June 14th, 2010
"Write, damn you! What else are you good for?"
— James Joyce
Welcome to the latest installment of the Grub Street Rag, a newsletter of the Boston literary scene sent out every Monday from the Closet of Good Intentions 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.
Many of our great summer workshops begin next week, including our new daytime week-long intensive courses like "The Art of Writing Sex" with special visit from guest author Elizabeth Benedict, and "Four Days, Four Essays" with Grace Talusan. Don't miss this opportunity to work on your writing this summer! There are also still some spots left in multi-week workshops like Narrative Non-Fiction I, Secrets of Horror and Suspense, 10 Weeks, 10 Poems, 10 Questions, 10 Weeks, 1 Screenplay, Tour of the Essay, The Non-Fiction Book Proposal, and many more! Check out all the courses at www.grubstreet.org and call us at 617.695.0075 to sign up before it's too late.
We checked in this morning with the ever-more-fit (and probably ever-more-tired) Catherine Elcik, who is running her first marathon to raise money for a scholarship fund for Grub. Not only is her mileage an inspiration to all of us--ahem--more sedentary writers, but her blog is one of the best we've seen in a while. Check out her fairy tale-themed post from Saturday, written in homage to one of her favorite books (The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly), or one of her cool "Grub Tales" like this one with ex-instructor Jami Brandli. As of right now, Cathy only has $437.50 to go to reach her goal--help her meet it by sponsoring her run at www.firstgiving.com/runforgrub.
Cheers,
Whitney, Sonya, Chris, Chip, Eve and Alexis
The P.S.: We won! We won! Where's the softball update? Check out Becky Tuch's writeup of the Wordslingers' victory on our blog: http://thegrublog.blogspot.com/.
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.
READING AND OPEN MIC: Monday, June 14th, 8PM - 10PM, Spring Season Showcase
Join Grub students from the Spring 2010 term, plus two of our award-winning instructors, Janaka Stuckey and Alden Jones, as they read (for 5 minutes each) from recent work. You'll hear great fiction, non-fiction, poetry and maybe even a screenplay. Open only to students who've taken courses, seminars or weekend workshops this spring. Everyone gets free snacks and drinks. Sign-ups begin around 8pm. A great event for current Grubbies and those who want to check us out. Bring friends!
FREE, Grub Street HQ, 160 Boylston Street, Boston, MA.
SEMINAR: Thursday, June 17th, 7-10pm, Ask the Agent
Instructor: Irene Goodman
Legendary literary agent Irene Goodman, visiting for one night only from New York, will offer an insider’s view into the life of a literary agency. You’ll learn how to pitch agents and how not to pitch them, how agents make decisions, how the business works, what happens once you have an agent, how fiction and nonfiction projects get developed and more. Come with questions. Irene Goodman’s agency has been in business for over 30 years, and represent a wide range of commercial fiction, literary fiction, and non-fiction. Their authors have over 120 appearances on the New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, Walden, and Bookscan bestseller lists. For more information about Irene and her agency, see www.irenegoodman.com.
*1 SPOT LEFT* $65/$50 members, Grub Street HQ, 160 Boylston Street, Boston, MA.
SEMINAR: Thursday, June 17th, 7-10pm, Troubleshoot Me
Instructor: James Scott
Asking the proper questions about your writing can lead to the greatest improvements. A great editor, of course, can provide such a sounding board. Weak writing, however, often doesn't find its way to an editor's desk. Trying to figure out how to make that next leap alone can often be frustrating. In this class, using one to two pages of students' own writing that has proved troublesome, exemplifies a recurring problem, or just isn't quite working, we'll concentrate on finding our weaknesses and developing exercises and strategies to turn them into strengths. The instructor will also offer each a student a manual with strategies to address each common issue.
$65/$50 members, Grub Street HQ, 160 Boylston Street, Boston, MA.
SEMINAR: Thursday, June 17th, 7-10pm, The Skill of the Interview: Getting People To Talk
Instructor: Elaine McArdle
A useful seminar for any writer of fiction, non-fiction, poetry or screenwriting who needs to conduct this type of research.
*SOLD OUT* $65/$50 members, Grub Street HQ, 160 Boylston Street, Boston, MA.
SEMINAR: Thursday, June 17th, 7-10pm, The Poem and the Idea
Instructor: Elisa Gabbert
Poems that describe a heron or the moon can be nice, but what sets the one you remember apart from all the rest? Chances are it’s an interesting idea. This seminar will explore poetry as a manifestation of thought, examining the ways in which poems communicate complex ideas (be they overt ideas, diffuse ideas, or meta ideas through conceptualism), the overlapping territory of poetry and philosophy, and the difference between the poetic idea and other modes or tropes, such as imagery, description, narrative, and abstraction. Class time will be divided between lecture, discussion, and in-class reading, with an emphasis on discussion. A reading packet will be distributed, including poems by Rae Armantrout, Anne Carson, Maggie Nelson, Wallace Stevens, and Jon Woodward. Students are encouraged to bring a poem of their own for discussion (and, if desired, revision) from the perspective of the poetic idea.
