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Wednesday’s Work-in-Progress: New Plans for This Blog

by Erika Dreifus on
11

Huh? Isn’t Wednesday the day for the “Web Browser for Writers”? Isn’t Thursday the day for the “Work-in-Progress” post?

Well, yes. That’s been the pattern But one of the things I did during my recent break from the day job/staycation/writing-and-reading-at-home-retreat was this: I thought about this blog (and blogging more generally), and I realized that it was time to make a couple of changes.

Briefly, I want to maintain the blog’s quality and usefulness, and, at the same time, I need to free up some mental space ——and actual minutes of the day–for myself (and my writing). To meet these goals, I’m going to reconfigure the Practicing Writing schedule so you can reliably expect at least three posts per week:

  • Monday Markets/Jobs/Opportunities for Writers
  • Wednesday’s Work-in-Progress
  • Friday Finds for Writers (note the new plural, which will allow me to combine items that heretofore would have shown up in “Web Browser” posts)

One bonus of the new schedule is that it will provide flexibility for the occasional “surprise” or breaking-news post on “off” days.

As always, I thank all of you who read, comment on, and share this blog. I hope to keep you happy, engaged, and benefiting from what you find here for a long time to come!

Monday Markets/Jobs/Opportunities for Writers

by Erika Dreifus on
3
  • The deadline is fast approaching (June 15) for the 2012 Fabri Literary Prize. From the Boaz Publishing website: “In 2006 Dr. Matthew McKay established the Fabri Literary Prize to honor the memory of Frances Fabri. A Holocaust survivor, Frances spearheaded efforts in the US to record survivor stories, creating the interviewing protocols that are used widely today. The Fabri Literary Prize recognizes the work of aspiring novelists by providing funds directly to authors, by publishing their novels in attractive trade editions, and by publicizing their work to literary reviewers, librarians, and booksellers. The 2012 prizewinner will receive a publishing contract with a $7,500 advance and a $5,000 marketing budget. The winning novel will be published in the Spring of 2013 in a hardcover or trade paperback edition by Counterpoint/Softskull Press and distributed to the book trade by Publishers Group West. The contest is open to American novelists. Submitted manuscripts must be unpublished and written for educated adults with broad interests. Excluded from consideration are books for children or young adults and books that are focused on the religious market.” No entry fee.
  • The 2012 Esquire and Aspen Writers Foundation Short Short Fiction Contest is now open for submissions! Stories should run no longer than 79 words. “Top ten finalists will receive reimbursement for up to $500 from Aspen Writer’s Foundation for a roundtrip economy plane ticket to New York City from anywhere in the 50 United States, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Canada, reimbursement for up to $500 for two nights lodging in New York City to be provided by Aspen Writer’s Foundation, two hour workshop with Colum McCann, and an invitation to a party with top literary luminaries hosted by Esquire and the Aspen Writers’ Foundation all at a total estimated value of $2,000/person. From the finalists, one finalist will be chosen as winner of a scholarship to 2013 Aspen Summer Words fiction workshop, 5 nights lodging in Aspen (booked by the Aspen Writers’ Foundation), and reimbursement for up to $500 from Aspen Writer’s Foundation for a roundtrip economy ticket to Aspen from anywhere in the 50 United States, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Canada, and will have his/her entry published by Esquire either in the magazine or online at esquire.com.” No entry fee. Deadline: September 1, 2012.
  • If you’re in the Boston area (or can get there easily), you may be interested in this opportunity from the Boston Book Festival: “Would you like a chance to curate a session at the Boston Book Festival on October 27, 2012? We are making two one-hour slots available to outside groups/individuals who can introduce fresh voices and new ideas to the BBF. Be creative! The session can involve a workshop, literary improv, dramatic readings, literary games, etc. You will be responsible for running your session, i.e., gathering your participants, beginning and ending on time, and covering any expenses (beyond room rental and basic A/V) for the session. We will publicize your session on our website and in our Program Guide, and we will ask you to publicize it as well.” No application fee. Deadline: July 15, 2012.
  • “The University of Baltimore’s School of Communications Design seeks a published creative writer for a half-time contractual position beginning in August 2012 (contingent on final budgetary approval). Responsibilities include teaching two courses per semester at the undergraduate and graduate levels, as well as participating in curriculum development. Applicants should possess an appropriate graduate degree, a substantive record of publications, and college-level teaching experience. The ability to teach literature, as well as writing, will be a plus. Teaching responsibilities will focus on helping students develop and improve their writing, and understand and seek publication opportunities.”
  • Community-Word Project (CWP) seeks Teaching Artists in New York City: “CWP is a community of artists dedicated to bringing high-quality arts programming to NYC public schools. We are accepting applications from creative writers, theater artists, dancers, musicians/drummers, photographers/filmmakers, and other visual and multi-media artists with at least 2+ years of teaching artist experience.” NB: “Poets and photographers are strongly encouraged to apply Applicants with an ability to teach in Spanish are strongly encouraged to apply.” Pays: $50-$75/hour.
  • Webster University (St. Louis) is looking for a Writer & Editor, American University seeks a Writer/Editor, and the NY Writers Coalition (Brooklyn) invites applications for a Program Manager position.

    • Recent Reads: The Liberal Case for Israel, by Jonathan Miller

    by Erika Dreifus on
    2

    Disclosure: I’ve been impressed by Jonathan Miller‘s intelligence and leadership for 25 years, since the long-ago Shabbat when, as a pre-freshman, I visited Harvard Hillel for the first time and met him at the Reform minyan service. At the time, Jonathan was a sophomore, but, with the NFTY presidency behind him, he was already chairing the full Hillel community–while also gearing up to run the national “Students for Gore” effort. I’ve expected great things from him ever since, and his new e-book, The Liberal Case for Israel: Debunking Eight Crazy Lies About the Jewish State, meets (if not exceeds) those high expectations.

    Moreover, the text provides a clear and documented guide for those of us who want to join in this effort, those of us who are so frequently frustrated and infuriated by those “crazy lies” about Israel that we see so often in the media (and, for those of us in literary and/or academic communities, among our colleagues). You can review all eight of the “crazy lies” if you take up Amazon‘s “Look Inside” offer. For now, I’ll simply cite the first two: “Imperialist” and “Apartheid.” (You can also read about another one, “Pinkwashing,” in an excerpt from the book that appeared on The Huffington Post this week.)

    Time prevents me from writing an in-depth review of Jonathan’s e-book, and I hope I’ll be forgiven for not giving The Liberal Case for Israel the detail it deserves. But I’m so eager to let others know about it. I’ve made no secret of my own wish to be able to do pretty much precisely what Jonathan has done here. I am most grateful–though, given what I recall about him, utterly unsurprised–that Jonathan got there first.

    Jewish Children’s Books at BEA

    by Erika Dreifus on
    Disabled

    Our regularly scheduled “Jewish Literary Links for Shabbat” will return next week. But I’ve been on “staycation” this week here in New York City, and I haven’t been keeping up with the online offerings quite as assiduously as usual.

    On the other hand, I did have the chance to stop by the Book Expo America (BEA) trade show yesterday. I expected to be entranced by all of the new and forthcoming books for adults (and I was), but I’m not sure I was fully prepared for the enormous appeal of the displays of books for children.

    Including the displays set up by Kar-Ben Publishing, a wonderful source for Jewish-themed books for children. The Kar-Ben displays were among the first I saw, and my chat with publisher Joni Sussman was my first BEA conversation of the morning. Take a peek at some of the books she told me about (Aunt Erika is already preparing that Chanukah gift list!) and find others on the Kar-Ben website.

    Shabbat shalom!