A Basic Definition of Creative Nonfiction

Another nugget from the MediaBistro Toolbox, this time a basic explanation of creative nonfiction courtesy of Lee Gutkind.

My favorite part of his statement is this:

"And there are two types of stories. One type is one's own story. The other type is telling the stories of others."

Got that? Sometimes it seems to me that some writers believe "creative nonfiction" is synonymous with (and limited to) "memoir." It isn't! Back in the day some of us learned about "creative nonfiction" as "literary journalism." Sure, there are plenty of wonderful memoirs/first-person essays out there, and I certainly enjoy reading them. But please, let's not forget that there's more to creative nonfiction than memoir.

Look to hear more about nonfiction (specifically, "narrative nonfiction") from me in a few days. I'm volunteering at the 2005 Nieman Narrative Conference in Boston. I spent four hours last night preparing folders, and there's another folder-preparation session in store for me before I get to the actual event on Friday. But it's all going to be worth it--what a line-up they've got....

How to Write an Op-Ed (and Where to Send It)

If you're writing opinion essays (and want to be publishing them), you might want to check out this Op-Ed Resource from the DeWitt Wallace Center at Duke University. The good news is that it offers plenty of tips for writing a good piece (and representative op-eds with explanations of why they're effective). And you'll also find plenty of information about newspapers, magazines, and websites that publish op-eds.

The not-so-good news is that the site doesn't seem to have been updated very recently, so you'll definitely need to double-check (and maybe "Google" to find new links for) the market information provided.

(Of course, if you're seeking potential homes for your essays you can also consult our own Directory of Paying Essay Markets.)

More MFA Funding

Hey, film and fiction students: The Institute for Humane Studies Film & Fiction Scholarships deadline is approaching. Given how busy the holiday season is, you'll want to check it out NOW. These scholarships (up to $10,000 in tuition and stipend) will be awarded to support students who meet the following criteria:

1) Are pursuing a Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) degree in filmmaking, fiction writing, or playwriting.

2) Possess "a demonstrated interest in classical liberal ideas and their application in contemporary society."

3) Display "the desire, motivation, and creative ability to succeed in their chosen profession."

Application deadline: January 16, 2006.

For more information, click here.

Another Bit About Book Reviewing

If you're like many writers, you probably receive a number of (free) electronic newsletters on writing and/or publishing (hopefully, our own Practicing Writer is among them!).

Each month I'm sent an e-mail notice when the meaty "public section" of the American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA) newsletter is posted. And I've just read December's offering, which includes Barbara DeMarco-Barrett's interview with David Ulin, the new book editor of the Los Angeles Times. Ulin talks about his role, his plans for the review, choosing books to review, freelancers, and more. Intrigued? You can find it for yourself here.

Allen Salkin's Success Story

Today's MB (MediaBistro) Toolbox includes a post on Allen Salkin, whose Festivus: The Holiday for the Rest of Us, is now out from Warner. Want to know how Salkin got the book published? Read what he told MB right here.

A Bit About Book Reviewing

Ever wonder how a publication chooses the books it will review? In "A Feast of Books," The Missouri Review's Associate Editor, Evelyn Somers, shares her experience. (And she also shares the news that TMR, which currently publishes three issues each year, is "going quarterly" in 2006.)

Primer on Low-Residency MFA Programs

Happy to announce the arrival of the latest, updated version of our Primer on Low-Residency MFA Programs. This excellent e-book includes:

1) a set of questions to ask yourself in assessing whether a low-residency program may be the right option for you in the first place;

2) a list of what I call "consideration categories"--issues that I recommend each prospective MFA candidate evaluate for him or herself when analyzing individual low-residency programs;

3) the names, websites, and other contact information for more than two dozen degree-granting programs administered through a low-residency model;

4) a directory of additional resources (in print and online) to consult.

Check it out for yourself right here.

Travel and Study Grant Program

If you're an emerging creative artist (with "emerging creative artists" defined as "writers of poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and spoken word; film and video artists; and choreographers"), and you are a resident of New York City or Minnesota, you may want to check out the Jerome Foundation's Travel and Study Grant Program. Funds "support periods of travel for the purpose of study, exploration, and growth" outside of New York City or Minnesota. The grant awards may not be used, however, "for touring, performances, appearances, exhibition expenses such as shipping, production of new work, and teaching."

