April 2nd, 2012
"My own experience is that once a story has been written, one has to cross out the beginning and the end. It is there that we authors do most of our lying."
—Anton Chekhov
Welcome to the latest installment of the Grub Street Rag, a newsletter of the Boston literary scene brought to you every Monday by the acolytes of the mighty To-Do List 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.
Inspired by the great success of the Novel Incubator, we at Grub Street have spent the past few months developing another very exciting unique year-long program. We call it “The Non-Fiction Career Lab: Your First Book and Beyond.” Taught by Pagan Kennedy and Ethan Gilsdorf, this course is for ten nonfiction students seeking to (1) develop a book-length work of nonfiction and (2) build professional part-time or full-time careers as nonfiction writers. The overall goal is to combine the best of Grub Street with the best of MFA programs and journalism programs. We are piloting the Non-Fiction Career Lab from June 2012 – May 2013 at a reduced tuition, and applications are being accepted from now until May 15th, 2012. We have lots of information about this exciting program on our website, and we urge you to contact Chris Castellani (chris@grubstreet.org) with any questions.
There are thirty-two spots left in the Manuscript Mart at the Muse and the Marketplace--does one of them have your name on it? Take a look at the available agents and editors, and snag one now before it's too late. If you're already signed up, don't forget you have to upload your manuscript by Wednesday, April 11th, 2012 at 5:00pm. No exceptions!
This past Friday, we had a blast celebrating our move to our new digs at 162 Boylston Street. If you were one of the over three hundred fabulous people in attendance, we hope you enjoyed the Poe's Punch served by celebrity author bartenders (including Margot Livesey and Richard Russo, pictured at right), the staccato stylings of the Boston Typewriter Orchestra, and the company of friends old and new. Stay tuned to our Facebook page for tons of photos of the event, and don't miss the coverage in the Globe and the Herald. Thank you to everyone who worked so hard to make the event a success, and to the 350+ donors who helped make our new address our home. We truly couldn't have done it without you.
We are excited to announce the winners of our Raffle from Grub Goes… Up! Thanks to everyone who participated and congratulations to the following Grubbies:
Winners will also be notified by email.
We've got some great news from our instructors and members this month. First up, huge congratulations to former Grub board member Allison Adair and Max Green, proud parents of what we think is the first (official) Grub Street baby! Max and Allie met at a Grub Street event way back in the day, and on March 27th welcomed beautiful Georgiana Mae Green into the world. If Georgie is anything like her beautiful and talented parents, she'll be writing sestinas before she even learns how to crawl.
Next up, instructor news: Adrian Van Young has an essay on horror movie franchises out in this month's Believer. Catherine Parnell helped found an online literary magazine and small press with an audio component. It's called Anomalous Press and Catherine recommends "Tattooed Ladies" by Janis Freegard if you want to take a listen. The amazing (and recently married) Jenn De Leon has a new short story, "Home Movie," coming out in the Briar Cliff Review, and an interview with author and Grubbie Jeff Talarigo up on AGNI online. Becky Tuch's short story just received an Honorable Mention from Glimmer Train, another great piece of news for her that came out of Stace Budzko's 10 weeks 10 stories class. Lesléa Newman's newest children's book, A Sweet Passover, has just been published by Abrams Books for Young Readers. The book focuses on Miriam, who, by the last day of Passover, is sick, sick, sick of matzah! Includes an explanation of the holiday, a glossary, and a recipe for matzah brei as told to the author by her father. Cheryl Lawton Malone's poem placed in the top 25 (16th place) in the Writer's Digest Seventh Annual Poetry Contest 2012.
Not to be outdone, our students and members have some great news as well: Chris Daly's new book, Covering America, was just published by U Mass Press. Steve Macone published a piece in the New York Times that he worked on in fantastic classes with Michelle Seaton and Christopher Boginski. Kelly McNamara's essay, "This is How Much You Need a Dog," will appear in issue 14 of the Chicago Quarterly Review. She wrote the essay in Michelle Seaton's Master Memoir class, and gives Michelle and the writers in that workshop many thanks for their guidance and support. Somer Brodribb's story "Alison in Amsterdam" is now available online at the Writers' Hub, a site managed by the Birkbeck Writing Programme in London, England. Marylou DiPietro is celebrating the opening of her collabortive multimedia exhibition, "Snow on the Brain: Living with MS," with artist Marguerite McDonald. McDonald began keeping a "visual journal" of living with MS shortly after being diagnosed 15 years ago. DiPietro began writing poetry in response to McDonald's paintings shortly after she began her battle with cancer. View their collaboration at the Open Door Gallery, 89 South St. Boston. Paul Korins' new sequel, Warning Whispers, will be released in early April. His first novel, Haunting Whispers, was published February, 2010.
