Finds for Writers
Most Fridays the Practicing Writing blog shares writing and publishing resources, news, and reflections to peruse over the weekend. But it’s been an excruciating week for so many of us. And frankly, I’ve paid next-to-no attention to garden-variety news from the writing and publishing spheres.
On Wednesday, however, I received an email from Facing History and Ourselves, a Boston-based global nonprofit organization that I’ve admired for many years. The email introduced a “mini-lesson” titled “Processing Attacks in Israel and the Outbreak of War in the Region.”
The resource isn’t perfect. (What resource is?) But one of its segments impressed me as something that, though intended for educators and students, could be clarifying for writers as well, in our work and in the rest of our lives. It’s a section titled “Avoiding Antisemitic and Islamophobic Tropes in Discussing Israeli-Palestinian Conflict.”
- In Christine Sneed’s latest “Bookish”: booksellers’ advice on “what authors should know before querying a bookstore for an event.”
- For even more about bookstore events—and other items in the book-promotion toolbox—check out Kathleen Schmidt’s latest “Publishing Confidential” installment (which includes a link to a previous post for context).
- In which Sarah Einstein, a graduate of West Virginia University’s MFA program in creative writing, reflects on the significance of that program’s fate “on the chopping block” of the larger “realignment” that’s been lately in the news.
- Among this week’s Jewish lit links on My Machberet: the opening of the Cynthia Ozick archive at Yale; the perennial question of defining “Jewish stories”; and much more.
- And if you’ve been waiting for a chance to purchase Quiet Americans: Stories and Birthright: Poems (for yourself, or possibly for gift-giving purposes), you have until midnight tonight (HST) to bid on signed copies that I’ve offered up for the Books for Maui auction to benefit Maui relief efforts. And be sure to browse the stunning array of auction items, featuring both books and bookish services, such as critiques and consultations.
And a quick reminder that by this time next week, the September issue of The Practicing Writer 2.0 will have gone out to subscribers. It’s never too late to join 9,000+ others who receive this free resource by email. And be sure you haven’t missed any of the fee-free and paying opportunities featured in the August issue, as well as in the supplementary posts here on Practicing Writing each Monday. Enjoy your weekend!