Grants up to $1,500 will be awarded for shorter-term travel (three to six days). Award amounts of up to $5,000 will be awarded for trips lasting one week or longer.

There's no application fee. Applications must be postmarked on or before January 13, 2006. For more information and forms, click here.

Summer MFA Study at Sewanee

It's not quite the conventional "low-residency" program, but it isn't a typical "residential" program either. The Sewanee School of Letters, which will enroll its first class in the summer of 2006, will offer both the M.A. degree in English and American Literature and the M.F.A. in Creative Writing. According to an e-mail from the School's Coordinator, Margaret D. Binnicker, "Both programs are designed for completion in 4 or 5 summers. Classes will be held in June and July each summer on the campus of the University of the South (usually known as Sewanee), atop the Cumberland Plateau in southeastern Tennessee." There's no website yet, but you can find out more by writing to Ms. Binnicker at The University of the South, 735 University Avenue, Sewanee, TN 37383.

ADDED JANUARY 16, 2006:

The website is now available. Check it out here.

Salman Rushdie on the Novel and Today's World

At the First Parish Church in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on November 7, Salman Rushdie read from his latest novel, Shalimar the Crown, and spoke about storytelling in today's world.

According to the Harvard Gazette, Rushdie said that the novelistic conventions we associate with Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, and Gustave Flaubert don't suit our own times very well.

"The novel does not want to live in a world like this. The novel wants to be about Madame Bovary living in a small town and having an affair because she's bored. It's much harder to write a novel about our world, but it's important to try."

(To which I say, "Amen.")

At the same time, Rushdie also cautioned against allowing larger world forces/events to overtake the novel.

"One has to remember, at the heart of the novel is the human figure. In this book, Shalimar gradually becomes a man of violence, but he's from a community where everyone undergoes the same privations. Why does he become a man of violence when others don't? This is where individual character becomes very important."

Rushdie further noted: "The reason Tolstoy wrote 'War and Peace' was not to describe the battle of Borodino. It was to write about the lives of his characters. The novelist has to make sure that human beings stay at the center."

Pretty intriguing stuff, especially for someone (like me) often drawn to what some have disparaged in writing workshops as "current events" in my fiction. To read the full Gazette article, click here.

On the Subject of Funding for Low-Residency MFA Programs

Another topic that comes up quite a bit concerns funding possibilities (and general lack thereof) for students who want to attend low-residency MFA programs. In this post, which I'll add to the blog links for future reference, I want to begin listing a few helpful notes and resources for potential (and maybe even current) low-res students trying to negotiate the MFA's financial costs.

To begin, here's an observation: at least two relatively new low-res programs charge significantly reduced tuition for in-state residents. One of these programs also offers reductions for "regional" residents. Check out the University of Nebraska's program and Murray State University's program (the program is based in Kentucky but also charges less for writers from Missouri, Tennessee, Illinois, and Indiana):

Also, according to its website, the "New England College MFA Program in Poetry is deeply committed to offering merit scholarships for MFA poetry students who qualify based on their financial need. These merit-based scholarships are awarded annually on the basis of either academic achievement or artistic accomplishment with consideration for financial need." (NEC information updated July 2, 2008)


Check back to see what's been added here. And click here for some more information on applying to (and choosing) MFA programs.

ADDED ON NOVEMBER 14, 2005:

A few more findings:

1) According to the Wilkes University Creative Writing Financial Aid page, two graduate assistantships are awarded for each class. The Graduate Assistants "will receive a small stipend and full tuition remission for a maximum of two years." There's also a fellowship, the Norris Church Mailer Fellowship, which "is awarded annually to a graduate student in the Creative Writing Program who has artistic promise."

2) According to the Warren Wilson College MFA Program for Writers Financial Aid page, minority students are eligible for the Holden Minority Scholarship, which "provides full tuition and residency fees for a minority student's entire degree program." Look also for information on loans, MFA grants, and the Eric Mathieu King Scholarship. (Warren Wilson info. updated July 2, 2008)

3) And according to the Spalding University Master of Fine Arts in Writing "Tuition and Fees" page, several scholarships (about $500) go to new students. Funds ($500-$1000 grants) are also available specifically for minority students. One creative nonfiction scholarship may also be available. Returning students are eligible for Graduate Student Assistantships, which provide variable amounts of tuition remission. [Spalding info. updated here June 22, 2007]

Please check back for more information. And if you have any other resources to add, please do!


