The Wednesday Web Browser

Live from Bowdoin College: "Matt O’Donnell, Camille T. Dungy, and Jeffrey Thomson, co-editors of From the Fishouse: An Anthology of Poems that Sing, Rhyme, Resound, Syncopate, Alliterate, and Just Plain Sound Great, along with fellow poets Adrian Blevins, Emily Warn, and Bowdoin Writer-in-Residence Anthony Walton, will read poems to celebrate this new collection." Follow the Webcast here, tonight at 7:30 p.m. (U.S. Eastern).
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Lisa Romeo interviews Grace Bauer, Guest Editor of Prairie Schooner's new Baby Boomer issue. (Bonus: journal subscription giveaway!)
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BJ Epstein has announced that she'll be blogging a bit less frequently for the next few weeks, but for a very good reason: She is in the process of moving "in order to take up a post as a lecturer in literature and translation" in an English university. Congrats, BJ!
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And just for fun: Fernham reveals what it's like to have the Clintons dining at the next table.

Monday Morning Markets/Jobs/Opportunities (One Day Late)

Here's the usual round-up, delayed one day while I was observing Yom Kippur.

October 15 is the application deadline for the Lynchburg (Va.) College Thornton Writer Residency: "A fourteen-week residency at Lynchburg College, including a stipend of $12,000, is awarded annually to a fiction writer for the fall term. The residency also includes housing, some meals, and roundtrip travel expenses. Writers who have published at least one book of fiction are eligible. The writer-in-residence will teach a weekly creative writing workshop, visit classes, and give a public reading. Submit one copy of a book of fiction, a curriculum vitae, a cover letter outlining evidence of successful teaching experience, and contact information for three references....There is no entry fee."
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"The Department of English at Ohio University invites applications for a tenure-track assistant professor in Creative Writing: Non-Fiction. We seek candidates of established achievement who have published at least one book. The successful candidate is expected to teach; publish and direct creative work; and participate in departmental/university governance. Expected to teach at both graduate and undergraduate levels. We are seeking a candidate with a commitment in working effectively with students, faculty and staff from diverse backgrounds. Position available September 2010."
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"The Department of English [at Texas Christian University] invites applications for a tenure-track, assistant professor in creative writing with a specialization in poetry, contemporary literature, and creative nonfiction."
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"The University of Connecticut English Department seeks a poet to serve as Assistant/Associate/Full Professor In Residence to begin fall 2010. The selected candidate will teach one semester per year, give a public reading, and participate in the department community during that semester. Minimum Qualifications: an MFA or Ph.D; at least one published book of poetry; and a history of successful teaching in undergraduate and graduate workshops and literature courses. Preferred Qualifications: Teaching experience in a second genre, and the ability to teach prosody. Salary and rank commensurate with qualifications. This is a nine month, non-tenure track appointment. Depending on the availability of funding, the position may be renewed twice for a total of three years.
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"Nature Medicine, the prestigious monthly journal covering biomedical science and translational research, is currently accepting applications for its science writing internship. The intern will be closely involved in the editorial process and write news articles and briefs, as well as blog entries. This is not a paper-pushing internship! The person selected for the position will be reporting stories and working on editorial content full-time." Pays: $1,000/month to successful candidate (internship begins in December and will be based in New York City).
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Rachel Dacus has compiled this list of small presses that publish poetry books outside of contests. Note that some presses may charge reading fees.
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Three job opportunities in Massachusetts: Boston University seeks a Senior Editor/Writer;Lasell College is looking for an Assistant Director of Communications; and Tufts University invites applications for Assistant Director, Writing Resources, for its Academic Resource Center.

Friday Find: Tess Gallagher's Commencement Address to Whidbey Writers Workshop MFA Graduates, August 2009

Last month, Tess Gallagher - self-described poet, essayist, short story writer, scriptwriter, and nonfiction writer - addressed the newest graduates of the Whidbey Writers Workshop MFA program. Her speech, titled "The Writers' Life: A Few Observations," is now online, and I recommend that you all take some time this weekend to read it. As many of you probably know, Gallagher is the widow of Raymond Carver, and her reflections in this speech include a judicious sprinkling of Carver-related anecdotes.

Enjoy, and see you back here next Tuesday (I'll be observing the Jewish Holy Day of Yom Kippur on Monday--no blogging!).

There's More to the TriQuarterly Story

Just need to let you know about a disturbing update to yesterday's news about TriQuarterly shifting to an online-only publication. Apparently, the transition has taken place far more abruptly than the press release would have us believe. An e-mail from the journal's associate editor, republished here, reveals more to this sad story. And it's just not nice.

Pump Up Your C.V.

