate or graduate writing programs. Students interested should complete the registration form and scholarship application by March 1, 2013. The registration fee is waived for scholarship applicants. Scholarships cover the cost of registration for the conference. Recipients are responsible for all other expenses (travel, room and board, etc.). The scholarship does not cover the cost of a full-length manuscript consultation.”
  • Do you have some design skills? Ardor, a new literary magazine, is looking for a logo. “We’re looking for something no larger than 4”x 4” and the winning submission will successfully integrate our publication name into the design. Submit your best work by the end of the day on Friday, November 30, 2012. We’ll announce the winner by the end of December and feature the winning logo in our first three issues of ARDOR, crediting you as the designer with a brief bio. The designer of the winning logo will receive a token payment of $20 upon publication of our first issue.” (via The Review Review)
  • The October issue of The Practicing Writer, filled with information on no-fee writing contests and competitions and paying calls for submission, went out to subscribers this weekend.
  • Attention, Minnesota writers of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. You may be eligible to apply for the Beyond the Pure Fellowships for Writers (formerly the SASE Jerome Grants for Emerging Writers). The program confers “grants of up to $4,000 to four to six emerging Minnesota writers each year….In addition to their grant award, recipients also participate in a 12-month fellowship program that provides community, mentorship, guidance, workshops, and resources throughout the program year….Intermedia Arts’ Beyond the Pure Fellowships for Writers places a particular emphasis on increasing the visibility of and providing a platform for emerging writers whose voices have historically been underrepresented in the literary arts.” Application deadline is 6 p.m. on Friday, October 19. No application fee indicated.
  • “The University of North Carolina Wilmington invites applications for a full-time Editor of Ecotone—Reimagining Place and Lookout Books, an award-winning teaching press, at the rank of lecturer in the Department of Creative Writing on a continuing 12-month appointment, beginning July 1, 2013. This is an excellent opportunity to join a nationally recognized department that offers both a BFA and an MFA, as well as a Certificate in Publishing. Each semester, the successful candidate will teach a course in literary magazine editing associated with the journal Ecotone, as well as another course in the editing/publishing curriculum for either undergraduates or graduate students.”
  • Lots more teaching jobs again this week. To see what else I’ve found, keep on reading!

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    Friday Finds for Writers

    by Erika Dreifus on
    Disabled

    The weekly collection of writing-related resources, news, and reflections to read over the weekend.

  • Let’s start with an important question, raised this time in the context of Michael Chabon’s latest novel: “Can a white author write black characters?” Tanner Colby says yes. (via Page-Turner)
  • Next: Poet Mark Doty describes “the hardest job in publishing: editing an anthology.”
  • What happens when writers don’t finish the job they’ve contracted to do? For some authors who received advances from Penguin–for books they ultimately didn’t deliver–the answer is now: lawsuits. (via Publishers Lunch)
  • Definitely worth reading: Cathy Day’s “next big thing” is Literary Citizenship.
  • Last, but by no means least (and, I believe, very much in the spirit of literary citizenship): Many of you know that I’ve been part of the Fiction Writers Review community for some time. FWR is currently undertaking a writing-focused fundraiser (“The Great Write Off”). I’m not able to participate as fully as I’d like to right now, but I *have* made a contribution to support the overall project. If you’ve ever appreciated any of the content on the FWR site, perhaps you’ll consider doing the same. Thank you!

    • Jewish Literary Links for Shabbat

    by Erika Dreifus on
    Disabled

    Photo Credit: Reut Miryam Cohen

    Every Friday morning My Machberet presents an assortment of Jewish literary news from around the Web.

  • First up: The Natan Award is an exciting new prize for a nonfiction book-in-progress. This award “brings Natan’s values of infusing Jewish life with creativity and meaning into the intellectual arena by supporting and promoting a breakthrough book on Jewish themes intended for mainstream audiences.” No entry fee. Applications due December 3.
  • The latest issue of Jewish Book World is now online, in its entirety.
  • Poet Gerald Stern is profiled in The Forward.
  • The Yiddish Book Center has announced a new Translation Fellowship Program for those with at least an intermediate-level proficiency in Yiddish. “Beginning in the winter of 2012, the Center will select five Translation Fellows who will receive yearlong mentorship and training to complete book-length projects in Yiddish translation. As an incentive to produce works of the highest caliber, each Fellow will receive a grant of $5,000.” There is no application fee. Application deadline is November 15, 2012.
  • Finally, I am delighted that my home congregation has added live-streamed services to its offerings. Now I can much more easily share something that’s so important to me with all of you. For example: our senior rabbi’s most recent Rosh Hashanah sermon, archived for everyone to absorb. Let’s just say that there was a lot I agreed with in what he said about Israel this year.

    • Shabbat shalom.

    Wednesday’s Work-in-Progress: Yom Kippur Edition

    by Erika Dreifus on
    Disabled

    Frankly, it’s not possible for me to post about “work” today, when I am observing Yom Kippur. I am writing this post several days in advance, and I’ll schedule it to post on Wednesday, but I can’t quite bring myself to write about “work” for a post that will appear on Yom Kippur.

    Rather, and in the spirit of sharing how Yom Kippur (and the High Holy Days more generally) have inspired some of my past writings (as I mentioned last week), I’d like to share a bit more about the holiday with you.

    I’ll point you to this wonderful collection of resources on Yom Kippur compiled by the Union for Reform Judaism. One of my favorite finds here is the “Music for the Holy Days” playlist from Temple Emanu-El here in New York City. If you care to take a listen, and the music is new to you, may I signal my favorites–“Avinu Malkeinu” and “Kol Nidre”–to begin? I’m always powerfully moved by the music of the Holy Day services. I suspect that regardless of your faith, something about this music will touch you, too.