ADDED ON NOVEMBER 25:

Not quite sure how low-residency students may fit in here, but when you see the amount involved, you'll probably want to find out.

The Institute for Humane Studies Film & Fiction Scholarships offer up to $10,000 in tuition and stipend and are awarded to support students who meet the following criteria:

1) Are pursuing a Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) degree in filmmaking, fiction writing, or playwriting.

2) Possess "a demonstrated interest in classical liberal ideas and their application in contemporary society."

3) Display "the desire, motivation, and creative ability to succeed in their chosen profession."

Application deadline: January 16, 2006.

For more information, click here.


ADDED ON DECEMBER 5:

Now here's something--but it's limited to women applicants who are resident in South Carolina.

The Alice Conger Patterson Scholarship is administered by Emrys Foundation. It "is designed to encourage South Carolina women to pursue continuing education or to develop a creative endeavor in order to enhance a career in the arts or to change career direction." It "reflects the goals of the Emrys Foundation, whose mission is to promote excellence in the arts, especially literary, visual, and musical works by women and minorities."

To apply, you must be (again) a woman resident of South Carolina; you must be a U.S. citizen with a Social Security number; you must be 35 years old or older; and you "must have demonstrated an interest in an existing career or a new career in the arts, which the scholarship would enhance." Grants range from $500 to $1000. "Tuition grants will be made directly to any accredited academic institution." Last year the application deadline was March 1 (expect a similar one for 2006, but be sure to check for changes).

You can find more information and application instructions right here.

ADDED SEPTEMBER 3, 2006:

First, apologies about some links above. No matter how many times I try I can't seem to modify those that have changed since I first gave them to you. Maybe Blogger has a an expiration date where edits are concerned? (Any advice on this is welcome.) But having just updated our primer on low-residency MFA programs this weekend (including program links and contact information), I know some of this information has changed. (Update to this update: I've since figured out how to edit very old links.)

On the other hand, while checking all the program sites I've also found some new funding information that I am able to share here.

1) StonecoastMFA Scholarship Opportunities include "partial scholarships" for Maine Residents, Cultural Diversity, Social Action, and Academic Merit.

2) Pacific University offers students who have been in the program more than one semester the opportunity to apply for Teaching Associate positions. "Teaching associates receive a financial award of approximately $3000 toinstruct a semester-long college composition or introductory creative writing course" (on the Pacific University campus in Forest Grove, Oregon. "Some smaller awards are given to graduates to assist professors in the instruction of literature and creative writing."

3) Antioch University in Los Angeles offers an Antioch Opportunity Grant for MFA Students and the Eloise Klein Healy scholarship. Details available here.


ADDED NOVEMBER 30, 2006:

My sincere thanks go to the writer currently enrolled in a low-residency program who wrote to me with the following advice:

"I got a scholarship from my alma mater...that helped with my first year....Another student...has a similar (much larger) scholarship from...So students should always check the possibilities at their undergraduate alumni associations."

This writer also notes that s/he received an interest-free loan from the Bill Raskob Foundation."Much better deal than a Stafford!"

I welcome any other useful tips/suggestions on this topic!


ADDED ON AUGUST 30, 2007

Just saw this on the Whidbey Writers Workshop MFA in Creative Writing Web site:

In the first phase of building its scholarship and student loan program, the Whidbey Writers Workshop is pleased to announce a full-tuition merit scholarship with the establishment of the Elizabeth George Foundation scholarship.

"Through her generosity and belief in our program Elizabeth George has given a great boost to the MFA scholarship and financial aid drive," said Nancy Ruff, board chair of the Whidbey Writers Workshop. The organization is seeking additional support to aid students.

In addition to the Elizabeth George Foundation full scholarship of $12,000 for an incoming student that is renewable for a second year, the WWW is also building funding for half-tuition and quarter-tuition scholarships and for financial aid assistance.

