Facing Rejection
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In this Oscar-worthy performance, an inspired poet takes a moment to digest the news that his rather uninspired poem has not been accepted for publication.
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Genre: Poetry
Multiple Sclerosis in Poems, Paintings
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Poet Evelyn Posamentier and painter Elizabeth Jameson, whose own brain scans are prominently featured in her work, use their respective art forms to interpret their experiences with multiple sclerosis.
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February 14
For one week, collect words and phrases you encounter throughout the day from signs, advertisements, menus, overheard conversations, radio programs, headlines, television, etc. At the end of the week, write a found poem, using these snippets.
Protest Poems in Egypt
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This clip features photos of the demonstrations in Cairo's Tahrir Square by Hany Soliman as well as footage of poet Kamal Abdel Halim reciting two poems in protest of Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak.
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February 7
Choose a poem that you’ve written and rewrite it in its reverse, making the last line the first, etc. Revise this version, creating a new poem.
James Wright's Ohio
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In this clip from James Wright's Ohio, a documentary by Tom Koba and Larry Smith that is being reissued on DVD later this month by Bottom Dog Press, the late poet William Matthews speaks to the importance of place in Wright's work.
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Due to Inclement Weather, Contest Deadline Is Extended
Aspinwall, Pennsylvania–based Black Lawrence Press, while experiencing rather modest weather in comparison to points west, has opted to extend the deadline for its novel competition, with snowbound writers in mind.
"We've received word from a number of people that inclement weather across much of the country made it rather difficult to meet Monday's Big Moose Prize deadline," the press's executive editor Diane Goettel writes in an e-mail. "For this reason, we are extending the deadline to February 15. And don't worry, we won't exclude you if you live in a land of sand and sun."
Details about the submission process are available in this earlier post about the prize and on the press's Web site.
If you're under the cloud that is covering most of the country, perhaps today is the day to resist cabin fever and consider submitting that novel—or at least cozying up to write. For a little wintry literary inspiration, check out the video poem below by Black Lawrence Press author Brent Goodman.
January 31
Set a timer for five minutes and freewrite—writing anything that comes to mind without stopping until the timer goes off. Then circle every third word or phrase of what you’ve written. Use these circled words as the starting point for a poem.
Three Percent's Best Translated Fiction Books of 2010
Three Percent, the international literature division at University of Rochester in New York, has announced its top twenty-five picks for the 2011 Best Translated Book Award in fiction, representing nineteen countries and twelve languages. A five-thousand-dollar prize will be given to each winning author and translator of books of poetry and fiction published between December 1, 2009, and November 30, 2010 (poetry finalists will be announced in March).
The longlisted fiction titles, below, include books by 2010 National Book Critics Circle Award finalist David Grossman and International 2007 IMPAC Dublin Literary Award winner Per Petterson. Three Percent will feature on its Web site reviews and analysis of each title in the coming weeks, leading up to the shortlist announcement on March 24. Winners will be named on April 29 at the PEN World Voices Festival in New York City.
The Literary Conference by César Aira, translated from the Spanish by Katherine Silver (New Directions)
The Golden Age by Michal Ajvaz, translated from the Czech by Andrew Oakland (Dalkey Archive Press)
The Rest Is Jungle and Other Stories by Mario Benedetti, translated from the Spanish by Harry Morales (Host Publications)
A Life on Paper by Georges-Olivier Châteaureynaud, translated from the French by Edward Gauvin (Small Beer Press)
A Jew Must Die by Jacques Chessex, translated from the French by Donald Wilson (Bitter Lemon)
A Splendid Conspiracy by Albert Cossery, translated from the French by Alyson Waters (New Directions)
The Jokers by Albert Cossery, translated from the French by Anna Moschovakis (New York Review Books)
Eline Vere by Louis Couperus, translated from the Dutch by Ina Rilke (Archipelago Books)
Visitation by Jenny Erpenbeck, translated from the German by Susan Bernofsky (New Directions)
The Blindness of the Heart by Julia Franck, translated from the German by Anthea Bell (Grove Press)
Hocus Bogus by Romain Gary (writing as Émile Ajar), translated from the French by David Bellos (Yale University Press)
To the End of the Land by David Grossman, translated from the Hebrew by Jessica Cohen (Knopf)
The True Deceiver by Tove Jansson, translated from the Swedish by Thomas Teal (New York Review Books)
The Clash of Images by Abdelfattah Kilito, translated from the French by Robyn Creswell (New Directions)
Bad Nature, or With Elvis in Mexico by Javier Marías, translated from the Spanish by Esther Allen (New Directions)
Cyclops by Ranko Marinković, translated from the Croatian by Vlada Stojiljković, edited by Ellen Elias-Bursać (Yale University Press)
Hygiene and the Assassin by Amélie Nothomb, translated from the French by Alison Anderson (Europa Editions)
I Curse the River of Time by Per Petterson, translated from the Norwegian by Charlotte Barslund and the author (Graywolf Press)
A Thousand Peaceful Cities by Jerzy Pilch, translated from the Polish by David Frick (Open Letter)
Touch by Adania Shibli, translated from the Arabic by Paula Haydar (Clockroot)
The Black Minutes by Martín Solares, translated from the Spanish by Aura Estrada and John Pluecker (Black Cat)
On Elegance While Sleeping by Emilio Lascano Tegui, translated from the Spanish by Idra Novey (Dalkey Archive Press)
Agaat by Marlene Van Niekerk, translated from the Afrikaans by Michiel Heyns (Tin House)
Microscripts by Robert Walser, translated from the German by Susan Bernofsky (New Directions/Christine Burgin)
Georg Letham: Physician and Murderer by Ernst Weiss, translated from the German by Joel Rotenberg (Archipelago Books)
Kinetic Art Sculpture
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John Powers, a professer at the University of Alabama in Birmingham, assembled his kenetic scuplture, "Remember," using a collection of vintage typewriters.
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