Those of you on (or aspiring to be on) the tenure track know how important conference proceedings, scholarly book chapters, and refereed papers can be. One very good place to look for announcements of the conferences, collections, and journal issues that can make a difference in your career is the Call for Papers (CFP) list hosted by the University of Pennsylvania.

Here is a selection of current announcements that might interest practicing writers-who-teach (or hope to teach):

--Anthologies: A Conference
--Creative Nonfiction: Voices
--Andre Dubus/Andre Dubus III: A Symposium
--Poetry Studies and Creative Poetry at 2010 PCA/ACA National Conference

Trust me--there's plenty more where those announcements came from!

The Wednesday Web Browser

TriQuarterly, the literary journal of Northwestern University Press, will transition to an online-only format and will be integrated into the Creative Writing program of Northwestern's School of Continuing Studies.
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Publishers Weekly reports the launch of Madras Press, which focuses on short fiction - and will donate proceeds from each book to a charity of the author's choice.
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As you've likely heard by now, Oprah's latest book club pick is a short story collection: Uwem Akpan's Say You're One of Them.
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For those in the Denver area: Lighthouse Writers Workshop will be hosting an "Operation Homecoming Writers Workshop" this weekend (September 26 and 27). "The workshops are open to veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts, as well as veterans of earlier conflicts., and are part of the NEA's Operation Homecoming: Writing the Wartime Experience, a groundbreaking program that documents and preserves the wartime experiences of men and women in uniform and their families." There's no charge for these workshops. Details here.
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Adam Kirsch reviews Michael Greenberg's Beg, Borrow, Steal: A Writer's Life, and declares that Greenberg "belongs in a book by Saul Bellow."

What Should MFA Students Demand?

I thought that this post on "Eight Things that Journalism Students Should Demand from Their Journalism Schools" was pretty interesting. The author suggests that sometimes, it's up to students to "seize the initiative to demand" certain educational components. His list of must-haves includes, briefly: role models, a mentor, employment contacts, "a place to hack," work experience, "deep knowledge of a field other than journalism," "getting your name out there," and "passion, not excuses."

After reading the post, I began wondering how such a list might look in the context of MFA students in creative writing and what they should expect from their programs. I have some ideas, but for the moment, I'm more interested in what prospective students, current students, alumni, and faculty have to say. Please share your thoughts!

Monday Morning Markets/Jobs/Opportunities

Think you can write a 700-word children's story about "a personified Onion"? If so, you could win £700 (and see your work published as a children's book) through The Secret Seed Society Competition. No entry fee. Deadline: October 5, 2009. NB: You'll be expected to hand over copyright, so proceed only if that's acceptable to you.
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The annual "Happy Tales" literary contest, run by Humanities Montana and asking writers to "take any literary work with a sad, disturbing, or negative ending and supply a happy, affirmative, uplifting, humorous ending," offers a prize of $200. No entry fee. Deadline: September 30, 2009.
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Looking for a literary agent? These agents are looking for writers.
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Shepherd University (W. Va) is looking for a Web Content Provider/Writer, Savannah College of Art & Design (Ga.) seeks a Senior Writer, and Washington National Opera would like to hire a half-time Communications Coordinator.
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Several free classes/workshops to share with you: Freelancer Linda Formichelli is offering free teleclasses "on topics ranging from how to write a killer query to how to organize your assignment workflow"; Aracelis Girmay will be leading a "Black Artist as Activist" poetry workshop in Brooklyn for writers ages 16-25; and starting in October, the Audre Lorde Project (also in Brooklyn) will be hosting "Tongues Afire: A Free Creative Writing Workshop for Queer Women, Trans and Gender Non-Conforming People of Color."
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Did you miss our last opportunity-laden newsletter? You can catch a reprint for the next couple of weeks here. But to make sure you receive the October newsletter right when subscribers do, subscribe! It's free, and your e-mail address won't be shared with anyone.

Friday Find: An Essay from 1989

This evening marks the beginning of the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah, and Yom Kippur is not very far away. These are the Jewish High Holy Days, the Days of Awe, a time for reflection and repentance.

They were also the catalyst for an essay I wrote 20 years ago, when I was a college junior. That fall semester, I was lucky enough to be admitted into a creative nonfiction workshop taught by Verlyn Klinkenborg. It's safe to say that Verlyn and I agreed that "Reflections During the Days of Awe, 1989-5750" was the best piece I wrote that term.

The essay is written in segments divided by portions of the Unetenah Tokef liturgy, which is an essential aspect of Holy Day worship (and I'm far from the only one to have found creative inspiration in it: Leonard Cohen's "Who By Fire" provides an extraordinary musical perspective). In honor of the Holy Days, and with the benefit of a creation that was inconceivable when I first wrote the piece - namely, hyperlinks - I would like to share it here.

