January 19th, 2010

Grub Street News

Welcome to the latest installment of the Grub Street Rag, a newsletter of the Boston literary scene sent out every Tuesday from the deceptively shallow slush puddle 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.

Master Novelist Celebrates Her Debut Novel and Gives Back

Department Of Congratulations, Special Election Day Edition

Where do we begin when there is so much good news to report? First up, a Grubbie with a "first" of her own: Fran Grote, who very excitedly wrote us to say that her first published story, "Dancing With Stuart," has just come out in The Del Sol Review at: http://delsolreview.webdelsol.com/dsr16/Grote.htm. Next, Grub instructor Kate Flora is happy to share the news that her Portland, Maine-based police procedural, Playing God, has just been issued as an audio book from Books in Motion. Says Kate (and we agree): "Go new technology!" One of our Advisory Council members, Susan Orlean, was happy to share with us that her husband, John Gillespie, has a book out next week, Money For Nothing: How the Failure of Corporate Boards is Ruining American Business and Costing Us Trillions. Longtime Grubbie Varsha Kukafka's novella, Committed, was a runner-up in the Miami University Press Novella Contest. Another Grubbie, Octavia Randolph, recently found out she'll be spending March at an all-expenses paid residency at the Ledig House International in Omi, NY. Grubbie Thomas Gagnon, who can often be found taking advantage of his Grub membership privileges by writing in our office space, published an essay called "The Three Faces of Facebook" in the winter issue of Wilderness House Literary Review. We were thrilled to hear that Mike Schiavone, a former student and perpetual Grub friend, sold his debut novel to Permanent Press.  It will be available for release in 2011. Grubie Laura Gabel Hartman wrote in to tell us that she placed her story called "Man Cave" in Red Cedar Review, and says that she sends special thanks to Lara JK Wilson, who helped her realize she could cut the golf scene. Grub member Sue Williams received not one but two awards in the Soul Making Contest: First Place in Flash Fiction for "Poised, Like Jellies" and Third Place in Short Story for "The Moth Catcher." And last but never least, our very own poetry instructor Rebecca Morgan Frank, currently a PhD candidate in Poetry at the University of Cincinatti, has had her first book of poems, Little Murders Everywhere, accepted by Salmon Poetry. Congratulations to all--please keep sending us the good news. It warms the cockles of our wintertime hearts!

R.I.P., Robert B. Parker

We were incredibly saddened to hear of the death of Boston writer Robert B. Parker this past Monday. The author of more than fifty novels, including the "Spenser" series on which the television show "Spenser: For Hire" was based, died in his Cambridge home at the age of 77. Rest in peace, Robert, and know that you were an inspiration to us all.

Cheers,
Whitney, Sonya, Chris, Chip and Alexis

The P.S.: Department of Congratulations, Labor Day Edition: Grub Poetry Instructor Anna Ross's son was born this past Thursday, Jan. 7th, about 5 weeks early. His name is Charles (Charlie) William Ross Berg, and, despite his surprise precipitous arrival, he is doing very well. Charlie is still in the NICU at Tufts, but he's slated to go home soon. Charlie weighed 4 lbs 15 oz. at birth and was 20 and 1/2 inches long. Congratulations on your l'il Dickens (or Auden, or Eliot or Berryman), Anna and family!

Grub Events

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.

TEEN PROGRAM: Saturday, January 23rd, 12:00 PM - 4:00 PM, YAWP (Young Adult Writers Program)
Are you – or do you know – a teen who likes to write poems, lyrics, stories, novels or screenplays? Come to YAWP, a free monthly teen writing workshop for Boston-area teens 12-17. YAWP provides writing exercises in small groups, feedback from working writers, pizza and inspiration. You provide the energy to write, share your work, and try new things. Please sign up in advance by emailing info@grubstreet.org or calling 617.695.0075. When you sign up, please let us know your genre preference: Fiction, Poetry or Sci-Fi/Fantasy.
FREE, Grub Street HQ, 160 Boylston Street, Boston, MA.

