August 15th, 2011

Grub Street News

Welcome to the latest installment of the Grub Street Rag, a newsletter of the Boston literary scene brought to you every Monday from the bottomless bowl of peel-and-eat shrimp at Grub Street's world headquarters. As always, if you are receiving this email in horror, please advance to the bottom of the page to unsubscribe yourself.

Daytime Classes

Want to go to bed early, have dinner with your kids, AND still write? Take a Grub Street daytime class! This fall we're offering a brand-new line-up of morning and afternoon classes in short fiction, the novel, creative nonfiction, poetry, screenwriting, children's and young adult literature, publishing, and promotion. Register today!

Three cheers for volunteers

We are done with our big mailing, and we owe huge thanks to Janice Dvorak, Muniza Haq, Jennie Wood, Emma Pattee, Shava Narad, Sunny Davidson, Julie Maraino, Meaghan Kelly, Emma Pattee, Barbara McGuinness, Ann King, Kelly Knight, Jeff Schwefel,Cat Bryant, and the fearless Grub interns, who stuffed and sealed literally thousands of envelopes last week for our annual fundraising appeal. We definitely couldn't have done it without them!

Welcome, Sean Van Deuren!

When Sean Van Deuren was at Emerson College, where he received his BFA, he published his first collection of short stories, called I Am Happy You Are Here. Well, now WE are happy Sean's at Grub Street, and you will be too. We are so pleased to welcome Sean to the growing Grub Street team as our new Volunteer Coordinator. Not only will Sean handle all taks related to our volunteers and members, but he once dreamed of being a chef and can whip you up a mean almond burger (we promise, we didn't know he could cook when we hired him--it's just an added bonus!) He's also a film buff, and his favorite literary adaptation is Wonder Boys, though he thinks Chabon's novel wins out just a bit over the film version. If you want to be nice to him, bring him a gin & tonic or a tall glass of almond milk. Want to be super nice? Arrange a dinner for him with his hero, Dave Eggers, about whom Sean says, "His work in American letters and his philanthropic involvement is important, inspiring, and truly needed." Sean will be in our office weekdays from 10:00 to 6:00pm. Please say hello and welcome when you stop by or talk to him on the phone. If you'd like to drop Sean a note by email, his address is sean@grubstreet.org. Read Sean's full bio.

Hello, new Director's Circle members

We are so pleased to be able to welcome fourteen new members to our growing Director's Circle. The Director's Circle is comprised of Grub Street's most loyal supporters and leaders, a group of individuals who care about the written word and want to make our city a destination for readers and writers. We are so thankful to have the support of such a fantastic group of people. Want to join them? Learn how.

Patrons: Michelle Toth
Luminaries: Ken Cohen and Kate Flora, Anonymous
Benefactors: Linda Button, Ann and Peter King, Wendy and Jim Mnookin, Wendy Polins, Deborah Porter, Margaret and John Ruttenberg and Lara JK Wilson

Our Daily Best

• The Virgins talk about the magic
• The I, or, don't abuse that typewriter key
• Why writers should embrace Google+
  

Cheers,
Whitney, Sonya, Eve, Chris, and Rowan

Grub Events

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.

LUNCHTIME WRITING: Wednesday, August 17th, 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 – a series recently profiled in the Boston Globe. 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: Jennifer Elmore
FREE, Grub Street HQ.

LEGAL ADVICE: Wednesday, August 17th, 2:30pm-5:30pm, Members-Only Offering: Free Legal Consultations for Writers
If you've been working on your manuscript for a long time, you probably have a million questions about the next steps to getting published and/or protecting your work. Maybe you want clarification on confusing clauses in publishing contracts, advice on whether to register the copyright in your latest piece, or a few basic tips on what legal issues exist for budding writers. While he may not be able to answer every question you have, Attorney Mitchell Bragg of Ascentage Law, PLLC, will be offering free 30-minute consultations to help explain the law as it applies to aspiring, emerging, and established writers. This is meant to provide writers at all stages in their career with basic answers to legal questions and issues they may be facing. All sessions are by appointment only; to reserve a slot please email mab@ascentagelaw.com. Be sure to arrive early to your appointment and be prepared with specific questions. Only active Grub Street members may participate.
Instructor: Mitchell Bragg
FREE, Grub Street HQ. Register Now.