*4 SPOTS LEFT* $65/$50 members, Grub Street HQ, 160 Boylston Street, Boston, MA.
DAYTIME INTENSIVE: Monday-Friday, June 21-25th, 2:00pm-5:00pm, The Art of Writing Sex Scenes
Instructor: Christopher Boginski
All writers from Chaucer to Updike have struggled to write convincing and believable sex scenes. In this class, we’ll delve into not just the sensuality of sex, but the ways in which sex can deepen character and tension. To this end, we’ll sharpen our skills and bring out the vulnerability, awkwardness, and even the everyday to write convincingly about sex. Writing prompts based on outside readings form the structure of this course. Expect to be exposed to contemporary theory and writers, careful and in-depth responses from the class and your instructor, and an atmosphere that encourages honest rather than damaging feedback. We’ll also have a guest visit from novelist Elizabeth Benedict, author of the popular guide, “The Joy of Writing Sex.” Class is open to all levels, fiction and nonfiction. Objective: write four sex scenes for class discussion and workshops.
Level: All
$285/$260 members, Grub Street HQ, 160 Boylston Street, Boston, MA.
DAYTIME INTENSIVE: Monday-Thursday, June 21-24th, 10:00am-12:00pm, 4 Days, 4 Essays
Instructor: Grace Talusan
Spend the week writing the beginnings to 4 different personal essays that you can develop later. We will cover 4 different kinds of essays and topics usually covered in the longer version of this class. Leave with a revision plan for finishing at least a few of the essays and possible publication venues when the essay is finished.
Level: All
$140.00/$115 members, Grub Street HQ, 160 Boylston Street, Boston, MA.
DAYTIME INTENSIVE: Monday-Friday, June 21-25th, 9:30am-12:30pm, Poem Generator
Instructor: Wendy Mnookin
Get summer off to a productive and fun start. We will start each class with a poem that suggests themes and possible strategies for our own writing that day. After generating ideas and language through free writes, each student will compose a poem that will be copied and shared with the class in workshop. (Depending on numbers, you will either workshop a poem each day, or take turns.) This is a terrific way to get new writing done in a supportive and invigorating atmosphere.
Level: All
$285/$260 members, Grub Street HQ, 160 Boylston Street, Boston, MA.
DAYTIME INTENSIVE: Monday-Friday, June 28th-July 2nd, 10:00am-12:00pm, Luxurious Masks: The Liberating Potential of Persona Poetry
Instructor: Christopher Hennessy
The word "persona" originates for the Greek word for the masks actors wore, and it's the taking on of a mask that can inspire a poet to produce some of her most exciting work. Through a longstanding tradition that continues to thrive today, poets have found the dramatic possibilities of the persona poem to be rich and exciting ones. This form enables the poet to take on any voice she can imagine---historical figures, literary heroes, imagined people, alien beings, inanimate objects, pop culture icons, the list is endless. In this week-long intensive course, writers will craft poems that build on and reinvigorate the tradition of the persona poem. Writers will concentrate on developing original voices and fully inhabiting within the poem the authentic personae they create. The goal will be to write poems whose voices leap off the page. Writers will also be exposed to masters of the dramatic monologue and persona forms.
Level: All
$200/$185 members, Grub Street HQ, 160 Boylston Street, Boston, MA.
SEMINAR: Monday, June 28th, 7:00-10:00pm, Essays in a Flash
Instructor: Kathleen Willis Morton
We'll spend the night exploring the sub-genre of short-short nonfiction (700-900 words), which has opened up new creative and publishing opportunities for writers the past few years. We will look at examples of these itsy-bitsy essays, explore potential journals for submission, and do a few writing exercises.
Level: All
$65/$50 members, Grub Street HQ, 160 Boylston Street, Boston, MA.
SEMINAR: Monday, June 28th, 7:00-10:00pm, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me: Writing the Erotic Poem
Instructor: KL Pereira
From the positively carnal to the utterly debauched, the poetry of the erotic has permeated popular as well as literary writing. Whether you're looking to expand your writing palate or deepen your study of how to meaningfully access the sensual in shorter work, this one night seminar will explore how the poem (in its many forms) naturally lends itself to the expression of our hidden (and not so hidden) cravings. We'll discuss how and why certain writers are able to rouse our deepest desires (whatever they may be) and do plenty of in-class exercises that will whet your appetite for the sensual! All sexualities welcome and encouraged. Don't worry; by the end of the night, we'll find the place that makes you quiver!
