Thursday’s Post-Publication Post: An Eventful Season

by Erika Dreifus on
Disabled

Spring is coming here in the U.S. Northeast, and with the new season I’m happy to share news about a batch of upcoming events, some of which will focus on my new story collection, Quiet Americans.

On March 26, I’ll be participating with an impressive roster of women poets coordinated by Diane Lockward (who, as I’ve mentioned before, happens to have been one of my sister’s high-school English teachers). This free event, titled “Girl Talk: Women Poets Reading Poems that Celebrate the Lives of Women,” has been designed in honor of Women’s History Month. It will be taking place in West Caldwell, N.J., so I hope to see some of my Garden State friends & family there!

On April 10, I’ll be reading in the Sunday Salon series in New York City. Although not all of the details have been posted, I can tell you that if you come to hear me read, you’ll also get to hear Paul Lisicky and Karen Abbott. (Big thanks to Sara Lippmann for the invitation.)

On April 12, you can “chat” with me online when the Jewish Book Council (JBC) hosts its next Twitter Book Club. (Quiet Americans is the April club title!) To ensure that your tweets show up in the chat stream, be sure that your account has been activated at least a week ahead of time. Not sure what’s involved with a Twitter Book Club? Check the JBC’s instructions and archived chats.

And on April 30, I’ll be up in Boston for Grub Street’s Muse & the Marketplace Conference. Want to learn about opportunities to write about writing (book reviews, author profiles, etc.)? Sign up for my session (#1E)!

I’m very excited about these opportunities to catch up with old friends and meet newer ones face-to face, and to have the chance to converse with readers from around the world online. Please check my News & Events page for updated information about these and other appearances. Many thanks!

P.S. One more thing. The end of March signals the end of the first quarter of the year, and at that point, I’ll be reviewing sales data since January (my publisher’s business model provides monthly royalties) and issuing a check to The Blue Card per my commitment to donate a portion of sales earnings to that organization. This “event” will be private and quiet, but it seems worth sharing nonetheless.

The Wednesday Web Browser for Writers

by Erika Dreifus on
Disabled
  • Having championed the work of Henry James in the past (including among some unreceptive MFA classmates), I was intrigued by Jay Parini’s take on James’s “afterlife.”
  • From The Missouri Review‘s Evelyn Somers Rogers: some thoughts on why some manuscripts get rejected.
  • Diane Lockward presents poet Jehanne Dubrow’s collection, Stateside, which I’ve been meaning to read for quite awhile. Must. Get. To. It.
  • The ever-reliable Midge Raymond offers up another provocative writing prompt.
  • To celebrate the success of her Dollars & Deadlines blog, freelancing expert Kelly James-Enger is offering a special giveaway.
  • And speaking of freelancing, over on Beyond the Margins Necee Regis shares tips to help freelancers stay sane.

    • Monday Morning Markets/Jobs/Opportunities for Writers

    by Erika Dreifus on
    4
  • A new poetry contest (open to residents of Washington, D.C., Maryland or Virginia) is being administered in conjunction with the upcoming Bethesda Literary Festival. Cash prizes of $500, $250, and $150. “Winners will be honored at a special event during the Bethesda Literary Festival, held April 15-17, 2011. Winning poems will also be posted on the Bethesda Urban Partnership Web site.” No entry fee indicated. Deadline is coming up fast: March 11, 2011.
  • Want to submit your manuscript to Coffee House Press? Take note of these remarks: “Coffee House Press will only accept submissions during two annual reading periods: March 1 – April 30 and September 1 – October 31. Submissions postmarked outside of these two reading periods will not be considered or returned. In addition, until further notice, Coffee House Press will not accept unsolicited poetry submissions. Please check this web page periodically for future updates to this policy.” (Thanks to Duotrope for the heads-up on the reopened submission window.)
  • “‘Tales from the South’ radio show, in conjunction with William F. Laman Public Library and the 2011 Arkansas Literary festival, is looking for great true stories. Top three stories will receive $100 each, and writers will read their winning story on the internationally-syndicated radio show on Tuesday, April 12, 2011….” NB: “Writers must currently live in the South (currently limited to Arkansas, Texas, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama) or be from the South originally.” For this call, they’re looking for literary memoirs connected to the following Jorge Luis Borges quotation: “Any life is made up of a single moment, the moment in which a man finds out, once and for all, who he is.” Download the full guidelines for this “Telling Tales: Writing Contest for the Arkansas Literary Festival” at the website. There is no entry fee, and the submission deadline is March 13, 2011. (via Femministas)
  • Opportunity for Vermont poets: “Governor Peter Shumlin and the Vermont Arts Council invite you to submit nominations for the appointment of a new Vermont Poet Laureate.” There is no fee involved to nominate/apply, and the position confers a $1,000 honorarium. Deadline: March 25, 2011. (via @LeneAGary)
  • News from the BBC National Short Story Award: Electronic submissions are being accepted for the first time, and the deadline has moved up to May 5. “The Award is one of the most prestigious for a single short story, with the winning author receiving £15,000.” No entry fee indicated. (via @TaniaHershman)
  • The Asian-American Writers’ Workshop (N.Y.) is advertising two part-time positions: Development Associate and Program Director.
  • “St. Lawrence University [N.Y.] invites applications for a one-year, visiting position in creative non-fiction and minority American literatures.”
  • Appalachian State University (N.C.) is looking for a Visiting Assistant Professor of English (Fiction Writing). “The candidate offered the position will teach exclusively Introduction to Fiction Writing.”
  • The University of East Anglia (U.K.) welcomes applications for a Lectureship in Literature.
  • Northeastern University (Mass.) seeks a Staff Writer, AASCU (D.C.) is looking for a Speech Writer/Senior Editor, and Ragan Communications (Ill.) invites applications for a Copy Editor position.

    • Friday Find: Time to Write

    by Erika Dreifus on
    4

    Time to write. What a gift. But is it really so elusive?

    This week, Sage Cohen (whose latest book is The Productive Writer) noted on The Path of Possibility:

    The universal chorus of complaint from writers of all stripes seems to be: not enough time. The truth is, writers make time for writing. And everyone does it her own way. Your job is to find your way. Every Tuesday for the next six weeks I’ll be offering suggestions to help you investigate how your relationship with time is moving you forward or holding you back.

    Check in and see what Sage suggested this week. And check back for additional ideas. (By the way, I’m delighted to announce that an interview with Sage will appear in the April issue of The Practicing Writer.)

    Here’s to time to write, and to a great weekend. See you all back here on Monday.