February 7th, 2011
"If you have any young friends who aspire to become writers, the second greatest favor you can do them is to present them with copies of The Elements of Style. The first greatest, of course, is to shoot them now, while they’re happy."
—Dorothy Parker
Welcome to the latest installment of the Grub Street Rag, a newsletter of the Boston literary scene sent out every Monday with a kiss and a spritz of vanilla from 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.
We know: you often find yourself wishing you had a little more Grub in your life. Well, we are happy to announce that as of February 10th, you will—a daily dose, in fact! Grub Street is launching a blog, Grub Street Daily, which will bring you daily writing advice, success stories, fiction, publishing information, and communication and commiseration with fellow writers. Subscribe to receive the Daily in your inbox starting February 10th (you can always opt out later if you want), or add it to your favorite RSS reader now.
Update: the full list of consultants available for the Weekend of Manuscript Consultations are online now. See the list and all the details here.
We have to admit, we were worried. In mid-January, the submissions for this month's DoC were looking a little thin. But you all surprised us by inundating us with news later in the month, and now this might be the biggest "Department" ever.
We'll start with some instructor news. Grub Poetry instructor Christopher Hennessey is thrilled to report that his full-length poetry manuscript, Love in Idleness, will be published later this year by Brooklyn Arts Press (BAP). Chris says: "It may be cliche but it's not an exaggeration to say this is a dream come true." Instructor Marie Myung-Ok is the recipient of this years' Fellowship Award for Fiction Writing from the Rhode Island Council on the Arts. Instructor Randy Susan Meyers' novel The Murderer's Daughters has been chosen as the Feb/March "Club Pick" for the Target Book Club, and instructor Amy Yelin's interview with Jo Ann Beard will appear in the Spring issue of the Missouri Review. Instructor Becky Tuch has an excerpt from her novel-in-progress coming out in the Bosphorus Art Project Quarterly, an online lit mag, and received a grant from the Somerville Arts Council.
In student and member news, Somervillian Grubbie Kelly Ford received a Literature Fellowship grant from the Somerville Arts Council, and video star Jenn De Leon was awarded a residency at Hedgebrook. Grubbie Debbie Sosin's essay, "Moon Fever: An Apollo 11 Flashback," which appeared on the cover of Salon.com, has been selected for inclusion in an upcoming anthology, Perspectives on Modern World History: The Apollo 11 Moon Landing, due out in Fall 2011 (Cengage Learning). Atinuke Diver's first literary journal review of One Story for The Review Review was published earlier this month. Mary Liz Gordon wrote to share the news that she was awarded second prize in the novel excerpt category of PEN San Francisco's Soul-Making Competition for Blood Dimmed Tide. She says that "the excerpt [she] sent was from the recently rewritten beginning of the novel. Since then, thanks to Lisa Borders' excellent "Murky Middle" workshop in December, [she is] rewriting the middle through end of that novel with less trepidation, and actually enjoying the process, most days." Longtime Grubbie Kathy Handley's flash fiction, "Chesterfield," written in Tara Masih's class at Grub, can be found on
http://www.rustytyperflashfiction.wordpress.com. Grubbie Gerald Zeitlin's essay 'The Cremation of T.S.Eliot' has been accepted for publication in the new literary "Mind to Mind" section of the journal Anesthesiology.
In the Grubbies-who-collaborate-with-fashion-designers section, we only have one entry, but it's a cool one. Grubbie Rachel Worrall wrote an article about a fashion shoot at Edith Wharton's old home, which appears in the February issue of City Living magazine. Called "Haute Couture In A Historical Home," it features three local designers, and the photography (with Rachel modeling, too!) is by Earl Christie.
In the Grubbies-with-more-than-one-piece-of-news section, Alexa Kontes has work featured in kill author, The Legendary, and Foundling Review, and forthcoming in Fractured West. Grubbie Tilia Klebenov Jacobs has received a slew of honorable mentions, including the Joanna Catherine Scott Novel Excerpt Competition, the Rosalie Fleming Memorial Humor Competition, and the Linda Joy Myers Memoir Competition, and one of her essays has been requested for an anthology called Assailing Otherness: An Intercultural Reader of Prize-Winning Essays.
