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Jon Parrish Peede confirmed as chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities; how Melissa Broder wrote her debut novel; a short film on writer’s block; and other news.
Prose writers, if you have a short story, essay, novel, or book of nonfiction ready to submit, consider the following contests with deadlines of April 30 and May 1, each offering a prize of at least $1,000 and publication.
Red Hen Press Nonfiction Award: A prize of $1,000 and publication by Red Hen Press is given annually for an essay collection, memoir, or book of narrative nonfiction. Florencia Ramirez will judge. Entry fee: $25. Deadline: April 30
Winning Writers Tom Howard/John H. Reid Fiction and Essay Contest: Two prizes of $2,000 each and publication on the Winning Writers website are given annually for a short story and an essay. Dennis Norris II will judge. Entry fee: $20. Deadline: April 30
Nimrod International Journal Literary Award: A prize of $2,000 and publication in Nimrod International Journal is given annually for a work of short fiction. A runner-up prize of $1,000 and publication is also given. The winner and runner-up also receive transportation and lodging to attend an awards ceremony and writing conference in Tulsa in October. Entry fee: $20. Deadline: April 30
Glimmer Train Press Fiction Open: A prize of $3,000, publication in Glimmer Train Stories, and 10 copies of the prize issue is given twice yearly for a short story. A $1,000 second-place prize is also given. The editors will judge. Entry fee: $21. Deadline: April 30
Glimmer Train Press Very Short Fiction Award: A prize of $2,000, publication in Glimmer Train Stories, and 10 copies of the prize issue is given three times a year for a very short story. Entry fee: $16. Deadline: April 30
Southwest Review David Nathan Meyerson Fiction Prize: A prize of $1,000 and publication in Southwest Review is given annually for a short story by a writer who has not published a full-length book of fiction. Entry fee: $25. Deadline: May 1
Leapfrog Press Fiction Award: A prize of $1,150 and publication by Leapfrog Press is given annually for a short story collection, a novel, or a novella. Marie-Helene Bertino and the Leapfrog editors will judge. Entry fee: $33. Deadline: May 1
Whiting Foundation Creative Nonfiction Grants: Up to six grants of $40,000 each are given annually for creative nonfiction works-in-progress to enable writers to complete their books. Creative nonfiction writers under contract with a publisher and at least two years into their contract are eligible. There is no entry fee. Deadline: May 1
Visit the contest websites for complete guidelines, and check out the Grants & Awards database and Submission Calendar for more contests in poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction.
Hobbies and activities often inspire and become an important part of a writer’s life. In his memoir What I Talk About When I Talk About Running (Knopf, 2008), Haruki Murakami recounts his personal history with running, and draws parallels between his passions for marathons and novels. More recently, in her essay collection, The Curse of the Boyfriend Sweater (Flatiron Books, 2018), Alanna Okun explores her practices of knitting and crafting, and how they interact with her writing life and overall well-being. This week, try writing an essay about an interest of your own that runs parallel to, or perhaps even informs, your identity as a writer.
Big Blue Marble Bookstore is an independently owned bookstore located in the Mt. Airy section of Philadelphia that specializes in progressive and multicultural titles of interest to Philadelphians in general and Mt. Airy-ites in particular: children’s books; woman-centered pregnancy and parenting; sustainable living; queer, African-American, and Jewish studies; feminist science fiction; literary graphic novels; and more. They host readings, events, book clubs, and other groups throughout the year.
Leslie Jamison reads her essay “The Broken Heart of James Agee” from The Empathy Exams (Graywolf Press, 2014) for a reading series hosted by the Center for Documentary Studies and the Kenan Institute for Ethics at Duke University. Jamison speaks about her new book, The Recovering: Intoxication and Its Aftermath (Little, Brown, 2018), in “The Infinite World” by Michele Filgate in the May/June issue of Poets & Writers Magazine.
Celeste Ng on the engine that drives good fiction; books by women priced 45 percent below those by men; writers and literary advocates make Essence’s “Woke 100 Women” list; and other news.
Curtis Sittenfeld on writing political fiction; America’s hundred favorite novels; summer reading picks; and other news.
Gregory Pardlo talks about the difference between writing poetry and creative nonfiction, and the universality of storytelling in this interview with Rich Fahle at the 2018 AWP Annual Conference & Book Fair in Tampa. Pardlo’s debut memoir, Air Traffic: A Memoir of Ambition and Manhood in America (Knopf, 2018), is featured in Page One in the May/June issue of Poets & Writers Magazine.
This Barnes & Noble is located in the Arboretum Shopping Center, at the Southwest Corner of 183 and Great Hills Trail. Events include author readings, talks, and book signings.
Bank of Books is an independent, family-owned bookstore that supports the local arts community, including writers, historians, artists, and musicians. They host readings, talks and discussions, storytime, author signings, book groups, music performances, and other literary events throughout the year.