Thank you for indulging my return to what remains for me a deeply meaningful piece of writing. And for all of my fellow practicing writers who are also celebrating the new year 5770, shanah tovah!

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REFLECTIONS DURING THE DAYS OF AWE, 1989-5750
by Erika Dreifus

ON ROSH HASHANAH IT IS WRITTEN,
ON YOM KIPPUR IT IS SEALED:
HOW MANY SHALL PASS ON, HOW MANY SHALL COME TO BE:
WHO SHALL LIVE AND WHO SHALL DIE;

I don't remember feeling any special ties to my religion as a young child. "Chanukah" was simply a time to receive a new Barbie doll or board game or book. "Passover" meant that one April night each year we'd have a big meal at Aunt Mimi's Westchester house with all of Mommy's family, and the next night we'd eat with Daddy's parents, and then for a few days there would be cracker-like food called "matzah" in our apartment. Nearly everyone in our Brooklyn neighborhood was Jewish. All my friends and I looked forward to those days we could claim as school "holidays," spending the insignificant Sukkots and Shavuots playing in the autumn and spring sunshine. I cannot remember even being inside a synagogue before my eighth birthday. I did know that my grandparents went to "shul" on days that were called "Rosh Hashanah" and "Yom Kippur." Those were days when people tried to dress especially nicely; everyone greeted each other with the words "Happy New Year" in the middle of September; and for one day, my grandfather refused to eat.

When I was eight, my mother decided that it was important for me to have some sort of Jewish education - she and my father had both been raised in fairly Conservative Jewish households - so she enrolled me in a Conservative Hebrew school that expected attendance four afternoons each week from 3:30 to 5:30 and Saturday morning "Junior Congregation" worship as well. For the first time, I was called not "Erika," but rather the Hebrew name, "Yocheved," that I shared with my mother's grandmother. At that congregation's school, I first became acquainted with the Hebrew language and prayers and Bible stories, and when our family moved to a New Jersey suburb at the end of that school year, I had become more conscious of a Jewish identity.

WHO SHALL SEE RIPE AGE AND WHO SHALL NOT:
WHO SHALL PERISH BY FIRE AND WHO BY WATER;
WHO BY SWORD AND WHO BY BEAST;
WHO BY HUNGER AND WHO BY THIRST;

Our new home was the only Jewish one on the block, and perhaps that is why my parents began to search for a congregation affiliation almost as soon as the cartons were unpacked (and they were unpacked fast) that summer of 1978. I remember the Saturday morning the four of us visited the township's Conservative synagogue. The Sanctuary was small and dark, and all I could see was a cluster of old men chanting Hebrew. "Let's leave," my father said. We drove ten minutes to another temple, a more modern construction crowning acres of beautifully landscaped property. The parking lot seemed a maze to my sister and me, winding around to assure enough spaces for the cars of the thousand member families. The short summer service, held in an airy chapel, was conducted mostly in English. The Rabbi offered my sister and me flowers from the large arrangement at the front of the room after the Benediction. We became members of the Reform "TBJ" the following week.

WHO BY EARTHQUAKE AND WHO BY PLAGUE;
WHO BY STRANGLING AND WHO BY STONING;
WHO SHALL BE SECURE AND WHO SHALL BE DRIVEN;

TBJ required only one afternoon and one weekend morning of religious instruction each week. My Hebrew did not improve much over the years I studied there, but as a TBJ member I have learned to consider myself a Jew in a way I never did before.

Last weekend, I flew home to New Jersey and celebrated the new year 5750 with my family. Again I listened to Cantor Summers chant the Avinu Malkeinu, his voice and those of the choir mingling in the vast Sanctuary, pleading in ancient Hebrew, "Our Father, our King, hear our voice. Our Father, our King, we have sinned against You. Our Father, our King, have compassion on us and on our children." Again I watched Rabbi Greene, robed in Holy Day white, look out into the faces of the congregants. Again I basked in the love and friendship shown to my family, warmth that has increased every year as we have become "regulars" at Friday night Sabbath worship, as my mother involves herself caring for so many Temple members, as my father has assumed the congregation's Presidency, as my sister and I have become B'not Mitzvah, "Daughters of the Commandment," on our thirteenth birthdays, and Confirmands at the end of tenth grade, and Temple Youth Group leaders during our high school years.

WHO SHALL BE TRANQUIL AND WHO SHALL BE TROUBLED;
WHO SHALL BE POOR AND WHO SHALL BE RICH;
WHO SHALL BE HUMBLED AND WHO EXALTED.