And in the Grubbies-with-books section, we're excited to report that Muse and the Marketplace alum Liz Michalski's novel Evenfall went on sale on February 1st. Liz met her agent, Mitchell Waters, at the Muse and workshopped the book at Grub with John Sedgewick. Grubbie Ellen Meeropol's first novel, House Arrest, was also published February 1st (Red Hen Press). She read and signed books at AWP and will be at the Odyssey Bookshop in South Hadley, MA on February 9. Ronn Smith’s first book of creative writing, Ten Tall Tales About the Men I Love (Collision Press, NYC) was published in December. The eight short stories—some disguised as essays, others as poems—are about time and place and urban longing. Brian Foley got a book deal for his humor book—you can catch him doing stand up at The Comedy Studio in Harvard Square on Friday, Feb 18. And last but of course not least, Grubbie Juliette Fay's new novel, Deep Down True, hit bookstore shelves on January 25th. Juliette says that she "attended several Grub Street programs during the writing of this novel—all very helpful—and got into two really terrific writing groups with other Grubbie writers."
Congratulations to everyone!
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, and Eve
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.
WEEKEND WORKSHOP: Saturday, February 12th, 10:00am-5:00pm, Jumpstart Your Writing Weekend-- Creative Non-Fiction Focus
This one-day weekend version of one of our most popular courses has a very clear mission: spend the day writing. Through a series of fun directed writing exercises, we will explore the terrain of creative non-fiction (no five-paragraph essays here!) and some poetry: mining for material, constructing characters and settings, shaping vivid dialogue, understanding point of view, exploring the many forms of non-fiction today, and finding your voice. We will discuss the process of writing and the strengths and weaknesses of the work we produce in class. We will read and discuss some short published non-fiction pieces and poems in regards to craft, then write exercises inspired by the texts. A supportive and generative experience for both new and practicing writers.
Instructor: Jennifer De Leon
*3 Spots Left* $115.00/$95.00, Grub Street HQ. Register Now.
WEEKEND WORKSHOP: Saturday-Sunday, February 12-13th, 10:00am-5:00pm, Getting Published in Literary Magazines
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.
Instructor: James Scott
$220/$195 members, Grub Street HQ. Register Now.
WEEKEND WORKSHOP: Saturday, February 12th, 10:00am-5:00pm, The Psychology of Strong Characters
Spend a day creating deeper characters with the help of prompts that will reveal the white-hot core of their fears, desires, and dreams.
Instructor: Jacqueline Sheehan
Sorry, this class is sold out. Please click here to be put on a waiting list.
WEEKEND WORKSHOP: Saturday, February 12th, 10:00am-5:00pm, Flash Fiction Marathon
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.
Instructor: Stace Budzko
*1 spot left* $115.00/$95.00 members, Grub Street HQ. Register Now.
WEEKEND WORKSHOP: Saturday, February 12th, 10:00am-5:00pm, How to Plan, Write, and Develop a Book
Whether you're a nonfiction author, memoirist, or novelist, and whether you have a book almost finished or merely a concept for one, this workshop will help you get to know your book—what it is about, how to structure it, how to finish it!
Instructor: Mary Carroll Moore
Sorry, this class is sold out. Please click here to be put on a waiting list.
WEEKEND WORKSHOP: Sunday, February 13th, 10:00am-5:00pm, The Time of Your Life
One of the keys to success in writing is using your time properly. That can be tough when you have a job, family, home or other major commitments – and when occupational hazards like procrastination and writer’s block rear their ugly heads. The good news is that all of these issues can be addressed once you’ve figured out the root causes of your time “issues” and applied some practical strategies to address them. (Hint: it’s not that you’re lazy or uncommitted—so stop blaming yourself! Another hint: it is not so difficult to create and stick to a time “budget” and schedule that will help you achieve your goals.) Author Hillary Rettig (The Lifelong Activist) will help you achieve these goals with two three-hour seminars offered on the same day: “Time Management” first, then a lunch break, then “Stop Procrastinating!” The best news of all is that once a writer actually starts solving his or her procrastination problems or blocks and starts managing his/her time better, change can happen amazingly fast!
Instructor: Hillary Rettig
$115.00/$95.00 members, Grub Street HQ. Register Now.
WEEKEND WORKSHOP: Sunday, February 13th, 10:00am-5:00pm, From Blog Post to Personal Essay
In the blog you write (or the blog you’ve imagined) you already have a record of the ideas you find most interesting. The next step is to develop them into fully realized literary explorations, and in this one-night seminar we’ll discuss how to do just that.
Instructor: Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich
$115.00/$95.00 members, Grub Street HQ. Register Now.
