Letting the Real World in for a Minute

Okay, okay, I can't resist poking beyond the Jentel bubble for a minute...Check out Poetry Daily for Monday, July 6. = ) And if you missed its appearance on July 4--busy with sparklers and apple pie, perhaps--Jehanne had a lovely poem featured, "Sea-Change," from the latest issue of Prairie Schooner.

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Maureen points out a noticeable design echo between W. W. Norton and Big Game Books. Hmmm. Larceny is the highest compliment. But if Norton sends along the cover design for I Was the Jukebox and it looks mysteriously like this, I will speak up.

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The new online issue of CUE is gorgeous. I really like how they adapted the design aesthetic of the print version to the virtual presentation; the name, by the way, is a clever reference to the editorial focus on prose poems. Poets & Writers made an unfortunate mistake in referring to it as "defunct" in the most recent issue. Behold the phoenix CUE! Congratulations to Morgan and all associated.

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This Real Simple essay contest intrigued me...until I read the fine print and realized ALL submissions become property of Real Simple. Meaning that if it doesn't win, and/or they do not publish it, you can't then turn around and send the essay somewhere else. The creative material of "When did you first realize you became a grown-up" is awfully precious to surrender to a contest.

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Programs like this one (courtesy of Charlie) make me really proud to be on the Board of the Writer's Center:

The Writer's Center Announces Fellowships for Emerging Writers

The Writer’s Center, metropolitan DC’s community gathering place for writers and readers, is currently accepting submissions for several competitive Emerging Writer Fellowships. Emerging Writer Fellows will be selected from applicants who have published up to 2 book-length works of prose and up to 3 book-length works of poetry. We welcome submissions from writers of any genre, background, or experience.

Emerging Writer Fellows will be featured at The Writer’s Center as part of their Emerging Writers Reading Series. The readings, held on Friday evenings, bring together writers in different genres with a backdrop of live music. The Writer’s Center book store will sell titles by the Emerging Writers throughout the season in which they appear in an effort to promote them and their work to a wide audience.

Selected Fellows are invited to lead a special Saturday workshop at The Writer’s Center, with compensation commensurate with standard Writer’s Center provisions.

Fellows receive an all-inclusive honorarium to help offset their travel costs in the amount of $250 or $500, depending on their place of departure.

Fellows for Fall 2009 include novelist Alexander Chee (Edinburgh), novelist Lisa Selin Davis (Belly), poet Suzanne Frischkorn (Lit Windowpane), poet Aaron Smith (Blue on Blue Ground), Canadian fiction writer Neal Smith (Bang Crunch), poet Srikanth Reddy (Facts for Visitors), and poet Nancy Krygowski (Velocity).

Their events will be held in September, October, and December. See our events calendar for more information.

Spring 2009 events will be held in February, March, and April/May.

To be considered, please send a letter of interest, a resume or CV that details publication history and familiarity facilitating group discussions, and a copy of your most recent book. Self-published or vanity press titles will not be accepted. A committee comprised of The Writer’s Center board members, staff, and members will evaluate submissions on behalf of our community of writers.

The deadline to submit is August 15, 2009.

Applicants are encouraged to call Charles Jensen, Director, for more information at 301-654-8664.

The Writer’s Center, established in 1976, is one of the nation’s oldest and largest literary centers. We provide over 60 free public events and more than 200 writing workshops each year, sell one of the largest selections of literary magazines in our on-site bookstore, and publish Poet Lore, America’s oldest continually published poetry journal.

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