My Grandma Rose died five years ago, during the ten "Days of Awe" between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Her favorite worship service took place the night before Yom Kippur, when the Kol Nidre prayer is chanted openly in synagogues throughout the world, chanted as it has been for so many generations, chanted now as it was even behind closed doors in Inquisition Spain when those Jews who pretended to convert to Catholicism - the Marranos - gathered in secret to make sacred Kol Nidre, "All Vows," to God.

Grandma's younger sister Esther stayed at our house last weekend. She came to services with us and blinked back tears as Grandma's name was read aloud from the Yarzheit list, the roll call of people who died, as Rabbi Greene always intones, "at this season in years past."

Esther's twin, Syl, lives in a nearby nursing home, and Saturday morning, before going to Temple, I drove my sister and some of her Youth Groupers over to the Theresa Grotta Center to lead the Jewish residents in prayer. Syl did not recognize me at first, and since she is almost completely deaf I had to repeat loudly, "I'm Erika, I'm MADELINE's daughter," for her to place me as her favorite niece's child - but I sat with her throughout the brief service and turned her prayerbook's pages. At the end of the service, Syl, who has been the despair of many a mental health professional, reached for my arm and said, "I wanted my sister Rose here with me - I wanted her picture with me and I forgot - but she was here, all the same."

This year, I won't be with my family for Kol Nidre. I will go to dinner with friends, and then walk to Memorial Church, where Harvard Hillel runs its Reform services ("Yom Kippur in a church?" my grandfather asked increduously during my freshman year). The next morning I will stand at the pulpit and lead part of the day's worship. I will break the day-long fast later that evening at my roommate's home in Lexington, with a family as loving and as imbued with tradition as my own.

BUT REPENTANCE, PRAYER, AND CHARITY
TEMPER JUDGMENT'S SEVERE DECREE

According to the Holy Day prayerbook, according to the pages that I will read with the Harvard community on the Day of Atonement, the decision whether I shall live or die this year has been made and will be sealed as the sun sets Monday night and I resume eating. That is a profound thought. I don't know how strongly I believe it. Often, I think that I don't know what or who God is. I do know that my Judaism means more to me than words. It is a mosaic. Judaism signifies family. It means thinking about others and giving special consideration to the weak and the old. It means celebrating in times of joy and consoling in times of sadness or trouble. It signifies holiday traditions and food and melodies and culture. It means that there are some things about me that some of my non-Jewish friends have never understood and may never understand, and that there exists a special bond between me and many of my Jewish friends. Judaism commands responsibility and bequeaths a heritage. And Judaism means that Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and the Days of Awe will always be my time for contemplation. Life and death take on richer meanings in the days of enhanced "repentance, prayer, and charity."

(Way back when, I dedicated this essay to my mother, and to all of her mother's family. I still do.)

The Writer's Block: Midge Raymond's Blog on Living a Writer's Life

Just a quick note to share that Midge Raymond, author of Forgetting English, which I reviewed earlier this year, is blogging about writing for the Seattle P-I. Although some of the content is clearly directed toward Seattle-area writers, much of it is targeted to a broader audience. I think that the blog, titled "The Writer's Block: Living a Writer's Life," is well worth your time. Check it out!

The Wednesday Web Browser

The new issue of Brevity is online, featuring an amazing essay, "Somebody Else's Genocide," by Sherman Alexie.
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Back in the old days, teachers didn't have to worry about emoticons in term papers.
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Author Anita Diamant (who has a new book out) reveals where her ideas have come from.
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Finally, I recently received an e-mail alerting me to Lit Drift, which describes itself as "a blog, resource, and community dedicated to the art & craft of storytelling in the 21st century." In addition to posts, prompts, and stories, you'll find at Lit Drift a "Free Book Friday" feature. As the name suggests, this feature--which launched last Friday--will be providing book giveaways on a weekly basis.

Poe Exhibition

Thanks to Mark Sarvas for pointing out that "From Out That Shadow: The Life and Legacy of Edgar Allan Poe" has just opened at the Harry Ransom Center (University of Texas at Austin). (It runs through January 3, 2010, for any of you who may get to Austin between now and then.)

The exhibition marks Poe's bicentennial, and it sounds terrific:

The exhibition is organized into 12 sections: "The Early Years," which covers Poe's family and his student days at the University of Virginia; "Working Writer," about Poe's daily activities earning money and engaging with other writers; "Poe in Love," which documents the many women in Poe's life; "Death and Infamy," devoted to the circumstances of Poe's death and the immediate downturn of his reputation; "Poe the Poet"; "The Raven," which is dedicated to the most famous of Poe's poems; "Poe the Critic"; "Detection," which surveys Poe's stories and his influence upon later writers of mysteries; "Poe and Science," which explores Poe's engagement in topics ranging from shells to astronomy; "The Haunted Mind," which uses portraits and illustrations to investigate the psychological aspects of Poe's work and Poe the man; and "Poe in France" and "Perspectives on Poe," which look at the important influence of Poe upon later writers.

