July 12th, 2010
"Why not say what happened?"
— Robert Lowell
Welcome to the latest installment of the Grub Street Rag, a newsletter of the Boston literary scene sent out every Monday from the School For More Graceful Toddling 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 is sending out our big annual mailing, and we need your help! We'll be stuffing and sealing over 3,000 envelopes, so there's plenty of work for all. The fun happens Thursday and Friday of this week, between the hours of 9 - 5pm, as well as Monday and Tuesday of next week. If you're free and would like to help out, please email whitney@grubstreet.org to let her know you're coming. As always, we'll get you Starbucks treats for your generous assistance, and you'll have a great time chatting with fellow writers as you compete to see who can put stamps on the fastest. Thanks so much for your help!
The Department is back, chock full of congratulatory goodness. First up, great news from Grub students. Ilie Ruby's first novel is coming out in eight short days (July 20th), and we couldn't be more excited for her. It's called The Language of Trees, and you can read all about it at her blog, www.ilieruby.com. Amy Rodriguez's essay "The True Test, A Marriage Survives Sleep Deprivation," will be published in June's issue of errant parent magazine. A Grubbie student alum from '03 and '04 courses, Doug Watson, wrote in to tell us that his story got picked up by a Harper Perennial fiction blog: http://www.fiftytwostories.com. Tom Elliott's travel essay, "A Town Somewhere," has been published in the Spring 2010 issue of The Gettysburg Review, and the opening was critiqued in Book Prize Winner Susan Richards Shreve's craft class in 2008. Lynne Anderson, a former Grub student, just published her first book, Breaking Bread: Recipes and Stories from Immigrant Kitchens. With a forward by Corby Kummer, Senior Editor at The Atlantic, Breaking Bread explores the food traditions of immigrants living in the United States through interviews, photographs, and recipes. And okay, he's not a student yet, but new member Preston Gralla wrote to tell us he won a fiction fellowship from the Massachusetts Cultural Council this year--joining the ranks of the several other Grub winners we mentioned last month. And last for the student news, Lenora Levine, who is a visual artist who was encouraged by fellow Grubbie Kathy Handley to take a Grub class, now has a short-short, “Sick Call,” in Flash Shot in August that came out of the class they took together (Flash Fiction with Tara Masih).
Next, we have tons of instructor news to brag about.
Instructor Sue Williams wrote to tell us she had a story selected for Best Women's Erotica 2011. She says: "I publish my erotica under a pen name, so Grubbie folks are going to have to guess who I am in the table of contents! I'm also forthcoming in two Harlequin anthologies and two other Cleis anthologies, also under my pen name. I love writing erotica!" Another instructor, Tim Horvath, who is currently teaching the Unruly Fictions daytime intensive course, had two good bits of news to share with us. His story "The City in the Light of Moths" has been accepted for the fall issue of Conjunctions, and a journal he edits for, Camera Obscura, just got a lovely writeup in NewPages magazine. He says that Grubbies are encouraged to submit to the magazine. Instructor KL Pereira had not one, not two, but three pieces of publication news to share: a poem called "Letting Him Slither," which she describes as "an eroticish Medusa dramatic monologue," coming out in Jabberwocky; a piece on masculinity in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" coming out in Boy Culture: An Encyclopedia; and two more poems, "When Manhattan Wants Brooklyn" and "How To Visit Your Mother," appearing in The Medulla Review! If you caught KL at our Grub Gone. . .Blue event earlier this year, you'll remember that "Slither" and "When Manhattan Wants Brooklyn" both debuted that night. Amy Marcott, who is teaching the Workshop Your Website or Blog class next month, received honorable mention in the Dogwood fiction contest and her story is forthcoming in the 2010 issue, and she was a finalist in DIAGRAM's Innovative Fiction Contest for another story that will soon be published online. Kathleen Spivack's book “History of Yearning” won the Sows Ear International Poetry Chapbook Prize and is coming out this month, and a new poem of hers, “Their Tranquil Lives,” just won a first prize in the Allen Ginsberg Award. Former instructor (and lifelong friend of Grub) Yael Goldstein had a new piece of fiction published in Commentary's special fiction issue. And last but never least, instructor Jen Elmore, who has been congratulated in the Rag several times for her great poetry, has a new poem in the Spring 2010 edition of the The Bellingham Review.
