Monday Morning Markets/Jobs/Opportunities

Wishing you all a Happy New Year. This Practicing Writer does not expect to post tomorrow, but will be back as usual on Wednesday. Hope these listings get your writing practice off to a stellar start in 2008!

If you're planning to submit to Kenyon Review, do it soon. They're closing the submission season early (on January 5). Read all about it here.
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Adam Pachter, editor of the popular Fenway Fiction and Further Fenway Fiction anthologies (see http://rounderbooks.com for more information), is currently seeking submissions for a planned third volume. Submissions can be short stories, plays, novel excerpts, or poetry in virtually any genre. There are only two requirements: 1) submissions must be fiction and 2) they must in some way involve or relate to the Boston Red Sox. Contributors to the current volume include Steve Almond, Rachel Solar, and David Kruh. All those whose submissions appear in a future Fenway Fiction will receive a share of book royalties as payment. Submit via e-mail to adampachter(at)yahoo(dot)com. Unpublished work preferred. Deadline: April 1, 2008.
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As a past winner of the David Dornstein Memorial Creative Writing Contest, I always try to keep others informed of the annual deadline (typically December 31). When I couldn't locate updated information this year, I contacted the administering organization, the Coalition for the Advancement of Jewish Education (CAJE). A staff member e-mailed a response explaining that the contest will not run this year: "We hope to resume it next year."
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Last week I received an announcement from Contrary, an online "journal of popular discontent," announcing the posting of its new issue and a call for submissions for its next one (deadline: March 1). Paying publication. Check guidelines here.
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For those readers in my old New Jersey stomping grounds: Matters magazine, which "tells the stories of life" in the South Orange/Maplewood area, is open to freelance submissions. Pays: $150 for features. Guidelines here. (via Worldwide Freelance Writer)
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A Postdoctoral Teaching Fellowship in Creative Writing is available at the University of British Columbia. Details here.
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Our newsletter subscribers received the latest issue--packed with 20+ contests, competitions, submission calls, etc.--last Friday. If you're not yet a subscriber you're missing out! Join us for 2008! (Subscriptions are free; we do not share your e-mail address (period); and you'll receive a subscriber-only benefit: access to a semiannually updated "Guide to Eponymous Literary Contests.")
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Finally, here are a few university-based jobs (teaching and non-teaching) to close out the year:

Assistant Professor of English (2 positions), West Chester University (Pennsylvania)
Visiting Professor of Creative Writing (fiction or creative nonfiction), St. Lawrence University (New York)
Assistant Professor of English (poetry writing and literary translation; "additionally teach courses in American literature and Middle Eastern literature"), Queens College of The City University of New York
English Instructors, MiraCosta College (California)

Stewardship Writer, Middlebury College (Vermont)
Marketing Coordinator for the Arts, Monmouth University (New Jersey)
Editor, University of Montana
Communications Manager (Student Life), Stanford University Graduate School of Business (California)

Newsletter Correction

Yes, it happens--I make mistakes! The Other Words conference dates. The 2008 "Other Words" conference in Tallahassee is not slated for January 25-27 (as you may have read in our newsletter). According to this announcement, it's going to take place February 7-9. Apologies for any confusion!

Friday Find: A Masterful Opening Paragraph

Setting is not my strong suit. And sensory detail is something I need to work on, too. As I was reminded when I read this opening paragraph to "Bravado," one of the stories in the new William Trevor collection I referenced last week:

The leaves had begun to fall. All along Sunderland Avenue on the pavement beneath the beech trees there was a sprinkling, not yet the mushy inconvenience they would become when more fell and rain came, which inevitably would be soon. Not many people were about; it was after midnight, almost one o'clock, the widely spaced lampposts casting pools of misty yellow illumination. A man walked his dog in Blenning Road in the same blotchy lamplight, the first of autumn's leaves gathering there also. An upstairs window opened in Verdun Crescent, hands clapped to dismiss a cat rooting in a flowerbed. A car turned into Sunderland Avenue, its headlights dimmed and then extinguished, its alarm set for the night with a flurry of flashing orange and red. The traffic of the city was a hum that only faintly reached these leisurely streets, the occasional distant shriek of a police siren or an ambulance more urgently disturbing their peace.

