January 26th, 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 by the Masters of the Yo-Yo 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.

Grub Street National Book Prize Reception: January 29th, 2010

Twice a year, Grub Street hosts a lovely catered dinner (with wine and cookies, too!) in our space followed by a reading, Q&A and reception to celebrate our National Book Prize winners. On Friday, January 29th, we will welcome acclaimed poet Rick Barot, who will read from Want, the collection that won the 2009 Grub Street National Book Prize in Poetry. Dinner begins at 6PM, the reading and Q&A at 7PM, and will be hosted by Grub instructor Wendy Mnookin and co-sponsored by Harvard Bookstore, which will be selling books. This event is open to all Grubbies and their friends, even (especially?) if you're not a poet. See you Friday night!

Take Part in Rick Barot's Members-Only Poetry Craft Class: Saturday, January 30th, 2010, 10AM - 12:30PM

Even More Book Prize News: Announcing the Winner of the 2010 Grub Street National Book Prize in Fiction

We are thrilled to announce that Vestal McIntyre has won the 2010 Grub Street National Book Prize in Fiction for his novel, Lake Overturn, published in 2009 by Harper. McIntyre is the also the author of You Are Not the One: Stories (Carroll & Graf, 2004), was a guest author at last year’s Muse and the Marketplace conference, and will return to the conference this spring. Of Lake Overturn, Grub instructor and head juror Lisa Borders wrote: "McIntyre’s magnificent novel explores the social strata of a small town in Idaho in the 1980s.  The prose is lush, the observations keen, and the plot engrossing to the last page; but what sets this book apart is McIntyre’s utter sympathy for all of his characters. From Connie, the fundamentalist whose reading of the Bible is too literal even for her own church, to Wanda, the addict who yearns to be a mother, to Enrique, a junior high school misfit who can occasionally be as cruel as his tormentors in his struggle for acceptance, the reader cannot help but be moved by the ways in which the good people of Eula, Idaho stumble, rise and grow." We also congratulate our Finalist, Scott Blackwood, for his excellent novel We Agreed To Meet Just Here (Western Michigan University Press, 2009).

Welcome, Chip!

Quick quiz: Who used to be the lead singer and rhythm guitarist of a heavy metal band in Houston, back when he had hair? Who knows how to moonwalk backwards, forwards, sideways, and in a circle? Who's a beer snob with a deep love of American I.P.A.s? Chip Cheek, that's who! Many of you know Chip as a Grub instructor (he teaches "Fiction I" and "Reading Like a Writer"), and now we are so pleased to welcome Chip as our new Administrative Coordinator. As the newest member of the Grub Street staff, Chip will be in our office full-time, attending to all your writing needs. When he's not here, Chip can often be found at Diesel Cafe in Somerville, at work on his novel. Please say hello or welcome when you stop by or talk to him on the phone!

Cheers,
Whitney, Sonya, Chris, Chip and Alexis

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.


BOOK PRIZE: Friday, January 29th, 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM Rick Barot, 2009 Grub Street Book Prize Winner, Reading and Reception
See "Grub Street News" section above for all the information about this event.
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"
See "Grub Street News" section above for all the information about this workshop.
FREE FOR GRUB STREET MEMBERS, Grub Street HQ, 160 Boylston Street, Boston, MA.

EDITORIAL: 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. 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.
*Deadline for submissions is 5:00pm on January 28th.*
$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!
*ONE SPOT LEFT!* $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
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.
*SOLD OUT. Email sonya@grubstreet.org to be placed on a waitlist.*
$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

--WORKSHOP: Tuesday, January 26th, 7pm, Grub Street South at Buttonwood Books presents: Plot Sprints & Other Exercises: How to Get Your Page Turner Mojo Working
There’s no secret to coming up with great plots. It just takes practice. In the session, the class will explore a variety of exercises to pump up the plot muscles in your brain and get you seeing everything in terms of love, murder, madness and mayhem. Chris Abouzeid is the author of the young adult novel, Anatopsis. His short stories, poetry and book reviews have appeared in The Boston Globe, AGNI magazine, The Literary Review, Epoch, and several other publications. His awards include grants from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, the Massachusetts Artists Foundation, and Honorable Mentions from the Pushcart Prize. He lives in Somerville. Reservations are requested and can be made by calling Buttonwood at 1-781-383-2665.
FREE, Buttonwood Books & Toys, Shaw’s, Rt.3A, Cohasset.