Do you have writing news and want to be featured in the DoC? The first Monday of every month, we feature Grub Street members who have sent their good news to whitney@grubstreet.org. To be included, please send Whitney an email with information about your publication, award or fellowship. Limit your announcement to 60 words or less. Extra credit if the announcement is written in the third person, which is good practice for your writing anyway.
Cheers,
Whitney, Sonya, Chris, Chip, Eve and Alexis
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.
DAYTIME INTENSIVE: Monday-Friday, July 19-23rd, 11:00am-2:00pm, From Revision to Submission
Instructor: James Scott
Intended for the writer who needs a final push to submit their work, this class provides one last objective look to make certain that the writer is in the best possible position for publication. The first half of the class will be a revision workshop, focusing on the art of sanding down, smoothing out, and touching up the writing. The second half will help students discuss and find markets for their work. The last class will partially be devoted to assembling submissions and celebrating finished pieces.
$285.00/$260.00 members, Grub Street HQ, 160 Boylston Street, Boston, MA.
SEMINAR: Tuesday, July 2oth, 6:30-9:30pm, Why Your Manuscript Was Rejected
Instructor: Steve Almond
If you're like most writers, you've gotten lots of rejections. Like, maybe even one earlier today. The big question in the mind of all of us is: WHY? Why didn't you take my brilliant prose? Is something WRONG with you? In fact, there is a reason your piece was rejected, and probably several. In this intensive and often incoherent seminar, Steve Almond (man of a million rejections) will provide a cogent summary of mistakes writers make, both in fiction and non-fiction prose. Among the topics we'll cover: disorienting the reader, wandering plots, canned dialogue, and the ever-popular flowery prose. Taking this course virtually guarantees that you will NEVER BE REJECTED AGAIN. At least until such a time as you send out more work.
$65.00/$50.00 members, at the Arlington Center for the Arts.
SEMINAR: Tuesday, July 27th, 6:30-9:30pm, Funny Is the New Deep
Instructor: Steve Almond
Contrary to popular belief, writing funny doesn't mean sacrificing depth. On the contrary, for most literary writers the comic impulse is inextricably linked to tragedy. In this informal class, we'll look at the work of Lorrie Moore, George Saunders, and others, in an effort to learn how you can be funny and break hearts while doing it.
$65.00/$50.00 members, at the Arlington Center for the Arts.
WEEKEND WORKSHOP: Saturday, August 7th, 9:00am-4:00pm, The Next JK Rowling: Unleashing the Power of Fairy Tale and Myth
Instructor: KL Pereira
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. Over the course of this one fantastic day, we will delve into the glittering Aladdin’s Cave of myths and fairy tales 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. We will do a few inspiring creative exercises and prompts designed to inspire you to start “opening the wardrobe door” and creating your own Narnia.
$115.00/$95.00 members, Grub Street HQ, 160 Boylston Street, Boston, MA.
WEEKEND WORKSHOP: Saturday, August 7th, 9:00am-4:00pm, Flash Fiction Marathon
Instructor: Cam Terwilliger
The market for flash fiction is booming, and this seminar is perfect for writers ready to crank out some new short-short stories. At the end of the day, you’ll walk away with a brand new assortment of stories, each created through writing exercises designed to unleash your flash fiction genius. The seminar will also feature discussion of published flash fiction—which we’ll draw inspiration from—as well as feedback on your own work.
$115.00/$95.00 members, Grub Street HQ, 160 Boylston Street, Boston, MA.
WEEKEND WORKSHOP: Saturday, August 7th, 9:00am-4:00pm, Workshop Your Website or Blog
Instructor: Amy Marcott
Do you have a website and/or blog but want to learn ways to enhance the design and content? Looking to broaden your reach or boost your professional appeal? This class will offer a venue for receiving feedback on your online presence. Along the way, you’ll learn strategies for more effective design, navigation, usability, search engine optimization, and content. We’ll also do some writing exercises to help your work stand out. Note: this seminar is only for those who already have a designed website or active blog. Submit the URL(s) of your website and/or blog to chip@grubstreet.org by August 1st. If you have a blog, also submit two of your best posts that could be discussed in class. The instructor will prepare thorough critiques of each site before class so submitting URLs as early as possible is appreciated. Amy Marcott is a web writer and editor at MIT who blogs frequently and assists with web redesigns and incorporating new technologies into online strategies.
