October 25th, 2010
"The writer must be able to see where he was lying to himself, where his mouth was full of sawdust instead of grapes, where his gunpowder was only snuff."
—Peter Straub
Welcome to the latest installment of the Grub Street Rag, a newsletter of the Boston literary scene sent out every Monday from a horizontal position on the fainting couch 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.
A Taste of Grub is right around the corner, and we'll be devastated if you're not there! The fabulous event is a chance to wine and dine with acclaimed authors Anita Shreve, Marianne Leone, Chuck Hogan and Regie Gibson, meet other literary people, and support Grub Street's vital mission and programming. We've got lots of fun surprises planned, and we can't wait to see you there! Tickets at http://www.grubstreet.org/index.php?id=32.
Bid on fantastic items and support your favorite creative writing center while you're at it. Are you looking to publish your novel or memoir? In week three of our auction, we're especially excited to be auctioning off Manuscript Feedback Sessions with some of the nation's top literary agents, including Elizabeth Weed, Rebecca Oliver and Lisa Grubka. Looking to spruce up your home? We've got two days' worth of custom carpentry from the high-end builder Thoughtforms. Use the 2 days however you'd like-- to have someone build and install cabinets, refinish floors, or whatever else strikes your fancy. Or, bid on our personal favorite of the week: the chance to see your name in one of Steve Almond's short stories. Who knows, you might even be the main character! All auction proceeds support Grub Street's programming and outreach. Bidding ends on Sunday night--don't miss out on this round of cool stuff.
Many of you will remember longtime Grub instructor Bruce Machart, who taught with us in the early 2000s. Since that time, Bruce has gone on to publish one of this fall’s most buzzed-about novels, The Wake of Forgiveness, which is garnering great comparisons to Cormac McCarthy. To congratulate and celebrate Bruce, we are attending his reading and inviting everyone who attends to an after-party at Tavern in Porter Square at 1815 Mass Ave. The reading is at 7pm at Porter Square Books, and everyone who shows up at the bar with a copy of Bruce's book gets a free drink. Appetizers will be available for all.
In 2009, Stanley Dankoski and Elizabeth Edmondson attended our Muse and the Marketplace conference, where they met for the first time. We are proud to announce that Stanley and Elizabeth celebrated their wedding in September and have just returned from their honeymoon! Huge congratulations to them, and best wishes for a lifetime of literary love!
Are you new to Grub or interested in exploring a new genre? The Run for Grub Scholarship was founded by Grub Street member Catherine Elcik who ran a marathon in July to raise money to cover the cost of workshops for four students. If you’d like to be considered for one of these four awards, check out the details on our website and tget your application in by November 1st, 2010 at 5pm EST.
Cheers,
Whitney, Sonya, Chris, Chip, and Eve
The P.S.: We're offering a great new course called "Writing Your Legacy," which starts next Monday at 11am. It's a perfect chance to do some soul-searching and to begin creating a meaningful document about your life to pass on to your loved ones. This class is geared toward older students, but is open to writers of all ages. Check out details below and register on our site.
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-Thursday, November 1-4th, 11:00am-1:00pm, Writing Your Legacy
Most of us take great pains to ensure that our loved ones will inherit our material wealth; few of us are as deliberate about ensuring that our stories and values will live on. An “ethical will” is a document that will guarantee just that. Often described as a “kind of love letter” to those we will leave behind—be they children, grandchildren, friends or colleagues, it is a way to create a spiritual legacy. Whether we are young or old, a serious writer or a complete beginner, we can create that legacy and, in the process, become more intimate with ourselves. In this four-session workshop we will write from prompts, i.e; This is the world I come from... or These are the causes I have fought for... or This is one of the experiences that had the most impact on who I became... Come with a laptop or notebook and a willingness to dig deep. Sharing is entirely optional.
Instructor: Leslie Lawrence
$140/$120 members, Grub Street headquarters.