--READING: Tuesday, January 26th, 7:00 p.m: Steve Almond, Sherry Ellis, Lise Haines, Elizabeth Searle and Kathleen Spivack
Join Porter Square Books for an evening with contributors to Illuminating Fiction: Today's Best Writers of Fiction, Author Interviews (Red Hen 2009) by Sherry Ellis.
FREE, Porter Square Shopping Center, 25 White St., Cambridge .

--DINNER AND READING: Thursday, January 28th, 6:30pm, An Intimate Dinner with Elinor Lipman at The Red House
Beloved novelist Elinor Lipman joins us for an evening of conversation and good food at this fundraiser for WNBA/Boston. Witty, heartfelt, and thoroughly engaging, Lipman’s novels include such favorites as Dearly Departed and Then She Found Me. This is your chance to find out how she works her warm-hearted magic. WNBA is offering any Grub Street member a seat at the WNBA member price of $75.00. The charge is $125 for attendees who are not WNBA/Boston members but we want to extend this wonderful opportunity to Grub Street. With the $75, attendees receive a 3-course meal, autographed copy of Lipman's most recent novel, The Family Man, one-on-one conversation with Lipman and a receipt for a tax deductible donation to WNBA.  Anyone interested should conact Katherine Dibble at kdibble@att.net so that we can get an accurate count.
$75 Grub members/$125 non-members, The Red House, 98 Winthrop Street, Cambridge Note: The private dining room holds only 15, so seating is strictly limited.

--LECTURE/MEET-UP: Friday, January 29th, 7-9pm, Boston Bookfuturists Meet-Up: Introducing experiments in storytelling and publishing — exploring the intersection of books and technology
If you love books, and reading, and writing, it's a great time to be alive. Why? Because the means for making and sharing stories are are flourishing. Writers no longer merely hawk their wares on the market; they build audience and communities. Readers don't just curl up with a good book; they hack them, remix them, and mash them up. And a book isn't only something found on glued-together bits of paper, but a living thing that jumps from codex to blog to the social media and back again. The first ever Bookfuturists Meetup is this month at Microsoft New England Research & Development Center near the MIT campus in Kendall Square. Come listen to presentations on experiments in storytelling and publishing.
FREE, Please RSVP to info@bookfuturists.com, Microsoft New England Research & Development Center One Memorial Drive, Cambridge, MA.

--CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: Solstice: A Magazine of Diverse Voices
Solstice: A Magazine of Diverse Voices announces its inaugural fall issue with works by Kathleen Aguero, Richard Hoffman, Roland Merullo, Dzvinia Orlowsky, and other Boston area writers, including Grub Street instructors Jennifer de Leon in poetry, and, forthcoming, Grace Talusan in fiction. Also featured are Kurt Brown, Wesley Brown, Michael Steinberg, Valerie Wilson Wesley, Tanya Whiton and others. We’re an online magazine with a mission, including outreach to writers on the margins--writers in veterans writing groups, prison writing groups, rehab writing groups, and so on. We publish previously unheard voices along with established writers and photographers. First annual LITERARY CONTEST: Fiction/Nonfiction Prize $1,000. Final Judge: ANDRE DUBUS, author of House of Sand and Fog, and the forthcoming River, Fist and Bone. And a Poetry Prize: $500. Final Judge: TERRANCE HAYES, author of Hip Logic and Wind in a Box. Reading Fee $15. Deadline March 25, 2010. And we are considering regular submissions for our winter issue. Acceptance is competitive, but we welcome the work of Grub Street writers. Check out www.solsticelitmag.org for more info.
 

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