If any of you do visit the exhibition (or if you caught it when it was at the University of Virginia Library earlier this year), please share your impressions! I'm sure I'm not the only one who'd be grateful.

Monday Morning Markets/Jobs/Opportunities

Sage Cohen is offering a scholarship for her online class, Poetry for the People. Applications are due by Friday, September 18, and there's no fee to apply. This scholarship is valued at $250, and is open only to U.S. residents at this time. (And Sage is a great poet and teacher! Revisit our interview with her to become acquainted with her thoughts on the life poetic.)
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"The Southern Review is thrilled to celebrate the literary side of our national pastime. We're currently accepting submissions for a special feature about baseball to be published in the Spring 2010 issue. Please send your previously unpublished poems, stories, and essays by November 1. Play ball!"
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Especially for Oregon writers: Oregon Humanities has announced the theme for its spring 2010 issue. Focused on "look," the issue "will explore various topics, including aesthetics, design, visual literacy, appearance, and images as communication tools." For the full call and detailed guidelines/pay rates, click here.
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Attention, Canadian writers: Recliner Books, based in Calgary, Alberta, is a new independent press "currently looking for literary fiction, poetry and creative nonfiction targeted at an adult audience....We hope to publish four titles this year which will be made available in stores and online." (via placesforwriters.com)
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Several teaching opportunities for fictionists: Cleveland State University is looking for an Assistant Professor of Creative Writing (fiction), the University of San Diego invites applications from fiction specialists for an Assistant Professor position, and Centenary College (N.J.) seeks an Adjunct Instructor for a fiction workshop. There's also a tenure-track position in poetry available at the University of Nevada-Reno.
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Clark University (Mass.) is looking for a Director of Communications, Worcester Polytechnic Institute (Mass.) seeks a Writer/Project Manager, and the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics (Md.) is looking for a Science Writer.

Friday Find: 9/11 Remembrance Writings

Today, as I did one year ago, I am going to point you to the 9/11/01 Remembrance Site maintained by my employer, The City University of New York (CUNY). Additional writings by members of the CUNY community have been added to the site this year. Please visit, read, and remember.

A Democracy of Ghosts: An Interview with John Griswold

A DEMOCRACY OF GHOSTS: AN INTERVIEW WITH JOHN GRISWOLD

By Erika Dreifus

If you visit my Practicing Writing blog, you know that I'm a longtime fan of John Griswold (also known in the writing world as "Oronte Churm"). So I was thrilled when John announced that his first novel, A Democracy of Ghosts, was to be published by Wordcraft of Oregon. And I was equally delighted when John agreed to answer some questions for all of us.

John's writing has appeared in Ninth Letter, Brevity, and Natural Bridge, and in the anthologies The Best Creative Nonfiction, Vol. 3 (W.W. Norton) and Mountain Man Dance Moves (McSweeney's Books). A nonfiction book will be out in 2010 from The History Press. He also writes as Oronte Churm for Inside Higher Ed and McSweeney's. John lives with his wife and two sons in Urbana, Ill., where he teaches at the University of Illinois. Read more at www.JohnGriswold.net.

(This interview originally appeared in the September 2009 issue of The Practicing Writer)

ERIKA DREIFUS (ED): John, your novel is a work of historical fiction in multiple respects. The central action is indeed something that is part of American history. But this is also a work of family history: William J. Sneed, your maternal grandfather, is the model for the book's protagonist Bill Sneed. What did you find to be the most significant challenge in writing historical fiction that is also, in a way, family history?

JOHN GRISWOLD (JG): The challenge was to find a plausible fictional answer to my real-life question: How could the people of a region I know so well have been involved in this thing called the Herrin Massacre, in which 20 nonunion workers from outside the community were tortured and killed in a mine riot in 1922? Where does anger on that scale come from? Fiction is particularly suited to answering that at the level of the individual.

My grandfather was not in town the day of the Massacre, he was at the state Constitutional Convention, but an earlier exchange of telegrams he had with labor leader John L. Lewis is often seen as one of the precipitating events. In life my mother idolized her father, whom I never knew, as a compassionate and perhaps even brilliant politician and labor leader. My challenge was to imagine one possible way all this could co-exist.