And with that beautiful writing, I leave you for the weekend. Have a good one!

One Summer Conference's Honest (Self-)Appraisal

It's officially winter here in New York, which means that for a lot of practicing writers it's time to start thinking ahead--to summer writing conferences.

Sometimes it can be hard to cut through the marketing copy and get a sense of what a given conference experience might really be like. That's why I'm especially impressed by one recent discovery, concerning Summer Fishtrap (its hosting organization, Fishtrap, Inc., is dedicated to "promoting clear thinking and good writing in and about the [American] West").

Rather than simply broadcasting testimonials from previous conferencegoers or praising itself to the skies, Summer Fishtrap has posted a letter responding to its 2007 conferees' evaluations. Check it out.

I like a conference (or any writing organization/program) that admits to what may not have worked so well and talks about how it might improve even as it touts its strengths. I think this letter gives prospective participants a good glimpse into what they might expect--from meals to readings--should they attend.

(Look for a reference to Summer Fishtrap's Fellowship program in our next newsletter--to be e-mailed to subscribers tomorrow!)

The Wednesday Web Browser: An Agent Interview, Freelancing Insights, Kudos, and Low-Res Advice

The January-February 2008 issue of Poets & Writers is out. And it contains lots of good stuff (not all, unfortunately, online). You can, however, click over for an extended interview with agent extraordinaire Lynn Nesbit.
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Linda Formichelli discusses the divide between "pay-on-acceptance" and "pay-on-publication" policies.
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Congratulations to Practicing Writer subscriber Hank Nielsen, who has very kindly shared the news about "Half a Man," his story/photo combination in the January/February 2008 issue of The Writer's Eye. Hank writes: "Thank you so much for the lead." You're welcome, Hank!
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Finally, yours truly has an article posted over on AbsoluteWrite with tips on evaluating low-residency programs in creative writing.

Friday Find: Science Writing Internships and Fellowships

This may be my last post for a few days. Practicing Writing will most likely resume in the middle of next week, and all you wonderful Practicing Writer subscribers can look forward to receiving your January newsletters a day or two after that.

Just to pique your curiosity, I'll let you know that this next issue will feature an interview with a memoirist who has a particular interest in science writing. (If you aren't yet a subscriber, you still have time to sign up--as always, subscriptions are free and we keep your e-mail address confidential.)

To complement the interview--which touches on the writer's fellowship and internship experiences--I thought it would be a good idea to compile a list of opportunities that might be especially appealing to those who write (or want to write) about science, health, and/or medicine. If you're aware of similar programs (please note--I've focused here on programs that pay their participants), please share your knowledge in comments.

Internships (especially for undergraduates and recent graduates)

American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Minority Science Writers Internship
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Science News Writing Internship
Argonne National Laboratory Science Writing Internship for Undergraduates
Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory Internships in Science Communication
Jackson Laboratory Science Writer Internship
Kaiser Media Internships in Health Reporting
National Cancer Institute Graduate Internships in Health Communications
Stanford Linear Accelerator Center Office of Communications Science Writing Internship


Fellowships (most targeted to professional journalists)

American Academy of Neurology Journalism Fellowship
American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Mass Media Science & Engineering Fellows Program
Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism
Health Coverage Fellowships (for New Englanders)
Kaiser Media Fellowships in Health
Kaiser Mini-Fellowships in Global Health Reporting
Knight Science Journalism Fellowships at MIT
Marine Biological Laboratory Science Journalism Program
Metcalf Institute Annual Workshop for Journalists
Metcalf Institute Diversity Fellowship in Environmental Reporting
Ted Scripps Fellowships in Environmental Journalism
Societe de Chimie Industrielle (American Section) Fellowship
Templeton-Cambridge Journalism Fellowships in Science and Religion
USC Annenberg/California Endowment Health Journalism Fellowships

In Praise of Powerful Writing

This week I received some unexpected and highly gratifying news: Lisa Romeo, a writer I've come to know "virtually" and whose work I expect to be reading well into the future, gave me a "roar," including me with four other "fearless writers" as part of a new blog project.

