February 28th, 2011
"You must want to enough. Enough to take all the rejections, enough to pay the price of disappointment and discouragement while you are learning. Like any other artist you must learn your craft—then you can add all the genius you like."
—Phyllis A. Whitney
Welcome to the latest installment of the Grub Street Rag, a newsletter of the Boston literary scene sent out every Monday from the private beach club in our minds 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.
Information about our biggest event of the year, Muse and the Marketplace, is online now, and over 250 people have registered in less than a week.The tenth annual Muse and the Marketplace conference takes place on April 30th and May 1st at the Boston Park Plaza Hotel, and features ninety craft and publishing sessions with an amazing lineup of over 100 authors, editors, agents and special guests. The Manuscript Mart, always one of the most popular aspects of the conference, is a fantastic opportunity to get time one-on-one with one of the 35 active editors and agents attending the conference. The Manuscript Mart is almost completely sold out, so if you are interested in participating, we urge you to sign up soon! To view all details about the conference and to register, go to www.museandthemarketplace.com.See you at the Muse!
We don't spend all our time coming up with quiz questions for the bottom of the Rag: we're running a non-profit, too. In fact, our staff and board has been working hard on our new five-year strategic plan, and part of that work involves tweaking our mission statement. We’d love your feedback on the following draft:
“Grub Street's mission is to transform lives and build community through the creation, production, and elevation of creative writing.”
Based on your experience with Grub Street, do you find this statement reflective of who we are and why what we do matters? We’d love any and all feedback: general impressions, word choice, suggestions for changes, etc. Of course, we’d also like positive reinforcement if you like it! Please send all feedback to our Executive Director, Eve Bridburg, at eve@grubstreet.org, and thank you. We truly value your input.
Lots of great stuff on the Grub Street Daily this week: New advice from our crack team of Writing cops, the Friday Five-O, a writer's Oscar acceptance speech and rules for your own, tips on finding a room of your own at a writing residency, and much more!
Planning is already underway for "Get Lit" and we're looking for a great team of volunteers to help envision the event and make it a success. To express your interest in serving on the volunteer committee or helping out in other ways, please fill out this brief survey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/getlit by Wednesday, March 2nd. Thanks so much for your interest--can't wait for the party.
As the title of our national conference suggests, Grub aims to help writers on both the Muse (craft) and Marketplace (publishing) sides of the writing life. We wanted to call attention to two unique Marketplace seminars coming up this Monday, March 7th: Sharon Bially's "You've Decided to Self-Publish, What Now?" and Ethan Gilsdorf's "Crafting The Pitch." Both are designed to give writers the industry savvy they need to get their work either noticed by agents/editors or navigate the brave new world of self-publishing. See full descriptions in the "Grub Events" section below.
The Boston Phoenix is putting together their Best of Boston list, and we'd love to win the "Best Literary Gang" category. If you think we deserve it, click on the link to vote for us now, and thank you!
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.
EDITORIAL HELP: Saturday, March 5th, 10:00am-3:00pm, Weekend of Manuscript Consultations
Looking to polish your work before an agent sees it at The Muse and the Marketplace? Want to get immediate, one-on-one feedback from a Grub instructor? Throughout this Saturday, various members of our creative writing faculty will be meeting individually for thirty minutes with writers who have submitted 25 pages of their work ahead of time. The 25-page writing sample -- usually long enough to include a complete short story, a novel chapter, a substantive personal essay, a short play, a series of poems, or a screenplay excerpt -- is often needed when applying to MFA programs, teaching positions, fellowships, residencies, etc. The session includes yummy coffee and doughnuts. All consultations will take place on Saturday, March 5th, 2011, between 10am-3pm. Deadline for submissions is 12:00pm on Thursday, February 17th. See all details here.
$140.00, Grub Street HQ. Register Now.
SEMINAR: Monday, March 7th, 6:30-9:30pm, Crafting the Pitch
In this seminar, you will learn how to write killer cover letters for submitting essays to literary magazines, non-fiction book proposals to agents, and articles to editors of magazines, newspapers and online publications. We'll look at the basic elements of a pitch, or "query," letter, explain what editors look for, talk about ways to tailor pitches to specific publications, and examine real pitch letters that actually worked. We'll also look at top mistakes that writers make and show how to leverage your background and expertise to best present yourself (even if you don't have much publishing experience). Bring 15 copies of a draft of any pitch letter for a non-fiction project you are currently working on (optional), and we'll critique as many of them as we can.
Instructor: Ethan Gilsdorf
$65/$50 members, Grub Street HQ. Register Now.