WEEKEND WORKSHOP: Sunday, February 13th, 10:00am-5:00pm, Provoking Thought: The Art of Science Writing
One of the most commercially successful science writers is Malcolm Gladwell, author of Outliers. One of the most intellectually acclaimed science writers is Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker, author of Blank Slate. Though both authors write books about ideas, their literary techniques couldn't be more different. In this workshop, we'll discover how Gladwell and Pinker represent two opposing sides of a set of choices that every writer must make when communicating ideas from science, technology, or medicine to a mainstream audience. We'll read and discuss passages from several recent nonfiction books and articles to learn about the benefits and pitfalls of each literary choice. You'll also take a shot at writing pieces in both Gladwell-style and Pinker-style. The goal? To help you find the best approach for your own science writing, whether you want to write articles, blogs, or books.
Instructor: Ogi Ogas
$115.00/$95.00 members, Grub Street HQ. Register Now.
WEEKEND WORKSHOP: Sunday, February 13th, 10:00am-5:00pm, Writing for Radio: An Introduction
Public radio listeners are often surprised to learn that much of what they hear on air is scripted. Everything from newscasts to commentaries, hard-news stories to soft features; it was all written primarily to be heard, not seen — a skill that requires knowing which writing rules to follow, and which ones to break. In this 6-hour class you'll learn the basics of how to craft a radio story from pitch to final product.
Read full details.
Instructor: Shannon Mullen
$115.00/$95.00 members, Grub Street HQ. Register Now.
SIX-WEEK WORKSHOP: 6 Thursdays, 6:30pm-9:30pm, beginning February 17th, Blueprint Your Book
Intelligent planning is not the enemy of creative genius! That is the most important thing to know. In this 6-week class, writers will learn the key concepts of scene, theme, series, and order, while designing the blueprint for their book idea. We will also address the related concepts of revision, voice, links, segmentation and unity. By the end of the session you will have entered your material in a new way, and become aware of how your genuine interests and motives can assist you in developing a project that is as fun and enlivening to work on as it is to read!
The Book Architecture Method has helped New York Times-bestselling authors of fiction and non-fiction alike “tackle my book, not just tinker with it.” When completed sequentially this method can greatly enhance the quality of your finished product and the speed of its creation. The class is open to all writers of fiction and narrative non-fiction, and writers do not need to have one word of their manuscript written. But you’re going to have to start some time!
Instructor: Stuart Horwitz
$305.00/$280.00 members, $115.00/$95.00 members, Grub Street HQ. Register Now.
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.
—LITERARY EXHIBIT: February 9th - June 4th, Elegant Enigmas: The Art of Edward Gorey
Carnivorous plants, falling masonry, and uninvited guests fill the imaginary world of artist and author Edward Gorey. His stories and accompanying illustrations maintain a delicate balance between the hilarious and the horrific. Gorey’s voracious consumption of literature, his love of the ballet, and his off beat and wry view of the world resulted in a sardonic and witty oeuvre. This exhibition explores the diversity of Gorey’s art through original pen and ink illustrations, preparatory sketches, unpublished drawings, and ephemera. Drawn from the holdings of the Gorey Charitable Trust, the exhibition comprises approximately 180 objects, including selections from The Gashlycrumb Tinies, The Unstrung Harp, The Gilded Bat, and other well-known Gorey publications.
$5 suggested donation, The Boston Athenĉum, 10 1/2 Beacon Street, Boston, MA 02108.
—*POSTPONED* READING: Tuesday, February 8th, 7pm, Rebecca Skloot
This reading has been postponed, and we will provide you with the updated date when we receive it.
FREE, Boston College.
—CONTEST: Deadline March 20th, Writers@Work Writing Competition 2011
Three Prizes for a memoir essay or personal story: $1000, $350 and $150. All winners will be considered for publication by Quarterly West. Manuscripts of up to 7,500 words or 20 pages (double-spaced 12 point type)
must be submitted electronically through the Writers @ Work website. Go to www.writersatwork.org for complete guidelines. Judge: Teresa Jordan. Deadline: March 20, 2011
Entry fee: $20 per submission
—CONVERSATION: Friday, February 11th, 6:30pm, Lyrics As Literature: A Conversation With Paul Simon, Paul Muldoon and Bill Flanagan
A special conversation with Paul Muldoon and Paul Simon, moderated by Bill Flanagan.
JFK Library, Columbia Point, Boston. TIckets and info at http://www.pen-ne.org.
Welcome to the end of the e-mail, where like a tarot reader in a three-piece suit, we offer you the chance to win a prize. What author called Ralph Waldo Emerson a "wrinkled baboon" and a "gap-toothed ape"? 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: Henrik Ibsen kept a pet scorpion on his desk. Winner: Bridget Keown.