in ink

i've wandered yonder

2011-05-19T15:24:00.000-07:00

if you (mostly my dad) have noticed, i am no longer writing on this blog, mainly because i simply have too much on my plate, but i will leave it up because i like the resources and actually use it myself for reference. i'll try to add any new ones that come along. if you miss me so terribly much and want to keep up with what i'm doing/writing/eating (pistachios!) you can wander over here.

cheers,
jena

Win and Win

2010-03-10T08:03:00.000-08:00

Want to win 100 books from the Dalkey Archive (the 100 books for $500 special) and get your work published on HTMLGIANT? Enter the So Many Books Contest. The deadline is Midnight, Sunday, March 21st, 2010. 3,500 max words in any assemblage. Theme to interpret: love stories. Must include the numbers 100 and 500. More details here.

Not Your Grandmother's Sunday

2010-03-01T09:25:00.000-08:00

I spent my Sunday reading Kevin Sampsell's A Common Pornography and watching Taxi Driver--while I don't necessarily recommend that particular combination to everyone, I do recommend you read A Common Pornography. Sampsell is a local Portland writer, long-time Powell's employee, and small press publisher (Future Tense Books). (Basically I want to be him.) His latest book, A Common Pornography, is a memoir told in snippets of prose--mostly linear--but each one also reads as complete short story.

It's an entirely fascinating way to tell a story--especially a memoir. Our memories work much more like snapshots than film reels, and we have to do a little connect-the-dots in between. But Sampsell's narrative still flows smoothly from one incident to the next, taking us from the complex pornography stash in his ceiling to the complicated relationship with his father in one swift bound. The leap frog narrative works for Sampsell, largely due to his consistent voice--it's reflective, subtle, and honest. He doesn't always explain his actions or try to psychoanalyze the past, but he gives small observations that lend a weight to even the lightest anecdotes and make you feel the need to re-read each one more closely.

Did I mention it's striking, hilarious, heartbreaking, and left me wanting more?

Want to know more about Sampsell, Future Tense, and A Common Pornography? Check out HTMLGIANT's seven day e xposé, or click any of the links above.

Rainy Afternoon Read

2010-02-23T14:13:00.000-08:00

Okay, so it may not be rainy everywhere, but the rain has returned to Portland (shocking) and it's a perfect excuse to curl up on the couch with a book, or perhaps your laptop. So here you go: Justin Taylor's Tennessee (a la' Fifty-Two Stories) from his collection Everything Here Is the Best Thing Ever. Which I'm going to go buy as soon as I get off the couch. (Fifty-Two Stories also links to more Taylor at The Outlet, if you're jonesing for more.)

New Love: Best American Non-required Reading 2009

2010-02-22T16:04:00.000-08:00

If you haven't picked a copy up yet, do it now. Dave Eggers (and his coalition of student helpers) has put together a smashingly quirky collection of essays, comics, short fiction, nonfiction, screenplays, etc. The letters to President Obama from school children are both hilarious and surprisingly philosophical, like the boy who writes:

Dear President Obama,

I want to tell you hi. Do you work with Santa Claus? Can I meet you in your house? Can I say bye to you after I meet you? And then can I meet you again? And then again after that?

Sergio Magana, age 5

San Francisco

I want to turn that into a song.

My next favorite so far is "Everything I Know About My Family on My Mother's Side" by Nathan Englander--beautifully written and told in short numbered snippets--which, admittedly, confused me at first, but wowed me by the end. On top of all this, the intro is written (and illustrated) by Marjane Satrapi. Oh, it all gives me tingles.

Slush Town

2010-02-09T17:09:00.000-08:00

An article on HTMLGIANT yesterday spoke to something that's been bothering me for a while. As someone who works with the slush pile and attends editorial meetings at a well known lit mag, it's frustrating to see the ratio of slush to solicited/lit agent pieces that make it into the magazine. Sadly, slush has a terribly slim chance at making it even beyond the first or second round of readers, let alone into the magazine--at least in my experience.

From the trenches of Slush Town, the outlook is bleak, and yea, it's discouraged me from submitting to many of the better known mags. It takes the stars aligning, some serious karma (and/or determined interns) and damn good writing to get a piece from the slush into the top editors' hands. But when one of those shows up in the magazine, it feels friggin' good. I suppose the point of a slush pile at this kind of high rep magazine is to give the little guys a chance to appear next to the big names... even if it's only once in a while.

