Posts Tagged‘Blogging’

Home » Blogging » Page 15

The Wednesday Web Browser

by Erika Dreifus on
Disabled
  • As you probably know, we’re now in National Poetry Month. I haven’t been doing a very good job keeping you totally up-to-date, but I’ll hope to remedy my shortcomings somewhat by pointing you to Kelli Russell Agodon’s Big Poetry Giveaway; a special series of poetry-book discussions; celebratory ideas from Sage Cohen, author of Writing the Life Poetic; and plenty of poetry from The Forward‘s “Arty Semite” blog.
  • And speaking of poetry, here’s a lovely (and short) video that Diane Lockward has put together to acknowledge all of the poets who took place in the recent Girl Talk reading in West Caldwell, N.J. (Yes, yours truly is included.) Thanks, Diane!
  • Any time Rebecca Makkai has a new story out, it’s a noteworthy event. Her latest, serialized this week on Five Chapters, is titled “The Disappearance of Miranda Željko.
  • Big congrats to Kelley Coyner, who has just landed a gig writing about nonfiction for The Writer’s Center’s First Person Plural blog. Take a look at the inaugural post–Kelley wants to hear from commenters! (And I’m personally grateful to Kelley for letting me know that a tip on this blog led her to this opportunity.)
  • And while we’re on nonfiction, do read “Notes for an Essay on Race and Class in a Uni Town,” by our friend, “Oronte Churm.”

    • The Wednesday Web Browser for Writers

    by Erika Dreifus on
    1
  • Mentioned this already on My Machberet, but it’s worth re-presenting: Last week, Cynthia Ozick was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Jewish Book Council. Read Ozick’s reflections “on what it is to write as a Jew in America” here.
  • Virtual Book Tours 101, a guest post for Grub Street Daily, provides basics and background.
  • Nina Badzin adds a new post to her Twitter Tips series.
  • Former Alaskan David Abrams pays tribute to one of the state’s favorite sons, poet John Haines, who passed away earlier this month.
  • Since I have always found endings to be among the most challenging aspects of short-story writing, I really appreciated this post on the subject from Robin Black (for Beyond the Margins).
  • Speaking of short stories: Fiction Writers Review is launching a “Journal of the Week” giveaway feature, and the inaugural offerings are three free subscriptions from One Story.
  • Looking for some guest-blogging opportunities (and not concerned about getting paid)? Check out this call (for poet-bloggers) from Chloé Yelena Miller, and this one from First Person Plural, the blog of The Writer’s Center in Bethesda, Md.
  • In the unlikely case that you haven’t heard yet about Téa Obreht and her debut novel, The Tiger’s Wife, this New York Times profile will clue you in. (I haven’t read the novel yet, but I did love this Obreht story in The Atlantic.)

