Newly Discovered Sylvia Plath Poems, the Ripped Bodice Bookstore, and More
Hisham Matar wins £20,000 Folio Prize; poet to spend five days in Mall of America; the poem read at the vigil for the Manchester bombing; and other news.
Genre: Creative Nonfiction
History of a Hometown Hero
What do Ancient Rome, Western Civilization, the History of China, Early Middle Ages, the Civil Rights Movement, U.S. Constitutional History, and Dolly Parton have in common? They’re all the subjects of courses offered this past year at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. “Dolly Parton’s America: From Sevierville to the World” is a history class that uses Parton’s life as a lens through which to view pop culture in the twentieth century, cultural politics, and the history of the Appalachian region. Choose a local celebrity from your city, region, or state, and write a personal essay that explores the intersection of the pop icon’s cultural context and your own memories of time spent in this locale.
Trump Renews Proposal to Eliminate NEA and NEH, Neil Gaiman’s Charity Challenge, and More
U.S. Postal Service releases Thoreau Forever stamp; the Library of Congress makes twenty-five million records free for public download; Lowell Jaeger appointed Montana state poet laureate; and other news.
Craft Capsule: Before Craft, or Hug Your Independent Bookseller
Poets and writers share their notes on writing in this series of micro craft essays. In the latest installment: remembering the life-saving importance of reading.
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Bill Gates’s Summer Reading, Afghan Women’s Magazine, and More
A new bill proposes giving the president more power over the U.S. Copyright Office; the finalists for the 2017 CLMP Firecracker Awards; a new biography of Diana Trilling considers her marriage and role as a critic; and other news.
The Decline of the Mass-Market Paperback, Drag Queen Story Hour, and More
The politics and poetry of Czeslaw Milosz; Emma Cline discusses writing The Girls; writers remember Jean Stein; and other news.
New Atwood TV Series, Bao Phi on Poetry and Immigration, and More
Ian Buruma named new editor of the New York Review of Books; Eimear McBride examines the dynamic between sex and literature; Kristen Tracy wins Emily Dickinson First Book Award; and other news.
End of May Prose Contest Deadlines
Attention fiction and creative nonfiction writers! You have until May 31 to submit your essays, short stories, and novels to the following contests, which offer prizes of at least $1,000 and publication:
Crab Orchard Literary Prizes: Two prizes of $1,250 each and publication in Crab Orchard Review are given annually for a short story and an essay. Entry fee: $12
Bridport Arts Centre Bridport Prize: A prize of £5,000 (approximately $6,250) each and publication in the Bridport Prize anthology is given annually for a short story. A prize of £1,000 (approximately $1,250) and publication is also given for a work of flash fiction. Peter Hobbs will judge in fiction; and Kit de Waal will judge in flash fiction. Entry fees: £10 (approximately $13) for fiction and £8 (approximately $10) for flash fiction.
BOA Editions Short Fiction Prize: A prize of $1,000 and publication by BOA Editions is given annually for a short story collection. Peter Conners will judge. Entry fee: $25
University of Georgia Press Flannery O’Connor Short Fiction Award: A prize of $1,000 and publication by University of Georgia Press is given annually for a collection of short fiction. Entry fee: $30
Elixir Press Fiction Award: A prize of $2,000, publication by Elixir Press, and 25 author copies is given annually for a short story collection or a novel. The editors will judge. Entry fee: $40
Visit the contest websites for complete guidelines and submission details. Visit our Grants & Awards database and Submission Calendar for more upcoming contests in poetry, fiction, and nonfiction.
Compassionate Art, Amazon Charts, and More
Ta-Nehisi Coates Black Panther comic series canceled; thousands of kids audition for TV production of Elena Ferrante’s My Brilliant Friend; student sues author Laura Kipnis and HarperCollins; and other news.
Carving Stories from Trees
Think of a memory in a beautiful landscape—maybe from a family vacation, or your favorite childhood destination. Now think of a scene from a story, novel, or movie that describes a landscape, and that has stuck with you. What makes these moments special? So many of the memories and stories we share are connected to place—to the landscapes of the Earth and the landscapes of our own imaginations. Write a lyric essay in which you explore the connections between literature, landscape, and your own memories. For inspiration, look at Montreal-based artist Guy Laramée’s newly released collection of sculptures, in which the artist creates landscapes from old books.
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