"The foundation is truly pleased to be able to support WIWA's establishment of an MFA program through this scholarship," said Ms. George, who is the award-winning author of more than 20 books, including the Inspector Lynley mystery series, a book on writing and whose work has been developed for television including PBS's Mystery.

Beginning with the fall semester of 2007, the Whidbey Writers Workshop will also offer a limited number of low-interest student loans through Coastal Bank of Freeland, Washington, which will partner to provide management of the loan fund.

ADDED ON DECEMBER 1, 2007

Over on the Poets & Writers Speakeasy a poster suggested that I mention the American Association of University Women (AAUW) "Career Development Grants" program. These "support women who hold a bachelor's degree and are preparing to advance their careers, change careers, or re-enter the work force. Special consideration is given to AAUW members, women of color, and women pursuing their first advanced degree or credentials in nontraditional fields." Funds do provide support for master's degree work, and are available for distance learning. Awards range from $2,000-$12,000. And the deadline is coming up soon (December 15). Note that there is an application fee here ($35 for those who are not AAUW members). You'll find more information at the AAUW Web site.


UPDATED ON FEBRUARY 23, 2008

Information on the S. Portia Steele Memorial Scholarships.

According to the site, S. Portia Steele "had a keen interest in Creative Writing and always favored that endeavor." In her memory, one scholarship each year will be awarded "to a woman seeking a graduate or under-graduate degree at an accredited college or university." Exact amount of award may vary by year, but will not be less than $500. Based on merit and need.

The "ideal applicant" meets the following requirements:

1) Achieve/maintain a minimum 3.5 GPA;
2) Demonstrate financial need;
3) Seeking a baccalaureate or master's degree;
4) "The applicant must be a woman currently enrolled in good standing at an accredited College or University."

Find out more here.


ADDED ON MARCH 9, 2008

"Five Ruth Lilly Poetry Fellowships in the amount of $15,000 will be awarded to young poets through a national competition sponsored by the Poetry Foundation, publisher of Poetry. Established in 1989 by the Indianapolis philanthropist Ruth Lilly, the fellowships are intended to encourage the further study and writing of poetry. Applicants must be U.S. citizens between the age of twenty-one and thirty-one as of March 31, 2008." Applications must be postmarked during March 2008.

Find out more here.


ADDED ON JULY 2, 2008

The new low-res MFA program in poetry at Drew University promises to offer both merit scholarships and need-based aid. "Academic Merit Scholarships range from 20% to 50% of tuition. The application for admission serves as an application for merit scholarships." Need-based aid "takes the form of loans and work-study." More about aid, and the program, here.


ADDED ON FEBRUARY 16, 2009

Update from the Sewanee School of Letters: "Thanks to the generosity of four donors, Bill and Leslye Altemeier and Rick and Willie Sommer, the School of Letters is able to offer two full tuition scholarships to public school teachers pursuing either the MA or MFA degree. If you wish to apply for one of these scholarships, please indicate that on your application and include with it a letter of recommendation from your supervisor at school, indicating how your participation in the School of Letters will benefit both you and your school." For more information, click here.


ADDED ON JUNE 10, 2010

Update received via e-mail from the Solstice MFA Program at Pine Manor College (info also available at http://www.pmc.edu/mfa-financial-aid):

Thanks to the generous support of our donors, the Solstice MFA in Creative Writing offers four fellowships for students starting the program during the winter residency/spring semester: the Michael Steinberg Fellowship for Creative Nonfiction, the Dennis Lehane Fellowship for Fiction, the Jacqueline Woodson Fellowship for a Young People’s Writer of African or Caribbean Descent, and the Sharon Olds Fellowship for Poetry.

The Lee Hope Fellowship for Diverse Voices offers $500 to a first-semester student who begins the program during the summer residency/fall semester.

Fellowship recipients (except recipients of the Hope Fellowship) will receive a $1,000 award toward their first semester’s tuition.

Fellowships are awarded based on the quality of the applicant’s writing sample; see general application guidelines.

Fellowship applications (except applications for the Hope Fellowship) are due October 15, 2010 (not a postmark date; materials must be received in our offices before or on October 15).