SEMINAR: Monday, March 7th, 6:30-9:30pm, You’ve Decided to Self-Publish: What Now?
So, you’ve decided to self-publish? Congratulations! But...what now? With an infinite number of options for how to proceed, this choice is difficult. It’s also highly strategic, with the potential to shape your writing career. This seminar will give you the tools to self-publish in a way that will help you meet your specific self-publishing goals. After examining those goals and the reasoning behind them, it will walk you through the various options, including budgetary considerations, and help you determine which one is the best match for you.
Instructor: Sharon Bially
$65/$50 members, Grub Street HQ. Register Now.
SEMINAR: Monday, March 7th, 6:30-9:30pm, Guided Open Mic With Steve Almond
Here’s your chance to show off your writing skills by reading your work to an eager audience and any guest authors, editors or literary agents who drop by. What makes this particular open mic extra special (and unforgettable!) is that it will be hosted by author Steve Almond, who is known for giving excellent readings. Steve will be on hand to talk about what makes a good reading – from how to pick the right excerpt to how to perform that excerpt like a professional. To participate, please bring a FIVE-MINUTE excerpt of your fiction, poetry or non-fiction to the session and sign up for a reading slot when you arrive. Please note that a five-minute reading usually consists of no more than 600 words. We will hold readers to a very strict five-minute limit.
Instructor: Steve Almond
$65/$50 members, Grub Street HQ. Register Now.
SEMINAR: Monday, March 7th, 6:30-9:30pm, Ask the Agent
In this Grub Street seminar, you will sit down with accomplished literary agent Ann Collette, of the Rees Literary Agency, to ask any question that's on your mind about the role of the agent and get an insider’s view on life inside a literary agency.
We're sorry, this class is sold out. Join waiting list.
SEMINAR: Monday, March 7th, 6:30-9:30pm, Think Small, Think Smart: How to Publish Beyond the Big Houses
For many reasons, new and established writers are moving their publications to smaller presses. Join an industry professional for an intensive discussion on alternatives to larger presses. Topics will include how to make yourself appealing to small presses, how to approach them, handle contract issues, market/promote, handle your book tour in line with your book distribution, and make your readings successful. Small press publishing has its challenges, but armed with this knowledge, you can make it work for you.
Instructor: Tara L. Masih
$65/$50 members, Grub Street HQ. Register Now.
SEMINAR: Monday, March 14th, 6:30-9:30pm, Crash Course in Guerrilla Book Promotion
If you're about to publish a book, you've probably got questions about how to best publicize and sell it -- as well as wondering what to expect. In this expanded version of his popular seminar, Ethan Gilsdorf reports on the lessons learned from his 75+ event, budget book tour and one year guerrilla effort to promote his book Fantasy Freaks and Gaming Geeks: An Epic Quest for Reality Among Role Players, Online Gamers, and Other Dwellers of Imaginary Realms. Whether you have a big or small publisher, or chose self-publishing, there are both traditional and non-traditional methods to identify and reach your target audience and build an audience in various potential book-buying communities. We'll discuss setting up a promotional budget; creating a book tour (and not just at bookstores but other venues); brainstorming special contests, promotions and giveaways unique to your book; establishing yourself as an expert and tying in your book to current events; using traditional media like print, TV and radio; and jumping on social media to develop a fan base and create buzz. We'll also over what your publisher should do and what you can do, and the problems that self-publishing creates. Come with questions.
Instructor: Ethan Gilsdorf
$65/$50 members, Grub Street HQ. Register Now.
Monday, March 14th, 6:30-9:30pm, The Short Novel: From Sketch To Draft in 90 Days
The reading appetite for shorter novels appears only to be growing. For writers, there’s a great opportunity to write a forceful piece of fiction that takes not years, but months to draft. In this seminar we will workshop project ideas—taking into consideration: organic shape, tone and style—and also take apart several published models of the form. We will also work out a writing schedule that reasonably allows a working part-time novelist to get the job done. Please bring to class: a paragraph synopsis of the novel as you presently envision it, and the first three pages of chapter 1.
Instructor: Ted Weesner
*ONE SPOT LEFT*, $65/$50 members, Grub Street HQ. Register Now.
Monday, March 14th, 6:30-9:30pm, Funny Is the New Deep
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.
Instructor: Steve Almond
We're sorry, this class is sold out. Join waiting list.
