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Make a list of ten words by flipping randomly through any book—a dictionary, a poetry collection, a novel, an encyclopedia–and choosing a word you see on the page. Incorporate these words into a poem made up of three stanzas composed of five lines each.
Lee Child illustrates how to create suspense; author Darin Strauss surveys the state of literary fiction, and spotlights the influence of James Joyce on his contemporaries; today is Emily Dickinson's birthday; and other news.
Does a writer need to have an established list of publishing credits to be considered by a decent agent?
If you’re writing nonfiction, then the answer is usually yes. You need to show credentials in your field, and such credentials often come in the form of previous publications. If you’re writing fiction, though, the answer is no. Publishing credits will always help, however. Even if you’ve only had a short story or two published in a small literary journal, those publications show that somebody somewhere read your work and fell in love with it. This is no small feat! Such credits show an agent that you’ve been writing for a while, that you’ve been sending your work out into the world, and that you’ve had some success. All that said, I truly believe that if your work is good enough, an agent will eventually take notice and jump on it, whether you’ve been published previously or not. Just write an irresistible query letter, and then have excellent work to back it up. Easy as pie, right?
Check out award-winning Japanese animator Koji Yamamura's adaptation of Franz Kafka's tale "A Country Doctor," written in Prague during the winter of 1916.
A new study reports e-readers may be sharing user information without consent; Victoria Strauss discovered a publicity firm's claims were far removed from reality; Charles Simic reveals his love for silent screen legend Buster Keaton; and other news.
The author of ten books, including the novel Between Heaven and Here (McSweeney's, 2012), delivered this talk on telling stories at an independently organized TED event in Redondo Beach, California, back in October.
Apple announced it intends to assemble a line of computers in the United States; novelist Jonathan Evison candidly reveals exactly how much he's earned from his books; Jeanette Winterson, Caroline Leavitt, Lauren Slater, and Lauren Groff discuss why they read Joan Didion; and other news.
Poet Ron Silliman recently drew attention to this footage of Frank O'Hara from the 1966 TV series USA: Poetry. O’Hara died a few weeks after the filming was completed.
New York City-based Poets House has extended the application deadline for its second annual Emerging Poets Fellowship Program to December 10. The four-month fellowship is open to emerging poets living in the five boroughs of New York City.
Funded by the Jerome Foundation, the program includes weekly writing workshops, mentoring sessions, meetings with guest speakers, and free access to the Poets House Library in lower Manhattan. From the Poets House website: “The program aims to deepen participants’ artistic practice by offering a robust professional network of poets and literary professionals, including special visits from editors and publishers, who will assist each writer with their artistic development and career.”
Emerging poets of any age may submit the required application form, a narrative biography, a personal statement, a curriculum vitae, and a work sample by mail to Poets House, Emerging Poets Residency, 10 River Terrace, New York, NY 10282. There is no application fee, and tuition is free for all poets accepted into the program. Recipients will be announced February 1.
The 2013 fellows will meet on Tuesday evenings from March 12 to June 4, 2013. Fellows will also meet one-on-one with workshop leaders and guest faculty, including poets Jen Bervin, CAConrad, Cornelius Eady, Ben Lerner, Evie Shockley, and Jean Valentine, throughout the residency.
Founded in 1985 by the late U.S. Poet Laureate Stanley Kunitz and arts administrator Elizabeth Kray, Poets House offers a variety of programs and resources—including classes, readings, lectures, exhibitions, and a 50,000-volume poetry library—to emerging and established poets in New York City. For more information on the Emerging Poets Fellowship Program, and to find an application form and complete submission guidelines, visit the Poets House website.
