May 17th, 2010

Grub Street News

Welcome to the latest installment of the Grub Street Rag, a newsletter of the Boston literary scene sent out every Monday from the surprisingly underutilized daguerreotype booth 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.

Department of Warm Welcomes, Eve Bridburg Edition

The changes are more than paint-deep, of course, but perhaps you've noticed some improvements here at the Grub Street Command Center. Classrooms are tidier. The floors are spiffier. Things seem to be humming along a bit more efficiently. And what's the reason for the buzz of activity? Well, it's all part of the master plan of our fearless leader, Grub Street founder Eve Bridburg, who we at Grub are thrilled to welcome back as our new Executive Director! Eve worked in nonprofits in San Francisco, farmed in Oregon and managed an international Bookstore in the Czech Republic before moving to Boston to attend Boston University’s Creative Writing program on a teaching fellowship. She founded Grub Street in the spring of 1997 and then directed its transformation into a nonprofit arts organization in 2001. Once that work was complete, Eve joined The Zachary Shuster Harmsworth Literary Agency where she developed, edited, and sold a wide variety of books including memoirs, literary and commercial fiction, and expert-driven nonfiction titles.  Now back at Grub HQ, Eve is excited to oversee Grub Street’s next phase of growth with an eye toward advocating for all writers and exploring new opportunities for writers and readers in the digital age.  Welcome to the office, Eve--we're so glad you're here!

Chuck on Cheese

If you were at the Muse, you heard Chuck Palahniuk's fantastic keynote speech on writing, junkies, and cheese. If you missed it (or if you want to hear it again like it was the first time), check out the video of the speech posted on our homepage. Special thanks to Chuck, both for giving the speech in the first place and for allowing us to share it online.

Softball Department

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.

TEEN WRITING PROGRAM: Saturday, May 22nd, 10-12 and 1-3pm, YAWP (Young Adult Writing Program)
YAWP (Young Adult Writers Program) is now entering its fifth year and has been recognized by the Boston Globe as the city's hub for young writers. For the next session, we'll have classes at 10 AM and 1 PM. Teens can attend the morning session, the afternoon session, or both. For the first time, we're offering a class in the Graphic Novel, co-taught by KL Pereira and Lillian Devane. We'll also be offering Poetry, led by Jenn De Leon, and Fiction led by Beck Tuch. As ever, YAWP is FREE for all writers ages 13-18. Teens get a YAWP notebook, writing exercises, feedback from brilliant teachers, and snacks. All they need to bring is their imagination. If you're a teen (or you know a teen) who'd like to attend, PLEASE email chip@grubstreet.org or call 617-695-0075. Let us know your name; which workshop you want to take: Fiction, Poetry, or the Graphic Novel (AM or PM); your grade (Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, or Senior) and school.
Schedule: *10 AM to 12 PM: Workshops in Fiction, Poetry, and Graphic Novel * 12 PM to 1 PM: Open-mic reading, lunch (we'll provide snacks, but we encourage you to bring your own lunch), and social hour * 1 PM to 3 PM: Workshops in Fiction, Poetry, and Graphic Novel * 3 PM to 3:30 PM: Open Mic Reading.
FREE, Grub Street HQ, 160 Boylston Street, Boston, MA.

LUNCHTIME WRITING WORKSHOP: Wednesday, June 9th, 12:30 PM - 1:15 PM, Brown Bag Lunch Series
Do you work downtown and want to fit some writing into your day? Or do you have a schedule that gives you free afternoons instead of evenings? Bring your lunch and come on over to Grub Street for a Brown Bag Writing Workshop. For 45 minutes, you’ll meet fellow writers and get your creative juices flowing with some cool writing exercises. Best of all, you’ll leave lunch with some new ideas to ponder for the rest of your day, and beyond. No need to reserve a spot; just come to 160 Boylston Street, 4th Floor.
FREE, Grub Street HQ, 160 Boylston Street, Boston, MA.

