Monday Markets/Jobs/Opportunities for Writers

  • The Poetry Matters 2012 poetry award “is open to anyone, anywhere who is in Middle School or older.” There is no entry fee. “Cash Prizes are given to 1st ($100), 2nd ($75), 3rd ($50) and 4th ($35) place winners. To receive the cash prize winners must have their poem read (in person or via video) at the poetry reading event.” Deadline: March 23, 2012. (via @femministas)
  • “The United States Forest Service offers residencies of seven to nine days from June through August to poets, fiction writers, and creative nonfiction writers, to take part in a field project in the wilderness of the Alaskan National Forest. Residents will be paired with a wilderness ranger, with whom they will camp, kayak, hike, and explore the coastal terrain of the Tongass and Chugach National Forests, while assisting with research, fieldwork, and other light ranger duties. Residents are provided with camping equipment, food, and travel to an from the field, but are responsible for their own transportation to Alaska. Residents are expected to donate one piece of creative work to the Forest Service, and to give one public presentation, such as a reading or a workshop, within six months of their residency that in some way connects a community to its public lands (the presentation does not have to take place in the community of the residency). Submit six pages of poetry or prose and a statement of purpose by April 20. There is no application fee. Visit the website for an application form complete guidelines.”
  • The Sustainable Arts Foundation provides Writing Awards ($6,000) and smaller “Promise Awards” to writers (of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry) who have at least one child under the age of 18. “We welcome applicants from anywhere, but will give some preference to residents of the San Francisco bay area.” The next application deadline is March 1; no application fees are indicated.
  • Drew University (N.J.) is looking for an MFA Program Director: “The Caspersen School of Graduate Studies is seeking a director of our low-residency MFA program in Poetry and Poetry Translation. The program is in its fourth year, has a nationally renowned faculty and graduates with a strong record of publication already. The director is responsible for the direction of the program: will teach two students per semester; lecture at the residencies and give a reading; work with admissions to recruit students; supervise program budget; provide orientation for new faculty and students; oversee faculty and students during the correspondence semesters; oversee course/faculty/student evaluations; identify guest writers/poets for readings; work with the dean’s office to set the schedule for the January. June residencies; organise the lectures/panels; oversee the senior panels; track students’ progress; work with the dean’s office to promote the program; assign faculty mentors for students and serve as a liaison with the larger university community. Curriculum development is another important part of the job. For example, our program is distinguishing itself by offering a translation component. The Director is expected to explore options for opening additional such ‘tracks’ in the program, in keeping with the strengths and resources of Drew and the program.”
  • Georgia College & State University seeks an Assistant Professor of English (Fiction): “Undergraduate and graduate teaching, thesis advising, and editing for graduate and undergraduate literary journals. Candidate will be expected to design and offer graduate and upper division courses in literary fiction and creative nonfiction as well as other undergraduate liberal arts courses.”
  • California College of the Arts is advertising for an nontenure-track Assistant/Associate Professor in Creative Nonfiction Writing. “Course load is negotiable and not to exceed four courses per academic year. Candidate will teach regularly in the undergraduate Writing and Literature Program and MFA Program in Writing. Candidate will also participate in program and college-wide service, including curricular development and assessment.”
  • St. Louis College of Pharmacy is looking for a Writer/Editor, Texas State University-San Marcos seeks a Publications Writer, and The New School (New York) plans to hire a Publicity Writer.
  • Monday Markets/Jobs/Opportunities for Writers

