The Wednesday Web Browser

Back when I was helping newbie book reviewers build up a reviewing practice, we'd spend a chunk of time discussing how to obtain review copies. A recent "tweet" from Algonquin Books makes the process simple: "Book bloggers: If you ever want to request an Algonquin review copy, email me: michael(at)algonquin(dot)com. Easy peasy." Meantime, Harper Perennial is inviting book bloggers to join its email list for reviewers.
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This week on the Dollars and Deadlines blog: veteran freelancer Kelly James-Enger critiques queries. Really interesting and useful.
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It hasn't been a terribly uplifting time in the litmag world lately: Mississippi Review's future is unclear. Brevity considers charging a submission fee. And The Paris Review has begun "unaccepting" some poems.
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My friend Deonne Kahler (a.k.a. "DK") just spent a week at the Taos Summer Writers Conference (an event I've also been lucky enough to attend). DK got to work with Sarah Manguso in a memoir master class. And she was generous enough to tell the rest of us about it here and here.
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I love this guest post by Diane Lockward (on Meg Waite Clayton's 1st Books blog) about her (Diane's) evolution toward published-poethood.

The Wednesday Web Browser

Philip Graham shares writing lessons learned from his cab-driving days.
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Over on my other blog, My Machberet ("machberet" is the Hebrew word for "notebook"), Barbara Krasner provides a generous guest post/conference dispatch re: writing Jewish-themed children's books.
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Here's a peek into the archives of John Updike (made me nostalgic for doing research in Houghton Library).
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According to the editor whom Lisa Romeo cites, I must be an "old writer," indeed. What about you?

Monday Morning Markets/Jobs/Opportunities

"ABC-CLIO seeks contributors for an Encyclopedia of Cultivated Plants. The encyclopedia will include entries on 350 cultivated plants: crops, ornamentals and medicinals. Contributors shall receive full authorial credit for their entries, a small honorarium and, in the case of 5,000 words of entries, a free set of the encyclopedia."
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"The Kentucky Women Writers Conference is seeking two college students for summer internships. From May 25 through September 17, interns will assist with publicity, writing contests, and event planning. They will work 5 hours per week with $500 stipend and must be available for long hours during the conference weekend, September 10–12. For more information or to request an interview, please send a resume and cover letter (both are required) to womenwriters(at)uky(dot)edu." (via the Kentucky Foundation for Women "Hot Flash" newsletter)
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Nicholls State University (La.) is looking for an Assistant Professor of English, "Creative Writing (Fiction/Poetry) Specialty." Find the listing here.
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"Hofstra University's Publishing Studies program seeks an adjunct instructor to teach two courses in book editing for the 2010-2011 academic year. Candidate must have extensive experience in book editing. In addition, experience in copyediting, proofreading, and book acquisition, as well as teaching English or book publishing at the college level, is a plus."
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The Muffin, the blog of WOW! Women on Writing, is looking for a Fiction Blogger: "Are you a fiction writer who enjoys sharing your knowledge, tips, and advice with fellow writers? We're looking for a blogger who is dedicated to fiction--someone who has a novel under her belt and/or published short stories--who can craft short posts on how-to topics related to fiction writing." They're also looking for a "Tech" Topics Blogger: "Do you like to write about SEO, social networking for writers/authors, blogging, book promotion online, etc? We're looking for a blogger who can write about various "tech" (okay, not so tech, but sort-of) topics in a woman-friendly voice. A blogger who can guide newbies through the labyrinth of the web. Posts can be about anything from how to burn a feed to how to find groups on Twitter. Posts should be short, simple how-tos written for beginners." To apply: "All posts will be roughly 250 - 500 words. Familiarity with Wordpress and blogging is preferred. This is an ongoing blogging position where you'd be required to blog regularly and come up with your own post ideas with little or no supervision. Starting pay: $5 per post, paid monthly through PayPal. If you'd like to join our team, please send an email to editors(at)wow-womenonwriting(dot)com with 'Fiction Blogger' or 'Tech Topics Blogger' in the subject line. Include links to sample blog posts related to the topic you're applying for. Include links to your blog(s) and/or links to blogs you currently blog for. Let us know how many days a month or week you'd like to blog. We look forward to hearing from you!"
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From AdjunctNation.com, a few paying gigs for bloggers--this time, especially for those of you who teach off the tenure-track. I received this info via e-mail last week from AdjunctNation.com: "We are looking to add to our roster of AdjunctNation.com blogs. Right now, we have ten blogs. We are looking to add another half a dozen blogs to the site. At the moment, AdjunctNation.com gets 79,000-120,000 unique visitors each month. Do you have the desire to share your experiences with teaching colleagues from across North America and around the world? Here are the bloggers we're looking for:

