March/April 2014

Our Writers Retreats Issue features an exploration of residencies in remote wilderness locations; tips for pitching agents and editors at writers conferences; a report on the plight of writers in Syria; a profile of three novelists who persevered despite the commercial "failure" of early books; an interview with war poet Kevin Powers; an in-depth conversation with publisher Amy Einhorn; and more.

Features

Agents & Editors: Amy Einhorn

by Michael Szczerban

The publisher of her eponymous imprint at Penguin Random House, Amy Einhorn discusses her early days as an assistant at FSG, the importance of titles, and how she pushes her authors to make their books the best they can be.

A Q&A with Kevin Powers

by Andrew Slater
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Iraq War veteran and The Yellow Birds author Kevin Powers talks about his new book of poems, writing about the effects of violence as a perpetrator and a victim, and about the sense of isolation that drives his work in both poetry and prose.

A Profile of Miranda Beverly-Whittemore, Jennifer Clement, and Nina Siegal

by Emily Raboteau
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Jennifer Clement, Miranda Beverly-Whittemore, and Nina Siegal anticipate the success of their forthcoming books despite previous publishing setbacks.

Special Section

Residencies Gone Wild: Finding Inspiration at the Ends of the Earth

by Kevin Nance
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From the ice caves of Antarctica to Alaska’s Terror Wilderness, some writers choose to live and work in the most remote—and sometimes even dangerous—destinations. 

The People You Meet: Pitching Agents and Editors at Writers Conferences

by Michael Bourne
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Writers, agents, and editors discuss the delicate art of pitching projects at writing conferences.

Going Back Home: Unlocking the Secrets of Postresidency Stress Syndrome

by Ada Calhoun
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A nonfiction writer and journalist offers advice for those struggling to return to daily life after attending a writers residency.

The Aha! Moment: Betsy Fagin, Residency Application Juror for the Millay Colony

by Michael Bourne
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An application juror takes a close look at a successful artist’s statement.

News and Trends

Architecture for Travelers

by Jonathan Vatner

This spring poets Joshua Edwards and Lynn Xu will build a house together after exploring the meaning of home through writing, photography, and a 680-mile walk across Texas.

Page One: Where New and Noteworthy Books Begin

by Staff

With so many good books being published every month, some literary titles worth exploring can get lost in the stacks. Page One offers the first lines of a dozen recently released books, including Helen Oyeyemi’s Boy, Snow, Bird and Justin Hocking’s The Great Floodgates of the Wonderworld, as the starting point for a closer look at these new and noteworthy titles.

Literary MagNet

by Travis Kurowski

Literary MagNet chronicles the start-ups and closures, successes and failures, anniversaries and accolades, changes of editorship and special issues—in short, the news and trends—of literary magazines in America. This issue’s MagNet features Creative Nonfiction, Brick, the White Review, Little Star, and Ecotone.

The Written Image

by Staff

An exhibit celebrating the artistic community surrounding poet Robert Duncan and his partner, artist Jess Collins, will travel across the country throughout the year, starting this spring in New York City.  

The Practical Writer

The Art of Networking: How to Get What You Need Without Selling Your Soul

by Brian Gresko
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Building a support network in the writing community can be less sinister than it sounds, but there are a few important things to remember along the way.

The Literary Life

The Sentimentalist: In Defense of Feeling

by Nate Pritts
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Emphasizing the distinction between sentiment and sentimentality, a poet makes his case for writing with genuine emotion.

Where We Write: Appalachia

by Mary Stewart Atwell
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A novelist who grew up in southwest Virginia and who writes of the mountains of her youth examines what it means to be an Appalachian writer.

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