November 7th, 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 people who don't have an app for that 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.

The Muse's Muses

The planning is underway for the 2012 Muse and the Marketplace conference, and, because the conference is designed to serve your needs as a writer, we are eager to hear your ideas for presenters, topics, panels and other events. Please join us tomorrow, Tuesday, November 8th, from 5:30 - 6:30 at Grub HQ to brainstorm ideas. Wine and cheese will be served. If you can't make it, please send any ideas or requests -- no matter how far-fetched -- to Chris at chris@grubstreet.org anytime!

Final Two Open Houses For Fall Term!

Department of Congratulations, The Earl, Earl, Earl of Grey Edition

Books! Stories! Contests! We've got a lot of news to report this month. First up, literary magazine publication news: Lynne Weiss's essay "Currency Exchange," about an incident that occurred after the fall of the Berlin Wall and before reunification, will be posted in the Dispatches section of The Common, a new journal that expounds "a modern sense of place." Grubbie Tien-Yi Lee's flash fiction piece, "Penetration," was accepted by American Short Fiction and is featured as their November Web Exclusive. The story was originally written for Stace Budzko's Master Fiction class. A new flash piece from Robert Oakes, Fly Away, can be found at Sleet Magazine. Alexa Kontes's story, "Dried Flowers," which she wrote in Sue Williams's Flash Fiction 2 class, is forthcoming in Foliate Oak. Devoted Grubbie Kathryn Handley has a new poem, "he left her with so little," published in Literary Mama. Andrea Vij has an essay, "Clean Freak Mom," live on Babble. Debbie Sosin's essay, "The Game Changer," which she wrote in Michelle Seaton's "Six Weeks, Six Essays" class, will appear in the fall issue of Zone 3. Amy Wright, Zone's nonfiction editor, had approached Debbie at the Kenyon Review Writers Workshop in June and asked her to submit. In August, Debbie saw Becky Tuch's call in the Rag for people to interview literary journal editors for The Review Review, so she decided to interview Amy, proving that one thing does indeed lead to the next. Rebecca Leeb just celebrated her first publication, a short short story called "The Polar Caves Shuffle" appearing in  Live Free or Die, Die, Die.  Rebecca said she was proud that the publication happened within three months of her becoming a Grub Street member, and was in response to a call for submissions she saw right here in this humble newsletter.

Next up, book news! Grubbie Scott Blagden's Dear Life, You Suck sold to Jeannette Larson at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Children's, for publication in Spring 2013. Scott says he is "a debut author [whose] manuscript was pulled from the slush pile by an editor at Harcourt," and thanks Grub instructor Lisa Borders for her help, saying she was "instrumental in getting the manuscript to a stage where [he] was able to get ... an offer from a publisher." Former Grub Street intern, Michael Graves, has just published his debut collection of stories, Dirty One (Chelsea Station Editions). Michael would like to thank the supportive staff at Grub, especially Whitney and Chris. He says, "Thank you VERY much!" (And we say, "you're very welcome!") Longtime Grubbie Amin Ahmad has exciting news: Stéphanie Abou at Foundry Literary + Media closed a two-book deal, at auction, for his debut, The Caretaker, along with a follow-up novel. Minotaur has The Caretaker scheduled for winter 2013, with the forthcoming sequel planned for winter 2014. If you haven't read Amin's "Ten Year, One Story" on our blog, do it now. Grub Artistic Director Christopher Castellani sold his third novel, Beautiful Everything, to Kathy Pories at Algonquin, for publication in March 2013. Instructor Tara Masih has placed another project with an independent press, Wyatt-MacKenzie. In 2012, WM will publish a collection of essays she's compiled, titled The Chalk Circle: Intercultural Prizewinning Essays. This is her third sale to an indie press, and she's teaching a weekend workshop on publishing with small presses this weekend. Audio rights for Jessica Keener's debut novel, Night Swim (pub. date: Jan. 10, 2012 from Fiction Studio Books) sold at auction to Recorded Books. And Brooklyn Arts Press is pleased to announce the publication of Christopher Hennessy's first collection of poetry, Love-In-Idleness. Muse and the Marketplace 2011 presenter Lesléa Newman, former poet laureate of Northampton and author of the children's book, Hachiko Waits, is proud to announce her new chapbook of poetry. I Remember: Hachiko Speaks is a series of formal poems told in the voice of Hachiko, Japan's famous Akita who waited ten years for his master's return.

