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Friday Finds: Free Literary Events

by on Friday, March 23, 2012 (0) Comments

For the moment, these finds are likely to interest mainly those of you in the NYC area. But never fear: It’s kind of part of my job to keep an eye out for any recordings that may result, and I’ll be certain to share any that I discover in due course.

All three of these conferences/events are taking place at the Graduate Center campus of my employer, The City University of New York. And all three are FREE.

2012 Chapbook Festival
March 28-30, 2012
(not all events are taking place at the Graduate Center)
“The Festival is free and open to the public, though some events require advance registration.”

“Interwoven Worlds: A Symposium Celebrating the Literature of the Middle East”
March 28, 2012
(no fees indicated)

4th Annual Leon Levy Conference
“Varieties of Biography”
March 29, 2012
“All events are free and open to the public. Reservations are not required, and seating will be first come, first served.”

And there’s a fourth event of interest to practicing writers–albeit one that requires paid registration–that is taking place next week, at CUNY’s Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn:
The Eleventh National Black Writers Conference
“The Impact of Migration, Popular Culture, and the Natural Environment in the Literature of Black Writers”
March 29-April 1, 2012

Have a great weekend, everyone. See you back here on Monday!

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Thursday’s Work-in-Progress: Submission Dilemmas

by on Thursday, March 22, 2012 (6) Comments

So, I’ve been considering where (else) to send a fairly new essay (just two rejections so far!). It’s a brief essay, but it doesn’t necessarily have to land in a publication that focuses on micro-forms. Which means that I’m thinking about sending it to all kinds of places.

I’m noticing that several literary journals I’d like to target–especially before the imminent seasonal shut-down–are charging fees to submit electronically. For this short piece, a $3 submission fee is no savings for me, especially when multiplied by the several journals that could be good matches. Dilemma #1.

Dilemma #2: Sure, there’s usually an option to send the piece via snail mail. But I can’t help wondering if snail mail works to a submitter’s disadvantage these days. Any off-site editors are probably checking in only via the online systems. And how do the on-site editors feel about material submitted via postal mail? Do they even have time to open the envelopes?

What do you think? Any of you have experiences submitting via postal mail when you could have submitted electronically (for a fee)? And would any editors care to weigh in on how they view postal submissions when the electronic option is available?

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The Wednesday Web Browser for Writers

by on Wednesday, March 21, 2012 (2) Comments

  • Coming soon: the perfect stamps for your SASEs. “With the issuance of Twentieth-Century Poets, the U.S. Postal Service® honors ten of our nation’s most admired poets: Elizabeth Bishop, Joseph Brodsky, Gwendolyn Brooks, E. E. Cummings, Robert Hayden, Denise Levertov, Sylvia Plath, Theodore Roethke, Wallace Stevens, and Wil­liam Carlos Williams. The many awards won by this illustri­ous group include numerous Pulitzer Prizes, National Book Awards, and honorary degrees. Each stamp features a photograph of one of the ten poets. Text on the back of the stamp sheet includes an excerpt from one poem by each poet. The art director was Derry Noyes. The stamp will go on sale nationwide April 21, 2012.”
  • And on a not-unrelated note: Do you save your rejection slips?
  • Several tech-y items to share: five ways to keep up with tweets, how to monetize a blog, and simple SEO for authors. (I’ve bookmarked all three to return to for closer study.)
  • Cathy Day asked MFA faculty and students this question: “Should we make it our business to teach the business of being a writer?” And here’s how they responded. I haven’t yet weighed in, but there are lots of comments accruing on Cathy’s blog.
  • Midge Raymond, on Jane Friedman’s definition of “author platform.”

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    Quotation of the Week: Victor Hugo

    by on Tuesday, March 20, 2012 (0) Comments

    “Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent.”

    –Victor Hugo

    Source: Goodreads “Quote of the Day”

    P.S. If you haven’t yet read it, my guest post on Nancy Williams’s wonderful Reflections on a Grand Passion™ website, “Music to Write By: The Piano Music of Frédéric Chopin,” may be of interest.

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    Monday Markets/Jobs/Opportunities for Writers

    by on Monday, March 19, 2012 (0) Comments

  • “The application deadline for a residency in 2012 at Soaring Gardens Artists’ Retreat has been extended to March 30, 2012. Soaring Gardens, a residency program for professional visual artists, writers and composers, provides studio space in a peaceful rural setting in northeastern Pennsylvania from May through September. Each year ten to fifteen residents enjoy the solitude of this twenty-three acre retreat in Laceyville, Pennsylvania, established in memory of Ora Lerman, (1938-1998), an acclaimed artist, who made this her summer home for 30 years.” No application fees indicated.
  • “One Teen Story is looking for great short stories written for the young adult audience ages 14 and up. We’re open to all genres of literary fiction between 2,000 and 4,500 words. Because of our format, we can only accept stories that are strong enough to stand alone.” Pays: $500 and 25 copies. NB: Younger writers may want to check out the One Teen Story Fiction Contest, for writers ages 14-19. The deadline to enter is May 31, 2012; there’s no entry fee; and the prize includes $500 and publication for winners in each category (ages 14-15, 16-17, 18-19).
  • “Cascade Writers workshop is looking for someone to do social media posts to promote our events. You would need to spend 2-3 hours per week updating Twitter, blog posts and so on. Your expertise in how to expand our promo opportunities would be most welcome!” Pays: “We would pay by Paypal at the end of each month. Pay is based on hours worked at approximately $8 per hour to a max of $100 per month.
  • “The Writer’s Center, metropolitan Washington, D.C.’s community gathering place for writers and readers, [is] accepting submissions for the competitive Emerging Writer Fellowships for Fall 2012. We welcome submissions from writers of all genres, backgrounds, and experiences in the following genres: fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Emerging Writer Fellows will be featured at The Writer’s Center as part of a special celebration and reading. Selected Fellows may be invited to lead a one-day Saturday workshop at The Writer’s Center, with compensation commensurate with standard Writer’s Center provisions. Fellows receive an honorarium to help offset their travel costs.” Deadline: March 29, 2012. There is no application fee.
  • From the University of Edinburgh: “Applications are invited for a part-time (28 hours per week) Lectureship in Creative Writing specialising in fiction, in the department of English Literature.”
  • From the University of Missouri: “Visiting Assistant Professor position in Creative Nonfiction. Nine-month, non tenure track position, beginning August 2012. Advanced degree required, PhD. preferred. To teach workshops in creative nonfiction at both graduate and undergraduate levels. Ability to teach literature courses a definite plus. Publication record and experience should be appropriate to the position. 3/2 course load, salary $40,000 with benefits.” (via CRWROPPS-B)
  • Goucher College (Baltimore) is looking for a Writer/Editor, the New York Philharmonic seeks a Communications Assistant, and SF Weekly (San Francisco) invites applications for a Staff Writer position.

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