Summer Reads, the Second Shelf, and More
Elena Ferrante on her greatest fear; the collages of John Ashbery; the lesbian canon; and other news.
Genre: Creative Nonfiction
Sending a Microfiche Library to the Moon, Hidden Pages of Anne Frank’s Diary, and More
Stephen Hawking’s final book; Norman Mailer’s house up for sale; the winners of this year’s O. Henry Prize for short stories; and other news.
Sheila Heti
Caption:
“Sometimes I’ll write for two weeks straight and not write for six months….” Sheila Heti, author of the novel Motherhood (Henry Holt, 2018), talks about her lack of a writing routine and the benefits of letting feelings, ideas, and energy build up and become more complex.
Genre:
Falling Into Step
What happens when a flower blooms before its pollinator emerges? As global warming transforms the earth’s climate, spring has begun to arrive earlier in certain places. In turn, some plants and animals whose behavioral patterns, such as migratory and reproductive cycles, are triggered by seasonal changes are falling out of step with each other. Think of a time in your life when you have felt out of step with the world around you, perhaps just slightly behind or a little too far ahead. When did you first notice the misalignment and how did you break free of it? Did you need to make an effort to adapt yourself? Reflect on your emotional state during this time, and how the people around you might have helped you through this phase.
Tom Wolfe Has Died, Ursula K. Le Guin Documentary, and More
Feral House publisher Adam Parfrey has died; reading Pablo Neruda in light of #MeToo; the strangest bookmarks found in libraries; and other news.
Tom Wolfe: Blood Lines
Caption:
This independent documentary film directed by Oscar Corral explores Tom Wolfe’s writing life and his fourth novel, Back to Blood (Little, Brown, 2012), which is set in Miami and focuses on the subject of immigration. Wolfe died at the age of eighty-seven on May 14, 2018.
Genre:
A Poet’s Dream Delivery Service, Kayo Chingonyi Wins Dylan Thomas Prize, and More
Peter Mayer, publisher of The Satanic Verses, has died; Dylan Thomas Day; Michael Chabon on parenting; and other news.
Fiction and Nonfiction Contests With May 31 Deadlines
Prose writers, polish up your stories, essays, and full-length manuscripts by May 31! The following contests offer prizes of at least $1,000 and publication.
Bridport Arts Centre Bridport Prize: A prize of £5,000 (approximately $7,000) and publication in the Bridport Prize anthology is given annually for a short story. A second-place prize of £1,000 (approximately $1,400) and an additional prize of £1,000 (approximately $1,400) for a work of flash fiction are also given. Monica Ali will judge. Entry fee: £10 (approximately $14) for fiction and £8 (approximately $11) for flash fiction.
Elixir Press Fiction Award: A prize of $2,000, publication by Elixir Press, and 25 author copies is given annually for a short story collection or a novel. Amina Gautier will judge. Entry fee: $40
University of Georgia Press Flannery O’Connor Short Fiction Award: A prize of $1,000 and publication by University of Georgia Press is given annually for a collection of short fiction. Lee K. Abbott will judge. Entry fee: $30
Nowhere Magazine Travel Writing Contest: A prize of $1,000 and publication in Nowhere Magazine is given twice yearly for a short story or essay that “possesses a powerful sense of place.” Porter Fox will judge. Entry fee: $20
BOA Editions Short Fiction Prize: A prize of $1,000 and publication by BOA Editions is given annually for a short story collection. Peter Conners will judge. Entry fee: $25
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.
Writers Turned Screenwriters, Díaz Steps Down as Pulitzer Chairman, and More
Jesmyn Ward on giving voice to black girls; finalists for the 2017 Shirley Jackson Awards announced; To Kill a Mockingbird Broadway dispute settled; and other news.
VONA Fellows Pen Letter to Board, Mary Karr and the Dangers of Idolization, and More
The modern significance of Fahrenheit 451; Amina Gautier and Joan Silber win PEN short story award; Academy of American Poets wins Innovations in Reading Prize; and other news.
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