Next up, occupation changes: Michael Barry was accepted into, and will be attending, the Stonecoast MFA program at the University of Southern Maine. He used the piece he workshopped in Amy MacKinnon's Line-by-Line class and wants Amy to know how thankful he is for her help. And Sharon Bially-Cohen is now the Indie Alley book reviewer at Reader Unboxed, the just-launched sister-site of the wildly popular blog Writer Unboxed. Sharon will be reviewing books by independent / self-published authors.

And lastly, news-that-doesn't-fit-the-other-sections-but-can-sort-of-be-summed-up-as-contest-news: Congratulations to Grub student Kelly Ford, who won the “Writer Idol” competition at the 2011 Boston Book Festival. The first page of her novel received raves from the panel of agents and a spontaneous round of applause from the hundreds of people in the audience. Nick Fuller Googins took a class with Chris Boginkski recently, and had a story selected as a finalist for NPR's Three Minute Fiction contest. And Grubbie Wendy Polin's Fare Forward has been chosen as the very first Ivy-Life Book Club pick through LinkedIn.

Huge congratulations to all!  

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 fill out our brand new Congratulations Form (http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/congratulations) or kick it old school and 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, Eve, Chris, Rowan and Sean

The P.S. Be sure to check out Grub Events and Spreading the Love for information about some great upcoming events, including the Ploughshares and a visit from Joyce Maynard. Joyce will be teaching a seminar at Grub on the short novel in mid-December, as well as doing a free meet-and-greet beforehand, plus she's partnering with two Grub instructors for her March 2012 writing workshops in Guatemala. See below for all details!

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, November 9th, 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: Tom Meek
FREE, Grub Street HQ.

FREE LECTURE: Thursday, November 10th, 6:30-8:30pm, An Evening With Barry Eisler
Barry Eisler recently shocked the publishing world when he turned down a half-million-dollar advance from a traditional publisher in order to self-publish his next two novels. Since then, he has been outspoken and optimistic about the unprecedented choices writers have in the new world of publishing: legacy, indie, and hybrid. A strong advocate of writers taking advantage of their new opportunities and determining their own fate, Mr. Eisler will talk for roughly 30-45 minutes and then take questions. A book-signing will follow. Part of Grub Street’s "Publish It Forward: Writers and Industry Pioneers Leading Change" 2011-2012 Lecture Series, sponsored by the NEA.
Instructor: Barry Eisler
*SOLD OUT*

WEEKEND WORKSHOP: Saturday-Sunday, November 12-13th, 10:00am-5:00pm, The Murky Middle
"Writing the middle of a novel can feel, for many writers, like being lost in the forest with neither a breadcrumb trail nor a compass. You know where you want to end up, but are not sure how to get there. If you’ve written at least 50 pages and feel lost in the murky middle of your novel, this class will help you forge a path toward the story’s climax. Through intensive in-class exercises and brainstorming as well as an overnight assignment, you will leave on Sunday afternoon with a new mid-novel scene, and a possible path out of the forest.
Please come to class with 12 copies of both the first paragraph of your novel and a plot outline of what you’ve written so far, broken down chapter by chapter. We will be working with these outlines in class. "
Instructor: Lisa Borders
**4 SPOTS LEFT**
$220/$195.00 members, Grub Street HQ.

WEEKEND WORKSHOP: Saturday, November 12th, 10:00am-5:00pm, Query Clinic: Section 1
A one-day intensive session on query letters. For the first half of the class, agent Sorche Fairbank of Fairbank Literary will take the class through the shelf-life of a query, dissect its four most important components, diagram the essential elements of a query’s synopsis, identify the five most common mistakes authors make in their queries, give insight and tips on how to stand out in the slushpile, and provide a review of a laundry list of query Dos and Don’ts. After covering all the basics, the instructor will hand back students’ queries, with notes on recommended changes. Students will have time to rework their query in class, by hand or by laptop, and then the instructor will lead a group critique of each reworked query with the class. Amazing changes are expected. By the close of the class, students should expect to have a strong query letter that gets an agent’s attention, and will have take home notes and class handouts. Open to all levels, all genres.
Important: Please prepare and email to rowan@grubstreet.org no later than noon on Monday, November 7th, a query letter of no more than 400 words for the instructor, who will provide comments and edits on the query for use in class, and as a take-home reference.
For Class: Bring two copies of your query, and means to work on revisions (pen and paper, or laptop).
Instructor: Sorche Fairbank
$115/$95.00 members, Grub Street HQ.