  • “The POETRY FOUNDATION, publisher of Poetry magazine, is pleased to announce the 2012 EMILY DICKINSON FIRST BOOK AWARD, designed to recognize an American poet at least 40 years of age who has yet to publish a first collection of poetry. The Poetry Foundation seeks one book-length poetry manuscript to be published by Graywolf Press as the winner of the Emily Dickinson First Book Award. The competition is open to any American citizen forty years of age or over who has not previously published a book-length volume of poetry. In addition to publication and promotion of the manuscript, the winner will receive a prize of $10,000.” Submissions must be postmarked between January 16 and February 17, 2012. No entry fee indicated.
  • From the Association of Writers & Writing Programs (AWP): “AWP is now accepting student volunteers for our Chicago conference. All conference volunteers receive a complimentary registration in exchange for volunteering for one four-hour shift. This offer is available only to students. AWP has openings for volunteers from Wednesday, February 29 through Saturday, March 3, 2012. Student volunteer sign-up is open while shifts are still available. Shifts fill quickly, so sign up now at http://awpwriter.org/conference/2012vol.php. Volunteers, we look forward to working with you in Chicago.”
  • Have you seen the December Practicing Writer newsletter? Click here for all the no-fee competitions and paying calls for submission within.
  • Great news for those of you in the Boston area: “Grub Street is pleased to offer $200.00 scholarships to twenty selected writers each year. Recipients may use their scholarship at any time in the year and toward any class they desire, though not for Muse and the Marketplace tuition or manuscript consulting. There are 4 application deadlines throughout the year– one in each term. We’ll give out 5 scholarships after each deadline.” The next deadline is coming up on December 19 (noon). There is no application fee.
  • And a great opportunity for those of you in the metro Detroit area, too: “Kresge Arts in Detroit provides significant financial support for Kresge Artist Fellowships annually, each consisting of a $25,000 award and customized professional practice opportunities for emerging and established metropolitan Detroit artists in the literary, performing and visual arts….In 2012, 12 fellowships will be awarded in the literary arts and 12 fellowships will be awarded in the performing arts.” The program considers “literary arts” as follows: “arts criticism in all categories (including literary, performing and visual), creative non-fiction, fiction, playwriting, poetry and interdisciplinary work within the above arts disciplines.” There is no application fee indicated. Deadline: February 1, 2012.
  • Gettysburg College has issued its annual call for an Emerging Writer Lecturer: “One-year appointment, beginning August 2012, for a creative writer who plans a career that involves college-level teaching, to teach three courses per semester, including Introduction to Creative Writing and an advanced course in the writer’s genre, as well as to assist with departmental writing activities. Mentorship for teaching and assistance in professional development provided. M.F.A. or Ph.D. with creative dissertation, required. Teaching experience and literary magazine publications are essential. Competitive salary.”
  • “McNeese State University’s [La.] Department of English and the Foreign Languages and the M.F.A Program in Creative Writing seek an Assistant Professor of English and Creative Writing, Fiction.”
  • Southwest Art magazine (Colo.) is looking for an Assistant Editor, the Nature Conservancy (Va.) seeks a Senior Science Writer, and Columbia Journalism Review (New York) invites applications for a Communications Manager.
  • The Wednesday Web Browser for Writers

  • Loved Bill Keller’s piece in The New York Times Magazine on why it may be “time to add some poetry readings” to the congressional agenda.
  • Interesting ideas from Carol Tice on “ways to turn your old, dusty blog archive into cold, hard cash.”
  • Midge Raymond shares lessons learned about the art of reading aloud.
  • “Do you know what it’s like, someone giving you money to think about something for a month? I’ll tell you what it’s like: it’s pretty freaking awesome.” So says Cathy Day, in summarizing the fruits of one month’s labor, made possible by grants (and by the help of others). Terrific post (even if the photo of the John Harvard statue made me a little homesick).
  • The editorial team at Hayden’s Ferry Review shares a list of plots and plot devices that “make us yawn, wince, and occasionally scream in anger.”
  • 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: Home-Grown Resources

    I’m going to take the “easy” way out today, and remind you of all of the resources you can find right here on this very site.

    By hovering over the “Resources” tab on the ErikaDreifus.com homepage you’ll find a drop-down menu (if you go ahead and click “Resources,” you’ll get a page providing the corresponding tabs to menu items).

    And these are the subjects you’ll discover:

    • MFA Programs
    • Conferences & Centers
    • Where to Publish Your Work
    • Grants, Fellowships, and Awards
    • Jobs for Writers
    • Interviews with Practicing Writers
    • Jewish Writing

    Lots of information in every area. Plenty to keep you occupied, inspired, and informed over the weekend and beyond.

    Enjoy, and see you back here next week.