Axton Fellowship Deadline Approaching

January 15, 2006, is the postmark deadline for applying for an Axton Fellowship in Creative Writing at the University of Louisville. The fellowship is open to writers who have received their terminal degree (M.A., M.F.A., or Ph.D.) in creative writing within the past five years. Two fellows (one in poetry and one in fiction) will be appointed for the next two academic years. They will be awarded stipends ($25,000/year) and benefits. "Each fellow will give a reading in the Axton reading sesries once during his or her tenure, will run one, two-day literary seminar, and will teach one course each semester. Of the four courses, one will be of the fellow's design, one will be on the teaching of creative writing, and the other two will be upper level creative writing or literature courses. The fellows will be expected to be in residence in Louisville during their fellowship period." The fellowship is intended to offer recent graduates time to work on their own writing, as well as to "associate them with a distinguished faculty, and to allow them to contribute to a vibrant creative writing program." Download the full description (with application instructions) at the bottom of this page.

Postal Rates Change

Here's an important reminder for all practicing writers in the U.S.: postal rates change as of January 8, 2006 (this Sunday). I managed to buy a bunch of 2-cent stamps to use with my trove of 37-centers yesterday (and also extended my P.O. Box rental for another year). So if you plan on mailing any submissions or taking care of other postal business in the immediate future, make it very immediate to take advantage of the current rates, and be sure to remember to include appropriate added postage for any SASE's (last time the rates went up I ended up having to hunt for submission responses months later from more than one journal that simply did not use the old SASE, and wouldn't/couldn't make up the difference on its own).

Please Vote!

No, it isn't November. We're still in January. And it's time for the Preditors and Editors annual Readers' Poll.

If you're a fan of our free monthly e-newsletter, now two years old, please express your support by taking just a moment to vote for your friendly e-zine editor (me, Erika Dreifus), right here. I don't want to fill all the e-mailboxes of our 1200 subscribers with a notice just about this poll (which is open until January 15), so please vote and spread the word to your fellow Practicing Writer subscribers! Thank you so much!

Market Lead from Jen Leo (WrittenRoad.com)

Here's something Jen Leo has just posted over at WrittenRoad.com. It's a newsy market lead about a new magazine called Wend. According to the media kit, Wend "is the new voice for the adventure lifestyle generation" that is "targeted at the urban adventure seeker residing in San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, Vancouver BC and all cities in between." A quarterly publication, it will launch this spring. And, says Jen, it pays.

In Case You Were Wondering...

I'm happy to report that my auto-response message is now disabled. The crisis is over!

A Short Rant

OK. I just need to vent. The web hosting services I pay for from one of the big companies have been, to put it mildly, less than dependable. I really try to pride myself on being organized and effective in all my correspondence and it is so frustrating when a "higher power," so to speak--especially one I'm paying hefty monthly fees for--lets me down.

The latest glitch (and there have been many!) is that I cannot remove/disable my auto-response message. It was in place from the middle of last week to yesterday, telling anyone who contacted me that I would be away from my e-mail through January 2. Last night I tried to remove that message. The trouble is all my correspondents--including, this morning, no fewer than five editors (at last count)--now must be thinking that I don't know enough to turn the auto-response off. That I am not detail-oriented. That I don't know what day it is.

Yes, I've checked with the web hosting company. Yes, they're having a problem which is interfering with my ability to be--and appear--professional. No, they haven't yet announced it on their own Web site. No, they don't know when it will be fixed.

Well, I just hope it's fixed soon. I don't like being made to look sloppy. And I don't like thinking that something I am already aware of and *want* to fix may negatively affect my writing practice, even in a small way.

Rant over. Thanks.

Attention, Writers from Washington State!

Artist Trust has made available its application for Grants for Artist Projects (GAP) awards. These awards (maximum, $1,400 each) "provide support for artist-generated projects, which can include (but are not limited to) the development, completion or presentation of new work." There's no application fee, and you have until February 24 to postmark your application.

Applicants "must be a practicing artist, 18 years of age or older by application deadline date, a generative artist, and a resident of Washington State at the time of application and when the award is granted. Applicants may NOT be a graduate or undergraduate matriculated student enrolled in any degree program. See application for more information on eligibility." Note that the projects themselves need not take place in Washington State.

Note also that writers from a wide array of disciplines may apply. For this program, "literary arts" includes but is not limited to Creative Non-Fiction, Experimental Works, Fiction, Graphic Novels, and Poetry. "Media Arts" includes but is not limited to film, video, animation, screenplays, and teleplays. "Performance Arts" includes but is not limited to musical theater, playwriting, and theater (and others). And applicants practicing in emerging fields or with cross-disciplinary interests (such as digital arts) are also welcome to apply, though they are advised to "call if you have questions about whether to apply in this category."

You can find out much more, and download the 2006 application, right here.

New Year, New Program

Among the new developments for writers in 2006 will be the launch of another low-residency MFA in Creative Writing Program. This time, Pine Manor College in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, will serve as the program's home. Concentrations will include fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, and writing for children and young adults. For more information, you can now visit the program's website.