1. One blogger to write about teaching online. You are an experienced distance education faculty member, and can write once weekly about the ins and outs of life as a virtual adjunct.

2. One blogger to write about the higher education unions. You are an experienced unionist faculty member, and can write once weekly about the ins and outs of the movement to unionize the nation's 700,000 faculty off the tenure-track.

3. One blogger to offer up teaching tips to new faculty. You are a very experienced faculty member, perhaps you've designed faculty orientations and/or orientation materials. This blogger will offer teaching advice to new adjunct faculty members on a weekly basis.

4. One blogger to write about life as a freeway flyer. You are an experienced faculty member, and can write once weekly about the ins and outs of life as an adjunct who is piecing together full-time work from part-time teaching jobs.

5. One blogger to write about life as an adjunct by choice. You are an experienced faculty member, and can write once weekly about the ins and outs of life as an adjunct who is NOT piecing together full-time work from part-time teaching jobs. You teach part-time because you want to, and enjoy it.

6. Pitch your own blog topic. I realize that there are as many different kinds of adjuncts as stars in the sky. Is your teaching situation unique? Pitch a blog.

If you are interested, please email me at editor(at)adjunctadvocate(dot)com. Indicate which blog you would be interested in writing and send along a 350 [-word?] sample blog entry. Please include contact information (phone number), and if your sample blog entry stops me in my tracks, I'll be in touch. Pay is $30 per weekly entry to start. I look forward to hearing all who are interested in blogging for AdjunctNation.com. Sincerely, P.D. Lesko, Executive Editor."

Friday Find: Dispatch from Iowa City, A Guest Post by Ronald H. Lands, M.D., M.F.A.

Ron Lands has to be one of the most impressive (and modest) people I met in my M.F.A. program. So when I learned that Ron - who earned an M.D. well before he tackled the M.F.A. - was attending a two-day event on "The Examined Life: Writing and the Art of Medicine" at the University of Iowa's Carver College at April's end, I was eager to request a guest post. Ever generous, Ron agreed. Here's his dispatch from the conference (you can learn more about this event, and check out the online archive, here).

“The Examined Life: Writing and the Art of Medicine"
University of Iowa, Carver College of Medicine
April 28-April 30, 2010

by Ron Lands

Medicine and literature often share the same topics; life and death, suffering and loss and everything in between. As they have every year since 2006, medical students, physicians, nurses, patients, and caregivers convened in a city known for its great writers, to collaborate regarding the power of writing in making sense of these grand themes and to demonstrate that the practice of medicine is an interpretive work.

A cardiologist put a human face on illness by blending his profession with his hobbies, interpreting the patient’s heart pathology by ultrasound then photographing the person in their home and writing poetry about the experience. An English professor wrote a play based on her personal experience with cancer and an actor interpreted and performed this dramatic work. Academicians shared tools and techniques to empower other educators to exploit the power of writing to cause reflection and nurture empathy in their students. Researchers presented data hoping to identify a physiologic link between writing and stress reduction in caregivers of Alzheimer’s patients. A literary scholar turned physician offered a powerful examination of metaphor in the language of pain. A leukemia patient and her hematologist shared their five-year journey from diagnosis to a durable and sustained remission, using essay, memoir and colored pencil sketches drawn during the trauma of her bone marrow transplant.