    • Monday Morning Markets/Jobs/Opportunities for Writers

    by Erika Dreifus on
    2
  • There’s not much time left to take advantage of this (deadline is tomorrow, February 15): The American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA) Educational Foundation is delighted to offer professional nonfiction writers the opportunity to apply for scholarships that will enable them to attend ASJA2011,” a conference in New York City scheduled for the end of April/beginning of May. Scholarships will be awarded to writers in three categories: blogging, nonfiction article, and nonfiction book. No application fees indicated.
  • “The Charles Johnson Student Fiction Award from Southern Illinois University Carbondale is an annual award competition intended to encourage increased artistic and intellectual growth among students, as well as reward excellence and diversity in creative writing. Each year, $1000 and a signed copy of a Charles Johnson book will be awarded to the winner.” Winning entry will also be published in Crab Orchard Review. “The award competition is open to all undergraduate and graduate students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents currently enrolled full- or part-time in a U.S. college or university.” Submissions must be postmarked during February. There is no entry fee.
  • Another student contest: The New York Times has just announced its latest Modern Love College Essay Contest. “If you have a personal story that illustrates the current state of love and relationships, e-mail it to us….The winning author will receive $1,000 and his or her essay will be published in a special ‘Modern Love’ column on May 1, 2011, and on nytimes.com.” No entry fee. Deadline: March 31, 2011.
  • Interested in applying for a residency at the Anderson Center (Minn.)? The deadline for May-July residencies has passed, but if you’re interested in a spot for August-October, you have until March 1 to complete your application. Keep in mind that August residencies (sponsored by the Jerome Foundation) are limited to applicants who are emerging writers/artists from Minnesota and New York City. Check all the details at the website. No application fee indicated.
  • Last week I mailed signed copies of Quiet Americans to the winners of three separate giveaways. Meantime, at this very moment there are three more ways that you might receive your very own signed copy, too (at least, if you live in the U.S. or Canada). You can enter this Goodreads giveaway through Friday. You can “like” our Facebook page and thereby become eligible for two copies to be awarded next weekend, too. And you can check out The Quivering Pen, where Quiet Americans was named last Friday’s “Friday Freebie.” (But if all of this is just too much work and/or waiting, please feel free to go ahead and buy a copy!)
  • “Lake Superior State University [Mich.] seeks a full-time, tenure-track faculty member in the Department of English to start August, 2011. Primary responsibilities include teaching sections of composition I and/or II each semester, with occasional teaching of a Creative Writing course consisting of fiction, creative non-fiction, and/or playwriting.”
  • Whitman College (Wash.) invites applications for a Visiting Assistant Professor of English/Creative Writing (fiction).
  • New York University’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies is looking for part-time adjunct faculty “in Fiction Writing and Creative Nonfiction, Screenwriting and Writing for Television, Journalism and New Media, Business and Professional Writing, Basic Writing Skills, and Speech.”
  • Columbia College Chicago’s Department of English has extended the deadline for applications for the position of the Elma Stuckey Liberal Arts and Sciences Emerging Poet-in-Residence. This two-year position starts August 2011. “Poets from underrepresented communities and/or those who bring diverse cultural, ethnic, and national perspectives to their writing and teaching are particularly encouraged to apply. Successful candidate will teach, give a public reading, advise a student-curated reading series, and possibly supervise a small number of graduate theses.” Extended application deadline is March 1, 2011. (via CRWROPPS)
  • Tennessee Tech University seeks a Writer, the University of California (Office of the President) is looking for a Writer/Executive Communications Specialist, and the National Geographic Society (D.C.) invites applications for an Associate Editor position.

    • Monday Morning Markets/Jobs/Opportunities for Writers

    by Erika Dreifus on
    Disabled
  • You’ll have to hurry to apply for a residency (including accommodation, travel bursary, and stipend) at the Centre Culturel Irlandais in Paris. “Applicants must be either: 1. Irish citizens or normally resident in Ireland, with full-time professional involvement in creative practice. 2. French professional artists whose work demonstrates an Irish dimension, who are resident in Ireland or have another clear link. 3. Artists with a body of work with a distinct Irish element, and who would benefit from a connection with France and Paris.” There’s no application fee, but the deadline is the end of the day (5 p.m. or 17h) on Friday, January 28.
  • “Spirit First is pleased to announce its second annual meditation poetry contest. Poetry submissions may be of any length and any style but must have a theme of meditation, mindfulness, stillness, or silence. Poems may reflect any discipline, any faith, or none. Poems must be previously unpublished.” No entry fee. Cash prizes ($175/$125/$75), plus $75 for a Spoken Poem Prize. Deadline: “Submissions must be received no later than January 31, 2011.” (via Beltway Poetry Quarterly/Poetry News)
  • Attention, Alaska writers! “Today [January 7, 2011] Rasmuson Foundation announced that Alaska artists are invited to apply for Individual Artist Awards to support the activities and experiences necessary to nurture and foster their creative work. Artists who are currently producing or performing work, are at least 18, and who have lived in Alaska for at least two years are eligible to apply.” The Foundation offers three grant programs. No application fees indicated.
  • Our February Practicing Writer newsletter will go out to subscribers next weekend. Just so you know to expect it (or sign up to receive it).
  • “Outdoorzy.com seeks bloggers personally involved in outdoor activities like hunting, fishing, hiking, camping, backpacking, trail running, climbing, or playing in dirt or snow. To write for Outdoorzy.com, you should be able write about these topics with the tone of someone who loves doing what you do. A broad range of skill levels in each of subject categories are accepted, so applicants don’t need to be ‘experts.’ All topics are ‘outdoorzy.’ New bloggers receive $20 per article to start, with the opportunity for pay advancement in the future. Email information about yourself, topic(s) to cover, and three published writing samples (preferably covering the same topics or topics you are applying for), and put “OUTDOORZY BLOGGING APPLICATION” in the subject line. Email to Jason Heflin, jason(dot)heflin(at)gmail(dot)com. For more information, visit www.outdoorzy.com.” (via NH Writers’ Project)
  • An assistant professorship is available at the University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown: “Responsibilities include: teaching four courses per semester, including composition, introductory professional writing, and intermediate/advanced coursework in creative nonfiction, literary journalism and new media.”
  • Philadelphia University seeks a Public Relations Associate/Writer, the Center for Media and Democracy (Wisc.) is looking for a part-time Writer/Reporter, and ASPCA (N.Y.) is advertising for a Senior Director, Executive Communications.