BOOK PRIZE: Friday, January 29th, 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM Rick Barot, 2009 Grub Street Book Prize Winner, Reading and Reception
We are proud to welcome acclaimed poet Rick Barot, visiting from Tacoma, WA, who will read from his most recent collection, Want (Sarabande, 2008) winner of the 2009 Grub Street National Book Prize in Poetry. Barot is the author of one previous book of poetry, The Darker Fall (Sarabande, 2002) Don’t miss this opportunity to see and meet this wonderful poet and teacher. A reception with fine food and drink will begin at 6pm and be followed by the reading and Q&A at 7pm.
FREE, Grub Street HQ, 160 Boylston Street, Boston, MA.

POETRY SEMINAR: Saturday, January 30th, 10:00 AM - 12:30 PM Poetry Craft Class: "Form, Shape and Three Women Poets"
This seminar is FREE but open only to members, and will be led by 2009 Grub Street Poetry Book Prize winner Rick Barot. Please sign up in advance by emailing sonya@grubstreet.org. Description:
The aim of this discussion class will be to show how formal strategies can be employed to generate new poems and to revise already-drafted poems. It should be said that in the term “formal strategies” I don’t necessarily mean only traditional forms—rather, these formal strategies have to do with the shape, whether traditional or open, that gives the best poems their fulfilled inevitability. We will look at the work of three very different women poets to glean lessons on how poems can be brought to powerful shape. In the poems of Virginia Hamilton Adair, we’ll see how the rigor of her poems deeply masks, and controls, highly combustible traumas. In Cate Marvin’s poems, we’ll look at the ways in which the old subjects of love and romance are given transgressively new renditions through canny use of form. And in Susan Stewart’s work, we’ll look at the ways in which the pliancies of memory are honored by her brave new lyric shapes.
FREE FOR GRUB STREET MEMBERS, Grub Street HQ, 160 Boylston Street, Boston, MA.

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.

WEEKEND WORKSHOP: Saturday, February 6 - Sunday, February 7th, 9-4pm, Screenwriting Made Simple
Instructor: Drew Yanno
If you want to learn how to write a screenplay, but don’t have the time for a 10-week course, this weekend is for you. Whether you have read a book or two on the subject or have never studied screenwriting at all, Screenwriting Made Simple will provide you with the information and knowledge you need to write a full-length feature film script. The workshop is taught by professional screenwriter and Boston College screenwriting professor Drew Yanno, whose former students have sold/optioned their scripts, won screenwriting competitions and work for television and film production companies in Hollywood. Drew, author of The Third Act: Writing a Great Ending to Your Screenplay, will teach you the basics of screenplay structure, creating memorable characters, and writing effective dialogue. You will also learn how a screenplay progresses from the idea stage through the finished product, along with receiving loads of tips on making your screenplay read like a professional’s. In addition, you will learn about the business of Hollywood and how a screenwriter fits into that hierarchy, including advice on how to fashion your script to meet the demands of today’s marketplace. Don't miss out on this opportunity to learn screenwriting from a pro – in just two days!
$220/$195 members, Grub Street HQ, 160 Boylston Street, Boston, MA

WEEKEND WORKSHOP: Saturday, February 6 - Sunday, February 7th, , 9-4pm, The Next J.K. Rowling: Unlocking the Power of Fairy Tale and Myth
Readers can’t get enough of the fantastical. J.K. Rowling, and most recently Stephanie Meyer, have millions of devoted readers worldwide. So too does Philip Pullman, Margaret Atwood, J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis and hundreds of others who employ such worlds and characters. During this team-taught weekend, we will delve into the glittering Aladdin’s Cave of myths and fairytales and help you to find and develop your own fantastical kingdom. Revisiting a varied host of familiar tales from Little Red Riding Hood to The Odyssey, we will look at modern interpretations of these fairy tales and myths and see how you too can carve out your own magical world. There will be many inspiring creative exercises and prompts and plenty of time for you to start “opening the wardrobe door” and creating your own Narnia.
$220/$195 members, Grub Street HQ, 160 Boylston Street, Boston, MA