Fellowship applicants are strongly encouraged to apply early. Notification letters will be mailed to winners only on November 1, 2010. Awards must be applied toward the winter residency/spring semester directly following acceptance; fellowships cannot be deferred or applied toward a summer residency/fall semester start.

Applications for the Hope Fellowship are due April 11, 2011 (not a postmark date; materials must be received in our offices before or on April 11). Fellowship applicants are strongly encouraged to apply early. Notification letters will be mailed to winners only by May 5, 2011. Awards must be applied toward the summer residency/fall semester directly following acceptance; fellowships cannot be deferred or applied toward a winter residency/spring semester start.

MFA students who wish to be considered for a Pine Minor College need-based scholarship and/or federal student loans must apply for financial aid.... This is a separate process from the admission application. Roughly twenty percent of our students receive need-based scholarships.

War Poetry

No, I'm not talking about the British World War One poets--this time. That's a subject I've been known to focus on.

Today, however, I suggest you check out Dana Goodyear's Talk of the Town piece in the current New Yorker. Goodyear profiles Brian Turner, 38, a former Army sergeant whose book of poems, Here, Bullet, was recently released by Alice James Books. The book, about a year Turner spent deployed in Iraq, won the 2005 Beatrice Hawley Award. It's Turner's debut collection.

Opportunities for aspiring doctor-poets

This may be a real niche population--medical students who are also poets--but for this group there are two no-cost contests coming up with December 31 deadlines.

First, the William Carlos Williams Poetry Competition, sponsored by the Human Values in Medicine Program of the Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine (NEOUCOM), is open to students attending schools of medicine or osteopathy in the United States and Canada. The contest's final judge is John Stone, M.D., poet and essayist from Emory University School of Medicine. The top three poems will be considered for publication in the Journal of Medical Humanities and will be awarded $300, $200, and $100, respectively. The three winners will also be invited to read their poems at NEOUCOM in April (expenses paid). For more information about this contest (including submission instructions), visit the NEOUCOM website.

And second, "medical undergraduates currently enrolled in accredited U.S. medical schools" may submit poetry for the Baylor College of Medicine's annual Michael E. DeBakey Medical Student Poetry Award. This competition awards the top winner a cash prize of $1,000; the second- and third-prize winner receive $500 and $300, respectively. Note that "All winning poems become the property of the Michael E. DeBakey Medical Student Poetry Award program." The first-prize poem will also be submitted for possible publication in "a major medical periodical." For more information, click here.

Attention, Travel Writers!

The deadline for the next GoNOMAD.com cash grant for a travel writer is November 15. In case you're not familiar with this quarterly program (awarding $500 every three months in 2005), click here. There is NO ENTRY FEE.

Competition for Graduate Student Writers

Touchstone, Kansas State University's Literary Journal, is currently accepting submissions from graduate students from any creative writing program in the United States (the KSU English MA program is excluded). Poems, short stories, and creative nonfiction essays are all welcome. There will be one winner in each genre, who will have his/her work published and will win $50 and two copies of the journal. Submissions must be postmarked or e-mailed by November 11, 2005. There is no entry fee. For more information and full submission guidelines, visit the website.

Voices from the Storm

flashquake, a web-based literary journal, has announced a "venue where people affected by [hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma] can share their stories and art. Fiction, poetry, creative non-fiction, artwork and photographs are welcome from anyone directly affected by the storm. This includes those who endured or were evacuated from the affected areas, their family members, rescuers, volunteers, foster homes and so forth." Submissions for this "Voices from the Storm" project will be read during three periods: October 21-November 15, 2005; November 16-December 15, 2005; December 16-January 15, 2006. Selected entries will be published in broadsheet form and will receive monetary awards of $25. For more information, read the Voices from the Storm Call for Submissions.

Philip Roth: "Newark is my Stockholm"

Philip Roth may not have won the Nobel Prize this year (that honor, as you know, went to Harold Pinter). But Roth was celebrated nonetheless on October 23 in his hometown of Newark, New Jersey, where a plaque now marks his boyhood residence on Summit Avenue. Said Roth: "Today, Newark is my Stockholm, and that plaque is my prize. I couldn't be any more thrilled by any recognition accorded to me anywhere on earth. That's all there is to say." To read the New Jersey Jewish News account of the visit, click here.