    • Thursday’s (Final) Pre-Publication Post

    by Erika Dreifus on
    5

    March 25, 2010. That was the date of our first “Thursday Pre-Publication Post.” Less than 10 months later, it’s time for the last post in the series. Next Wednesday, January 19, will see the official publication date of my short-story collection, Quiet Americans. And next Thursday, we’ll take this show on the post-publication road. I’m so thankful for the advice and support that you’ve shown me here on the blog in this pre-publication phase, and I hope you’ll stick around to see how this particular publishing story plays out.

    Right now, I’m especially focused on launching our Winter 2011 Blog Tour, which begins next week. I won’t tell you exactly how much time I spent last weekend drafting guest posts for host blogs. Let’s just say that it was considerable. Not that I’m complaining! I am really grateful to have these opportunities.

    This week, I’ve been shifting a bit from the guest posts to my part of author Q&As. In case you haven’t surmised, this time, I’m the one supplying the “A”, not the “Q.” And I have been blown away by my interviewers’ incisiveness. (Sure, I knew they were smart, but this smart?)

    I don’t want to give you any examples yet. Let’s let the suspense build for the tour, shall we? But I will share that working on these interviews, on the heels of receiving excellent blurbs and more recent feedback, I’ve been reminded of a December blog post by Ellen Meeropol on what Elli, as another debut author, has been learning from her readers.

    “I didn’t expect to be surprised–and humbled–by readers’ insights into my characters and their story,” she wrote.

    Frankly, I didn’t expect it, either. In my case, there’s some especially delicious icing on this cake: readers’ insights into not only specific characters and stories, but also on the collection as a whole.

    You’ll see what I’m talking about once the tour is under way. Happily, it’s not long now!

    Monday Morning Markets/Jobs/Opportunities

    by Erika Dreifus on
    Disabled
  • Subtropics has reopened for poetry submissions. “Thank you all for your patience.” Pays: $100/poem. Does not accept simultaneous submissions in poetry. More info here. (via @ALTA_USA)
  • From the Chicken Soup for the Soul series: “If you are Canadian, we are looking for stories from you! Send us your inspirational, humorous, or heartwarming stories. They don’t have to specifically be about Canada — they just have to be Chicken Soup for the Soul stories that take place in Canada or are written by Canadians. If you are not Canadian but you have a great story that took place in Canada (examples would be American college student at McGill, stranded travelers in Newfoundland on 9/11, great vacation stories) that is fine too. The deadline for story submissions is January 30, 2011.” Pays: “If the story or poem you wrote is published by us, you will be paid $200 upon publication of the book plus you will receive ten free copies of the book your story or poem appears in.”
  • Fans of the “Modern Love” column in The New York Times may be interested in the recently-posted guidelines on “how to submit Modern Love essays.”
  • The Texas Institute of Letters administers an array of literary awards open to entrants who were born in Texas or “lived in Texas for at least two consecutive years at some time.” A literary work “whose subject matter substantially concerns Texas is also eligible.” The next submission deadline is imminent (January 9), and there are no entry fees.
  • “Babble.com is looking for a parenting news blogger to join the fastest growing website for parents, with 4 million uniques and counting. The job involves contributing a minimum of two posts per day to Strollerderby, Babble’s breaking news blog written by the web’s most tuned-in, best-informed, wittiest parents.” Check the announcement on MediaBistro.com (site registration required).
  • I am seeing some interesting freelance opportunities posted on Twitter by @femministas, which I discovered (I think) thanks to @JennCrowell.
  • For poets, fictionists, and writers of creative nonfiction: Lots of free-to-enter competitions and paying calls for submissions were packed into our January Practicing Writer newsletter, which went out to subscribers last Thursday. Read the issue online here.
  • Roger Williams University (R.I.) seeks a Director of Marketing, Johns Hopkins University (Md.) is looking for a Director of Communications & Marketing, and the University of California-Berkeley invites applications for a Writer/Editor.