I can’t recall when/where I discovered this quotation, but it is one that has stayed with me.
“We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospect.”
–Anaïs Nin
(Of course, in an ideal world, a translator would be credited.)
As usual, the NYT After Deadline blog provides useful reminders on grammar, usage, and style.
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How wonderful it was to open the paper a few days ago and see a big, fat article about Open Letter Books, “a small, year-old press here affiliated with the University of Rochester that publishes nothing but literature in translation.”
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Like many of you, I suspect, I was caught up for several days this summer following the coverage of Senator Edward M. Kennedy’s passing. I’ve been meaning to read his memoir, True Compass (and I’ll do so in 2010). All of which made this piece by Jonathan Karp, the memoir’s editor/publisher, compelling reading.
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Adam Begley’s travel article on Stendhal’s Parma was also quite relevant to me!
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Finally: The NYT asked six prominent authors to name (and read from) books they could never discard.
Just about a year ago, I alluded to a challenging experience I was dealing with. A single comment from one medical professional whom I met through that experience sparked a new poem. (You all know how that works.)
I am proud to say that that poem has just been published by the Yale Journal for Humanities in Medicine (YJHM). The poem’s title, drawn from the comment in question, is “Solar Damage.”
(By the way, for those of who may recall and/or share my dilemma over how to determine whether a given piece should be written as prose or as poetry, you may find this comment from the YJHM poetry editor interesting [he’s referring to both poems I submitted, although he accepted only one]: “Your poetry has a strong flavor of prose and I considered whether these poems should actually be prose poems. However, I don’t think so. The enjambment and slant rhymes make them work as verse.”)
I invite you to read my poem and, more important, to get to know the broader offerings of the YJHM.
Once again, I bring you a quotation that came to me via The Southeast Review‘s writing regimen (although I do think I’ve heard it bandied about in the past).
“Most of the basic material a writer works with is acquired before the age of fifteen.” –Willa Cather
What do you think, practicing writers? Agree? Disagree? How is this quotation relevant (or not) to your own writing practice?
[UPDATE: This giveaway is now closed. Thank you all for the comments. I’m always interested in what you’ve been up to and what your future goals may be. I really appreciate the participation here.
Our two winners (per the random number generator) are #2 (Rob) and #9 (Joan Bailey). Rob and Joan, please e-mail me to claim your prize. Please indicate which e-book you would like to receive, and the e-mail address where you’d prefer to receive it. Congratulations!]
So, in case you missed Monday’s announcement, I’ve just completed the latest updates for both of our market directories. One provides information on publications that pay essayists, and the other concentrates on paying venues for book reviewers.
I update these guides twice each year (admittedly, not the most exciting work in the world) to check links, make sure each publication is still in business AND is indicating its guidelines AND pay rates online, and, when we’re lucky, add new finds. You can see what each guide is all about, and peruse sample listings, by clicking here.
Now, here’s the fun part. Since this evening marks the conclusion of Chanukah, I’m going to offer a giveaway. Actually, I’ll offer two giveaways. I’m feeling generous.
Our two lucky winners will each be able to select a free copy of the e-book of his/her choice. To enter, please leave a comment on this post telling us about a) the publication you’re proudest to have added to your credits in 2009 OR b) a publication you’re hoping to crack in 2010. Please be sure to leave your name AND check back at the blog on Monday morning (12/22) when the winners–who will be selected randomly–will be revealed. Please note that any winner who does not contact me by Tuesday midnight (U.S. Eastern time) will forfeit the prize.
Sound clear? Oh, and one more thing–this blog’s comments are moderated, so don’t worry if your comment doesn’t appear right away.
Thanks for playing, and good luck!