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Midweek Notes from a Practicing Writer

by Erika Dreifus on
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New Essay Online
New publication alert: Last Friday my essay titled “Five Ways for Writers to Avoid Oversharing” went live on The Missouri Review‘s blog. I’m grateful to TMR for giving the piece a home, and grateful that the responses I’ve received so far on Twitter and Facebook have been so encouraging.

As you’ll note if you read the piece, I was prompted to write the essay when another writer directed a casual comment my way on Twitter. The essay thus illustrates another instance in which a remark I couldn’t have anticipated or predicted has produced an entirely new piece of writing. (Another example: My online-poetry-course-instructor’s comment via email alluding to how promptly—”nay, early!”–I tended to submit my assignments produced this poem, which, as of now, has been published three times.) So, please, talk/write to me! 😉 (more…)

Midweek Notes from a Practicing Writer

by Erika Dreifus on
Disabled

Rejections, Redux
Remember the new poem I mentioned last week? Well, it continued to glean rejections this week. (I’m mildly irked by one editor’s feedback, but I’ll be discreet and let that go un-amplified for the moment.)

I’ve been tweaking the piece and am still holding out hope for it. And if the one publication I’ve yet to hear back from right now also says “no,” that’s okay, because I think that after that, I’ll bite the bullet and send it somewhere that doesn’t take simultaneous submissions. (That’s something I normally hate to do, but every so often, I’ll yield.)

Jewish Lit at the Museum of Jewish Heritage
Last Wednesday evening, I had the pleasure of attending a public forum featuring the 2015 Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature authors at the Museum of Jewish Heritage here in New York. 2015 Sami Rohr Prize Winner Ayelet Tsabari, Choice Award recipient Kenneth Bonert, and finalists Yelena Akhtiorskaya, Molly Antopol, and Boris Fishman all participated in a discussion moderated by Austin Ratner. (I was not present at the following evening’s award ceremony/reception, but luckily, Ayelet Tsabari’s acceptance speech can be viewed on YouTube.)

My Creative Cousin
Finally, I’d like to honor some special songwriting that I encountered this week. (more…)

Midweek Notes from a Practicing Writer

by Erika Dreifus on
4

Readings on the Upper West SideFullSizeRender-3

Last week I spent a lot of quality time at the Upper West Side Barnes & Noble. On Wednesday, I attended Thane Rosenbaum‘s reading from How Sweet It Is, his latest novel. The next evening, I was back for Alan Cheuse’s reading from Prayers for the Living.

I hadn’t seen Thane in several years, and I’d never met Alan (with whom I’d been working remotely while Fig Tree Books prepared Prayers for publication). Two lovely evenings celebrating the work of two very gifted and generous writers! (Bonus: At Thane’s reading, I finally met one of my “Twitter friends,” podcaster Gil Roth, “in real life.” You might know Gil from his wonderful podcast The Virtual Memories Show.)

Rejection, Rinse, Repeat?

Five rejections this past week for a brand-new, potentially time-sensitive poem. But one of those rejections was significantly warmer than usual and truly made my morning the day I received it. (You know how we practicing writers are about finding the silver linings in these notifications!)

Also received this week: a rejection for an essay that had been out for quite some time. BUT, that piece appears to have found a terrific (albeit nonpaying) home. Stay tuned for more news on that. (more…)

Midweek Post from a Practicing Writer

by Erika Dreifus on
2

UnknownRecommended Reading

Over on my other blog, I’m singing the praises of Michal Lemberger’s new collection After Abel and Other Stories. If you’re looking for a new book with which to celebrate Short Story Month (May!), you might consider this one. (For anyone consciously trying to “Read Women,” it’s an especially appropriate choice.)

 

New iPhone!

Okay, so maybe this isn’t directly writing-related, but this week also brought me an iPhone upgrade! I leapfrogged over from my old iPhone4 to a snazzy 6! A lovely little quality-of-life upgrade, I must say. Including a noticeably improved camera. To wit: a photo snapped after a recent run in Central Park. How do you like it?

CParkApril28

Dispatch from the Day Job

Last, but by no means least: Things are hopping over at my day job with Fig Tree Books. Just today, in fact, we’ve unveiled our fall 2015 list. You’ll see why I’m so excited about it when you read the announcement.

Midweek Notes from a Practicing Writer

by Erika Dreifus on
2

How I Participated in a Poetry Reading from the Comfort of My Own Home

Late Sunday afternoon, I returned from a lovely day’s event in southern New Jersey and noticed the following Tweet:

I’d started following Poetry Super Highway on Twitter during this National Poetry Month. Their daily prompts are among those I’ve been seeing (thanks to C.A. LaRue). And, as mentioned last week, I’d submitted a poem for inclusion in Poetry Super Highway’s annual Holocaust Remembrance Issue.

I didn’t plan to call in to the reading. But I RTd the announcement. And then I was encouraged to call in.

So I did. (more…)