WEEKEND WORKSHOP: June 12th & 13th, 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM, Out of the Slush Pile and Into Print
Instructor: James Scott
Publication in literary magazines is one of the best ways for emerging writers to achieve credibility, recognition, and a larger readership. Yet, the quantity and diversity of literary magazines can be daunting for submitters. Do you have stories that are polished and ready to be seen by a literary magazine editor, but are unsure of how to prepare a cover letter or pick the magazines best suited for your work? Or have you been submitting for a while, but worry you might be doing something wrong? In this weekend seminar, students will learn to navigate the literary magazine landscape. We will discuss how you can position your story for the best possible read and common mistakes made by submitters, study examples of “good” and “bad” cover letters, workshop first pages of student manuscripts, discussing what’s likely to engage a reader or dismay them from continuing with the story, and learn how to determine which magazines are appropriate for your work. In addition, students will draft their own cover letters and leave the class with a specific and personalized submission plan. We will also discuss the role of networking in the submission process and how to successfully pursue contacts made at conferences and other literary venues.
$220/$195 members, Grub Street HQ, 160 Boylston Street, Boston, MA.

WEEKEND WORKSHOP: June 12th & 13th, 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM, The Freelancing Payoff
Freelance isn’t just a way to make extra income—it could one day be your income. Join Eric Butterman, who has written for Glamour, ESPN.com, and numerous other publications, as he shows you how to turn one assignment into many and how to expand your horizons from field to field. “There’s many misconception in this business—like that you can’t follow up with phone calls after you send out a magazine pitch,” Butterman says. “Half my business is directly attributed to the phone and we’ll drill through phone calls together so I can show you how to do them correctly.” But before you ever pick up the phone, you need to pick your brain for the right magazine idea. “From sources to use, to a snappy headline, to making your pitch into the voice of the magazine, the pitch needs to be done just right or you just won’t get assignments. We’ll come up with them together on the spot so you can see how the mindset works.” Students in Butterman's 5-week courses have landed $1,000-and-up articles--while the class was still going on. The same timeframe resulted in assignments for New York Magazine's Daily Intelligencer, USA Today and more.
$220/$195 members, Grub Street HQ, 160 Boylston Street, Boston, MA.

WEEKEND WORKSHOP: Saturday, June 12th, 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM, The Rise of Flash II
Instructor: Tara Masih
This is a seminar for writers who took the first Rise of Flash weekend workshop AND for others who have experimented with the flash form prior to this class. We’ll look at new examples of contemporary flash stories (by writers such as Randall Brown, Kim Chinquee, Bruce Holland Rogers, and more), then concentrate on exercises that experiment with different forms and lengths. The goal of this class is to spend more time on workshopping and editing, as condensation and pacing are crucial tasks to master in this genre. Participants may also bring unpublished flash stories written outside of class for feedback (max. 1,000 words).
$115/$95 members, Grub Street HQ, 160 Boylston Street, Boston, MA.

WEEKEND WORKSHOP: June 12th & 13th, 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM, The Hook and the Book
Instructor: Sorche Fairbank
Most literary agents receive at least one hundred query letters each week, yet respond positively to a very select few - generally less than two percent, and decisions on writing samples are often made within the first five pages. Would yours make the cut? Do you know the secrets to writing a winning query? Join agent Sorche Elizabeth Fairbank of Fairbank Literary Representation for a weekend of intensive query and writing critique, lessons on the basics of a powerful synopsis, help on the first five pages, review of a laundry list of Dos and Don’ts, and group and one-on-one analysis of your submission package. Please prepare and email to chip@grubstreet.org no later than 5pm Tuesday, June 8th, a query letter of no more than 400 words, and the first five pages of your manuscript (double spaced, single sided, 12pt font, pages numbered) for the instructor, and bring four copies of the query and the first five pages to the first class for group review. Limited to 12 students.
Important: On Day One, bring four copies of your query letter of no more than 400 words. Also bring four copies of the first five pages of your manuscript (double spaced, single sided, 12pt font, pages numbered). Note: you will be reworking your query and first five pages between classes.
For Day Two: Please bring thirteen copies of your reworked query and first five pages. If the class size is smaller than 12, you will be notified on the correct number of copies.
$220/$195 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

Grub Street wants to promote YOU! Please send events for consideration to whitney@grubstreet.org. Our apologies in advance if we cannot fit you in. Please note that we do the best we can to evaluate requests, and do privilege requests from members, but can not be held responsible for the quality of these events and programs or the legitimacy of contests. We expect that readers will do their own due diligence before sending their work or their money to any individual or organization.