WEEKEND WORKSHOP: Saturday, November 12th, 10:00am-5:00pm, From Poems to Book: Shaping the Poetry Manuscript
Do you have a pile of poems you’re trying to shape into a collection? Have you ordered and reordered your poems but still failed to find your way to a structured book or chapbook manuscript you feel ready to submit to contests and/or publishers? Come join a group of poets who are at the same stage as you as we develop strategies for envisioning and creating your book manuscript. In this hands-on class we’ll read articles, examine published books, and engage in exercises and workshop activities that let you begin to think of your manuscript as a whole. We’ll also discuss the book contest system versus directly submitting to publishers. Students working on chapbooks or full length manuscripts are welcome, but all students must have at least 20 pages of poems to work with for the workshop.
Instructor: Rebecca Morgan Frank
$115/$95.00 members, Grub Street HQ.

WEEKEND WORKSHOP: Saturday, November 12th, 10:00am-5:00pm, 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. General 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. Specifically, we will address manuscripts that have been completed by students and are near to ready for submission to a press.
To do this, send a one-page synopsis of your book, with any history of earlier submissions, to rowan@grubstreet.org no later than 12:00pm on Wednesday, November 9th (note: earlier submissions will allow for a better review). Time will be allotted to discuss each manuscript, where it may be submitted, and if any adjustments need to be made in order to increase the chance of acceptance.
Guest speaker Michael Schiavone, author of the recent novel Call Me When You Land, will be appearing to discuss his experiences with publishing with a small press. Though helpful, it's not necessary to have a finished manuscript to take advantage of this class's information.
Instructor: Tara L. Masih
$115/$95.00 members, Grub Street HQ.

WEEKEND WORKSHOP: Saturday, November 12th, 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
**2 SPOTS LEFT!**
$115/$95.00 members, Grub Street HQ.

WEEKEND WORKSHOP: Sunday, November 13th, 10:00am-5:00pm, Historical Fiction (Without All the Extra Buttons)
Historical novels, at their worst, can feel like veritable textbooks, laden with obscure details about fashion trends, hinges, and salted cod. So what’s a writer to do with all the ‘information’ she’s worked so hard to gather? We’ll look at examples of great literary historical fiction, discuss how and why it works, and practice our own hand at flushing out the excess and focusing on what’s really important: the story.
Instructor: Anna Solomon
*Sorry, this class is sold out. Please click here to be put on a waiting list. Note: this seminar will be reprised during the winter term.*

WEEKEND WORKSHOP: Sunday, November 13th, 10:00am-5:00pm, Haiku Intensive
Often misrepresented or only partially understood, the heart of Haiku contains many lessons for poets in its compacted form: image, metaphor, enjambment, attention, word choice, and silence. This intensive will survey the history and core principles while reading ancient and contemporary examples. By the end of the day you will be equipped to incorporate the powerful discipline of haiku into your life, using it to hone your poetic practice and increase your daily awareness.
Instructor: Janaka Stucky
**4 SPOTS LEFT!**
$115/$95.00 members, Grub Street HQ.

(JUST ADDED) MEET AND GREET: Thursday, December 15th, 5:30-6:30pm, Meet Joyce MaynardSit for a while in conversation with best-selling author Joyce Maynard, who will answer questions about writing, life and the writing life. She will also be discussing the details of her popular writing retreat at Lake Atitlan, Guatemela, where Grub instructors Jennifer De Leon and Adam Stumacher will join Joyce to teach a workshop in early 2012. Light refreshments provided.
FREE, sign-up required, Grub Street HQ.

(JUST ADDED) SEMINAR: Thursday, December 15th, 6:30-9:30pm, The Short Novel: Story and Structure
Joyce Maynard, in town for one night only, for a three hour workshop/talk dedicated to the art of novel structure. Using her own recent novel, Labor Day—written over a period of two weeks of highly focused writing time—as the basis for her talk, Joyce will reconstruct the process of creating a novel from first inspiration to completion. Labor Day has recently been adapted for film by Academy-Award-nominated director Jason Reitman, and starring Kate Winslet, with filming set to take place in Summer 2012.
$65/$50 members, Grub Street HQ.