Confused? I'll admit that I was, too. Here's the deal: Lisa was effectively tagged for this project, which "aims to celebrate good and powerful writing in the blogosphere." Those so tagged are asked to post the "award" on their own blogs; list three things they believe "are necessary for good, powerful writing"; and then move the project forward by passing the award on to five additional blogs they deem worthy: "Let's send a roar through the blogosphere." (To see Lisa's incredibly kind words about me [truly, she can't begin to know how much I appreciate them], and to discover the identities and blogs of her other "roars," click here.)

As for my own views on three elements of "good, powerful writing," I offer the following:

CLARITY. If I have to struggle to understand it, you've lost me at hello (or your piece's equivalent).

CONVICTION. Passionate writing is powerful writing. Which is not to say that your passion shouldn't be appropriately reined in. See immediately above. And immediately below.

CREDIBILITY. Be honest. Do your research. Admit your biases. Acknowledge counter-argument. Then you'll really be writing good, powerful material.

And now, without further ado, I am delighted to present five more writers who merit a "roar."

B.J. Epstein. More than four years after my graduation, I (still) have a lot of ambivalent feelings toward my MFA program/experience. But I've never had any doubt in my good fortune in encountering B.J. Epstein there. B.J. is a "powerful" writer who seems remarkably unaware of just how extraordinary she is. She applies her very considerable intelligence, curiosity, and sheer work ethic to multiple forms of writing. I met her through her fiction. But she is an accomplished editor, translator, and English teacher. My own writing has benefited time and again from B.J.'s critical attention; I'm always learning about translation at her Brave New Words blog.

Seth Gitell. I didn't know Seth well in college (we were classmates). But I read his articles in The Crimson then, and I visit his "Dispatches" blog regularly now. Currently a columnist and contributing editor of The New York Sun (and a frequent contributor to Boston Magazine), Seth served as press secretary to Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino from 2003-2006. He's exceedingly well-informed, and a fine writer. Recently, I've especially enjoyed his dispatches from the presidential campaign trail, and I know I'll keep reading as the 2008 election season becomes even more intense.

Erin O'Connor. Given my current "day job" in academic administration, I do try to keep up with a number of "academic" blogs. And one I check regularly is Erin O'Connor's Critical Mass (and O'Connor was blogging under that title well before the NBCC Board of Directors took it on). O'Connor is an English professor, and looking at her course titles it's not hard to understand that she takes writing seriously. She brings that seriousness (not to mention a scrupulous approach to documentation) to her blog, and I, for one, appreciate it.

Connie Schultz.Technically, Schultz is not a blogger. But ever since I attended her presentation at last year's Nieman Narrative Nonfiction Conference, and heard her read from her Pulitzer prize-winning columns, hers is one of the first names that comes to mind when I think of "fearless writers." And when I went searching for some links to share with you, I wasn't surprised to discover that she has, in fact, put in some blogging time over on the Huffington Post (where, among other things, she addressed fearlessness). After a period on leave from her Cleveland Plain Dealer column (during her husband's campaign for the U.S. Senate), Schultz is back writing for that paper. For the sake of this post, let's consider the online archive of her columns a "blog" of sorts.

Martin Solomon. I've never met Martin, and I've only recently discovered his blog, Solomonia. But I'm impressed by what I've found there, and almost awed by the honesty that pervades it. Martin is not afraid to tell you what he thinks, and he's equally willing to put his time, brainpower, and writing skills in service of those beliefs. That's powerful.

The Wednesday Web Browser: Revisiting Raymond Carver, Two Poems by Gerald Stern, and An Essay on J.M. Coetzee

The "Winter Fiction" issue of the New Yorker arrived this week, and it includes some truly amazing items relating to Raymond Carver and his relationship with his editor, Gordon Lish. But the most extraordinary document has to be the online-only text demonstrating Lish's edits of the story most of us know (and revere) as "What We Talk About When We Talk About Love." Carver, it seems, had a different vision for that story.
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Yesterday Nextbook featured two poems by Gerald Stern.
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One book I'm really looking forward to reading in the New Year is J.M. Coetzee's Diary of a Bad Year. In the meantime, Rachel Donadio's essay in last Sunday's New York Times Book Review will suffice.