--POETRY READING: Tuesday, May 18, 7:00 p.m., U35 Poetry @ The Marliave
U35 Poetry @ The Marliave is a bi-monthly reading series in Downtown Crossing founded to highlight the work of poets under age 35 (hence, U35). All are welcome to attend, enjoy the work of talented peers, have a few drinks, socialize and talk shop. There is no cover. The readers for the inaugural event will be Janaka Stucky and James Stotts. Janaka Stucky won The Boston Phoenix poll as Boston's Best Poet, 2010. Brave Men Press recently put out his chapbook, Your Name Is the Only Freedom. James Stotts is the youngest of five, poet, translator, jongleur, and father. His work was recently featured in the first issue of the journal Little Star. His writing has also appeared in Action Yes, AGNI, The Critical Flame, and 1913.
FREE, The Marliave, 10 Bosworth St., Downtown Crossing, Boston

--Half-Price Books for Grubbies at Newtonville Books: Saturday, May 22nd, 10AM - 5PM
One Day Only! Sell your used books to Newtonville Books for 15% of the cover price in-store credit, which you can used for new and used books. Also, Newtonville will be offering 40% off on selected fiction and nonfiction titles, including audio books. Grub members can flash their cards for an extra 10% off!

--READING: Sunday, May 23, 3-5pm, Brain, Child Magazine's 10th Anniversary
Join a gathering of writing and reading moms to celebrate Brain, Child: The Magazine for Thinking Mothers as they toast ten years of publishing and a brand-spanking-new 2010 Utne Independent Press Award for social/cultural coverage. Following brief comments from local writers Catherine Newman, Tracy Mayor, Katherine Ozment, Nell Beram, Sarah Buttenwieser, Karen Dempsey, Laura Fokkena, Martha Nichols, Norah Piehl, Robin Schoenthaler, Audrey Schulman and Patricia Stacey, we'll meet and mingle with co-founders and co-editors Stephanie Wilkinson and Jennifer Niesslein, bond with fellow Brain, Child readers and writers, and browse or buy contributors' books. New and/or shy moms especially welcomed. Coffee, tea and sweets will be served, with an option to retire afterwards to a local pub for more conversation. For more info, check out Brain, Child's fan page on Facebook.
FREE, Grub Street Headquarters, 160 Boylston St., Boston, 02116.

--INAUGURAL READING: Thursday, May 27th, 6pm, Jenna Blum reads from The Stormchasers
Jenna Blum's first novel, Those Who Save Us, wowed readers with its tale of love and sacrifice. Join the Grub Street teacher for an evening celebrating the release of her brilliant second novel. The Stormchasers -- a book about twins forced to confront a violent secret in their past -- shows just how far one sibling will go to protect the other.
$5 (buy tix in advance through the Brookline Booksmith), Coolidge Corner Theatre, 290 Harvard St., Brookline.

--FOOD AND CONVERSATION: Tuesday, June 8th, 9:45am, COFFEE WITH THE AUTHORS
Buttonwood Books & Toys will host its semiannual event, “Coffee with the Authors,” on Tue. Jun. 8, 9:45 AM at the Atlantica Restaurant. Enjoy a continental breakfast while three contemporary authors discuss their latest work. The authors are Randy Susan Meyers, Sy Montgomery, and Dr. Gail Steketee.  Meyers is the debut author of The Murderer’s Daughters, a heartrending novel about the aftermath of domestic violence. Montgomery is the award-winning author of The Good Good Pig. Birdology may be the title of her new book but the subtitle provides the true scope of her story: “Adventures with a Pack of Hens, a Peck of Pigeons, Cantankerous Crows, Fierce Falcons, Hip Hop Parrots, Baby Hummingbirds, and One Murderously Big Living Dinosaur.” Dr. Gail Steketee completes the panel with her book, Stuff: Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of Things written with Randy O. Frost. The two acclaimed scientists offer insight into the reasons why a person moves from normal acquisitions to excessive stockpiling. Reservations and tickets ($16 per person) are required. Please call Buttonwood at 1-781-383-2665 to reserve or order a signed copy if unable to attend.

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