Mark Strand

The author of thirteen poetry collections, including Almost Invisible, published by Knopf this past March, is introduced by poet Carolyn Forché at the Lannan Center for Poetics and Social Practice at Georgetown University on November 13.

Wed, 11/28/2012 - 19:00

Inheritance

11.28.12

Write about something that has been passed down through your family for generations. It can be anything from an appreciation for music to a healthy appetite, or even a political bias. Explore both the positive and negative implications, exploring how this inheritance has shaped you. 

Listen for Dialogue

11.28.12

Write down snippets of conversation that you overhear throughout the day. Choose a few compelling lines and write a story based on this dialogue, letting it direct the story line and the characters you imagine.

"What It Means to Stand in the Rubble of Your Life"

In addition to helping with relief efforts in her Staten Island community following Huricane Sandy, Jennifer Fitzgerald used her poetry to help explain the physical and emotional impact the storm had on New York. Here she is on PBS NewsHour.

Jenni Ferrari-Adler of Brick House Literary Agents

11.27.12

What kind of publicity is a publisher apt to offer a midlist author? Can this be negotiated, or is the author still going to pay out of pocket for a ten-date tour in key cities?

It varies widely, but most midlist fiction authors won’t be sent on ten-date tours. They’ll be encouraged to give readings in cities where they live or where they can guarantee a substantial audience. It’s become more cost effective for the author to reach out via the Internet. Moreover, it’s a recipe for depression to take an author far from home and have him read his novel to the events coordinator and the ubiquitous crazy guy. If you want to help make tours viable again, start by attending a local reading by an author you haven’t heard of, and buy her book.

Doug from Rockford, IL
Mon, 03/25/2013 - 04:00

Take Two

11.27.12

Take two lines you love from a poem that isn’t working. Write a new poem using one as the first line and the other as the last line. For an added perspective, try writing a second poem switching the two.

Susan Orlean

The acclaimed author and journalist talks with Creative Nonfiction founder and editor Lee Gutkind about writing, reporting, and turning an idea into a bestselling book.

William Styron's New Book of Revelatory Letters, Gift Ideas for Literature Lovers, and More

by
Evan Smith Rakoff
11.26.12

The Obama family visited an independent bookstore in Virginia this weekend to promote Small Business Saturday; Flavorwire rounded up a collection of "literary late bloomers," including Charles Bukowski, and Deborah Eisenberg; the Los Angeles Review of Books is attempting to raise ten thousand dollars by Friday; and other news.

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