A hearty round of congratulations (and a shake of a silver rattle for Georgie) for all!
Cheers,
Whitney, Sonya, Eve, Chris, Rowan, Sean and Lauren
The P.S. Today is the first official day of our spring schedule, and there's still time to sign up for some great upcoming courses--take a look at our website and reserve your spot today.
For the next two months, The Rag will be spotlighting sessions from our annual conference, The Muse and the Marketplace. We hope you’ll be able to enjoy these sessions in person the weekend of May 5th & 6th at the Park Plaza Hotel. For all details, including registration info, go to www.museandthemarketplace.com.
"Muse" Spotlight:We are thrilled that acclaimed author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie will be returning to our conference this year. Anyone who read Ms. Adichie’s work or seen her on TED knows that she is one of the most exciting and influential new voices in the literary world. The title of her “Muse” session on Sunday, May 6th, “Fiction Matters” is the answer to the complex question, “Does Fiction Matter?” In the session, Ms. Adichie will examine this question and discuss it with participants through the lens of history, politics, race, culture and family. This is a rare opportunity to spend time with a brilliant author who has brought these issues to life in a body of work already being called some of the most important of her generation. Ms. Adichie is the author of the novels Purple Hibiscus and Half of a Yellow Sun and the story collection The Thing Around Your Neck. She is a MacArthur Foundation fellow and was included in the New Yorker magazine's "Twenty Under Forty" list. Her work has been translated into thirty languages.
Marketplace Spotlight: One of the biggest questions on people’s minds these days is how to navigate the ever-changing world of indie publishing. We’re offering many sessions on that topic throughout the weekend, but for an insightful and informative overview, check out Hillary Rettig’s “Indie Publishing: A Primer” the afternoon of Sunday, May 6th. Ms. Rettig’s description is as follows: Got an itch to go indie? You're not alone. Authors are flocking to indie because it offers both greater control over the finished book, and higher profits! You want to do it right, though. In this session, longtime Grub teacher Hillary Rettig gives you an overview of the entire indie process, from the components of a successful indie book, to platforms, to production, to marketing and building an audience. She'll also discuss the economics of indie publishing, and how to fund your book via crowdfunding sites. Hillary Rettig is an author, workshop leader and coach who specializes in helping people overcome procrastination and use their time better. Her latest book is The Seven Secrets of the Prolific: The Definitive Guide to Overcoming Procrastination, Perfectionism and Writer's Block (Infinite Art, 2011). Of her prior book, The Lifelong Activist: How to Change the World Without Losing Your Way (Lantern Books, 2006), the leading liberal blog, DailyKos.com, said, "If I had but one book to spend hard-earned cash on this year, The Lifelong Activist would be it, hands down." Hillary has published numerous nonfiction articles, and also short fiction. Download free ebooks and other information on productivity and related fields at www.hillaryrettig.com, and Hillary welcomes your emails at hillaryrettig@yahoo.com.
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.
SEMINAR: Thursday, April 5th, 6:15pm-9:15pm, Writing and Selling Your Best Bar Stories
Do you have the memoir bug, but you’re not quite ready to tackle your life story? Let’s start smaller, and look at your life stories – the anecdotes you find yourself telling over and over at parties. In this seminar, we’ll look at published examples of short memoir pieces (800 words or less) and start to create our own through writing exercises and prompts. We’ll also discuss potential markets where we can try to place our mini-memoirs.
Instructor: Clavin Hennick
$65/$50 members, Grub Street HQ.
SEMINAR: Thursday, April 5th, 6:30-9:30pm, The Basics of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) for Writers
Every writer knows that they need an online presence to connect with readers, editors, and agents. But once you’ve spent time and money creating a website, how can you ensure people find you? SEO, or search engine optimization, is the art and science of ranking well in Google and other search engines for specific keyword searches. The Basics of SEO for Writers serves as a digestible introduction to SEO for non-techie authors. We look at why SEO matters, the basic components of a good SEO strategy, what authors can do today to improve rankings, DIY versus outsourced approaches, the fundamentals of defining and targeting keyword strategy, and where SEO fits into an overall online promotion plan. We’ll also take a look at affiliate marketing and optimizing video content such as book trailers. The workshop will be interactive and attendees are invited to submit websites ahead of time for review and discussion.