ED: What would you like readers, who may be encountering an account of the Herrin Massacre for the first time, to take away from your novel as far as their awareness of the event is concerned? What lessons, or unresolved questions, should we be thinking about?

JG: Unresolved is a good way to look at it. One reason I chose this event as a backdrop is that it seems to me there was no way out for those involved, in an almost classical sense of tragedy. The miners in Southern Illinois were in a system beyond their control, as we all are to varying degrees. Yet despite our limited understanding of situations we also have hope, ambition, and the desire to change things for the better.

Coal mining has always been hard, dangerous work, and at the end of the Gilded Age, miners' pay was low and benefits nonexistent. From 1884 to 1912 a staggering 42,898 miners were killed on the job in the U.S. The union came along just before the turn of the century and started to change that. My hometown, Herrin, was seen as the heart of the most radical (and successful) UMWA district in the country.

This was also the era of a kind of class warfare in this country. John D. Rockefeller's private mine guards and the Colorado National Guard had attacked a tent colony of 1,200 miners and their families in 1914 with machine-gun and rifle fire, then burned and looted it. Twenty-five died, including two women and ten children who suffocated in a pit under a tent where they’d gone to hide. A small civil war was fought over these issues in 1921 at the Battle of Bair Mountain in West Virginia; the U.S. Army sent planes down to bomb the miners. It was serious business on both sides of the conflict, and in the end there was no good way out. But a novel doesn't need to offer up solutions. It just needs to portray people struggling in a concrete, sensory world.

ED: What surprised you most as you worked on this book?

JG: Sometimes after I'd used the process of writing fiction to understand how a character would react to something or what she'd say, my research would confirm it as historically accurate. Fiction and historical fact don't have to go together, but it was pleasant validation.

ED: How did the novel find its home at Wordcraft of Oregon?

JG: My colleague Steve Davenport said I should read the novelist Duff Brenna, whom he'd gotten to know online. I did and liked his work, and Steve made a virtual introduction. Duff later published me in Perigree, where he's the fiction editor, then told me I should submit something to Wordcraft, where he's got a book. Publisher David Memmott kindly took my novel.

My next book, by the way, will be with The History Press, which I found through a listing at your site. It's good to know people. (Erika's note: I am delighted to have played a small role in the publication of John's next book!)

ED: It appears that you needed to secure permission to reprint letter excerpts, an excerpt from a newspaper article, and some lines from Emily Dickinson. Please tell us about the permissions process.

JG: It's easy get permissions to use text or even photographs (as with the nonfiction book I'm finishing), if you can find the holders of the rights. Sometimes authors, their heirs, and the publishing companies are all long gone, despite copyright still being in effect. Other times (as with Dickinson), you wouldn't think copyright still holds, but it does. The most frustrating part of rights licensing is how wildly policies vary. Some give permission in exchange for a mere credit line, while others charge exorbitant fees, in my opinion. But the problem is widespread now in this our digital age: What's intellectual property worth, and who should have access to it?

ED: Is there anything else you'd like to tell us?

JG: Thanks, Erika, for having me! The NPR station at the University of Illinois will do an interview with me on October 26, 2009, at 10 a.m., and I hope readers will tune in and call the toll-free line to continue the discussion.

ED: Thank you so much, John!

(c) 2009 Erika Dreifus.

The Wednesday Web Browser

Ever wondered what you might glean from a workshop at the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference? Over on the Hayden's Ferry Review blog, Eugene Cross shares what he learned last month from Charles Baxter.
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And for another perspective on the same conference, check out Celeste Ng's dispatch on Fiction Writers Review (sequel to follow).
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Many thanks to Lisa Romeo for letting us know that the very learned editor/agent/writer Betsy Lerner is keeping a blog (where I have discovered the exciting news that an updated edition of the excellent Forest for the Trees is in the works).

From My Bookshelf: German for Travelers: A Novel in 95 Lessons, by Norah Labiner

Last week, the fall issue of Jewish Book World arrived in my mailbox, and I was delighted to see that it included my first review for that publication. Jewish Book World packs in a LOT of reviews each quarter, so most of the pieces are relatively short. Here's my take, in its entirety, on Norah Labiner's German for Travelers: A Novel in 95 Lessons (Coffee House Press, 2009):

In ninety-five brief chapters, this novel acquaints us with an extended family and its secrets, past and present. In 2005, a letter from a woman claiming to be their great-aunt prompts Jewish-American cousins Eliza Berlin and Louisa 'Lemon' Leopold to travel to Germany. There, at the beginning of the previous centruy, their great-grandfather, Dr. Jozef Apfel, was a prominent psychoanalyst. The novel reveals secrets and traumas within the lives of the cousins as well as the truth behind their great-grandfather's most mysterious case, that of 'Elsa Z.' At various times, the reader will notice what seems to be the sparest of expository prose (the body of one chapter consists of a single twelve-word sentence); occasionally, there is a page-length paragraph; some sections particularly impress with their use of dialogue or detail. Although some readers may initially find it difficult to track all the characters, overall, the novel is extremely engaging, shifting in time and place with artful connections and literary grace. Chronology [included].

