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Dear Friends:
You may not know this, but unlike most other literary magazines and publishers, Creative Nonfiction does not have a major university or other institution to help underwrite publication costs, our office space and equipment, or salaries. If you happened into our two-room office, you would find only a handful of staffers and volunteers working with aging computers and a single laser printer. We are an independent nonprofit organization that must raise every dollar we spend.
Publishing is an expensive business. Doing it well takes time and money. We're dedicated to finding the best literary voices and to supporting emerging writers as they pursue their life's work. We're accustomed to doing a lot with a little, but we need your help.
In order to keep our publications and courses accessible, we charge prices that are, on average, only slightly more than half what it costs to produce them. To fill the gap, we must count on the generosity of those who know us best and value what we do.
We hope that you might consider helping Creative Nonfiction by making a tax-deductible contribution at whatever level you can afford.
Here's a quick look at what your support represents to CNF's programs:
* $1,000 carries an essay from acceptance through editing, copy-editing and fact-checking to production * $500 funds a column for a year * $250 offsets the costs of printing one page of one magazine issue * $100 funds an illustration for an essay * $75 keeps our computers online for a month * $50 subsidizes discounted subscriptions to CNF for 5 writing students * $25 pays for an hour of editing
To make a contribution to Creative Nonfiction in any amount, please click here .
Please know how grateful we are for your friendship and support. We're looking forward to a 2012 full of true stories, well told!
Sincerely,
Lee Gutkind
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Submission Deadlines
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January 31, 2012
BECOMING A NURSE
February 29, 2012
AUSTRALIA
May 28, 2012
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Support CNF
Become a Founding Friend today. |
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NEWS and EVENTS
 EARLY CLASS REGISTRATION ENDS DEC. 28!
Five online courses pack CNF's winter term, including Writing the Personal Essay, Advanced Memoir, The Foundations of Creative Nonfiction, Immersion Journalism, and a brand-new, 12-week Writing Medical Narratives course that offers a deep look into the craft and business of writing medical narratives.
Class information is available below and on our website. Sign up by December 28, 2011 for an early registration discount.
CREATIVE NONFICTION #43: ANGER & REVENGE COMING SOON If you're a subscriber to Creative Nonfiction, we imagine you're wondering why your new issue--CNF#43: Anger & Revenge--has not yet arrived (and if you're not currently a subscriber, we hope you'll consider signing up here). Well, we're sorry to say this but with all the excitement of launching a new book imprint, working on a new website, and running our online courses, we've fallen a bit behind on the issue. But, there is some good news. We've been working around the clock to finish the issue and will be sending it to the printer very very soon. We apologize for the delay, but we promise, #43 is worth the wait. Not only does the issue feature the meanest batch of essays we've ever published, but it also boasts an encounter with Buzz Bissinger; Phillip Lopate on the joys of research; Daniel Nester's online anger; the best essays of the 20th Century; and much more. AND THE NOMINEES ARE... Two weeks ago we sent off our Pushcart nominations. Believe us, it was tough to choose only 6 favorites from the past year. Congratulations to Chet Phillips ("Chasing Lions," #40); Jennifer Lunden ("The Butterfly Effect," #40); Dinah Lenney ("The Dinner Party," #41); Bud Shaw ("My Night with Ellen Hutchinson," #42); Minh Phuong Nguyen ("Suffering Self," #42); and Paul West ("Hermann Fegelein: Getting Out of Dodge," #42)! CNF GOING DIGITAL Thanks to a generous grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, Creative Nonfiction will be digitizing its archive of back issues published between 1993 and 2009. Together, these issues contain more than 300 essays and document and demonstrate the genre's evolution over more than 15 years. The digitization will make essays and/or back issues (many of which are out of print) available to a new audience, not only through CNF's website but also, potentially, via print-on-demand and through e-readers, as well as through curated websites such as Longform.org, Byliner.com and Longreads.com, and apps and subscription services such as Instapaper and Readability. We are excited, and grateful to the NEA for this opportunity. |
DISTRACTIONS:
WHAT WE READ WHEN WE SHOULD BE WORKING
INDIE BOOKSTORES: Well-timed for the holiday season, Laura Miller of Salon writes a "Declaration of Independents," praising the booksellers that keep our literary culture alive. In a follow-up story, Open Salon selects nine essays on beloved indie shops across the U.S.
ON CRAFT: The editors' roundtable at the Nieman Storyboard dissects a recent GQ story by CNF friend, Jeanne Marie Laskas: how it's constructed, how the writer draws readers in and makes them feel connected to characters, how and where dialogue is used. A terrific resource for writers of creative nonfiction.
CAN YOU SMELL THAT?: Brevity discusses literary olfaction in a new craft essay by Jill McCabe Johnson, analyzing the science that makes smell "cut through to our emotional cores." Dinty Moore follows up: "How to Tell if You've Given Your Readers Adequate Olfactory Cues." Does your writing deserve 1 Nose? 3 Noses? 6? Take his test. And in other news, Amazon is causing a bit of stink with a new consumer promotion. Richard Russo sounds off against the internet juggernaut in a NYTimes' Op-Ed piece, "Amazon's Jungle Logic."
