Thursday’s Post-Publication Post: Happ(ier) Days

Thanks so much for the supportive responses re: last week’s post-publication post. I’m pleased to tell you that although I’ve continued to have a few trials and tribulations in the days since, there are plenty of bright spots to report as well.

First, I had a great day out at the Manhattanville College Summer Writers’ Week. Many thanks to Karen Sirabian and her team for making me feel so welcome (and feeding me lunch!). If you haven’t yet seen the online version of the social-media resource list that I shared at my session, you’ll find it here.

Next, although I found out this week that I didn’t win a(nother) fellowship I’d applied for (in this case, the Emerging Writer Fellowship administered by The Writer’s Center of Bethesda, Md.), I was honored when I learned that at least, I’d made the finalist list. (And what a list it is, filled with names of writers I admire. I’ll try to keep tabs on the award announcement, and if the finalist list is made public, I’ll share it with you.)

Finally, I’m proud to present a new essay of mine on the Center for Fiction’s lovely website. The essay appears within the site’s “Writers on Writing” section. And if you’ve been at all curious about how my story collection, Quiet Americans, got its title, you’ll want to read this essay.

The Wednesday Web Browser for Writers

  • Advice for poets, courtesy of Robert Lee Brewer and Poetic Asides.
  • Kelly James-Enger shares the state of her freelancing income.
  • Speaking of freelancing income–check out these “7 Ways Freelance Writers Can Find Better Pay.”
  • Will fall find you teaching at night? Consider these strategies to stay energetic.
  • Can’t wait for the next issue of The Writer to arrive. The article on day jobs that is mentioned in Jeff Reich’s Editor’s Notes has piqued my interest!
  • So grateful to David Abrams for counting Quiet Americans among “the best books of the year (so far).”
  • And I’m grateful to Dory Adams for soliciting my guest post, “Mannheim in Pictures and Prose,” for her inspirational In This Light blog, which features “images and narrative.”
  • Quotation of the Week: Stephanie Vanderslice

    During my MFA program, I’d found many of the unspoken rules unsettling, but as a “good girl” I was adept at submerging such feelings without a second thought. I saw what happened to “bad girls,” who questioned the system, who demanded attention. Our teachers derided them when they left the room or at the bar after class. I knew I had a limited amount of time to learn what I could from this system. I had no intention of wasting my time trying to change it. Instead, I bowed my head, re-adjusted my blinders, and got to work.

    –Stephanie Vanderslice, Rethinking Creative Writing in Higher Education: Programs and Practices that Work

    Stephanie Vanderslice (a.k.a. Wordamour) may indeed have “bowed [her] head” and quieted herself–accomplishments that I, alas, did not manage back when I questioned how things “worked” (or didn’t work) in my own MFA program. But she never forgot her questions, and as a tenured professor she has become an expert in creative-writing pedagogy. I have recently had the privilege of reading her new book, Rethinking Creative Writing in Higher Education, and I am thrilled to announce that Practicing Writing will soon host an interview with Professor Vanderslice about it. Please stay tuned!

    Monday Morning Markets/Jobs/Opportunities

  • There’s an early deadline in place for submissions for Contrary Magazine‘s fall issue. Get your work in to this “journal of unpopular discontent” by August 1! Pays: “For original commentary, fiction, and poetry, Contrary Magazine pays $20 per author per issue, regardless of the number of works or nature of the submission. Reviews and Contrary Blog posts are usually unpaid. Domestic payments are made by check or Paypal. International payments will only be sent through Paypal.”
  • The Zócalo Public Square Poetry Prize is awarded annually to the U.S. poet whose poem best evokes a connection to place. ‘Place’ may be interpreted by the poet as a place of historical, cultural, political or personal importance; it may be a literal, imaginary or metaphorical landscape. We are looking for one poem that offers our readers a fresh, original and meaningful take on the topic.” Prize: $1,000 and publication. No entry fee indicated. Submissions: September 5 – November 5, 2011. (hat tip: Anna Leahy)
  • The ArLiJo Poetry Award competition is limited to entrants who live or work in the Mid-Atlantic region, defined as Virginia, West Virginia, D.C., Maryland, Delaware, or Pennsylvania. Prize includes publication and a $100 honorarium if the winning poet attends a celebratory reading on Sunday, October 23 and reads his/her poem. No entry fee indicated. Deadline: September 30, 2011. (via MagnaPoets)
  • Month at the Museum™ is back! The Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago (MSI) is once again searching for a roommate to live in the Museum for a month, experience the adventure of a lifetime–and take home $10,000.” Reporting on one’s adventure is part of the gig: “We’re looking for a good communicator. Excellent writing skills are a must. Having some experience with speaking in public, media interviews and blogging would be ideal. An outgoing nature will help when you’re interacting with our guests and making public appearances. For your reporting via blog, Twitter and online video, it’s also a plus to possess some Web savvy and photography skills.” No application fee indicated. Deadline: July 22, 2011 (received). (hat tip to @LisaRomeo)
  • Attention, writers in Washington State: “The Arts Innovator Award is an unrestricted award of $25,000 given annually to two Washington State generative artists of all disciplines who are originating new work, experimenting with new ideas, taking risks and pushing the boundaries in their respective fields. The award recognizes artists who demonstrate innovation in their art practice.” In addition, “two artists will be selected to receive Arts Innovator Special Recognition Awards of $2,500 each.” No entry fee indicated. Deadline: July 25, 2011. (via WomenArts)
  • If you haven’t yet seen our July Practicing Writer newsletter, it is packed (as usual) with no-fee competitions and paying calls for submission.
  • Northeastern University (Mass.) seeks an Acknowledgment Writer, the Constance Saltonstall Foundation for the Arts (N.Y.) is looking for an Administrative Director, and Providence College (R.I.) is advertising for a Writer.
  • Friday Find for Writers: Social Media Resources

    Yesterday, I spent a wonderful afternoon at the Manhattanville College Summer Writers’ Week. My task was to deliver a presentation on “Social Media Strategies for Writers.” To complement the presentation (and to acknowledge the resources I’d found most helpful in constructing it), I prepared a handout (light on blogging/author website resources, since other sessions were tackling those areas). Keep reading if you want to take a look at the resources I shared. (more…)