Sam Shepard’s Last Novel, Emma Cline on Sexual Harassment, and More
Stefan Kiesbye describes losing his home in the California wildfires; the history behind the Booker Prize; Philip Pullman to launch book at midnight; and other news.
Genre: Poetry
Forty-Three
Caption:
Erika L. Sánchez reads her poem “Forty-Three,” which reflects on the 2014 abduction of forty-three students in Guerrero, Mexico, as Ashley Rockwood interprets the poem through dance for this video produced in partnership with Chicago magazine. The poem is from Sánchez’s debut collection, Lessons on Expulsion (Graywolf Press, 2017), and her debut novel, I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2017), is a finalist for the 2017 National Book Award in young people’s literature.
Genre:
George Saunders Wins Booker Prize, 2016 Vida Count Released, and More
Black poets on their inspirations; Asian American women writers roundtable; China’s largest digital publishing house to go public; and other news.
2 Elizabeths Love & Romance Contest
Feeling amorous? Submissions are currently open for the 2017 2 Elizabeths Love & Romance Contest. An award of $1,000 and publication in the inaugural 2 Elizabeths Anthology will be given annually for a group of poems or a work of short fiction with romantic themes.
Using the online submission system, submit 3 to 10 pages of poetry or 1,000 to 6,000 words of short fiction with a $22.50 entry fee by November 1. All entries are considered for publication. The editors will judge.
2 Elizabeths is a mother-daughter-run online literary magazine that publishes short stories, flash fiction, and poetry, as well as interviews, writing prompts, and other practical writing resources for writers.
Visit the contest website for more information, and check out our Grants & Awards database and Submission Calendar for more upcoming contests in poetry, fiction, and nonfiction.
Ali Smith on the Novel, Amy Tan’s Memoir, and More
Dave Eggers interviews Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie; Mississippi school district pulls To Kill a Mockingbird from curriculum; remembering poet Richard Wilbur; and other news.
Banes and Boons
Those inclined toward superstitious beliefs may be relieved that last Friday marked the second and last Friday the thirteenth of this year. Whether you are a believer or not, a study by behavioral scientist Jane Risen reveals that superstitions can affect both believers and nonbelievers. Though it may not be considered rational, the feeling of being cursed can be relieved if some sort of ritual is performed, like throwing salt over one’s shoulder or knocking on wood. Write a poem that begins with the presentation of a mysterious or inexplicable anxiety. Then in the latter half of the poem, present a ritual to reverse the effects, perhaps in the form of a physical ritual, lucky objects, or an incantation. Does the act of creating or poeticizing a ritual to lessen worries of a bad outcome have a soothing effect of its own?
St. Francis College
MFA Program
Poetry, Fiction
Brooklyn, NY
Application Deadline:
Rolling Admissions
Application Fee:
$0
Affiliated Publications/Publishers:
A Public Space Launches Book Imprint, Richard Wilbur Has Died, and More
Emma Cline on the wildfires in California; the developmental benefits of reading at a young age; predictions for the 2017 Man Booker Prize; and other news.
Frankfurt Announcements, Weinstein Imprint Shutters, and More
NEA’s Big Read program adds new books to its library; Attica Locke on understanding the psyche; life lessons from Russian literature; and other news.
Clint Smith
Caption:
“Silence is the residue of fear. It is feeling your flaws, gut-wrench guillotine your tongue.” In this TED Talk, Clint Smith speaks about the danger of silence and finding the courage to speak up against ignorance and injustice. “The Poet at Work,” Smith’s profile of poet Kevin Young, is in the November/December issue of Poets & Writers Magazine.
Genre:
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