From My Bookshelf: Recent Reads

If you've been following this blog, you know that I've spent the last several months exploring poetry writing. But that doesn't mean I've abandoned short stories. Far from it. Recently I've read several noteworthy collections--here they are, in no particular order, and, just for fun, I'll tell you what drew me to each.

Yes, Yes, Cherries, by Mary Otis. One day not long ago I received an e-mail from a woman named Mary Otis. The e-mail, with a subject line that read "thank you," contained some really lovely remarks about this blog and its usefulness. I knew the name was familiar to me, but couldn't place it until I clicked on Otis's Web site link, and was reminded of her new book. Which I promptly ordered. For me, one of the most interesting aspects of this collection is that several stories that feature a shared protagonist are woven through the book. In other words, not all the book's stories are about this character (Allison), nor are the "Allison stories" grouped together. Since some, but not all, of my own collection's stories feature protagonists from the same family, I've been wondering how to handle something similar with my own manuscript.

Twenty Grand, by Rebecca Curtis. Curtis Sittenfeld's NYTBR piece on the book played a part in my reading this one.

Natasha and Other Stories, by David Bezmozgis. I'd meant to read this one for awhile. Bezmozgis's recent Nextbook essay motivated me to order it up from the library pronto. And I'm very glad I did.

Throw Like a Girl, by Jean Thompson. Because a like-minded writer friend recommended it.

And Sunday night I cracked open the latest from my beloved William Trevor: Cheating at Canasta. (So what if I've already read many of the stories within in the New Yorker's pages? There's no such thing as reading a Trevor story "too many" times.)

Monday Morning Markets/Jobs/Opportunities

CatsCurious Press "will open to submissions starting January 1, 2008 for all well-written, humorous fairy-tale re-tellings. But there's a catch--these stories must be written from ONE POV only...the protagonist's." Click here to find out why, and to read about the submission requirements. Deadline: March 31, 2008. Pays: $.05/word (up to $500 maximum). (via Novel and Short Story Writer's Market)
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The Fund for Women Artists' December Theatre Funding Newsletter is online (and includes opportunities open to women and men).
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Ran across this freelance opportunity and it looked interesting: Hotel Interactive is looking for regular contributors for an online trade magazine (hotels, hospitality, travel, tourism). Pays: $250 for pieces running about 750 words. See the announcement here.
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Announcement from The European Courier: "We are looking for contributors/bloggers to write about 2008 presidential elections. We are an online magazine devoted to international relations (http://www.europeancourier.org/home.htm) with 33% readers coming from the U.S. and the rest from Europe. We offer only a token reimbursement in the amount of $30-50 per article of around 8-10 thousand characters long (two and a half / three pages)./Please note that we are looking basically for people with thorough political knowledge, political experience and analytical writing skills (former campaigners, students of political science, political advisors, researchers etc.). We want to feature articles analyzing candidates’ agendas on foreign policy, immigration, Middle East, health care, economy etc." See the full post here.
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Finally, here's this week's batch of teaching (and non-teaching) jobs for writers:

Assistant/Associate Professor in Creative Writing (poetry specialist), Point Park University (Pennsylvania)
Assistant Professor in Creative Writing/Composition ("The candidate will have excellent credentials in one of the following: nonfiction, poetry, or screenplay."), Southern New Hampshire State University; and
Assistant Professor, Creative Writing (fiction), Western Carolina University (North Carolina).

Editor, University of Pennsylvania/Wharton Alumni Magazine;
Campaign Writer, Bucknell University (Pennsylvania);
Senior Campaign Writer, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey;
Public Relations Writer, Rider University (New Jersey);
Web Editor, Brandeis University (Massachusetts); and
Publications and Web Communications Manager, Massachusetts Bay Community College.