A Wild Ride Through the Night

2010-01-20T17:57:00.000-08:00

If you've never read A Wild Ride Through the Night by Walter Moers, go do it now. I mean it. Right now. It's giants and wicked naked damsels and dragons and forests of ghosts and the time pig and philosophy and death. Moers wove the tail using twenty-one amazing woodcuts by Gustave Dore.

A teaser: 'What!' Gustave cried. 'You mean you're servants of Death?'

The bird raised its beaker in salute. A few other forest demons followed suit. 'Aren't we all?' they chorused.

Mini Post: The Book

2010-01-15T06:40:00.000-08:00

The New Republic just launched a new online book review, The Book. Want to know why? Click here--it's too long to repeat. The real question is, will it be any good? My guess is yes--mostly because I usually like TNR articles--but also because I'm currently enjoying the poetry review by Rosanna Warren of Louis Glück's new book, The Expanse. Not only will TNR review books of such wonderful subjects as poetry, but they also have non-conventional "book" reviews, like Tom Bissell's review of Playboy magazine--"The Bunny Revolution".

Some Words from Wilde

2010-01-10T12:23:00.000-08:00

A few Oscar Wilde quotes to ponder on a lazy Sunday:

"The true critic is he who bears within himself the dreams and ideas and feelings of myriad generations, and to whom no form of thought is alien, no emotional impulse obscure." (from Mr. Pater's Last Volume)

"It is absurd to divide people into good or bad. People are either charming or tedious."

"I was working on the proof of one of my poems all the morning, and took out a comma. In the afternoon I put it back again."

"Consistency is the last refuge of the unimaginative."

Tuesday; An Art Project

2010-01-08T17:00:00.000-08:00

Since my brain hasn't fully recovered from vacation I thought I'd just give a shout out to one of my favorite literary mags: Tuesday; An Art Project--a highly thoughtful and well crafted publication that consists of poetry, photographs, and prints. Tuesday letterpresses (oh, and what a fine letter press!) their poems and prints onto postcard sized (and thick) paper, allowing you to rearrange the contents at will or send off a piece to a friend (hence postcard sized). On top of all this, I just really like their selections.

Poor Claudia, a relatively new Portland literary mag, did something similar with their most recent publication. Yay unconventional printing!

This Just In: People Still Buy Poetry (thank god)

2009-12-20T17:41:00.001-08:00

Ooo, just found this on HTMLGiant: Small Press Distribution's Top-Selling Poetry of 2009. I wonder how many books you have to sell to be considered a small press top seller in poetry... And no fair Sherman and Suheir, share some of the love.

Indie Lit Secret Santa Gift Exchange

2009-12-15T08:35:00.000-08:00

Today's your last chance to sign up for HTMLGIANT's second annual indie lit Secret Santa gift exchange! You can spend between $10- $20 on your favorite book or chapbook from a small/indie press, or send a subscription to a literary magazine. HTMLGIANT will email you the name and address of your recipient, and make sure to add your address as well--it's kind of essential to the whole "exchange" part. Spread the (indie) literary love.

Poetry Fix: Four Poems by Natalie Shapero

2009-12-12T09:05:00.000-08:00

If you're looking for a quick poetry fix this Saturday morning, head over to failbetter.com for four short, hilarious, and poignant poems by Natalie Shapero. I've never read any of her work before, but I hope she keeps putting this good stuff out there. And if you need an example of spot-on last lines, make sure to read "Coconut" and "Our War."

Best Books of 2009: A List of Lists

2009-12-09T17:14:00.001-08:00

Every year around this time newspapers, magazines, blogs, radio stations, you name it post their "Best Books of 2009." For the past week or so I've been reading through many such lists, compiling my own lists of "to read" and "to gift." The amount of lists out there can get overwhelming (just try googling "best books of 2009" and you'll see what I mean). So, instead of adding yet another list of favorite books to the pile, I thought I'd gift you with a composition list (in no particular order) of my top "Best Books of 2009" articles:

1) The LA Times: "Favorites 2009: Fiction and poetry," and "Favorite nonfiction of 2009" (separate articles)

2) The New Yorker: "A Year's Reading"

3) The Christian Science Monitor: "Best books of 2009: fiction" and "Best books of 2009: nonfiction"

4) NPR: "Complete Holiday Book Recommendations 2009" (condensed version of many lists)

5) The New York Times: "The 10 Best Books of 2009" (or "100 Notable Books of 2009" for the ambitious readers out there)

6) GoodReads: "Best books of 2009" (a very democratic (and looong) list)

7) Publisher's Weekly: "Best Books of 2009"

8) The Economist: "Books of the Year: Page-turners" (lots of nonfiction sub-categories)

9) The Guardian: "Christmas Books" (various writers and "guests" pick one book they would gift from 2009)

10) Powell's Books' Puddly Award Winners and Nominees of 2009 (only 2 winners, but a list of 50 contenders!...plus you can fill your cart with goodies as you read) or Morrison's Gift Picks

These are just a few of many, so if you have any favorite lists you like to reference, please leave in the comments or email me!

