December 22nd, 2009
"Writing has laws of perspective, of light and shade just as painting does, or music. If you are born knowing them, fine. If not, learn them. Then rearrange the rules to suit yourself. "
— Truman Capote
Welcome to the final 2009 installment of the Grub Street Rag, a newsletter of the Boston literary scene sent out every Tuesday from the bottoms of our eggnog glasses at Grub Street's world headquarters. As always, if you are receiving this e-mail in horror, please advance to the bottom of the page to unsubscribe yourself.
Talk about last minute! If you order TODAY by 2pm, the non-denominational elf at Grub Street (also known as Whitney "Last Employee Standing" Scharer) will mail out your gift memberships or workshop gift certificates by 5pm today. See our gift guide for ideas. The best news of all? All gifts support the literary arts in Massachusetts. Shipping is free, emailed certificates are easier, and though we can't completely guarantee Christmas delivery, we think we can get it to you on time. Call us at 617.695.0075 or order online.
Many of you have gotten to know Whitney Ochoa, our Outreach Coordinator, over the past two years. Whitney has been the smiling face who greeted newcomers to the Grub office, and the dedicated leader of the YAWP writing sessions on Saturdays. We regret having to announce that yesterday was Whitney's last day at Grub Street. We are so sad to lose her, but so excited about her plan: to move to California and focus on her writing career. Good luck, Whitney--we will miss you more than we can say!
Maybe it was the use of the word "desperate" in our plea for volunteers, or maybe you're all just filled with holiday spirit, but we can't believe the fantastic turnout we got for our big mailing. A HUGE thanks to all our instructors, who came early to the Season Showcase to stuff and seal, and to Desiree, Hashim, Carolyn, Jennifer, Jane, and Jim for coming on Friday and getting the mailing out the door. There were a lot of other people who offered to volunteered as well, and even though we didn't need you this time, we really appreciate your good intentions. You warm the cockles of our grubby Grubbie hearts!
Join for 2010 at 2009 rates!
On January 1st, we’ll be increasing our base membership fee to $60, but if you renew this month, you’ll get the $50 price.
Renew for as many years as you want. Buy a gift membership for a friend. Like the Forever Stamp, if you buy now, this price is good forever. And as you know, Grub Street membership entitles you to great benefits, including discounts on ALL our classes and events (for example, members now save fifteen dollars on the cost of one-night seminars), discounts at local independent bookstores, parking discounts and more. Click on http://www.grubstreet.org/index.php?id=34 to join or renew today.
Cheers,
Whitney S., Sonya, Chris, and Alexis
The P.S.: The Grub Street office will be closed from December 23rd - January 3rd, reopening on January 4th for all your writing needs. If you want to register for a winter course, do it today! Instead of letting your spot be lost in the holiday shuffle, call us at 617.695.0075 to register.
In addition to our ongoing workshops, Grub Street offers numerous writing-related events around town. See our website for a long-term view of all we do. Ready to sign up? Call us at 617.695.0075 and we'll get you on the list.
Weekend of Manuscript Consultations: Saturday, February 13th, between 10am-3pm
Looking to polish your work before an agent sees it at The Muse and the Marketplace? Want to get immediate, one-on-one feedback from a Grub instructor? Throughout this Saturday, various members of our creative writing faculty will be meeting individually for thirty minutes with writers who have submitted 25 pages of their work ahead of time. The 25 page writing sample – usually long enough to include a complete short story, a novel chapter, a substantive personal essay, a short play, a series of poems, or a screenplay excerpt – is often needed when applying to MFA programs, teaching positions, fellowships, residencies, etc. The session includes yummy coffee and doughnuts. Deadline for submissions is 5:00pm on January 28th. See all details, including the list of consultants, here. <http://www.grubstreet.org/index.php?id=172> Each consultation costs $140. It's a total steal-- normally it would cost $250! Sign up for as many as you'd like.
$140, Grub Street HQ, 160 Boylston Street, Boston, MA.
UPCOMING SEMINARS ON JANUARY 11th, 2010:
The Rules of Writing: How to Use Them & When To Break Them
The Elusive Art of the Query Letter, Or How to Hook an Agent in 400 Words or Less
Food Writing
Pen to Paper to Poem
Click links to access descriptions to these seminars.
Be sure to check out our events calendar for a comprehensive view of upcoming events.
Know your legal rights as a writer. This January, Grub Street is offering a special FREE service for members and instructors: a free legal clinic to answer your writing-related legal questions. Adrienne Baker, a third-year student at Harvard Law School, will be at Grub HQ to answer your questions related to copyright, trademark, contracts, cyberlaw, and other legal issues. Adrienne will be working under the supervision of Zick Rubin, one of Boston’s foremost copyright and trademark lawyers, whose clients include Newbury Comics, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Young Authors Foundation, and Harvard University.
Adrienne will be at Grub Street on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays starting January 5th, 2010. She will meet with you in private, half-hour sessions by appointment only, 11AM – 6:30. (Other times available by request). All discussions are confidential. This service is provided for free to our members.
On Wednesdays, from 3pm-5pm, Adrienne and Zick Rubin will hold small group Q&As at Grub HQ. Though these sessions will address specific themes, they will be open to any member with any writing-related legal questions.
Please take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to learn about your rights as a writer. To sign up, you must be a current member, and you must email Adrienne directly at: adbaker@jd10.law.harvard.edu. All appointments are first-come, first-served.
Adrienne Baker is third-year Harvard Law School student and graduated from Harvard College (cum laude) with a Bachelor’s of Arts in Psychology. After college, she worked in marketing and advertising for several years in New York City. While in law school, Adrienne has taken many copyright courses, including Copyright Law, Copyright and Trademark Ligation, and Advanced Intellectual Property Law. She plans to pursue a career in intellectual property law at a major New York law firm after graduation, and looks forward to meeting and helping the Grub Street community with their writing-related legal questions.
This week, Spreading the Love is taking a long winter's nap, and so should you!
Welcome to the end of the e-mail, where, like identical snowflakes, we offer you the chance to win a prize. The author featured in the quote at the top of the email once compared himself to what ear-splitting object? (This week's quiz question is also on Twitter at http://twitter.com/GrubWriters, if you prefer your quiz questions tweeted). First correct respondent gets free ice cream from J.P. Licks.
Last week's answer: Edna O'Brien. Last week's winner: Kate Neuner.