$115.00/$95.00 members, Grub Street HQ, 160 Boylston Street, Boston, MA.
Be sure to check out our website 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 cannot 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.
--SCREENWRITING CONVERSATION: Saturday, July 31, 10 - 11:30-am, A Conversation with Peter Allen (Part of the Roxbury Film Festival)
The film Takers, starring Idris Elba, Matt Dillon, Michael Ealy and many many more, hits the big screen on August 27th, 2010. Come hear Peter Allen, writer of this film, talk about the process of writing and being an independent writer in Hollywood and the avenues and channels he has taken to get his first feature film script produced. Questions considered include: what is the writer’s role once the script is bought? How do you negotiate a fee for your script and how do you get it into the right hands? All this and more at “A Conversation with Peter Allen.” Co-Presented by Grub Street.
$5.00, Wentworth Institute of Technology
--READING: Tuesday, July 20th, 5:30-7pm, Iris Gomez and Randy Susan Meyers at Stellina
Grubbies Iris Gomez (Try to Remember) and Randy Susan Meyers (The Murderer's Daughters) will read and discuss their books at Stellina Restaurant. This event is free and open to the public. Stellina will provide antipasti and there will be a cash bar. Books will be available for purchase and signing.
FREE, Stellina Restaurant, 47 Main Street, Watertown, MA.
--CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS FROM TEEN BOYS: The Good Men Project
For an upcoming book, The Good Men Project is seeking vivid, compelling essays from 13- to 19-year-old boys that explore this topic: Describe a moment that changed you. We’re looking for essays about family, identity, loss, conflict, friendship, sex, relationships, gender, sexuality, addiction, and anything else that may have changed you or profoundly impacted your life. Nothing is off limits. We want the opposite of what you might write for the essay portion of the SAT. Don’t tell us what you think we want to hear. Tell us the truth of your experience. The more specific you can be about the moment that changed you, the better. Bring that moment to life for us. Help us understand what you were thinking and feeling. Did the moment change you for the better? For the worse? How has it impacted your view of the world, or of yourself?
Guidelines: Essays must be previously unpublished, double-spaced, and between 1,000 and 4,000 words. Be sure to include your name, email, and contact number on the top of the first page. The deadline for submissions is September 1st, 2010. You can get the essay in one of two ways. 1) Email the essay to goodmenprojectbook2@gmail.com. Be sure to attach the essay as a Word document and to paste the essay in the body of the email. 2) Mail the essay the old fashioned way to Good Men Boys Book, c/o Allison Matlack, 490 B Boston Post Road, Sudbury, MA, 01776. Essays should be stapled. Submissions will not be returned.
--LITERARY PARTY: Thursday, July 22nd, 6pm, Stories Uncorked
Throughout history, wine has been a key ingredient in lively parties, philosophical debates, and great storytelling. Join Prism for a festive evening of wine tasting on a rooftop garden in Kendall Square, with readings by Grub authors Steve Almond, Jon Papernick, Alison Lobron, and others. Delight your taste buds with boutique kosher wines from around the world, and your ears with humorous stories spun by some of Boston's finest. We think the medieval lords had it right -- what could be better than adjourning to the palace garden for a night of wine, stories, and good cheer? To buy tickets, go to http://www.newcenterboston.org/index.php/ticketing. Grub Street is proud to be a community partner on this event.
$25 in Advance, Marriott Rooftop Garden, 2 Cambridge Center, 50 Broadway, Kendall Square.
Welcome to the end of the e-mail, where, like being a "the basement's half-empty" kind of guy after a hard rainstorm, we offer you the chance to win a prize. The name of what Texas town came close to being changed in the 1950s due to a best-selling novel. Email your answer to whitney@grubstreet.org, and please send your postal mailing address with your response! Winner receives ice cream from J.P. Licks.
Last week's answer: As a young man, Allen Ginsberg had a vision of William Blake while living in New York City, which led to a poem called “Sunflower Sutra.” Originally published along with “Howl” in Howl and Other Poems in 1956, “Sunflower Sutra” references an auditory hallucination Ginsberg had of Blake reading poetry as well as one of Blake’s most famous poems, “Ah, Sunflower.” Winner: Steve Corcoran.