SEMINAR: Thursday, April 5th, 6:30pm-9:30pm, The Confident Writer
If you had more faith in your writing, what would you do? Submit more work to magazines? Finish that draft of your novel? Share your nonfiction in public? Receive critiques with delight? In a world where writers are often asked, "What novels have you published?" it can be difficult to build the confidence we need to progress. In this one-night seminar, we'll view our writing through an honest and encouraging lens, learning the art of positive self-talk and interpretation, while also finding ways to celebrate and inspire. Led by a writing teacher and psychology grad who has specialized in self-esteem, we'll practice tried and tested techniques including self-talk, community building, the praise sandwich, achievable goal-setting, arts activism, and alternative methods of showcasing our work. If possible, please come with two 500 word samples of your writing or excerpts from a longer piece, which you would be willing to share.
Instructor: Sue Williams
$65/$50 members, Grub Street HQ.
LUNCHTIME WRITING SERIES: Wednesday, April 18th, 12:30pm-1:15pm, Brown Bag Lunch Series-April
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: Drew Jameson
Free!, Grub Street HQ.
WEEKEND WORKSHOP: Saturday, April 21st, 10:00am-5:00pm, Characters in Conflict
Do your readers complain that nothing happens in your fiction? Do they complain that too much does? As Henry James wrote: character determines incident; incident reveals character. This course will help you complicate your understanding of your major characters in an attempt to discover obstacles that mirror your characters' innermost fears and flaws. As a result, not only will your fiction contain the all necessary conflict (both internal and external), but this conflict will feel integral to your characters and achieve a true emotional response from your readers. The course will be a combination of lecture, examples, and writing exercises. Bring a copy of a scene you're having trouble with, 2000 words maximum.
Instructor: Michelle Hoover
$115/$95 members, 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.
--READING: Monday, March April 2, 8PM, Linda Gregerson and Aaron Baker
Linda Gregerson, whose most recent book is Magnetic North, and Aaron Baker, author of Mission Work, read at the Blacksmith House Reading Series.
$3, Blacksmith House, 56 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA.
--READING: Tuesday, April 3rd, 7:00pm, Franz Wright
"Wright's scale of experience, like Berryman's, runs from the homicidal to the estatic. . . (His) best forms of originality; startling metaphors, starkness of speech, compression of both pain and joy, and a stoic self-possession within the agonies and penalties of existence." (Helen Vendler, The New York Review of Books )
Suggested donation $10, The Grolier Poetry Book Shop, 6 Plympton Street, Cambridge.
--GRAND OPENING CELEBRATION: Thursday, April 5th, 7pm, Newtonville Books Grand Opening
Celebrate the grand opening of Newtonville Books' new location in Newton Centre with Newton Mayor Setti Warren, Atul Gawande, Amy Hempel, Alice Hoffman, Tom Perrotta and more.
FREE, Newtonville Books, 10 Langley Road, Newton.
--SEMINAR: Thursday, April 12th, The Writer's ABCs of Facebook, Websites, Blogs, Twitter and LinkedIn
Have you wanted to promote your writing through social media but don’t know where to start? Join three members of the National Writers Union the evening of Thursday, April 12, to learn where to begin. Just let us know that you’re a member of Grub Street and you can take the workshop at our members' rate. For more info: http://nwuboston.org/events/facebook.htm.
--PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: Saturday, April 14, 9:30 am-1:00 pm,"Write It Like It Is" intro Workshop; Six-Week Group begins Friday, April 20, 10:00 am-12:00 pm
If you’ve ever wanted to write freely, without censors, editors, or critics, now is your chance. Experience the exhilaration of tapping in to your authentic voice. No holds barred. No worries about publication or perfection. It’s all about letting go and having fun in a nonjudgmental, creative atmosphere. We’ll do several freewriting exercises in response to specific prompts about life experiences, past and present. Sharing is optional but encouraged. No formal training required. Workshop: $65; $60 for Grubbies. Group: $210; $195 for Grubbies. Grub member Debbie Sosin, LICSW, facilitator, is a writer, editor, and psychotherapist. Her essays have appeared in the Boston Globe Magazine, Zone 3, on Salon.com, and elsewhere. She has facilitated dozens of classes, including at the Arlington Center and Cambridge Center for Adult Education. For details, visit www.deborahsosin.com or call 617-448-5769.
Welcome to the end of the e-mail, where like the chattiest mime, we offer you the chance to win a prize. This writer, convicted of embezzlement, started his writing career while serving a four-year jail sentence. He wrote under a pen name. What was the pen name and his real name? Email your answer to whitney@grubstreet.org. The first correct respondent wins a Starbucks gift card for a coffee treat.
Last week's trivia: William Blake's vivid engravings, designed to accompany his poems, made him the world's first multimedia artist. Winner: Kate Potterfield.
Editor's correction: Two weeks ago, we mistakenly identified Robert Burns as the national poet of Ireland. He was, of course, the national poet of Scotland. We must have just had Ireland on the brain after St. Patrick's Day!