WEEKLONG INTENSIVE: Monday, August 22nd - Friday, August 26th, 11:00am-2:00pm, Weeklong Revision Clinic
Though it's often said that revising is the key to publishable writing, revision is a process that many fiction writers find frustrating. Once you have a first draft, what happens next? How do you follow through on the ideas your workshop suggested? How do you add depth to characters? How do you make the structure more direct? This week-long intensive course will teach the crucial concepts of revision that will allow you to address these issues. Students will bring a story or novel chapter they wish to revise to class, receive workshop feedback on it, then take the piece through a full revision during the course of the week. Whether it's exploring the possibilities of an initial draft or adding the final touches, revision is a process no successful writer can do without.
Instructor: Cam Terwilliger
$255/$230.00 members, Grub Street HQ. Register Now.

WEEKLONG INTENSIVE: Monday, August 22nd - Friday, August 26th, 11:00am-2:00pm, 5 Days, 5 Stories
Many writers have a hard time working during the summer months, and as fall approaches, guilt at their misspent time creeps in. Starting new work can seem daunting at thi—or any—time. In this intensive, always-sold-out workshop, you will write five brand-new complete stories ranging from 300 to 1500 words or brand-new beginnings of longer stories. Using instructor prompts and published examples, the class explores ways to write plot, character, setting, and language; you will get quick on-the-spot feedback on what you write from both the instructor and fellow students. Lectures and exercises will focus on plot/structure, language and dialogue, character, revision, and submitting stories. The goal is to leave the class with new beginnings, a few complete short-shorts, and an understanding of how to proceed with revision.
Instructor: James Scott
$255/$230.00 members, Grub Street HQ. Register Now.

LEGAL ADVICE: Thursday, August 25th, 2:30pm-5:30pm, Members-Only Offering: Free Legal Consultations for Writers
If you've been working on your manuscript for a long time, you probably have a million questions about the next steps to getting published and/or protecting your work. Maybe you want clarification on confusing clauses in publishing contracts, advice on whether to register the copyright in your latest piece, or a few basic tips on what legal issues exist for budding writers. While he may not be able to answer every question you have, Attorney Mitchell Bragg of Ascentage Law, PLLC, will be offering free 30-minute consultations to help explain the law as it applies to aspiring, emerging, and established writers. This is meant to provide writers at all stages in their career with basic answers to legal questions and issues they may be facing. All sessions are by appointment only; to reserve a slot please email mab@ascentagelaw.com. Be sure to arrive early to your appointment and be prepared with specific questions. Only active Grub Street members may participate.
Instructor: Mitchell Bragg
FREE, Grub Street HQ. Register Now.

TEENS: Monday, August 29th - Friday, September 2nd, 11:00am-3:00pm, Creative Writing Camp for Teens
We'll have prompts, writing time, guest speakers, outdoor activities to get our sensory descriptions flowing, and workshop. By the end of the week, you'll have your toolbox full of ideas, beginnings, and some drafts to keep you going all fall. We will discuss the submission process/publication opportunities for teens, and end the week with a reading and potluck lunch. Limited to 12 students age 13-18.
SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES: Grub Street is happy to be able to offer a limited number of full scholarships for this course. You are eligible for one of these scholarships if you are in a household that receives benefits from Massachusetts SNAP or Massachusetts TANF, if you are a foster child, and/or if your household’s gross income is within the free limits on the Federal Income Guidelines.
To apply for a scholarship, please send an email of no more than 500 words to chris@grubstreet.org describing why you want to take this class and stating that you meet the requirements above. At the end of the email, list the name and email address or phone number of one teacher or other non-relative adult whom we could contact for a recommendation. Please put "Fall Teen Scholarship" in the Subject line of the email. Deadline is Wednesday, August 31st at 5pm.
Instructor: Jennifer De Leon
$330/$305 members, Grub Street HQ. Register Now.