Friday Find: 100 Free Subscriptions

The First Line is giving away 100 subscriptions. Here's the catch: You have to find them.

"It's actually quite simple: We printed off 100 business cards. Each card has a picture of our typewriter on one side, and an Internet address and random code on the back. Using our network of writers, subscribers, and friends, we've put two cards in one (or two) bookstores in every state. Each card can be found in a copy of a particular book....Once you find a card, log on to the site, send in the code, and we will start your your free subscription (one subscription per household). We're pretty sure this is the largest literary treasure hunt ever."

I'm pretty sure it is, too.

To find out more (and to read the helpful hints to help you locate the cards), click here. Good luck!

Listen to Learned Lectures on Poetry

Imagine listening to learned lectures from a Yale professor on Frost, Yeats, Pound, and others--without having to pay a penny (and without having to spend four years in New Haven!).

On Tuesday, Yale launched "Open Yale Courses," a free online archive featuring popular undergraduate classes. I've been instantly drawn to English 310: Modern Poetry with Professor Langdon Hammer. But there are options available in other disciplines, too. Check them out--listening to these lectures may be the perfect way to spend some snowbound time this winter.

Wednesday Web Browser: Henry Adams, Lessing's Lecture, and a New Journal,

There's some interesting discussion unfolding re: The Education of Henry Adams over on the New York Times Reading Room ("Conversations About Great Books") blog.
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Not that I've yet had the time to sufficiently read/study/think about it, but Doris Lessing's Nobel Lecture (presented in Stockholm by Lessing's British publisher, Nicholas Pearson), is online.
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Not sure yet about the opportunities this may offer for freelancers, but the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service has recently released the debut issue of FRANK, a new publication focused on concepts and ideas in public service. Read more about its mission and content here. (via The Chronicle of Higher Education--subscription required)

Teaching Writing Online: An Interview with Matthew Lippman

This interview originally appeared in the December 2007 issue of The Practicing Writer newsletter, a free monthly newsletter for fictionists, poets, and writers of creative nonfiction.


These days, many writers consider taking writing courses online. Many writers consider teaching them, too.

My own recent foray into poetry writing has been facilitated, and much enriched, by the two classes I've taken to date through the Gotham Writers' Workshop. Both "Poetry Writing I" and "Poetry Writing II" have been led by Matthew Lippman, and in this interview Matthew shares some insights and experiences from his online teaching career.

Here's a little background about Matthew: In 2005 he won the Kathryn A. Morton Poetry Prize for his manuscript, The New Year of Yellow, which was published in January of 2007 by Sarabande Press. He has been a high school English teacher for 11 years. Currently he teaches English Literature and Creative Writing at Chatham High School in upstate New York, and has been a member of the faculty, Writing Division, in Columbia University's Summer Program for High School Students, as well as an instructor at The Gotham Writers' Workshop. In 1990 he received his MFA from the Writers' Workshop at the University of Iowa, and in 1997 he was granted a master's in English Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. His poetry has been published widely in such journals and anthologies as The American Poetry Review, The Iowa Review, The Literary Review, Broken Land: Poems of Brooklyn, and The Best American Poetry of 1997. In 1991 he was the recipient of the James Michener/Paul Engle Poetry Fellowship from the University of Iowa; in 2004 he won a New York State Foundation of the Arts grant for his fiction.

Recently, Matthew responded to questions about his online teaching career from Erika Dreifus.

ERIKA DREIFUS (ED): Please tell us how you began your online teaching career.

MATTHEW LIPPMAN (ML): I got involved with the Gotham Writers' Workshop teaching live classes in 2001 and this led to teaching online. It fell into my lap and I was a bit curious since I had only taught live classes before. I was not "trained" to teach on-line, just took my style, my voice, and applied it to the lecture and critiques. The transition from teaching in front of a class of students to sitting at a computer and "running a course" was seamless.

ED: As a teacher, what would you say are the key differences (if any) between "live" and online workshops?