Update: HTMLGIANT's Blake Butler ventured a "25 Important Books of the '00s" today--good stuff.

Opium Magazine's New Jiggly QuickFix App

2009-12-07T15:57:00.000-08:00

Ever wished you could just shake your iPhone and magically have a piece of fiction appear before your eyes? Well kids, Christmas (or Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, you name it) came early. Check out "Opium's QuickFix with Jiggle Technology" for iPhone.

With each little jiggle you'll get an app-exclusive story along with access to all of OpiumMagazine.com's archives. The app is only $1.99 through iTunes, with all proceeds working towards Opium's print editions. Special for the launch, the app features a story by humor writer Jack Handey of Deep Thoughts fame. Jiggle on!

Update: The wonderful Kevin Sampsell (check out Future Tense Books) just informed me of another awesome iPhone story app called TripleQuick. This one brings you short-short stories that are all 333 words long--quick to upload, quick to read and enjoy. Not only can you upload new flash fiction with TripleQuick, you can also compose and submit your own juicy 333 word nuggets right on your iPhone. I'm getting excited.

Nonfiction Writing + Tricks for Your Noodle

2009-11-23T20:44:00.000-08:00

Something about writing non-fiction has always felt a little icky to me. Whenever I start a prose piece that involves parts of my real life I tend to hide those bits with layers of fiction. It's not so much that I mind displaying my personal, uncomfortable moments (although that does play a role), but rather that it feels self-important to think that sharing my story would be interesting enough to captivate another human's attention, let alone mean something to them.

And yet, so many non-fiction works have meant something to me. So when my writing class segued from fiction to non-fiction I sacked up and hit the keyboard. It wasn't easy. I should say it isn't easy...I'm still working to finish a piece I need to turn in on Monday. And I've probably started about six different stories. I thought about writing a braided essay about loss and the five steps of grief, but as I was putting important moments of my life into words it began to feel trite. I don't think it's that my stories lacked meaning, rather that my discomfort with writing about my own stories was coming through in my writing and mucking it all up.

It happens. But after two weeks of self torture I've figured out a few tricks I thought I'd share that have helped me write personal non-fiction without gagging on my words:

1) I try to write without looking at the screen/page or paying attention to how and what exactly I'm writing. It may end up gobbly gook, but it's something to start with and then I can cut, cut, cut. I also try to do this with fiction as well but I find it's easier with non-fiction since I'm not creating the narrative or characters, just relating .

2) I try to picture the story in snapshots and write each part separately--whether it's atmosphere, character description, or dialogue--in whatever order they come out. Then I can rearrange them later so the narrative flows.

3) If I'm writing about something intensely personal, I sometimes write my first draft in third person. Distancing myself from the confessional "I" allows me to get out certain truths and opinions that I would otherwise choke back. Once I have the words down and I'm in revising mode it's easy to switch to first person and bring myself back into the story.

Wish me luck...time to get back to it!

Living in a Literary Mine Shaft

2009-11-18T14:07:00.000-08:00

Yes, a mine shaft. Which is why I haven't posted in...oh...forever. Right now I'm interning both at a literary magazine and a non-profit dedicated to the literary arts (state book awards, literature fellowships, etc.). I say mine shaft because I'm so deeply entrenched that my vision's narrowed (quite literally--I read so much I need new glasses) and I rarely have time to come up for air and check out what else is going on. You'd think with this literary tunnel vision I'd be blogging about it more--sadly, I've neglected reporting from the front lines. I know it's not New Years yet, but I'm resolving to update here more with interesting insights from the inside (ohhhhh, way too much alliteration there).

Until next time, here's a link to some From the Fishouse (an awesome resource) audio clips--both interviews and readings--by wonderful the Portland poet, Matthew Dickman, whose work I recently fell in love with. More on him soon!

Fathers and Sons by David Mason

2009-10-05T14:13:00.000-07:00

An event almost as exciting as getting your own work published, is seeing a good friend or mentor's work getting the recognition it deserves. Such an event happened today when I came across one of my college writing professor's poems in the September 28th, 2009 New Yorker. Not only was I exuberant to see his work featured in such a notable publication, but I am thrilled with the poem itself--so brilliantly poignant and quietly beautiful. So, here's a link to David Mason's poem Fathers and Sons.