Flannery O’Connor, one of many great writers associated with Iowa City through the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, said, “I write to find out what I know.” “The Examined Life: Writing and the Art of Medicine,” further demonstrates the clarifying effect that reading, writing and reflection can bring to the chaos of illness for those who suffer and those who witness the suffering.

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Ronald H. Lands teaches in the Department of Medicine at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville campus, where he practices and teaches Internal Medicine, Hematology and Palliative Care. His fiction has appeared in New Millennium Writings, descant, Washington Square, and many others. He has published essays from the intersection of writing and medicine in the Journal of the American Medical Association, Annals of Internal Medicine, Journal of the American Geriatric Society, and the Journal of Palliative Medicine. His work has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize.

The Wednesday Web Browser

Zachary Watterson's excellent interview with Charles Johnson focuses on literary mentors and friends. (And don't miss the link to Johnson's take on writing workshops at the end.)
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Want some tips on how to write a good profile? Check out this advice from Linda Formichelli.
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I was happy to see that Creating Van Gogh (a.k.a. John Vanderslice) took me up on the recommendation to read Kathryn Stockett's The Help, and even more pleased to read his own thoughtful response to the book. Another recent post reminded and convinced me to get my hands on William Styron's posthumously-published The Suicide Run.
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Gina Barreca and Steve Almond may have written two entirely different pieces about the recent Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP) conference in Denver, but I found one interesting convergence in their posts. (Do you see what I see?)
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I really liked Robert Lee Brewer's Monday poetry prompt: "Pick a city, make that the title of your poem, and write a poem." And then I realized/remembered why I might appreciate this particular prompt.

The Wednesday Web Browser

Dzanc Books has announced which authors will be included in Best of the Web 2010 when it is published in June.
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Poet and professor Kimiko Hahn on inspiration, cultural identity, and the language of science. (Stay tuned for an interview with Kimiko Hahn in The Practicing Writer within the next few months, focusing on her new poetry collection, Toxic Flora.)
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Cate Marvin on poetry, motherhood, and the James Merrill House residency.
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This is another year when, alas, I will not be attending the Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP) conference, which gets fully underway tomorrow. But thanks to Twitter, I'll be following what attendees have to say about it using hashtag #awp10.

The Wednesday Web Browser

We've seen a lot online about Lucille Clifton since the poet's recent passing, but these reflections from Honorée Fanonne Jeffers stand out.
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The 2010 Association of Writers and Writing Programs conference hasn't yet taken place, but guidelines have been posted for 2011 event proposals (submission deadline is May 15, 2010).
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"Learning to Write the MFA Poem," by Nin Andrews (via the MFA Weblog).
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Dan Wickett declares March to be Chapbook Month over on the Emerging Writers Network.

Book Reviewing is NOT the Same as Sitting on the Couch Watching Bad TV

Earlier this week, Jason Boog reported on Arianna Huffington's keynote speech at the "Tools of Change" conference. As I read the summary, I thought: Hey, Arianna! I'm with you! Especially when I read: "Huffington also explored the idea behind The Huffington Post books section, rejecting 'this magical pub date'-- the traditional time-period for scheduling book reviews and running book tours. 'Forget about it--the idea that you have three weeks between pub date and oblivion. It doesn't have to be like that,' she said, earning a smattering of applause." (A smattering of applause? I should think she would have received a standing ovation, at least from the writers and publishing professionals in the room.)

Anyway, as I say, I was with her--until I read this:

"Finally, she addressed the perennial criticism that many writers on the site don't get paid. 'Self expression is the new entertainment,' she explained. 'We never used to question why people sit on the couch for seven hours a day watching bad TV. Nobody ever asked, 'Why are they doing that for free?' We need to celebrate that moment rather than question it.'"

