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Wednesday’s Work-in-Progress: The Waiting Game (Redux)

by Erika Dreifus on
Disabled

waiting_roomAs I noted in a blog post last summer, in some ways, I’ve been drawn to a life–the writing-and-publishing life–for which I am temperamentally unsuited. And that’s because two of the things I have always found most challenging are these: rejection and waiting.

In an essay, I’ve explained how rejection has become much easier with time and experience. But as I mentioned in that post last summer, the patience project is still something more of a work-in-progress. It’s not merely a matter of waiting for the acceptance/rejection decisions. I’m also filled with anticipation (and, sometimes, anxiety) when I know that a new piece has found a home and–yes, after another wait–will be meeting readers. I’m aware that this is what my dad calls a “high-quality problem.” But that doesn’t necessarily make the waiting easier! Plus, in many cases, even while waiting for publication, I know that yet another wait lies ahead: a wait for the paycheck (which I’ll admit makes me appreciate the steady salary of my day job all the more).

Right now, I’m waiting for three accepted essays to be published and paid for (two memoir pieces, one op-ed). There’s also a book review waiting to make its appearance (part of the delay in this instance is due to a publisher delay in releasing the book in question). It’s possible that all four of these pieces will be out within the next month. But I’m not holding my breath!

From My Bookshelf: To Sing Away the Darkest Days by Norbert Hirschhorn

by Erika Dreifus on
1

HirschhorngifPublished by Holland Park Press, To Sing Away the Darkest Days: Poems Re-imagined from Yiddish Folksongs “is the culmination of a five-year project which saw Norbert Hirschhorn source more than one thousand Yiddish songs from several archives and from collections on the Internet, as well as from CDs.” I learned about this book through a post that the publisher contributed to the Jewish Book Carnival Goodreads group, and when I received an offer of a review copy, I accepted.

The book’s first half is devoted to Hirschhorn’s “re-imaginings” (his term) of the old Yiddish songs. Some source material is likely to be familiar to many readers: “Mayn Yidishe Mame” and “Rozhinkes Mit Mandlen,” for instance. But plenty of Hirschhorn’s inspiration comes from material that I hadn’t encountered before.

Beginning on page 57, the book’s focus turns to “Sources, transliterations, literal translations, [and] links to music.” Starting with the book’s first poem and proceeding anew to the last, the reader finds a transliteration of each song’s original Yiddish text, a literal translation into English, historical background and notes, and, where possible, links to audio or video. I’m still trying to decide if I might have preferred having all of this information directly follow each of the poems instead; the format selected requires a lot of flipping back and forth for the reader who wants edification as she goes along, poem by poem.

In any case, Hirschhorn has done something wonderful here, and I encourage readers interested in Yiddish language and literature (as well as in poetry itself) to investigate. I’ll even recommend a place to start: Hirschhorn’s publisher has created a page with links to some of the songs behind the poems. Go over there, and enjoy.

Monday Markets for Writers

by Erika Dreifus on
Disabled

Monday brings the weekly batch of no-fee competitions/contests, paying submission calls, and jobs for those of us who write (especially those of us who write fiction, poetry, and creative nonfiction).

  • “The Christopher Doheny Award will recognize excellence in fiction or nonfiction on the topic of serious illness. The winner of the award must demonstrate high literary standards while exploring the impact of illness on the patient, family and friends, and others. With support from Audible, Inc., the award includes a $10,000 prize and publication and promotion of the book in print and audio editions. The award will be presented annually for either a manuscript that is still in process or a completed one.” Deadline: July 31, 2013. No entry fee indicated.
  • Writers from New York State: “Arts Services Initiative of Western New York, Inc. (ASI), on behalf of the New York State Council on the Arts in partnership with the Province of Quebec Council of Arts and Letters, is seeking proposals from qualified individuals from New York State to become artists in residence in the Province of Quebec in Fall or Winter, 2013.” Those chosen will each receive a stipend of $9,000. There is no application fee. Applications are due by noon (EST) on July 22, 2013.
  • By this time next week, subscribers will have received the July issue of The Practicing Writer. If you don’t yet subscribe to our free newsletter–which, like this blog, features ONLY no-fee competitions and ONLY paying opportunities for fictionists, poets, and writers of creative nonfiction–what are you waiting for?
  • “The Department of English at the College of the Holy Cross [Mass.] invites applications for a visiting part-time faculty position to teach one creative writing course in prose narrative (with an emphasis on both fiction and nonfiction) in fall 2013.”
  • The Loft Literary Center (Minneapolis) is looking for a Program Manager.
  • Grub Street (Boston) is also looking for a Program Manager.
  • From the Vermont Studio Center: “The VSC Writing Program Coordinator is responsible for the smooth operation of the day-to-day components of the writing program, offered as a part of the Studio Center’s artist residency program. This is a one-year, live-in, 30-hour per week staff artist position. Compensation includes room, board, studio, access to Visiting Writers, and a stipend of $150 per week. The Writing Coordinator reports to the Writing Program Director. Position available immediately.” (h/t Lene A. Gary)

    • SAJL Plans Special Issue on Canadian Jewish Writing

    by Erika Dreifus on
    Disabled

    The peer-reviewed journal Studies in American Jewish Literature: A Journal of Literary Criticism and Theory is devoting a special issue to the subject of Canadian Jewish writing. Submissions are invited that consider the poetry, prose, drama, life writing, and creative non-fiction of Canadian Jewish writers. Papers on Yiddish writers, French writers, ‘lost’ and lesser-known writers, canonical writers, and contemporary writers—poets, novelists, dramatists, memoirists, and essayists—are welcome.

    Please click here for the full call for submissions.