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Wednesday’s Work-in-Progress: Munich, Sound & Silence

by Erika Dreifus on
2

Last Friday on this blog, and on My Machberet, I linked to a new piece of mine that had just appeared on The Forward‘s Arty Semite blog. Titled “Remembering Munich, in Fact and Fiction,” the brief essay references ongoing calls for a moment of silence to take place at the impending ceremony that will open the 2012 Olympics, a moment in memory of the 11 Israeli athletes who were murdered at the Munich Summer Games 40 years ago. It also presents some of the “backstory” surrounding “Homecomings,” one of the stories in my short-story collection, Quiet Americans.

What happened in Munich 40 years ago is part of that story. The central characters, Nelly and Josef Freiburg, German Jews who immigrated to the United States in the 1930s, return to Europe for the first time in 1972–and their trip overlaps with the Summer Games. I began writing “Homecomings” when I was an MFA student, and in the “Arty Semite” post I recall some distressing comments that emerged when the story was workshopped.

“Homecomings” isn’t available online, but I’ve recently recorded two brief excerpts (in a single audio file) that you can hear by clicking here. (FYI: “Simone” is a French relative with whom Nelly and Josef are staying. Everything else should be easy enough to follow. And by the way, my recording skills are quite new–you’ll hear more about that sometime soon.)

I’ve been thinking about this sad anniversary all summer, and thinking about the victims and their families. You can be sure that Munich will be on my mind on Friday, when the opening ceremony takes place. I’m immensely grateful to Bob Costas, who has promised that even if the International Olympic Committee refuses to give 60 seconds of silence to the murdered athletes then, he will do so.

May these London Games open, take place, and close in peace.

Monday Markets/Jobs/Opportunities for Writers

by Erika Dreifus on
Disabled
  • Let’s begin this week’s batch of opportunities with a new, no-fee contest from WorkStew.com: “‘Write a letter to the bright-eyed job seeker interested in following in your footsteps. Illuminate. Opine. Advise. But do not exceed 800 words.’ So goes the official prompt for the first-ever Work Stew writing contest, which kicks off on May 1. There’s real money involved ($1,500 in prizes), so be sure to read the legalese.” Deadline: 11:59 p.m. Pacific time on Monday, May 21. Judge: Pam Belluck.
  • May is an open submissions month for Graywolf Press. Please note that the press is no longer accepting first collections (poetry or short stories) through open submissions. “We will continue to accept second and subsequent collections of poetry and short stories during our open submission periods. In addition, we will continue to accept submission of novels and works of nonfiction as usual.”
  • “Emmerson Street Press is eager to read the work of the vibrant creative people that we know are out there; writers who are proud to be a part of the centuries old literary tradition; writers who have been looking for a place to have their work welcomed. We are also eager to hear from academics interested in writing an introduction (up to 1000 words) to a reprint classic. In this area we want to hear from PhD types with a passion for a specific book, author or thinker; we want to help you pass that passion on. In this area, we are also interested in translations. We are primarily interested in Canadian authors and academics, but would be willing to take on an international writer if the submission is too good to let slip by!” (via placesforwriters.com)
  • Durham University (U.K.) invites applications for its Institute of Advanced Study (IAS) fellowships. “The theme for 2013/14, for which applications are now invited, is “Light,” interpreted in its broadest sense to be of potential interest to those working in a wide range of disciplines.” Fellowships are available for 3-month periods between October 2013 and March 2014. “The IAS will cover the costs associated with the fellow travelling to Durham, UK…and will provide all fellows with an honorarium.” Applicants may be from any nationality or discipline. “Applicants may come from an academic or non-academic background (e.g. public intellectuals, artists, writers, film makers, journalists, policy makers, politicians.” No application fee. Deadline: June 17, 2012.
  • Quick reminder that Practicing Writing is running two giveaways right now: one for Edith Pearlman’s Binocular Vision and the other for Kelly James-Enger’s Writer for Hire.
  • Split this Rock (Washington) is looking for an Assistant Director. “Split This Rock calls poets to the center of public life and fosters a national network of socially engaged poets. From our home in the nation’s capital we celebrate poetic diversity and the transformative power of the imagination. All of Split This Rock’s programs are designed to integrate poetry of provocation and witness into public life and to support the poets who write and perform this critical work. Split This Rock’s cornerstone program is a national festival, held every two years in Washington, DC. The next festival is scheduled for March, 2014. We also have a robust youth program, publish poetry online, organize social justice campaigns, and present readings, workshops, and discussions year-round.”
  • The Wick Poetry Center at Kent State University (Ohio) seeks an Academic Program Coordinator to “assist…with community arts projects and general programming.”
  • PEN International (London) is looking for a Literary Manager and a Communications & Campaign Manager.
  • “Gogebic Community College [Mich.] seeks innovative, collaborative and dynamic individuals for a full-time English Faculty vacancy within the Language and Arts division to teach courses in developmental level English, Interpersonal Skills, and Composition. Opportunities to teach literature and poetry classes may be available. This tenure-track position begins in August 2012.”