(Spoken like someone who might have both a huge divorce settlement AND a slew of advertisers and may not exactly depend on income generated by her own writing to pay her bills.)

Now, it may surprise some of you to learn that I'm just as capable of sitting on the couch for seven hours (when I have seven hours to spare) watching bad TV as the next person. (While I'm in confession mode, I may as well tell you that last weekend my sister and I went to see Kathy Griffin perform here New York. She--Kathy Griffin-- was hilarious. There. By the way, if you don't watch television, don't bother going to see Kathy Griffin. Whenever she's not imitating her mother, she's talking about various reality shows and "characters. Or Anderson Cooper. Or Law and Order: Special Victims Unit.)

But I digress.

When I write, the "entertainment" factor differs significantly from what results when I stare at my TV. Any "entertainment" that comes from reviewing, for instance, is pure pleasure from the work, satisfaction from reading a book I (hopefully) want to tell others about (for that matter, reading it at least twice), thinking about that book, rechecking everything from the list price to the page count, and writing and crafting a text that will make sense and perhaps even resonate with readers. It's work. It may be absorbing, self-expressive, and even entertaining work. But even if we choose not to be paid for it--as we might when writing for a particular cause/organization--it's still work.

It's not sitting on a couch watching bad TV.

Monday Morning Markets/Jobs/Opportunities

"To mark European Week Against Racism the Social Inclusion Unit, South Dublin County Council, will hold a competition which aims to combat racism and to celebrate culture diversity of people living in Ireland today. Everybody can participate...by conveying your personal message against racism through a submission of writing (poetry/prose) maximum 500 words." Cash prizes for three winners and six runners-up. No entry fee. Deadline: March 19, 2010.
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The OpEd Project runs a "Write to Change the World" seminar (the focus of which is on women). "We are committed to making The OpEd Project programs affordable for any woman who is committed to changing the world with her voice. To that end, we provide full and partial scholarships for up to 40% of participants in any seminar." Does not appear to require an application fee. Seminars are currently scheduled for Boston, Los Angeles, San Fancisco, and New York City.
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And still more scholarship news, from The Glen Workshop (affiliated with Image, a journal focused on "art-faith-mystery"): "a limited number of partial scholarships will be available, to be awarded based on both need and quality of work. You may apply to any class, even if it's closed for registration (see the course descriptions page). However, if you wish to guarantee a spot in a workshop, even if you do not win a scholarship, you must register for an available workshop and pay the $100 deposit." Application deadline is March 15, 2010.
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"The Consortium for Science Policy & Outcomes (CSPO) at Arizona State University is presenting an intensive two-day workshop, followed by participation in CSPO's conference 'The Rightful Place of Science?', for the 'next genreation' of writers with an interest in science and technology. Selected participants will learn creative nonfiction techniques, consult with editors of major magazines and pair with a 'next generation' science and technology policy scholar. The goal of the workshop is to provide an opportunity for the scholars and writers to work together to publish their work in a mainstream magazine or to develop a book or film proposal." The workshop and conference are scheduled for May 2010. "Those selected will receive an honorarium and travel expenses to attend the two-day workshop and three-day conference...." There is no application fee indicated. Deadline: March 15, 2010. (via the Creative Nonfiction newsletter)
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The Wordsworth Trust (U.K.) "is seeking a new Poet in Residence, to run for 9 months from July 2010 to end March 2011....This Residency offers an invaluable opportunity for a published poet, from any cultural background and writing within any literary tradition, to spend time in Grasmere, Cumbria, in the heart of the Lake District, an area of outstanding natural beauty that so much inspired William Wordsworth. The poet will be given space to develop their own work and will also take part in the Wordsworth Trust Literature Programme and the wider cultural life of Cumbria. The Poet in Residence will be paid a monthly stipend of £1000.00 and provided with a cottage for which they will be charged a subsidised rent." Application deadline is March 5. No application fee is mentioned.
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The University of Delaware seeks a Senior News Editor, the University of Texas-Arlington is looking for a Media Relations Officer, and the University of Chicago welcomes applications for a Writer/Project Manager.
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Our March Practicing Writer newsletter will go out to subscribers next weekend. Don't miss it!

