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Quotation of the Week: Steve Almond

by Erika Dreifus on
3

“A generation ago, when ‘Annie Hall’ won the Oscar for Best Picture, talk therapy occupied a prominent place in our collective imagination, whether or not you partook. If you wanted to spend several hours a week baring your soul to a stranger who was professionally obligated to listen and react, you went into therapy. Today you join a writing workshop.”

Source: Steve Almond, “Why Talk Therapy Is on the Wane and Writing Workshops Are on the Rise”

(I may not agree with all of this piece, and I wouldn’t say that all workshoppers are would-be analysands. But there’s no question that I’ve been part of workshops where some of the folks in the room clearly wanted/needed to be in therapy. When I recall these individuals, I always hope that they have found the peace that seemed so sadly elusive for them.)

Thursday’s Work-in-Progress: The Grumpy Writer, Or Where to Publish Your Rants & Complaints

by Erika Dreifus on
Disabled

What’s the saying? Don’t get mad–get even.

For me, the adage might be adjusted: Don’t get mad–get writing. (And maybe even get paid.)

Over time, I seem to have found a particular way to cope with things that annoy and irritate me: I write about them. Most of the time, I’ve gained a check along with the byline.

This week, a short piece (dare I call it flash nonfiction?) was posted on The New York Times‘s City Room blog, in a recurring feature called “Complaint Box.” A few months ago, I sold a short article-essay to The Writer in which I vented certain Twitter-focused frustrations. And let’s not forget some earlier examples, such as my rejoinder to a workshop leader who mocked the use of “foreign words” in fiction, or my argument against the equally misguided classmate who told me that I shouldn’t be incorporating “current events” into my short stories, either.

Of course, as my own examples show, it’s not impossible to place this writing–essentially a kind of essay–in a variety of publications, including literary and niche magazines. But I do try to take note of specific calls and opportunities to publish rants, peeves, and other opinion-driven pieces. Here’s a short list of a few such venues (I’ve limited the list to publications that specify that they pay their writers). (more…)

The Wednesday Web Browser for Writers

by Erika Dreifus on
Disabled
  • Cathy Day’s delightful dispatch from AWP: “If you’d like to teach a class in novel-writing but don’t know how, have no fear. My panel is here! David Haynes, Patricia Henley, Sheila O’Connor, Elizabeth Stuckey-French, and I have all taught the course, and we’ve compiled a Best Practices handout: syllabi, exercises, and other resources to guide you on your way.”
  • The time is approaching for the Big Poetry Giveaway 2012!
  • Reasons to write (other than for money).
  • Robert K. Massie explores the leave-taking process for biographers when they finish a book.
  • And there’s a new interview with yours truly up on the Last Light Studio website.

    • Friday Finds: Five Ways to Benefit from AWP (Without Attending the Conference)

    by Erika Dreifus on
    Disabled

    Although it may be somewhat difficult to believe (depending on how much time you’re spending on Twitter this week, and how many writer-types you follow), not everyone is attending the annual conference of the Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP) right now.

    And here’s something that may be even more surprising: There’s plenty to gain and glean from a quick-and-easy trip (no luggage! no airport delays!) to the organization’s website.Here are five examples:

  • Searchable database of writers’ conferences, centers, residencies, festivals, and retreats.
  • Online guide to writing programs (graduate and undergraduate).
  • Selection of craft-focused articles from AWP’s magazine, The Writer’s Chronicle.
  • Selection of career-advice articles from the AWP Job List.
  • “Advice for Grantseekers from the National Endowment for the Arts,” a podcast from last year’s conference (scroll down to Episode 12; many of the other episodes on this page are limited to listeners with [membership] eLink access, but Episode 12 is available to all.

    • AWP membership does offer, as they say, some privileges. But everything I’ve listed just above is available to anyone who visits the site.

    Enjoy, and have a great weekend!

    Monday Morning Markets/Jobs/Opportunities

    by Erika Dreifus on
    4
  • Quick deadline for this one: Two paying summer internships are available at the Nieman Journalism Lab in Cambridge, Mass. From the announcement: “We’re interested in journalism innovation and the future of the news. Our summer interns will be right in the thick of that work, reporting and writing stories on traditional news organizations, online-native startups, nonprofit outlets, technology companies, social media platforms, and all the other players influencing how we learn about our world.” Applications are due March 2.
  • The Australian journal Meanjin has reopened to poetry submissions only. Right now they’re taking hard-copy submissions only, but the guidelines page notes that the journal is “in the process of moving to a new digital submissions service.” Pays a “minimum” fee of $50 (Australian) for poetry.
  • “Instituted in the fall of 2005, the Edith Wharton Essay Prize is awarded annually for the best unpublished essay on Edith Wharton by a beginning scholar. Graduate students, independent scholars, and faculty members who have not held a tenure-track or full-time appointment for more than four years are eligible to submit their work. The winning essay will be published in The Edith Wharton Review, a peer-reviewed journal indexed in the MLA Bibliography , and the writer will receive an award of $250.” There is no entry fee. Deadline: April 30, 2012.
  • From WritersWeekly.com: “DigitalGrandparent.com looking for guest bloggers. Read the blog, if you have a great idea for a post that suits our style, please send to maryan at ontext dot com. $40 stipend per 600-800 words.”
  • “Writing About Your Mother and/or Father” is the title of an upcoming event that will be run by the American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA). Scheduled for March 6 at 6 p.m. (Eastern), this event will be available via live webcast free of charge.
  • From Newcastle University (U.K.): “The School of English Literature, Language and Linguistics wishes to appoint a part-time (0.4 FTE) lecturer with expertise and publications in Creative Writing (Prose). We are seeking applicants who will contribute to teaching across both undergraduate and taught postgraduate programmes, as well as supervise PhDs. We particularly welcome applications from candidates who can contribute to and see opportunities to develop the resources of the Newcastle Centre for the Literary Arts, a university research centre based in the School.”
  • It’s nearly the end of the month. You know what that means! I’m putting the finishing touches on the March issue of The Practicing Writer. It will be emailed to subscribers midweek. As always, free of charge; as always, featuring only fee-free competitions & paying gigs for poets, fictionists, and writers of creative nonfiction.
  • Northwestern University (Ill.) is looking for a Senior Writer, Abrams Media (New York) seeks an Editor for its “soon-to-be-launched chef-focused site,” and Living Beyond Breast Cancer (Haverford, Pa.) invites applications for a position as Writer and Website Coordinator.