Level: All
$65/$50 members, Grub Street HQ, 160 Boylston Street, Boston, MA.
SEMINAR: Monday, June 28th, 7:00-10:00pm, The Art of Column Writing
Instructor: Suzette Martinez Standring
We can’t offer this seminar enough! It always sells out, and always gets glowing evaluations. With the explosion of blogs and websites, everyone is a columnist with a memory, opinion or skill to be shared. But creating compelling prose in 500 words or less is a special art. Vivid and insightful columns written in a unique voice catch an editor’s eye or a syndicate’s attention. The skills required to craft a taut and memorable column improve all types of writing. Learn the tips and techniques used by award-winning newspaper columnists to stand out and fuel a faithful readership.
Level: All
$65/$50 members, Grub Street HQ, 160 Boylston Street, Boston, MA.
SEMINAR: Monday, June 28th, 7:00-10:00pm, Making Your Writing Richer
Instructor: Kate Flora
Do you want to expunge all clichés from your writing? Do you struggle to find interesting ways to disclose your characters to your reader or make your scenes more vivid? This seminar will use a series of exercises and discussion to open you up to new strategies to move beyond the ordinary and find the distinctive, individual voice that is yours. WARNING: There will be homework for those who sign up!
Level: All
$65/$50 members, Grub Street HQ, 160 Boylston Street, Boston, MA.
Be sure to check out our events calendar for a comprehensive view of upcoming events.
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.
--SEMINAR: Tuesday, June 29th, 7pm, Grub Street South at Buttonwood presents "You Can Do It—Finding Your Writing Voice in the Face of Rejection.”
Instructor: Elizabeth Esse Kahrs.
The class will discuss rejection as part of the writing process, something to be embraced and not feared. The instructor will provide tips to help writers’ move forward in a positive and instructive manner, and will share from her own rejection folder. Elizabeth Esse Kahrs has been a columnist for Parent and Kids/Boston for the past eight years. An excerpt from her novel, The Trouble in Her Mirror, appeared in the Fearless Voices section of The Huffington Post. Elizabeth has been published in Amarillo Bay, Static Movement, The Boston Globe, The Baby Journal, and Shine. This is a free event. Reservations are required. Please call Buttonwood at 1-781-383-2665 to reserve.
Buttonwood Books, Cohasset, MA.
--READING: Wednesday, June 16th, 7pm, A White House Garden Cookbook with Clara Silverstein
When Michelle Obama decided to turn a chunk of White House lawn into a vegetable patch, she was cheered by parents who want their kids to eat better and everyone who wants to have a hand in growing their own food. This book chronicles the first year of this famous garden, with its many dozens of vegetables and herbs, including descendants of seeds planted by Thomas Jefferson; its berries and the honey from the hives of First Family bees. Filled with ideas to get children excited about eating and cooking locally grown vegetables, this cookbook also makes it fun to plan easy, healthy family meals. Recipes come from White Houses past and present as well as the community gardens that are inspiring children nationwide.Please join Grub instructor Clara Silverstein for a reading, signing and sampling of food from the Natick Community Organic Farm. Clara is the author of The Boston Chef’s Table and co-author of The New England Soup Factory Cookbook, a top selling soup title on amazon.com. Her articles appear in The Boston Globe, Prevention, and Runner's World, and she directs the Chautauqua Writers’ Center.
Wellesley Booksmith, Wellesley MA.
--Foundwaves Magazine
Foundwaves, a Boston-based online music magazine dedicated to supporting independent music. One of our primary goals is to create opportunities for musicians and artists from other disciplines and media to collaborate and inspire each other. Along those lines, we are adding an art and literature section and are inviting artists and writers to submit original unpublished fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction pieces, graphic narratives, and artwork inspired by songs featured in Foundwaves. This is an opportunity for artists and writers to reach a more diverse audience than the typical art and literary journal readership. Please let us know if this is something that your writers might be interested in participating in. We would greatly appreciate it if you could share this opportunity with them, whether via a bulletin board post or mailing list. More detailed information can be found here: http://www.foundwaves.com/submissions.
Welcome to the end of the e-mail, where, like ruminating about ruminants and rutabaga, we offer you the chance to win a prize. What children's author posthumously collaborated with Cat Stevens on a hit song? (Special thanks to Jack Cheng for today's question). Winner receives ice cream from J.P. Licks.
Last week's answer: Gwendolyn Brooks was the first black author to win the Pulitzer Prize. Winner: Catherine Seo.