ML: The physical. There is nothing physical involved with online teaching other than sitting at a computer. I don't know what anyone looks like. I can't gauge the mood of a class because there are no spoken voices, there is no body language. But I have always been amazed at how I can get to "know" someone through their work, their involvement in the class discussion.

ED: As you see it, what are some advantages (and disadvantages) for a writer contemplating teaching online?

ML: It's good work if you can get it. It's a busy endeavor, this modern living, and if one has the opportunity to work from home talking/writing/discussing/critiquing the art of poetry (as I do) it's a blessing. This on-line correspondence has a freedom to it in that I can be anywhere and be involved with other folks who are interested in a similar genre. The flip-side is that I don't get to meet anyone. One thing about teaching that has always been rewarding for me is the human element and this has always involved face-to-face interactions. I don't get this online and it can be a drag. Especially because I like people.

ED: You've recently begun offering poetry instruction online one-to-one as well as the group workshops. How did this opportunity develop?

ML: Former students began to inquire about continuing on in their "poetry studies." I started working with two of them, and they really appreciated the kind of attention their work was getting. I think this is the beauty of the one-to-one experience--the extensive attention that the poetry receives. And it just felt like the natural progression of the instruction. One can garner a lot of information and feedback from a class, from a teacher, but if you are in that one-to-one environment, a whole other door opens up--the door of detail. What I mean is I can spend an hour on a poem, combing through it, reading and re-reading, to give it the best and most thorough critique that I am able to.

That said, I have never advertised or put any monies into getting the word out. Your newsletter and blog are the first venues in which I have let the outside world know about what it is I am doing.

ED: What has surprised you most about your online teaching experiences? What piece of advice do you wish someone might have offered you before you began teaching online?

ML: I am most surprised by how "intimate" relationships can be. It's funny to say the word "relationship" but it is true. I have created relationships with people and these connections are developed ones that feel alive and real. I would never have expected this to be the case just typing and typing and typing into a faceless and white screen. It's frightening and interesting all at once.

As for advice: I would say that it is very important to be extremely honest about the work. I try to compose my lectures like I would speak them. I want my "voice" to come through--the generous spirit, the humor, the intellectual vision. So, I've tried to write my lectures as if I were talking and not as if they were essays for a journal submission. In the critique process I try to attain a balance between the flattery and the critical. It is my job to let folks know what is not working and steer them to a more successful revision. But I don't want to discourage and so it's very important to me to find moments in the poem that come to life and are illustrations of what is beautiful in the writing. Really, that's what the whole poetic undertaking is about, making something beautiful out of the mundane nature of language. I am always trying to strike a balance in my criticism and would encourage this of anyone getting into the business. Don't be overly critical and don't be overly glowing. Find a middle point, be attentive, be confident, be open. And lastly, try and meet the poet's work on its own terms. The first woman I ever worked with, after a month of reading a hundred or so of her poems, told me that what she felt most grateful for was that I had read her work objectively and did not impose my own aesthetic sensibility on it. Of course, that's not going to happen all the time, in every moment, but it certainly is something to strive to attain.

ED: And on a related note, what counsel/resources would you offer writers who want to develop their own online teaching careers?

ML: The most important element to teaching is creating a space--a classroom environment, an on-line environment, a board room--that is comfortable and safe and challenging. This requires, from the teacher, that he/she build trust between him/herself and his/her students. At the center of this trust, is having a voice that is open-hearted, generous and honest. So, once you have created this voice, established this as a teacher, then you can go out looking for students. I have been lucky in that there were folks that I was working with who wanted to continue their work and found me.

As I have said, this one-on-one consulting is something that found me. As for teaching online courses, there are a number of institutions that offer classes. Here are the links for some of them:

Gotham Writers' Workshop
Writer's Digest Online Workshops
UCLA Extension Writers' Program

I would say, first, develop a teaching voice that works well and then investigate these institutions, contact them, send them a cover letter and a resume in hopes of finding employment. They are the best online institutions in the United States. Good luck.

And thank you, Erika, for giving me the time to expostulate a bit on what it is I do.