WEEKEND WORKSHOP: Saturday-Sunday, November 13-14th, 9:00am-4:00pm, Developing Your Personal Brand: New Media Marketing for Writers
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.
Instructor: Crystal King
$220/$195 members, Grub Street headquarters.
WEEKEND WORKSHOP: Saturday-Sunday, November 13-14th, 9:00am-4:00pm, MFA Prep Boot Camp
An MFA program can provide a writer with insight, time, and motivation. But when is the right time to apply? How does one choose the right program? How does one improve his or her chances of being admitted? Instructor James Scott (who received his MFA from Emerson College) has gathered tips and wisdom from MFA graduates, professors, and administrators around the country to explore common questions and anxieties of potential students. The weekend will include a workshop of student’s sample work, MFA application reader, discussions of programs and how to get the most from them, and a look at essays and essay questions. Students will leave with a greater understanding of the MFA process and an application piece better fit for a reviewer’s eye.
Instructor: James Scott
$220/$195 members, Grub Street headquarters.
WEEKEND WORKSHOP: Saturday-Sunday, November 13-14th, 9:00am-4:00pm, Encountering the Past: How to Research and Write Your Historical Novel
Writing a novel is difficult enough to begin with, but the historical novel faces a slew of unique challenges on top it. How do you conduct research successfully? How much is historical accuracy to be protected at the expense of the story? How do you transform the glut of historical detail into a compelling plot? This seminar provides an overview of effective strategies for investigating the past, organizing information into a storyline, then bringing it to life with your prose.
Instructor: Cam Terwilliger
$220/$195 members, Grub Street headquarters.
WEEKEND WORKSHOP: Saturday, November 13th, 9:00am-4:00pm, What To Do Before You Debut
The time between signing your publishing contract and holding your book can easily slip away. Most book promotion now falls on the writer, but what to do and when to do it baffles debut and experienced authors. After "What To Do" you should be able to plan your pre-publication schedule and outline your promotion campaign. This seminar includes: planning websites, author photos, social media overview and decisions (including to blog or not to blog,) pros and cons of outside publicists, material you should have, connecting with writers, mailings and e-mailings, book launch parties, taking and rejecting advice, best practices for readings, Ms. Manners for writer’s relationships, your public persona and more. This class will be useful mostly for people who have an accepted published book in the pipeline or newly on the street. For an overview of what to do before your book finds a publisher, check out Grub Street’s other offerings.
Instructor: Randy Susan Meyers
$115/$95 members, Grub Street headquarters.
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. Bonus points and undying gratitude for submitting your event info in the same format as the events below. 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.
--CALL FOR WRITERS: THE REVIEW REVIEW
The Review Review is looking for writers to review literary magazines. This is a great opportunity for writers hoping to learn more about literary magazines and publishing. Writers will receive free journals, and reviews will be posted on the site. For more information email Becky Tuch at 99review@gmail.com.
--READING: Thursday, October 28th, 7pm, Pamela Painter, Wouldn’t You Like to Know
Grub Street Advisory Board member and good Grub friend Pam Painter is one of our favorite authors. If you love short short fiction, you know she's one of the most talented writers working in the form today.
Steve Yarbrough, author of Safe from the Neighbors, says of Pam's new book: "In her stunning new collection, Pamela Painter conjures strange magic, as even her most down-to-earth characters reveal that in the end nobody is ordinary. She's taught me plenty in these pages—about love and the loss of it, about generosity and greed, happiness and pain—but mostly she has earned my undying admiration. This is fiction of immense beauty, full of wisdom and informed by rare grace."
FREE, Porter Square Books.