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

--LAUNCH PARTY: Tuesday, November 9th, 6-9pm, Salon Soirée
You're invited to attend Salon Soirée’s Launch Party. In the tradition of the French Salons, Salon Soirée provides and nurtures a forum for the arts community to gather, network and share their talents and passion for the arts in its many forms and expressions. Enjoy live music, literary performances, and visual art as you savor fine wines, tasty appetizers and lively conversation with other aficionados of the arts! Featuring Grub instructor Stuart Horwitz, Jan Shapiro, Paula Sline, Diane Richardson, Joanna Hochman, Susan Murphy and Karen Lee Sobol.
$20 cash at the door, TWIG, 83 Charles Street, Beacon Hill

--WORKSHOP: March 2 - 11, 2012, Eleventh Annual Write By Lake Atitlan in Guatemala
Joyce Maynard, author of the best-selling memoir At Home in the World and the novel To Die For, as well as numerous other works, invites you to join her eleventh Guatemalan writing workshop. The daily schedule allows for plenty of writing time, evening readings, craft talks, and a personal critique of each writer's manuscript, all in a rare and magical location—the Mayan village of San Marcos La Laguna, surrounded by five volcanoes, on the shores of one of the most beautiful lakes in the world.  (You’ll  enjoy an additional overnight stay in the lovely town of Antigua prior to arriving at Lake Atitlan.)  Along with her two faculty members—longtime Grub Street teachers Jennifer De Leon and Adam Stumacher—Joyce welcomes writers of all levels, from those publishing work or completing MFA’s to others just beginning to pursue writing. Visit joycemaynard.com or read specifics about section descriptions, the application process and costs here.

--PARTY: Monday, November 14th, 2011, 5:30 – 7:30pm, Denis Leary Hosts Ploughshares 40th Anniversary Celebration
Don’t miss this chance to mingle with Boston’s literary luminaries and exciting celebrity guests and celebrate one of the most important magazines in the country. You will hear short readings and tributes from Alice Hoffman, Sue Miller, Wally Lamb, Andre Dubus III, Dennis Lehane, Pamela Painter,  Joan Parker (for Robert B. Parker), Ming Tsai, Cam Neely and many others. Before the readings, enjoy an intimate cocktail reception with the presenters. All proceeds will benefit Boston-based Ploughshares. Hosted by the inimitable Denis Leary!
$50 program tickets/$250 VIP tickets, Paramount Theatre, Boston. More details and tickets here: https://www.pshares.org/subscriptions/40yearsevent.cfm#reserve

--Tuesday, November 15th, 7pm, The Narrative Thread
Join three young, local, up-and-coming artists as they share their narratives and how they relate to themes of Jewish exodus and exile. Featuring William Giraldi, author of the novel Busy Monsters, and Senior Fiction Editor for the journal AGNI; Vanessa Diffenbaugh, author of The Language of Flowers; and Stuart Nadler, author of The Book of Life. Come prepared to share your own tales of exodus or exile and the authors will select and read some aloud.
FREE, Middlesex Lounge, Cambridge, please RSVP to http://bit.ly/NarrativeThread

--FREE WORKSHOP: Thursday, November 17th, 6pm - 8pm. Fiction Workshop
In this fiction writing workshop, you'll generate new story ideas through the use of creative writing prompts and will have the opportunity to share what you've written. Small group setting: Limited to 10 participants. Writers of all levels are welcome. Workshop facilitated by Kelly Ford, recipient of a Somerville Arts Council Literature Artist Grant and nominated for Grub Street's Novel Incubator pilot program (and winner of Writer Idol at the Boston Book Festival--see the Department of Congratulations above!) Event sponsored by the Somerville Arts Council. To register, email kellyjford@gmail.com.
FREE, Somerville Public Library West Branch, 40 College Ave, Somerville, MA.

--SHOW: Saturday, Nov. 19th, 7:30-9:30 pm, Finding My Place: One Man's Journey Through the Middle Ages
Local writer and NPR commentator Judah Leblang will present a new one-man show that tells the true (and often humorous) story of Leblang's struggle to fit in among his various tribes: gay men, middle-aged "Boomers," Jews, and Midwesterners who have migrated East. Based on his recent memoir, Finding My Place: One Man's Journey from Cleveland to Boston and Beyond, Leblang's story is at once specific and broad enough to encompass the experience of anyone who has felt the hot breath of Father Time breathing down his or her neck.
Judah Leblang's commentaries and essays have been broadcast on almost 200 NPR and ABC-network stations around the U.S. He is an instructor at Grub Street writing center in Boston, and a regular columnist for Bay Windows, Boston's weekly gay newspaper.
$10, Cambridge Center for Adult Education, 56 Brattle St., Cambridge. Buy tickets now.