[To learn more about Matthew Lippman's one-to-one poetry consultations, and to see a sample critique and locate Matthew's contact information, please click here.]

Monday Morning Markets/Jobs/Opportunities

"Wheatland Press announces an open reading period for Polyphony 7, the seventh volume in the critically-acclaimed Polyphony anthology series. The publisher and editors are committed to finding outstanding cutting edge fiction from new writers as well as from established writers. We will be looking for stories that stretch (or break) the boundaries of traditional genres. Send us your magic realism, surrealism, literary stories with a genre sensibility, and other hard-to-classify stories with strong literary values, compelling characters, engaging tone and unique voice. If you really want to know what we are looking for, check out the previous volumes of Polyphony, available directly from Wheatland Press, genre booksellers or online booksellers." Pays: $.04/word for First Print and Electronic World Anthology Rights, to a maximum of $400, on acceptance, plus two copies on publication. Deadline: January 15, 2008. More info/full guidelines here.
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This announcement from editor Robert Lee Brewer appeared in the latest "Writer's Market" newsletter from WritersMarket.com: "While December is definitely a time for working out next year's writing resolutions, it is also turning into a time for you to share your freelance writing success stories with Writer's Market for an opportunity to win some recognition and money. Once again, I'll be judging the free Writer's Market Freelance Success Stories contest with a first prize of $250, plus publication in the 2009 Writer's Market and a copy of the book." Brewer is looking looking for "true stories of freelance success in any discipline of writing—from nonfiction to fiction and from screenwriting to poetry. Try to keep the story between 800 and 1,500 words, and remember the deadline is December 31." Submit your success stories to writersmarket(at)fwpubs(dot)com. Please put "Freelance Success Stories Contest" in your subject line."
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The next Nieman Conference on Narrative Journalism will take place in Boston, March 14-16, 2008. "This year, we are able to offer a limited number of registration scholarships for working domestic and international journalists. Scholarship recipients are still responsible for travel and meals not provided at the conference." If you're a journalist living/working in the United States or Canada seeking a scholarship, you must attest to "an income from all sources of less than $30,000 a year. Journalists who live and work in developing nations need not provide income information." NO APPLICATION FEE. Deadline: January 15, 2008. More info/guidelines here.
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And speaking of conferences, if you're a student you may be able to receive free registration for the upcoming Association of Writers and Writing Programs annual conference (to be held in 2008 in New York City, January 30-February 2), in exchange for a few hours of volunteering. Details here.
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The Jerome Foundation has posted guidelines for its 2008 Travel and Study Grant Program, open this cycle to applicants in literature, film/video, and dance. Applicants must live in either Minnesota or the five boroughs of New York City. NO APPLICATION FEE. Extensive information is available here.
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The Queer Collection: Prose and Poetry 2008 seeks "creative original prose and poetry by and for a gay, lesbian, bi, transgender, and queer audience. Fiction, nonfiction, and poetry will be considered. Some previously published material will be considered including stories, articles, and book excerpts. Author must hold reprint rights to previously published material." Submission deadline is December 31, 2007. Pays: $50/published piece. More information here. (via CRWROPPS)
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Via Duotrope.com I've learned about a new venue for flash fiction, Flash Fiction Online. Pays: $.05/word. Guidelines here.
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And last, but not least, this week's teaching and non-teaching jobs for writers:

Visiting Assistant Professor of English (Creative Writing, Fiction), Whitman College (Washington);
Visiting Professor, Humanities (Communication Studies), Colby-Sawyer College (New Hampshire);
Assistant Professor of Spanish (to help develop a creative writing program in Spanish), University of Iowa; and
Writer-in-Residence, University of Edinburgh.

Editor/Writer, University of Miami;
Communications Specialist (Publications), Oklahoma State University;
Writer/Content Developer, New York Institute of Technology;
Development Writer, Adelphi University (New York); and
Copy Editor, Emerson College (Massachusetts).