The Wednesday Web Browser

In her latest Chronicle essay, Rachel Toor writes about the habit of writing. Warning: Prepare to feel chastised if you aren't a)writing and b)exercising as much as you should/want to be.
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I've been out of college almost 20 years, but I still enjoy reading the main campus newspaper (and thanks to the Internet, it's easy for me to do so!). Here's a story--about a "budding freshman author" named Noni D. Carter--that makes such visits to the newspaper's site even more meaningful.
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Midge Raymond reports on her recent trip to the Southern California Writers' Conference and what she heard there.
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Another useful nuts-and-bolts column from "After Deadline."

Monday Morning Markets/Jobs/Opportunities

This week, I'd like to present a sampling of the opportunities that were posted within our January issue of The Practicing Writer (which went out to subscribers last week). If you're not yet a subscriber, join us! (The newsletter is free, and your e-mail address is kept confidential.) And if you are a subscriber already, thank you for your support!

January is a month when Graywolf Press accepts unagented submissions (postmark dates; submissions are also welcome in May and September). "Graywolf Press is a literary press that publishes about twenty-seven books annually, mostly collections of poetry, memoir, essays, novels, and short stories. Our editors are looking for high quality literary fiction, nonfiction, and poetry that combines a distinct voice with a distinct vision."
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January is also a month to submit fiction to Glimmer Train. Submit up to three short stories per submission month. Pays: $700, plus 10 copies.
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The annual Sylvia K. Burack Scholarship from The Writer magazine honors the memory of the magazine's longtime editor-in-chief and publisher. It is open to full-time undergraduate students (18 or older) enrolled at a university or college in the U.S. or Canada at time of entry. This year, the competition seeks "a previously unpublished 600- to 800-word personal essay in English on the following topic: 'Select a work of fiction or poetry that has influenced the way you view the world and the way you view yourself. Discuss the work and explain how it affected you.'" One entry per student. Prize: $500 and a subscription to The Writer. No application fee. Deadline: March 1, 2010.
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"Each year, Fishtrap, Inc. awards up to five Fellowships valued at $1,000 for Summer Fishtrap Workshops and Gathering, held every July at Wallowa Lake, Oregon. Awards are made on the basis of writing submission only, and are not limited to any one genre. Submissions should follow the Fishtrap mission, which is to promote 'good writing in and about the West.' Therefore, applicants should be from the West, or writing about the West. Fellowships cover the cost of a workshop, registration for the Gathering, and food and lodging for a week. A small travel stipend is also included." No application fee. Deadline: February 1, 2010.
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"Writers' & Artists' Yearbook and the Arvon Foundation have both helped numerous successful authors and artists on the way to their big-break. Now it could be your turn. We're offering you the chance to win £500, plus a place on an Arvon writing course worth up to £575 and to have your work published on the web! All you have to do is write a short story (for adults) of no more than 2,000 words, on the theme of 'Unity or Union.'" No entry fee (though entrants must register with the parent Web site). Deadline: February 14, 2010. Check full details, terms, and conditions online.

Bread Loaf Writers' Conference Readings and Lectures on iTunes U

If you're one of those writers who yearns to attend the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference but who, for whatever reason, has never quite made it to Vermont, you may be especially glad to know that you can download readings and lectures presented at the Conference. Free! Without traveling! (Hat tip to Celeste Ng/the FWR blog for reminding me that this resource is available.)

The Wednesday Web Browser

Ha Jin visits the site that inspired his latest collectiom: Flushing, Queens.
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Anyone heading to Jerusalem next week?
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Here's a holiday gift for writers (and readers) from The New York Times.
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Congratulations to the team at The Writer for the magazine's latest Eddie Award for editorial excellence (that makes seven since 2001) from Folio magazine. It's wonderful working with you!

