The weekly batch of no-fee, paying competitions, contests, and calls for submissions—plus jobs for those of us who write (especially those of us who write fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction). These posts are intended to complement/supplement monthly issues of The Practicing Writer newsletter, where you’ll always find more listings, none of them limiting eligibility to residents of a single municipality, state, or province (this blog, on the other hand, does sometimes include those more restricted opportunities).
Barrelhouse is open for essay submissions until the end of the day on May 12: “This time around we’re looking especially for your essays that feel a little weird, a little fractured, a little bit messy. We thought about defining this more specifically, but have decided that it would be more fun for you to run with it. It would be cool to get some flash pieces (< 700 words); feel free to submit up to 3 of those in a single document. Please note that Barrelhouse is interested only in essays that deal, in one way or another, with pop culture, though pop culture here is defined in a fairly broad way (essay topics we've published have included: roller derby, Night of the Living Dead, hip-hop, Guns N' Roses, The Far Side, heavy metal screams, Adrian Grenier, Rulon Gardner/Olympic wrestling, sports mascots, roller coasters, The Real Housewives franchise, and more). Ideally, the pop culture angle is a lens for discussing more than just a particular cultural artifact (i.e., we're not into movie or album reviews, or TV show recaps)." Pays: $50/contributor.
“When you come across a piece of news and think, That reminds me of that one time in my life when—that’s StoryNews. Instead of arguing news and politics, our storytellers share the personal experiences that helped shape the way they feel about them, and they do so through raw, honest, vulnerable, and sometimes funny conflict-and-resolution nonfiction in which opinions are not directly stated but, rather, conveyed through action and/or dialogue. And no hate speech or inciting violence. No one’s gonna hear anybody out while they’re being shot down. Let’s get to the heart of why we feel the way we feel.” Pays: “All contributors will be paid $20 USD per story published.”
“Offered since 1954, the James Laughlin Award is given to recognize and support a second book of poetry forthcoming in the next calendar year. The award was endowed in 1995 by a gift to the Academy from the Drue Heinz Trust. It is named for the poet and publisher James Laughlin (1914-1997), who founded New Directions in 1936. The winner receives a prize of $5,000, an all-expenses-paid weeklong residency at The Betsy Hotel in Miami Beach, Florida, and distribution of the winning book to approximately one thousand Academy of American Poets members.” Be sure to read the detailed eligibility guidelines. Deadline: May 15.”
“Applications are now open for the Canadian Women Artists’ Award, a $5,000 award designed to provide financial support to an emerging or early career woman artist working in any discipline. The award, which the recipient can use in any manner they deem necessary to further their artistic goals, is supported by funding granted to The New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) by the Canadian Women’s Club (CWC) of New York as a way to continue its philanthropic work when it disbanded. The Canadian Women Artists’ Award is open to women Canadian citizens between the ages of 21 and 35 who are living and working in New York State, including students in bachelor’s or master’s degree programs.” Deadline: May 30, 2019.
“Pacific Standard is looking for a part-time contract editor to help us expand and elevate the profile of our books and culture coverage. This is an exciting opportunity for a freelance editor to contribute to our new Ideas section, and be part of a team that is thinking openly and ambitiously about how criticism and the arts can help shape culture and effect social change. If you have a voracious appetite for books, film, and the arts, pay keen attention to the conversations happening around them, are eloquent about your cultural obsessions, and know how to edit essays about politics and art without giving short shrift to either, we’d like to hear from you.” Location: “Washington, D.C./Remote.”
In California, NBC Universal/Fandango is looking for a Review Curator.
Also in California: “PEN America—a nonprofit organization at the intersection of literature and human rights—seeks a creative, dynamic, and detail-oriented Programs Manager to develop and produce significant mission-focused public events and manage programs. Working from PEN America’s Los Angeles office, the Programs Manager will have wide-ranging opportunity to develop PEN America activities, partnerships, communications and outreach, member engagement, and audience development. The position operates in consultation and collaboration with PEN America’s New York headquarters and Washington, D.C., office.”
In South Carolina, the College of Charleston’s Department of English invites applications “for a tenure-track Assistant Professor in Creative Writing (Fiction) beginning January 2, 2020. The department offers both an MFA and a BA in English with a concentration in Creative Writing and is also home to the literary journal Crazyhorse.”
At Spring Hill College in Alabama, the English Department invites applications “for a Visiting Assistant Professor to start in August 2019 for a one-year appointment. Teaching responsibilities will include creative writing, freshman composition, and sophomore introduction to literature classes that fulfill college core requirements. 4-4 load. Ph.D. or MFA preferred; ABD considered. The successful candidate will demonstrate excellence in undergraduate teaching and an understanding of the college’s mission.”
“The Department of English at the University of California, Irvine invites applications for part-time lecturer positions to teach undergraduate courses included in the English Department’s Emphasis in Creative Writing. Courses may include 1) English 16 The Craft of Poetry 2) Writing 90 Intermediate Poetry 3) Writing 91 Intermediate Fiction 4) Writing 101W Seminar in Critical Writing and 5) Writing 110 Short Story Writing, during the fall, winter and spring quarters of the 2019-2020 academic year. The full-time teaching load in the School of Humanities is eight courses per year; the annual full-time salary is $54,738.00, and the salary per course is $6,842.25.”