Monday, March 14th, 6:30-9:30pm, Writing the Graphic Novel
Slowly but steadily, graphic novels have escaped the dimly lit confines of comic shops and found critical acclaim under the soft fluorescents of mainstream bookstores. Blending a static art form with compelling narrative and dialog, the graphic novel gives fans an engaging reading experience while presenting the writer with a unique set of creative challenges. How do you write with the human eye in mind? How do you write for two different types of audience-- the reader and the artist (your collaborator)? With graphic novels like Gene Yang's American Born Chinese being considered as a finalist in the 2007 National Book Awards, now may be the perfect time to give the comic medium another look and discover just how much it has grown. In this course, you will learn the basics of how to write a graphic novel, and get feedback on your drafts.
Instructor: Jorge Vega
$65/$50 members, Grub Street HQ. Register Now.
Monday, March 14th, 6:30-9:30pm, Creating Complex Characters
Through a combination of exercises and discussion, this seminar will show you how to create characters whose human contradictions make them vivid and memorable.
Instructor: Lisa Borders
We're sorry, this class is sold out. Join waiting list.
LUNCHTIME WRITING: Wednesday, March 16th, 12:30-1:15pm, 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. Led by one of our award-winning instructors or ambassadors. Best of all, you’ll leave lunch with some new ideas to ponder for the rest of your day, and beyond. No need to RSVP-- just come!
Instructor: Javed Jahangir
FREE, Grub Street HQ.
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 SUBMISSIONS
Great writers wanted for small-press project with a local angle. An anthology titled "Live Free or Die, Die, Die! -- Granite State Murder, Mystery and Mayhem" will be printed and distributed by Plaidswede Publishing of Concord, N.H. with an October 2011 shelf date. Editor Rick Broussard says this is the second in a series of short story collections under the theme "New Hampshire Pulp Fiction." The first installment, titled Live Free or Undead: Dark Tales from the Granite State" is currently available in book stores and from nhbooksellers.com. Subsequent editions will treat other classic pulp genres such as science fiction, historical romance and adventure. Submissions between 1,000 and 8,000 words will be considered. For longer stories, query first. Writers need not be from New Hampshire, but all stories must use recognizable locales, people and/or themes of the Granite State. Deadline for submissions is March 31. Contact the editor at nhpulpfiction@gmail.com or visit www.nhpulpfiction.com for details.
--READING: Tuesday, March 1st, 7pm, Andre Dubus reading from Townie
Andre Dubus III discusses Townie: A Memoir with Richard Russo.
"Beautifully written and bursting with life, the book tells the story of a boy struggling to express his 'hurt and rage,' first through violence aimed at school and barroom bullies and ultimately through the power of words.... His compassionate memoir abounds with exquisitely rendered scenes of fighting, cheating, drugging, drinking, and loving. A striking, eloquent account of growing up poor and of the making of a writer." —Kirkus Reviews
$5, Brattle Theatre, 40 Brattle St., Cambridge, MA 02138. Buy tickets now.
--READING: Monday, March 7th, 2011, 8pm, Daphne Kalotay reading from Russian Winter
Muse 2011 presenter Daphne Kalotay reads with poet Chard DeNiord as part of the awesome Blacksmith House series.
$3, 56 Brattle St., Cambridge, MA 02138.
--NON-PARTISAN RALLY: MARCH 10TH -- CULTURE STOPS
On Thursday, March 10th, 2011, Culture Stops! will ask you to imagine a world where writers put down their pens and artists put down their paints. Where architects stop designing our cities and poets, dancers and sculptors stop teaching our children. Where our national landmarks fall into decay. Where debate is no longer fostered in our universities, or on our radio dials. Where our symphony halls fall silent and our libraries go dark. Where our collective history is left unmade and unwritten. Culture Stops! is a citizen-driven, peaceful day of action by individuals and organizations in the creative sector across the United States who share the simple belief that the power of creative thought is the lifeblood of democracy. Our day of action will put a face to the millions of individuals, for-profit companies, non profit organizations and institutions who fuel and sustain the creative sector and are the backbone of America ingenuity.
--READING: Wednesday, March 16th, 6pm, Edith Pearlman and Jessica Treadway
Edith Pearlman (Binocular Vision) & Jessica Treadway (Please Come Back To Me) will both read and discuss their new books. Stellina will provide appetizers and cash bar.
FREE, Stellina Restaurant 47 Main Street, Watertown, Ma.
Welcome to the end of the e-mail, where, like sharks sporting swimmies, we offer you the chance to win a prize. "Me a cool chic villain" is an anagram for what author? 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: Edna Ferber, dressed in a pant suit, met Noel Coward coming out of the Algonquin Hotel. Coward told her she almost looked like a man. "So do you," she replied. Winner: Daniel Adler.