Happy trails Dave, and thanks for everything.

Secret Agent Man

2009-09-09T10:11:00.000-07:00

If you have a book-length manuscript sitting around, waiting for someone to marvel at its genius, then you're probably on the look out for a way to sell that bad boy and watch it take form as a perfect-bound, illustrated cover (with your name on it), bio and all, bundle of joy.

There are certain "publishers" that will offer to print your book (for a nominal fee) and claim they will work to see it off into the world. Sometimes they will be "agents," sometimes they will just provide you with an "editor." Either way, you want to avoid companies that ask you to pay them to sell your book. That's not how it's supposed to work! Sure, getting a legitimate agent is no easy feat, but it sure as hell beats going broke when your "publisher" forces you to buy thousands of copies of your own books because, oh wait, they don't even have a bookstore presence.

WordHustler (see earlier post) recently conducted an interview with Dunow, Carlson, and Lerner literary agent Erin Hosier, and in it she comments on what she looks for in an unsolicited submission. While her preferences may not be universal, I think she has some good suggestions: keep your query letter short, smart, and informative, and never send your full manuscript until they respond to your query.

To learn more, check out A Delicate Balance: An Interview with Literary Agent Erin Hosier.

A Contest for the Canadians

2009-08-28T13:00:00.001-07:00

I know you're out there! Canadians, Canucks, whatever you want to call yourselves, it's your lucky day. If you have an unpublished book-length manuscript of short or novel-length fiction then you better get really excited for the Metcalfe Rooke Award. "The object of the competition is to uphold and celebrate the tradition of small press publishing and independent bookselling in Canada and to champion new and up-and-coming Canadian writers." I'm highlighting this award because there is NO entry fee and the prize is simply fantastic: "a publishing contract with Biblioasis, a leather-bound copy of the book, a $1,500 prize, a regional book tour to include festival appearances, a profile in The Quarterly, and a story published in Maisonneuve, summer issue." The deadline is September 30th. Oh, to be Canadian!

Contest for the Young 'Uns!

2009-08-15T18:00:00.000-07:00

Speaking of Narrative, this fall they're hosting a "30 Below" story contest. They accept various forms of stories--fiction, non-fiction, even documentaries--click on the link for details. The contest opens on September 21 and closes October 29, 2009, so you've got lots of time to finish a new piece or polish an old one. Online submissions only!

Auden on Writing

2009-08-15T16:38:00.000-07:00

Narrative, a non-profit organization that houses a great online catalogue of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry from "the best new and emerging writers," has a great link to Writing: An Essay by W. H. Auden (who is obviously not a new or emerging writer, but this seems to fit in the writing guidance section). You can sign up for free to read the essay in its entirety online or print out the pdf.

Below is my favorite phrase from the essay, which, while a bit long, is quite enjoyable, frank, and as always with Auden, beautifully written:

"Poetry is not magic. In so far as poetry, or any other of the arts, can be said to have an ulterior purpose, it is, by telling the truth, to disenchant and disintoxicate."

Pimping Your Words Out: WordHustler.com

2009-08-07T13:15:00.000-07:00

As I was about to submit some poems to a literary magazine today via online submission manager, I saw a third option at the bottom of the page: WordHustler.com. Intrigued, I clicked on the shiny button and signed up. While certain aspects of WordHustler had me tingling in anticipation--smooth submission process, automatic cover letter and project pdf formatting, and submission history organization--the less-than-helpful search engine and the service fee left me rather cold.

The search engine--meant to help you find contests, agents, publications, publishers, and fellowships--provides a seemingly straightforward selection process. You choose a submission type, then a genre and then you click on as many boxes of "market" types (i.e. their predominant subject/reader group) that might fit with your writing. I tried this with publications: poetry, selecting only literary magazines and a few other similar types in an attempt to narrow my search. I still ended up with 392 potential "markets" (WordHustler calls each publication/contest/etc. a "market").

Now, perhaps there really are 392 "markets" for my work, however, how am I supposed to whittle that down to a manageable (and affordable) number? Granted there is a small paragraph description and a star rating (which I really don't see the purpose of--who is rating them and on what?) for each "market," but that's still 392 paragraphs to decipher. This may be more helpful if you have a very specific audience/subject: religion, scuba-diving, cowgirls.