--AUTHOR TALK: Thursday, October 28th, 6 p.m., Heroines: Literary and Super! featuring Erin Blakemore and Mike Madrid
Webster’s dictionary has two definitions for the word “heroine.” The first is, “a mythological or legendary woman having the qualities of a hero” and the second is, “the principal female character in a literary or dramatic work.” Two authors will come together to discuss heroines, both literary and super, the traits they share and their place in society both today and historically. Erin M. Blakemore is a freelance writer and marketing consultant, and the co-founder of VOCO Creative LLC, a full-service brand strategy and marketing firm. Her writing has appeared in the Onion A.V. Club and DiningOut, among other publications and outlets. Her first book, The Heroine’s Bookshelf: Life Lessons from Jane Austen to Laura Ingalls Wilder, is a testament to inspirational women throughout literature. This exploration of classic heroines and their equally admirable authors shows today’s women how to tap into their inner strengths and live life with intelligence, grace, and aplomb. Mike Madrid is a San Francisco native and a lifelong fan of comic books and popular culture. The former advertising executive’s first book, The Supergirls: Fashion, Feminism, Fantasy, and the History of Comic Book Heroines, looks at the evolution of crime fighting females from the 1930’s to today, and asks whether their world of fantasy is that much different from our own.
FREE, Rabb Lecture Hall, Boston Public Library Main Branch.
--CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: Talking Writing
Talking Writing, a new online monthly literary magazine, accepts unsolicited submissions. TW publishes fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, reviews, opinion pieces, and commentaries about the writing process. Email submissions to editor@talkingwriting.com. You'll also find writing guidelines on TW's site: http://talkingwriting.com. Subscribe today!
--READING: Wednesday, Oct 27th, 7PM, Rick Moody and Jabari Asim
Rick Moody, author of The Four Fingers of Death, and Jabari Asim, author of A Taste of Honey: Stories.
FREE,
Newtonville Books, 296 Walnut St, Newton. Commuter train to Newtonville stop.
--FESTIVAL: Saturday, November 13th, 11:00am - 10:00pm, The Somerville News Writers' Festival
The Festival kicks off with a Book Fair from 11am - 4:30, where Grub Street will have a table. At 7pm join us as author Timothy Gager hosts an evening of readings by acclaimed authors and poets: Malachy McCourt, Sam Cornish, Jennifer Haigh , Steve Almond, Michelle Hoover, Ethan Gilsdorf, Fred Marchant, Diana Der-Hovanessian, David Ferry, Martha Collins and Douglas Holder, Rusty Barnes. Co-sponsored by Grub Street and Porter Square Books.
$10, The Center for Arts at the Armory, Somerville.
--JOB OPENING: Newtonville Books
Newtonville Books, an independent full-service bookstore in Newton, MA, is
seeking an energetic book-lover for part-time work. Applicants must have a
general knowledge of books and a passion for reading. Retail experience a
plus, bookselling experience a huge plus. Applicants should also be
comfortable talking about books with customers and offering suggestions
for the perfect book. Other duties include operating a cash register,
organizing sections and displays, reading book reviews, writing staff
picks, and assisting with author events.
Currently, we are looking to hire someone for 2-3 days a week, with more
hours available around the holidays. Compensation: $8.50/hr. Applicants MUST be available to work
during the holiday rush. A car is also a must, as public transit to
Newtonville is not reliable.
Interested candidates should send an email explaining your interest in the
position and your literary interests along with resume and hours of
availability to mary@newtonvillebooks.com. No phone calls or drop-ins,
please. MUST be an avid reader who loves to talk about books.
Welcome to the end of the e-mail, where a gnu in the nude, we offer you the chance to win a prize. This author hated cats so much that he allegedly tied a tomcat to a kite in a thunderstorm in the hopes of seeing it electrocuted (classy!) Email your answer and your postal address to whitney@grubstreet.org. First correct respondent wins a J.P. Licks gift card.
Last week's answer: Samuel Taylor Coleridge had so many money problems at university that he joined the army under the assumed name Silas Tomkyn Comberbache.
We had many guesses for this question, and it turns out that Edgar Allen Poe also joined the army under an assumed name, though, alas, not in university. Winner: No one.