    • Thursday’s Work-in-Progress

    by Erika Dreifus on
    Disabled

    Remember a few weeks ago when I outlined some of the assignments and projects that were on my to-do list? Remember how several of them had May 1 deadlines?

    Well, this week, I’m happy to report that every deadline was met.

    This week has also brought the publication of my latest micro-essay, “Comprehension,” which found a lovely home with Hippocampus Magazine. (If you haven’t already checked out the anniversary celebration on the Hippocampus site–replete with daily giveaways–go take a look.)

    And over on Fiction Writers Review (FWR), Short Story Month is in full swing. I’m proud to have led this month’s “Stories We Love” posts with some thoughts about Jack London’s “To Build a Fire.”

    Finally–and in case you missed it–this week I’ve also announced which title(s) I’ll be giving away as part of my participation in the FWR Collection Giveaway Project. I’m happy to see so much early interest.

    P.S. This week also brought my birthday. Check out the delightful illustration my niece included with the card she gave me.

    The Wednesday Web Browser for Writers

    by Erika Dreifus on
    2

    Another midweek medley of writing-related finds culled from the Web.

  • Let’s begin with some application advice (mainly for academe, but with crossover appeal for writers-who-don’t-teach but are applying for grants/fellowships/awards/etc.). (via Wordamour)
  • Five Ways to Celebrate Short Stories is a post I wrote for Fiction Writers Review last year, but the beginning of Short Story Month 2012 seems to be a perfect time to “recycle” it.
  • Speaking of Fiction Writers Review: My “reviewlet” of Anne Korkeakivi’s The Unexpected Guest posted last week. One of the things I discuss in that piece is the author’s use of French words and phrases, so I was of course interested to discover Korkeakivi’s thoughts on handling languages other than English in fiction (thanks for the link, Writer Abroad!). (By the way, you can read some relevant thoughts of my own archived on the Brave New Words blog, too.)
  • May is apparently prime giveaway season. Don’t forget about this practicing writer’s participation in the Collection Giveaway Project. And over on Hippocampus Magazine, there will be one giveaway every day of this month to celebrate the publication’s anniversary. You need to delve into the current issue to participate–may I humbly suggest that you check out my own micro-essay in that issue, “Comprehension”?
  • For those who ask am I a writer, Cathy Day has some answers.

    • Thursday’s Work-in-Progress: The Power of a Prompt, or a Prizewinning Poem’s Backstory

    by Erika Dreifus on
    6

    Photo: goisrael.com
    Late last week I had a poem published by The Missouri Review!

    (Okay, so the poem appeared on the journal’s blog. But that’s close enough for this still-newbie poet!)

    Unlike many of my other published pieces, “Jerusalem Dream,” isn’t one that I labored over for weeks, months, or years. Only a few days elapsed between my noting the announcement for the journal’s “Art of Omission Contest” (okay, technically a contest from the journal’s textBOX online anthology, but again, close enough!) and my thinking about, drafting, revising, and submitting the entry.

    The challenge was a terrific one. Using a brief posted excerpt from Reesa Grushka’s “Arieh,” an essay that appeared in 2006 in The Missouri Review, entrants were instructed to write a piece (poetry or prose) up to 50 words long. The “catch” was that all words had to be drawn from the words used in the “Arieh” excerpt.

    Reader, I loved this prompt. Assignment. Whatever you want to call it.

    And apparently, the poem I submitted garnered some affection in return. And the honor of being included among the top five entries.

    The grand-prize winner received a bonus: a paid entry good for an upcoming Missouri Review contest. But all five winning pieces earned their scribes a one-year journal subscription.

    I am thrilled. My first poetry prize!

    (You can read all of the winning pieces on The Missouri Review‘s blog. Mine is the fifth. Immediately after “Jerusalem Dream,” you’ll see the excerpt we were all provided.)