In addition, WordHustler charges for each submission. Signing up is free, but using the service will cost you. I can see using this in lieu of snail mail for those magazines and contests that require an envelope/stamp effort, but there is no point in paying to submit to a review when they already have a free online submission manager...unless you really need someone to organize your submission history for you.

All that being said, I do appreciate the effort on the part of WordHustler's creators. The submission process is a long and grueling one, and dearly in need of a technological makeover. As someone who really hates paper cuts, I will probably look to them as my snail mail alternative in the future.

Opportunity Knocks: Poets, Polish Your Prose!

2009-08-06T06:00:00.001-07:00

Robert Lee Brewer, editor of Poet's Market is accepting article pitches for 2011 Poet's Market until September 1, 2009. Put your pitch in the body of an e-mail with an outline of your article idea and a short bio. Send the e-mail with the subject line 2011 Poet's Market Query to robert.brewer@fwmedia.com. He suggests referencing the 2010 Poet's Market to get an idea of what articles have been accepted in the past--you can usually find it on the shelves of most local bookstores. Brewer is mostly interested in business/marketing-related pieces, but craft-related articles are fine, too. He is not interested in poet interviews, profiles.

(Thanks to Funds for Writers--a great resource for contests, job markets, and grants--for the heads up!)

WILA: Future Women's Writing Conference

2009-08-05T10:45:00.008-07:00

I received a little invite this morning, via Facebook, to join a group of female writers who intend to start an annual writing conference (a' la AWP--for writers, not scholars). The conference will be called WILA--for Women In Literary Arts. Here is a link to the original letter from Cate Marvin, poet and English Professor at College of Staten Island, CUNY that spawned the idea as well as some explanatory paragraphs about the conference from the group's Facebook page (written by Erin Belieu, future Co-Director of the WILA conference and Director of the Creative Writing Program at Florida State University).

WILA could be a great opportunity, not only for women writers of fiction and poetry to discuss the female writer's experience, influences, and literary history, but also for the future endeavors Marvin and Belieu light upon on their Facebook page: the possibilities of a literary journal, a retreat/mentorship for young women writers, and even a press of female writers. I also see a rare chance here to get involved in the formation of a (one day) large writing conference. If you have any skills that might help--send them a message or join the group!

Contest of the Week: One for the Ladies

2009-07-19T17:02:00.008-07:00

Listen up lady poets! Here's your chance to get that manuscript out there: the 2009 KORE PRESS FIRST BOOK AWARD

Although there is a $20 entry fee, the grand prize includes $1,000 plus book publication by Kore Press--not bad! The contest calls for a book-length poetry manuscript (between 48 and 70 pages) and is open to any female writer who has not yet published a full-length collection of poetry. Original poetry only--no translations. The prize is tantalizing and the competition will be fierce; writers who have had chapbooks of less than 42 pages printed in editions of no more than 400 copies are still eligible. So, use the next two weeks to dust off those pages and give them a pretty face--the deadline is July 31, 2009.

20-Something Writers--Not Just Fiction

2009-07-07T11:12:00.008-07:00

Anyone remember the book Like the Red Panda by Andrea Seigel (side note: whatever happened to her?)? I loved that book when I was in high school--it symbolized the possibilities the future held for an amateur writer. I thought if a 20-something girl could publish her fiction, well surely I could too. I'm sure there other, better examples of young successful authors, but that was my personal beacon of hope when I first started "seriously" writing.

Now, according to Publisher's Weekly "Nic Sheff, the one-time drug-addled son of New York Times reporter David Sheff (and subject of his dad's memoir, Beautiful Boy), has sold his second book to Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. Sheff's first memoir, about surviving his meth addiction, Tweak, was published by Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing in February 2008, around the same time as Beautiful Boy, and hit the Times andUSA Today lists. Sheff's new memoir, We All Fall Down, was acquired by Elizabeth Bewley and will pick up where Tweak left off, detailing his relapse and struggle to get sober. Amanda “Binky” Urban at ICM sold North American rights and pub is slated for spring 2011."

That's right, his SECOND memoir in less than two years. Personally, I think one memoir per life is about the right ratio (if any at all), but hey let's give a hand to the 20-something who got published...again...and try to find some hope in that. I'll try not to be bitter if you will (or if you'd prefer to read some pithy commentary check out The Awl's article/comments.). Back to writing...

P.S. Why is LBB acquiring drug addiction/rehab memoirs for their "Young Readers" books? Seems like the wrong category to me...