Conference Scholarship for Ontario Writers (Deadline Approaching Fast!)

There's no time to save this announcement for the Monday morning round-up, so I'm posting it today. The Ontario Writers' Conference offers a "Kick-Start Writing Prize" for entrants (ages 18-26) who attend a postsecondary institution in the province of Ontario. "We believe in the importance of encouraging young writers to explore their creativity, strengthen their craft and immerse themselves in the writing community. To this end, we are offering one full scholarship and one partial fellowship to attend our 2010 writers’ conference, plus an opportunity for our winners to read at evening’s Festival of Authors." You'll need to submit a short personal essay with your application. There's no entry fee. Deadline: November 1, 2009. (via placesforwriters.com)

The Thursday Web Browser

I know--Wednesday is the day for the Web Browser--but there is so much to share that I'm taking the liberty of making the regular "column" a two-day event this week:

While nixing cookie service at faculty meetings (or perhaps because of this cost-cutting measure), Harvard manages to purchase the archive of John Updike.
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Intriguing article about the day job/writing dilemma(s). (via Galleycat)
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The first-ever Compleat Biographer conference has been scheduled for May 2010 in Boston, and "biographers who are willing to put on a workshop, chair a panel discussion, or make a presentation" are in demand. (NB: According to The Biographer's Craft, the conference date will be May 15, rather than the May 23 I just saw on the conference Web site.)
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And in case you've been offline for the last day and a half: this year's Man Booker award has gone to Hilary Mantel for Wolf Hall.

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

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).

The Wednesday Web Browser: Ask Allison, Tablet Magazine, and Woolf Conference Recap

Author Allison Winn Scotch's popular "Ask Allison" blog--replete with posts on freelancing and fiction-writing--has a new home online.
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Speaking of changes online: Fans of Nextbook.org (moi included) are settling into a site redesign--and a new name, Tablet Magazine: A New Read on Jewish Life. One of the recently-launched features I'm most happy about: Josh Lambert's weekly column on new Jewish books. (Congrats, Josh. I look forward to all your updates!)
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Congrats also to my friend Anne, who recently ran a most successful conference focusing on Virginia Woolf. Do check out Sasha Graybosch's account of the event on The Rumpus.

The Wednesday Web Browser: Getting Paid, Conference Recap, Poetry@Harvard

The Renegade Writer presents The Freelancer's Guide to Getting Paid.
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Missed the BEA/Writer's Digest Conference? Check out the link-rich roundup.
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My alma mater's been on my mind a lot lately, and I was perusing its Web site when I found this new beta offering: Poetry@Harvard, which offers "a vital nexus of poetry-related courses, library collections, events, organizations, publications and pedagogy at Harvard University."

News from the Nieman Narrative Journalism Program

Another recession casualty--I received the news via e-mail over the weekend:

Dear Friends of the Nieman Narrative Journalism Program,

I write to tell you of the Nieman Foundation’s decision to suspend the Nieman Conference on Narrative Journalism and the Nieman Seminar for Narrative Editors during the 2009-2010 academic year.

This will disappoint those who have participated in the conferences in the past and who anticipated attending another narrative gathering in the spring of 2010. This difficult step reflects the foundation’s need to make a major reduction in spending for the next fiscal year, beginning in July.

The annual conferences, which were attended by hundreds of journalists and writers, were part of our strategy to establish the Nieman Foundation as a leader in supporting the value of long-form storytelling.

Our commitment to narrative will continue through the narrative writing class offered to Nieman Fellows and our online Nieman Narrative Digest. The site is now updated bi-monthly and features notable narratives, interviews with authors, essays on craft, a narrative lexicon, useful links for writers and other resources.

I also encourage you to visit our Nieman Journalism Lab, Nieman Reports, and Nieman Watchdog Web sites for industry news, tips and inspiration.

Thank you for your wonderful support of our narrative endeavors.

Best regards,
Robert H. Giles
Nieman Foundation Curator