Monday Morning Markets/Jobs/Opportunities

"Subtropics 9, a special all-translation issue, will be published in January 2010. This autumn we will be considering prose works (fiction and non-fiction) in translation only. Beginning January 1, 2010, we will resume reading prose works written in English."
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In the latest Writing-world newsletter, editor Moira Allen notes: "I'm interested in feature articles on ways in which you have benefited from social networking as a writer. Whether it's blogging, Facebook, Twitter, texting or whatever, if you've found a way to attract more readers and/or sell more writing, I want to know about it. Articles must offer specific tips that writers can follow, with examples ('I did this and you can do it too') and, of course, any relevant links. Query or send your complete manuscript to Moira Allen, Editor, 'editors(at)writing-world(dot)com.' (For details about our terms and guidelines, visit http://www.writing-world.com/admin1/guidelines.shtml.)"
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New anthology call from Seal Press: And Then It Shifted: Women Open Up About Leaving Men for Women. Seeks essay submissions ("strongly" encourages queries beforehand) by December 1. Pays: "Amount will vary, depending on experience and other variables ($50 and up)." Check out the detailed call here.
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"The Amherst College Creative Writing Program invites applications from fiction writers for the position of Visiting Writer, to begin July 2010."
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"For appointment beginning in the fall of 2010, we seek a writer of creative non-fiction to teach two semesters at The George Washington University as the Jenny McKean Moore Writer-in-Washington."
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Roosevelt University (Ill.) is looking for an Assistant Director of Communications.

Friday Find: My Latest Online Review

For your weekend reading pleasure: my review of Book of Clouds, a novel by Chloe Aridjis, published on the wonderful Fiction Writers Review site. Enjoy it!

And have a great weekend. (Monday is a holiday here in the U.S.A., but I'll be posting nonetheless, so I'll see you back here then.)

Fearless Confessions: An Interview with Sue William Silverman

Remember when I told you I'd read Fearless Confessions: A Writer's Guide to Memoir while I was on vacation? Well, that reading helped me frame interview questions for the book's author, Sue William Silverman, who joins us on the blog today for some Q&A.

Sue is a faculty advisor at the Vermont College of Fine Arts and the associate editor of the journal Fourth Genre: Explorations in Nonfiction. Her first book, Because I Remember Terror, Father, I Remember You, received the AWP Award in Creative Nonfiction. She is also the author of Love Sick: One Woman's Journey through Sexual Addiction (made into a Lifetime TV movie), and Hieroglyphics in Neon, a collection of poems.

Please welcome Sue William Silverman.

ERIKA DREIFUS (ED): In this book, you offer what may be most appropriately described as a "fearless" defense of memoir, taking on several of the criticisms that have been leveled at the genre in recent years. Which criticism distresses you most, and why? Which do you think may, in fact, hold at least some validity for memoir writers to consider as they craft their work?

SUE WILLIAM SILVERMAN (SWS): What most distresses me is when memoirs, especially those written by women, are labeled “confessional.” In effect, these critics are implying that women’s memoirs are nothing more than navel gazing, that they have no literary merit. I deliberately use the word “confessional” in my title, however, in order to redeem it from the media’s disparaging use of it. Women’s memoirs are just as important from a literary standpoint as memoirs written by men…and are as worthwhile as any other literary form for that matter, such as poetry and fiction.

In other words, when I write about recovering from incest or sexual addiction, I’m also writing about loss, alienation, identity. Aren’t these universal themes to which most anyone can relate? Aren’t these also social issues, part of what society struggles with on a daily basis—so not navel gazing at all. By casting light on my story, I’m hopefully helping others better understand their own.

But, is there some validity to this attack, you ask? Well, granted, if a memoir isn’t artistically crafted, isn’t metaphoric, yes, the book might not be universal. So that’s why Fearless Confessions focuses on how to craft your life narrative into art!

ED: In the book's first appendix, you provide a terrific overview of subgenres of creative nonfiction: biography, autobiography, immersion, memoir, personal essay, meditative essay, and lyric essay. When I was an MFA student (in fiction), it seemed that virtually all the creative nonfiction students in my program were concentrating on memoir and personal essay. Why do you think creative nonfiction courses and programs tend to be dominated by these subgenres rather than others? As a teacher, how do you ensure that creative nonfiction students attend to multiple forms of the genre in their writing (and reading)?