Friday Find: New Chanukah Lit

As I muse this morning over on my other blog, I am a little overwhelmed by the quantity of quality essays I'm reading about Chanukah. Have they always existed? (Or does it simply have something to do with heavy-duty anthology promotion?) For an officially minor holiday (yes, it's true!), Chanukah seems to be inspiring some truly lovely writing.

Since I'm leaving the city later today to celebrate with my favorite people in the world (including seven children under the age of seven--can you imagine the fun [and the noise?]) here are a few finds for your weekend reading pleasure:

--Amy Klein's "Hanukkah Is in the Holiday Season, Too,";
--David Bezmozgis's "Festival of Birthdays"; and
--Joanna Smith Rakoff's "Dolls of the World."

And Now For Something Completely Different

Even before I received a request in comments yesterday to participate in The Generous December Writing Group Project, I'd planned to dedicate today's post to my sister's own eloquent write-up about an organization on whose board she serves: The Blue Card. My sister said everything better than I could, so I'm going to quote her post in its entirety:

Since it's the season for giving as well as receiving, I'd like to tell you about two non-profit organizations here in New York which are close to my heart (I serve on the board of each). The first one (I'll post about the 2nd one soon) is The Blue Card, an organization I learned about from my late grandparents (they were the "original" R & S, and my children are named in their memory). They escaped Nazi Germany at the last minute in the late 1930s and met and married here in NYC. They arrived penniless and The Blue Card- established in 1934- helped Jewish refugees just like them. These immigrants faced enormous challenges in building new lives, but did so with a deep appreciation for their freedoms. To this day, The Blue Card serves the needs of Holocaust survivors and refugees from Nazi persecution, a group of elderly people whose needs skyrocket as they age. Many Blue Card clients live at or below the poverty level, and cash grants from the Blue Card pay for things as simple as groceries, eyeglasses, and transportation to and from doctors' appointments. Many of them suffer mental health problems such as depression or post-traumatic stress disorder triggered by the events of 9/11.

I have proudly served on the Board of The Blue Card for four years now, and I take seriously the job of spreading the word about this small but outstanding organization. I do this especially in memory of my grandparents, and especially on a day today- the 1st night of Hanukkah- when I am lucky enough to have the freedom to celebrate the holiday with my own "R & S".

Please take a moment to visit The Blue Card and learn about how you can help. Happy Hanukkah.

Those of you who know this practicing writer and my writing know how much my grandparents meant to me and how much they've inspired my work. So there you have it: My contribution to The Generous December Writing Group Project is The Blue Card.

The Wednesday Web Browser: Nonfiction Notes, Marketing Project, and Holden Caulfield's New York

Rachel Toor discusses "creative nonfiction"--and other ways to title it.
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In related news, Cristina Nehring has some issues with the American essay. And she's not shy about sharing them. (via TEV)
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I followed the initial reports about Jon Papernick's "1,001 Book Project," a plan to sell 1,001 copies of his new novel even before publication, with some interest. But I hadn't heard much about it in the time since then. Here's Jon's very interesting--and instructive--update.
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Finally: a new twist on literary travel. Turns out that you, too, can plan a Catcher in the Rye-themed tour of New York City. Read this article for tips.

Five Writing-Related Activities/Accomplishments from the Weekend Just Past

Now that I have a single employer paying for my time (and brainpower) between the hours of 9-5 each weekday, weekends have become even more important for my own writing. Here's a glimpse into how I spent last weekend, writing-wise:

--Drafted and submitted a new poem according to the current assignment for my online poetry class;

--Printed out six yet-to-be-published poems and mailed them to the distinguished poet I met last month through my day job; she had very generously offered to read some of my work;

--Read online (and told some family and friends about) my most recent publication--my first published poem since my high school days--which appears in the Winter 2007-2008 issue of flashquake;

--Completed and submitted my latest review assignment for The Writer;

--And because writers are (and must be) readers: Started reading the new Philip Roth novel, Exit Ghost.

Considering that my weekend also included quite a bit of quality time with my sister and her kids, and my first visit to the gym since my most recent sinus infection struggle, and some catching up with friends, I'm pretty pleased with what this tally!

Anyone else want to share a weekend writing report in comments?