SEMINAR: Monday, August 29th, 6:30-9:30pm, So You Want to Be a Writer?
In this seminar, we’ll examine, discuss and debunk the myths, dreams and tough realities of becoming a writer and then map out realistic action plans for making the leap to a full or part-time commitment to writing. We’ll look at concrete strategies, such as: creating short (one to two year) and long-term (three to ten year) series of goals; understanding the sacrifices necessary to build a career and the importance of working on multiple projects in different genres; tackling psychological issues such as writer's block and rejection; and grasping the value of networking and “putting yourself out there.” For beginners or anyone looking to re-inspire or re-commit themselves as writers.
Instructor: Ethan Gilsdorf
$65/$50 members, Grub Street HQ. Register Now.

SEMINAR: Monday, August 29th, 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.

SEMINAR: Monday, August 29th, 6:30-9:30pm, Obsessive Writing
Most good writing -- whether fiction or non-fiction -- arises from a writer's obsessions. In this session, we'll discuss how to explore our obsessions on the page, without falling pray to self-absorption or sentiment. We'll start by looking at the work of Nick Hornby, Calvin Trillin, and other obsessive writers, and proceed to a broader discussion of passionate attachment.
Instructor: Steve Almond
$65/$50 members, Grub Street HQ. Register Now.

SEMINAR: Monday, August 29th, 6:30-9:30pm, From Anecdote to Character
A well-deployed anecdote, even if incidental to the overall plot of your story or memoir, can help define your characters in action and give them a reality and history that extends beyond the page. We’ll look closely at examples of character definition through anecdote in both memoir and fiction, and will practice brainstorming and writing anecdotes that will help define our own characters in vivid detail.
Instructor: Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich
$65/$50 members, Grub Street HQ. Register Now.

SEMINAR: Monday, August 29th, 6:30-9:30pm, Provoking Thought: Selling and Writing A Book of Ideas
There's a burgeoning market for nonfiction books of ideas, and fortunately they're much easier to sell than fiction or memoirs. All you need is a great idea--and a great proposal. In this seminar, you'll learn everything you need to know to market your science, medical, or idea book to a publisher. You'll learn about the state of the nonfiction publishing industry, what editors are looking for, what readers are looking for, how to find the best agent for your project, and how to craft a winning proposal. We'll analyze successful and failed books of ideas published in the past few years, giving special attention to the different styles of Malcolm Gladwell (author of Outliers) and Steven Pinker (author of Blank Slate). You'll also learn what to expect when you do sell your book--and the challenges you'll face when you must actually get the research and writing done by a deadline. We might also address special topics such as e-books, Amazon, and endorsements.
Instructor: Ogi Ogas
$65/$50 members, Grub Street HQ. Register Now.

Be sure to check out our website for a comprehensive view of upcoming events.

Spreading the Love

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 people to interview journal editors. This is a great way for writers to get to know individual editors of various literary magazines, and to learn more about what these editors are looking for in their submissions. Also, it's fun! We have a core readership of hundreds of journal editors and writers, and your interview will be featured in our weekly newsletter. If interested, please email Becky at 99review@gmail.com.

--READING: Tuesday, August 30th, 7pm, Tom Perrotta reads from The Leftovers
"[Perrotta's] most ambitious book to date....The premise is as simple as it is startling (certainly for the characters involved). The novel is filled with those who have changed their lives radically or discovered something crucial about themselves, as radical upheaval generates a variety of coping mechanisms. Though the tone is more comic than tragic, it is mainly empathic, never drawing a distinction between "good" and "bad" characters, but recognizing all as merely human—ordinary people dealing with an extraordinary situation."— Kirkus Reviews (starred)
FREE, Porter Square Books, 25 White Street, Cambridge

--READING: Wednesday, September 7th, 7PM, Michael Griffith and Brock Clarke
Michael Griffith, author of Trophy: A Novel, and Brock Clarke, author of Exley.  
FREE, Newtonville Books, 296 Walnut St., Newton