SWS: I’m pleased you found that article, “The Meandering River,” helpful. Thank you.

I agree that most writing programs focus on memoir and personal essay. Why? Perhaps because the faculty itself feels more comfortable with those forms.

At Vermont College of Fine Arts (VCFA), where I teach in the low-residency MFA in Writing program, we recently hired a terrific writer, Robert Vivian, who published an amazing collection of meditative essays, Cold Snap as Yearning. So now we have a faculty member well equipped to teach the less narrative-driven—more image-drive—form of creative nonfiction. In short, when seeking out a writing program, it helps to look for one that has an aesthetically diverse faculty, one able to teach a range of creative nonfiction.

I also assign my students books that are representative of the various subgenres. Fearless Confessions, by the way, has a long creative nonfiction reading list. This list is also available on my Web site.

ED: Writing exercises appear often in this book. Please tell us about any other resources--books, Web sites, etc.--that you would recommend specifically for the exercises they offer memoir writers.

SWS: Sure, some Web sites that I think are particularly helpful are writingitreal.com; absolutewrite.com; writedirections.com; writersdigest.com; writing-world.com; writermag.com; bylinemag.com (ed. note: according to a note on its Web site, ByLine is ceasing publication). Another book that I find helpful is Tell it Slant, by Suzanne Paola and Brenda Miller.

ED: Your book takes the perspective that everyone has a story to tell. But we all know that publishing one's told story can prove to be challenging. Your chapter on "Marketing Your Memoir" provides some wonderful overall advice and resources for those seeking publication. But you must also have some very specific insights grounded in your editorial responsibilities for the journal Fourth Genre. Could you please share with us a bit about how work is ultimately chosen for publication in Fourth Genre?

SWS: What I specifically like about Fourth Genre: Explorations in Nonfiction is the wide range of voices that we publish. We like to publish all the subgenres of creative nonfiction (mentioned above), and include as many different voices as possible.

But before you send out your work, be sure it’s really finished. Ask yourself: does every sentence sing? Is every sentence as beautifully written as possible? Have I developed my work metaphorically? Am I doing more than “merely” telling the story of what happened to me; am I also reflecting upon the past, so that, as a writer, I am now seeing the past in a new light? Proofread, of course, before submitting, and be sure there are no spelling or grammatical errors. It is difficult to get published. That’s why you want to submit your best possible work, a piece that has undergone multiple revisions.

But if you get rejected, keep trying! Don’t get discouraged. I still get rejection letters. Art is incredibly subjective. I’ve had an essay rejected by one journal, only to have it win a contest in another one! So never stop trying! Believe in yourself as a writer, as an artist.

ED: Anything else you'd like us to know?

SWS: I teach, as I mentioned, at the low-residency MFA in Writing program at the Vermont College of Fine Arts (VCFA). In addition to this two-year writing program, every summer, VCFA has a Postgraduate Writers’ Conference that lasts five days—and it’s five days of very intensive study in all the genres: creative nonfiction, fiction, poetry, and young adult literature. Just something to keep in mind. The conference is also a lot of fun! I wish all of you the very best as you pursue the writing of your own life narrative. Remember: all our voices are important!

For more information about Fearless Confessions, please visit the author's Web site and/or view the video book trailer.

The Wednesday Web Browser

Our friend John Griswold ("Oronte Churm") reviews Isherwood on Writing, finding that "the main interest for me is listening to [Christopher] Isherwood deliver what amounts to a long craft talk."
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For a different sort of craft lesson, check out the regular "Poetry Workshop" feature on Robert Lee Brewer's Poetic Asides blog.
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To reveal or not to reveal--that is, so often, the memoirist's question. Especially when writing about family (including children). And this week, it's a question up for debate on the NYTimes.com "Room for Debate" blog (and, with a slightly different slant, on the same site's Motherlode blog, too).
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More opportunities to take a Renegade Writer e-course: "Magazine Writing Basics" and "Get Unstuck! for Freelancers" will award free basic admission through no-fee competitions. Details here. Deadline: Spetember 7.

From My Bookshelf: Bookkeeping Basics for Freelance Writers

Whether you are just launching a freelance writing business or you want to make sure your established business is operating correctly, you are likely to appreciate Brigitte Thompson's handy and well-organized Bookkeeping Basics for Freelance Writers. I'm certainly going to be keeping my review copy within reach for reminders and resources (my thanks to the author for sending me the copy). You can learn more about Brigitte Thompson and her book here.