WEEKEND WORKSHOP: Saturday, February 6 - Sunday, February 7th, 9-4pm, Developing Your Personal Brand: New Media Marketing For Writers
Instructor: Crystal King
Novelists, poets, freelancers and writers around the world are benefiting from the possibilities of the Internet, building both their personal brand and at the same time driving visibility (and sales!) of their work. Writers face the same challenges as other entrepreneurs: competition; resource restrictions; the need to be first, the best or the most original to market; and, most importantly, the need to be innovative. Publishers are feeling the pinch which means that fewer and fewer writers will get “lucky” and score it big through traditional means. Instead, they need to engage in techniques that move them past hurdles and into the minds of their potential buyers. This class will explore both the basic tenets of what comprises a personal brand as well as to talk about the best ways to use new media tactics such as Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, LibraryThing and much more.
$220/$195 members, Grub Street HQ, 160 Boylston Street, Boston, MA

ONE-DAY WEEKEND WORKSHOP: Sunday, February 7th, 9-4pm, Jumpstart Your Writing
Instructor: Grace Talusan
The weekend version of one of our most popular courses has a very clear mission: spend the weekend writing. Through a series of fun directed writing exercises, we will explore the terrain of fiction and some non-fiction: mining for material, constructing characters and settings, shaping vivid dialogue, understanding point of view, and finding your voice. We will discuss the process of writing and the strengths and weaknesses of the work we produce in class. We will read and discuss published stories in regards to craft, then write exercises inspired by the stories. A supportive and generative experience for both new and practicing writers. Limited to 15 students.
$115/$95 members, Grub Street HQ, 160 Boylston Street, Boston, MA

Be sure to check out our events calendar for a comprehensive view of upcoming events.

Spreading the Love

--TRAVEL WRITING: Tuesday, January 19th, 6pm, CHUCK THOMPSON - TO HELLHOLES AND BACK
Chuck Thompson will talk about and read from his new book, "To Hellholes and Bac:k: Bribes, Lies, and the Art of Extreme Tourism." Our in-store book signing and reception will include a reading, a Q&A period, and time to speak informally with Chuck about his travel and writing. Whether writing about the Congo, India, Mexico City, Disney World, or any destination that he views with trepidation. Chuck's descriptions of his adventures are opinionated, funny and thought-provoking. In a recent interview by a GCB staff member (on our staff blog), Chuck offered his definition for extreme tourism as "often associated with space tourism or living in a grass hut in Papua New Guinea for a month. But if your idea of a good time is hanging out in grass huts, what’s so extreme about that? Extreme travel, to me, is anything that takes you out of your comfort zone — physically, intellectually, emotionally. That’s why both the Congo and Disney presented me with “extreme” opportunities. I didn’t want anything to do with either one."
FREE, The Globe Corner Bookstore, 90 Mt. Auburn Street, Harvard Square. More info: http://globecornerbookstore.com/blogs/events/

--SEMINAR: January 23rd, 4-6pm, Stephen Elliott On Creating The Adderall Diaries
Come to 826 Boston, a non-profit youth writing center in Roxbury's Egleston Square, on Saturday, January 23 from 4-6 pm for an adult writers' seminar with author Stephen Elliott. $25 covers a copy of Elliott's latest book, The Adderall Diaries and craft talk with the author. This talk will focus on the generation of memoir, using the author's recent book, The Adderall Diaries, as a jumping off point for discussing the process of figuring out your story and editing it into something someone would want to read. Admission is the price of the book and includes a copy. Visit www.826boston.org to buy tickets.

--READING: Friday, January 22, 7pm, Breakwater Reading Series
Breakwater Reading Series presents writing by UMass-Boston & Emerson MFA students every third Friday of the month.  January features fiction by Lily Rabinoff-Goldman & poetry by Shea Mullaney.  
FREE, Brookline Booksmith, 279 Harvard St., Brookline.

--BOOK PARTY: Sunday, January 24th, 2-5pm, National Writers Union Annual Book Party
Featured speaker: Steve Almond
 The Union is inviting colleagues and friends to the annual celebration of our friends and colleagues who’ve published a book in the last year. Free and open to the public. For more info:
http://nwuboston.org/events/bookparty10.html
FREE, Central Square YMCA Theater, Central Square, Cambridge.

--READING: Wednesday, January 27th, 7PM: Joshua Ferris and Charles Bock
Joshua Ferris, author of The Unnamed, and Charles Bock, author of Beautiful Children.
FREE, Newtonville Books, 296 Walnut St., Newton. www.newtonvillebooks.com.

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