A Reason to Keep Writing This Summer

2009-06-24T11:46:00.008-07:00

Besides the fact that--face it--you can't stop yourself, Flatmancrooked, "a non-profit corporation dedicated to identifying, recording, and disseminating good stories," is giving you great reason to keep writing all summer long. The 2009 Flatmancrooked Prize for Excellent Writing Done During a Period of Great Fiscal Renewal offers the 1st place story (under 7,000 words) $1,000, print publication in the final anthology of the '08/'09 season, online featured publication, and a first edition of the Flatmancrooked anthology in which the story appears. The top ten finalists get basically everything the 1st place story gets, except the $1,000. On top of all that, Aimee Bender, author of The Girl in the Flammable Skirt, An Invisible Sign of My Own, and Willful Creatures, is judging--which, for me, is super exciting (if you've never read anything by Aimee Bender, click on her name above and immediately go read some of her stories). There is an entry fee of $15, but on the up side the deadline isn't until August 15th, so for those who haven't quite had time this year to finish a story, here's your chance.

FundForWriters features a few other fiction and poetry writing contests deadlining this summer or in the fall. Know of any other great contests taking place this summer? Email me or leave them in the comments!

Happy Father's Day

2009-06-21T15:31:00.005-07:00

In celebration of father's day and in honor of my wonderful dad, without whom I would probably be boring and normal, I present you with some of my favorite poems about or involving fathers and fatherdom (don't worry, I left Plath's "Daddy" out of this):

Danse Russe by William Carlos Williams

my father moved through dooms of love by E. E. Cummings

Yesterday by W. S. Merwin

My Papa's Waltz by Theodore Roethke (audio clip)

Do not go gentle into that good night by Dylan Thomas

(And many thanks to the Academy of American Poets for making such poems available online.)

Internships for Emerging Writers, Editors, and Publishers

2009-06-17T11:31:00.007-07:00

I've been working on a list of editorial internships since I was...oh...18 and thought I might try my hand at a summer internship. Somehow that never came to fruition, however I see no reason my list should go to waste. Below are some of my top picks with links to more information. If you're specifically interested in small presses, check out the small press database from Poets & Writers (also linked to on my left sidebar). Also, bookjobs.com has a great list of internships as well as a book jobs search engine, mostly in larger publishing houses (and dominantly in NYC). I think the best way to find an internship is by figuring out who publishes your favorite authors and researching from there. Here are four presses I think highly of and would recommend looking into their internships:

Most publishing and editorial internships are unfortunately unpaid, especially if, like me, you're more interested in the small independent presses. Some will offer a stipend or housing, but be prepared to work "for free." The benefit to the small publishers, magazines, and presses is that you'll ultimately have more responsibility and a wider range of tasks; the downside is you'll probably be waiting tables at night (especially if you're opting for an internship in NYC). Here's one writer's take on the promise and peril of being an intern. I personally like to think of it as an old-fashioned apprenticeship: trading hard work for knowledge of a trade.

Freelancing the Internet

2009-06-16T11:47:00.001-07:00

The internet provides us with a seemingly limitless amount of information (obvious fact number one), all of which has to be written by someone somewhere. One would think this would create a boundless amount of work for all those writers out there. However, most of the content written online is done for free and often folks are reading more for the content or "facts" presented than the presentation itself. Without editors and page frames to help shape and restrain, writing can become aimless and wandering, and often, just plain bad. The payoff is shaky as well if you're looking for monetary gain--"monetizing" your site is only helpful if you get thousands of views per day and more so if people actually click on the advertisements. I don't know about you, but I don't think I've ever purposefully clicked on an ad blurb. In fact, I've even browsed away from sites where the ads were too intrusive to the writing.

However, for those writers of a journalist/essayist kind, there are some alternatives to going it alone: information sites Suite101 and About.com are currently looking for people to fill their freelancing gigs. As far as the writing side of this goes, you would have access to an editor and get to network with other writers. As for revenue, I'm undecided whether one would be better off starting their own website or submitting to the regulations (especially the copyright regulations) of these sites. Nicholas of writtenroad.com has a pretty helpful evaluation here of the two sites with some pros and cons for you (writtenroad is also a good resource for travel writers).

Ham It Up, or My Plea to Reading Writers

2009-06-01T12:41:00.001-07:00

"When audiences come to see us authors lecture, it is largely in the hope that we'll be funnier to look at than to read." --Sinclair Lewis

Amen, brother. Readings--I hate doing them, and typically, I hate going to them (I know, I know, I'm a sinner). Why? The same reason I hesitate before seeing one of my favorite bands play. Who wants to ruin a good thing? Oh, "you wuss," you say. But admit it, doesn't it make you cringe a little to hear the recording of a once-dearly-loved song after it's been butchered by the artist in live performance? It's like comparing "before" and "after" pictures of Michael Jackson--you just want to scream "take it back! take it back!"