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 SUBMISSION CALLS
BOOK PROJECT: BECOMING A NURSE Postmark Deadline: January 31, 2012 Creative Nonfiction is seeking essays by and about nurses for a new book, "Becoming a Nurse: Real Stories of Nurses, Their Lives, and Their Patients." "Becoming a Nurse" will present readers with the world of medicine from the perspective of nurses in hospitals, in-home care programs, long-term care facilities, hospices, and the armed forces as they tell stories that recall and recreate the most salient moments of their careers. We are looking for writers who can write dramatically and vividly about the profession. Essays can range from 2,500-5,000 words but should be written in a narrative form, with scenes, description, vivid characters and a distinctive voice. Full details and submission guidelines here. Postmark Deadline: February 29, 2012 Creative Nonfiction, in association with Tashmadada, seeks new essays for a special "Australia" issue. We're looking for a variety of perspectives--from locals, expats, tourists, or anyone else--and will consider essays of all forms and focuses as long as Australia's landscape, people, and/or culture are prominently featured. The contest is co-sponsored by Tashmadada and The Writers Conversation and will be judged by Lee Gutkind and Leah Kaminsky. The Writers Conversation will award $9,000 in prizes. Full details and submission guidelines here.
GENERAL Accepted Year-Round We are always on the lookout for true stories, well told, about any subject. We also accept queries for columns and articles about specific topics. For complete guidelines and to view upcoming CNF issues and contests, please visit us online. |
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The CNF Daily Twitter Contest is one more way to get your work into CNF. Check out the 10 best tweets in #42 and participate daily for the chance to be published in an upcoming issue.
Still not sure what we're looking for? Here are a few recent winners, to serve as examples and inspiration:
NOVEMBER 4
artmercenary The door is appropriately tiny, lovingly adorned with glass tile. There's no way, I say, any mouse appreciates the time that took. #cnftweet
NOVEMBER 20
mkmcbrayer Instead of sheep, I count characters. "When in doubt buy cars with fold-down backseats; no one should be too sober every night." #cnftweet
NOVEMBER 28
lisamarigold We saw whales rising to the surface, dozens, again and again. They were unexpected but never enough and so we waited for more. #cnftweet
NOVEMBER 28
gruntleme Mountainside bruise blue on my leg. River water in the cells of my hair. Months after the fall, Eden was still locked inside Eve. #cnftweet
All of the past winners are available on our profile page under the "Favorites" tab.
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ONLINE CLASSES
Whether you're looking to branch into a new area of writing or trying creative nonfiction for the first time, CNF's winter semester presents five classes for writers of all skill levels, including a brand new course on medical narrative.
Sign up by December 28, 2011 for an early registration discount or save $25 anytime when you register with a friend. Visit our website to sign up and to view complete course details. Writing Medical Narrative teaches medical professionals of all types (doctors, nurses, researchers, aides, social workers, etc.) the various skills needed to write and publish narratives--personal stories of their experiences (and those of others in their fields). We will cover every step in the writing process, from brainstorming to researching to writing to revising, as well as the steps needed to pitch and publish an article or essay. This extended 12-week course also features guest lectures by industry professionals, including Manoj Jain, Theresa Brown, Sayantani DasGupta and Jason Lewis. Foundations of Creative Nonfiction introduces writers to the fundamentals of creative nonfiction, exploring both the techniques used to gather information and the literary skills needed to turn bare facts into personal and compelling essays. Participants will learn the basics of interviewing, immersion, research and other reporting skills. SPECIAL OFFER: Register by or before December 14th and receive a copy of Keep It Real; a CNF "You Can't Make This Stuff Up Mug"; and a CNF recycled-cotton tote at no extra cost! Writing the Personal Essay takes a close look at the writing and research skills needed to write a memoir or personal essay. We'll discuss how to best use essential literary elements such as detail, dialogue, structure and description, as well as how to collect information through interviews, research and other methods. Advanced Memoir & Personal Essay is designed for those who have already explored the basics of personal writing and wish to move on to a larger project or more challenging forms. Participants may work on sections of a memoir or on personal essays in a variety of styles. Class members will learn how to structure their chapters or essays, how to incorporate research into personal writing, how to develop character, how to use descriptive language effectively and more. Immersion Writing explores the genre in which the writer observes, participates in, and otherwise intimately explores his or her subject. We will take an in-depth look at the history and craft of this style of nonfiction writing that was revolutionized over four decades ago by trailblazers such as Gay Talese, Joan Didion and Tom Wolfe. Students will learn important fly-on-the-wall techniques such as sharp observation, skillful note taking, laidback interviewing and how to organize and structure immersion stories. SPECIAL OFFER: Register by or before December 14th and receive a copy of Lee Gutkind's classic immersion books Almost Human and The Best Seat in Baseball at no extra cost! Registration includes a 4-issue subscription to Creative Nonfiction. Please note: due to space limitations, registrants may withdraw anytime until Jan. 13, 2012, but will forfeit a non-refundable application fee of $50. View our complete refund policy here. |
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