What's the point here? Oh right, readings. I'll admit I've been to some great ones (Salman Rushdie and Aimee Bender to name two) aaaand I've been to some truly dig-your-nails-into-your-knees-to-keep-your-mind-off-how-awful-this-is readings (I shan't name names). Then again, I'm also someone who doesn't think you can appreciate a poem until you see it on the page, so maybe it's just me wishing I could bury my head in a book and hide.

Back to the point again: Only the most devout fans (cough, parents, cough) enjoy watching a writer stare down at the podium, drone out words, and shuffle their feet for an hour. Yes, most likely a love for literature or maybe even your specific words enticed the audience to come, but now you gotta give 'em more than what's on the page...so that they'll want to buy what's on the page (circular logic, I know, but it's true). Hey, the hard part was getting people to show, so play it up a bit--be wise, self-effacing, coy, drunk, naked!--and they might even come back, or at least buy your beautifully crafted chapbook.

Now, in that light, a link to Kim Addonizio "covering" a great short poem by Dorothy Parker. A nice segue into her reading I think. (I swear I'm not totally obsessed with DP, life just happens this way sometimes, it's like internet serendipity... interipity... I take that back.)

Experience

Some men break your heart in two,
Some men fawn and flatter,
Some men never look at you;
And that cleans up the matter.

Dorothy Parker

Writers of the Future!

2009-05-27T09:00:00.001-07:00

For all you new/amateur sci-fi and fantasy writers (and illustrators), here's a writing contest for you!*

"Established in 1983 by L. Ron Hubbard expressly for the aspiring writer, Writers of the Future has become the most respected and significant forum for new talent in all aspects of speculative fiction."--www.writersofthefuture.com (I love the use of "speculative fiction.")

According to the website, the Writers of the Future contest has deadlines about every 3 months, including the upcoming deadline of June 30th (rules here). There's no entry fee and all of the rights remain with the author, so why not? Especially since there's money to be made: First Prize of $1,000, a Second Prize of $750, and a Third Prize of $500 (every contest).

*This may or may not be run by Scientologists... enter at your own risk.

Talk To Me Baby

2009-05-20T11:12:00.003-07:00

Another mild obsession of mine is the art of the interview. I've been reading many of them in various literary magazines (both print and online) and have noticed a few things that irk me:

1) when interviewers seem more exited by their own ideas than those presented by the interviewee (visually represented by large paragraphs of interviewer extrapolation with short replies by interviewee)
2) when interviewers completely lack presence, ask generic questions, or disrupt the flow of conversation to ask a completely irrelevant question, just to check it off the list (visually rep'd by short "mmhmm," "yes," or "ok" answers to interviewees responses)
3) when an interview reads like it's been edited (visually rep'd by the lack of human error--the only person exempt from this is Truman Capote, he just talks like that, it's not his fault) or when it actually HAS been edited
4) when an interviewee explains the essence of their profession in absolutes (example: "in order to be a writer you have to..." or "writers need..."). You'd think that writers of all people would understand how many types of people are out there. There is no definitive way to "be a writer" other than to write.

Why do we read interviews? To catch a glimpse of the un-edited version of people we admire (or don't). We want to feel like we're present and witnessing (even engaging in) real dialogue with the writer, editor, idol, Jesus, whoever. As a positive example of an interview executed deftly and subtly I give you an interview with Chris Wiman, by El Capitan de Book Slut, Jessa Crispin.

There's a natural ebb and flow of ideas and information between Crispin and Wiman here. While perhaps you learn more about the interviewer than necessary, it adds to the natural feel of the conversation. The exchange allows Wiman to feel engaged in a normal chat with a colleague rather than grilled in the spotlight. While I can't attest to his personal feelings on the matter, I would think it would let him speak more freely about himself. She gently leads him through topics, not sticking on any one subject too long but allowing the thoughts to segue nicely. Oh, gentle leader.

A great interview doesn't need to read eloquently. The interviewee might even look back on it and wince a bit. To this I say an enthusiastic "yay!" To writers who feel the need to edit your interviews--why don't you just go write an essay? At least then you're not misleading your audience. Heaven, and James Frey, know how much readers hate to be tricked.

Or, as Shane Jones put it, "Interviews are odd things and I wonder how I come off. I’m not sure it’s possible to fuck up an interview. I guess if I said something like “I like to rape kittens,” then that would cause a negative reaction and books wouldn’t be sold. The other side is I can be really smart and clever and charming and people want to buy the book. Really, I’m just trying to answer interview questions honestly and kind of quickly"(from an interview by Laura Van Den Berg, Book Slut).

Afterthought: Somehow all of this got me thinking about those "gentle leader" harness/muzzles you see on dogs sometimes, so I'll give you a pictures of that too:

He just looks silly.

A Novel Idea

2009-05-19T09:11:00.003-07:00

Anyone up for a challenge? "The World's Most Notorious Literary Marathon" challenges you to complete a fiction masterpiece in three days. You read that right, three days. The contest has been around since 1977 and attracts writers from around the world. It will take place September 5-7 this year. While you don't need to submit your final work to participate, winning = publication. So stock up on supplies, strap on your depends, and go for it!

Elmore Leonard: National Treasure

2009-05-19T06:20:00.009-07:00

A quick link in honor of my dad, who looooves Elmore Leonard. Part review of E.L.'s latest novel, Road Dogs, part essay on why he is a "national treasure" from Patrick Anderson, Washington Post. Is it weird that I think Elmore is a really cool name? Like Elmo, only jazzier.

Update: My dad's response was "I go through his books the way a stoner with munchies goes through snack food." Oh, and he recommends E.L.'s westerns over his crime stories.

An afternoon snack

2009-05-18T12:21:00.005-07:00

If you've never read Oscar Wilde's fairy tales, you're in for a real treat. If you have read them, well, now you have a way to read them anywhere the internet exists. Be sure to read "The Happy Prince," and make sure you have some tissues nearby, it's a heartbreaker.

Wonder of Wonders: Simultaneous Submissions

2009-05-18T09:20:00.005-07:00

Now for some practical stuff.

Submitting my work for publication is hands down my favorite thing to do. I mean, who doesn't enjoy spending years reading literary magazines, hand picking the mag that is THE ONE, spending days/weeks/months selecting the perfect poems in the perfect order and then another week editing and re-editing the cover letter to strike that delicate balance of confidence, familiarity, and intrigue just to get that generic "we're just not that into you" email after months of anticipation? Then you spend a few days feeling like that time in high school when you got rejected by the boy you'd been secretly pining after since 2nd grade. But, it was so meant to be, right? Time to move on.

This is where my mother would say something to the effect of "don't put all your eggs in one basket." Except, inevitably she would mix up the saying with another proverbial gem and come out with something like "don't count all your eggs into baskets." So. What to do? Mix it up a bit and try throwing many eggs into many well rounded baskets. This is where the glory of glories, miracle of miracles--also known as simultaneous submissions--comes in. While I'm sure this concept isn't new news, I thought it would be helpful to provide a list of some good literary magazines* that accept simultaneous submissions for your submitting pleasure (and please if you know any others--add them in the comments!):

Agni

Artful Dodge

Bellingham Review

Black Warrior Review

Cimarron Review

Crab Orchard Review

Crazyhorse

Denver Quarterly

Gulf Coast--the site doesn't specify whether it accepts S.S. or not, but I've been told they do

Harpur Palate

Haydens Ferry Review

Mid-American Review

Parthenon West Review

Pleiades

Quarterly West

Shenandoah

Slice

Smartish Pace

Southern Review

The American Poetry Journal

Third Coast

Three Penny Review

West Branch

EDIT: Glimmer Train (short stories only)

Bat City Review

*Most of these accept both poetry and fiction, although some are only poetry reviews!

Now, happy submitting!

Hello there.

2009-05-17T15:00:00.010-07:00

Well, hello there blogosphere (not to be confused with "Blagosphere"). Here I give you stuff for people who write, read, or just like to read about people who write. Most importantly, I'll share relevant links and ideas for you, my fellow writers and readers--places to submit, free online resources, contests, book reviews, and literary news to name a few. And maybe one day, I'll host some contests and you'll get some goodies.

To start things off I give you a link to an interview with Dorothy Parker--that clever, insightful, and hilarious woman--from The Paris Review, 1956. Known for her wit, Parker was the first to debunk and undermine any praise of it in, of course, inevitably witty statements. Of all the famous writers interviews collected in the Paris Review Interviews Vol. I, she is thus far my favorite. Granted, there are two more volumes to consider, but I seriously doubt any other writer will be able to make me snort and chuckle nearly as much. (You can read all the interviews for free on their site or buy their selected interviews in collected volumes.

Enjoy that tasty treat--and come back for seconds.