Kirkus Awards, the Lives of Discarded Books, and More
Camille T. Dungy talks writing, race, and motherhood; bookstores recover from Hurricanes Irma and Harvey; the enduring inspiration of Nancy Drew; and other news.
Genre: Creative Nonfiction
Civil War Books, Defining Good Writing, and More
Patrick Rosal on being mistaken for the help; the rise of Spanish-language curriculum in graduate creative writing programs; a film adaptation of Crazy Rich Asians; and other news.
Lover’s War
In “The Art of Reading James Baldwin: The Truth of Our Pain” in the November/December issue of Poets & Writers Magazine, William Giraldi quotes Baldwin’s 1962 essay “The Creative Process”: “Societies never know it, but the war of an artist with his society is a lover’s war, and he does, at his best, what lovers do, which is to reveal the beloved to himself.” Think of a current social issue you have conflicting feelings about, and write a personal essay that approaches the issue as you might a lover’s quarrel. While sharing your own specific experiences and emotions, how might you aim to reveal a piece of society to itself in a tender and loving way? From a lover’s point of view, what kind of stipulations, exceptions, or assumptions might strengthen or weaken your argument?
Book World to Close All Stores, Seattle Named City of Literature, and More
Scholastic publishes series based on ten-year-old reporter Hilde Lysiak; film versus book trilogies; Mohsin Hamid on optimism; and other news.
Myriam Gurba
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“If you were walking down the street and you came across yourself, what would you do? Stop and talk with yourself, or make out with yourself?” Myriam Gurba, author of the debut memoir, Mean (Coffee House Press, 2017), reads several short prose pieces for the Radar Reading Series at the San Francisco Public Library.
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A Horror-Writing Bot, Literary Halloween, and More
Jacqueline Woodson signs two-book deal with Riverhead; Austin Central Library opens; poet Fay Chiang has died; and other news.
November 1 Contest Deadlines: Fiction and Nonfiction
Have a short story, essay, or fiction manuscript ready to submit? Don’t miss out on these prose contests offering prizes of at least $1,000 and publication—all with a deadline of November 1.
Reed Magazine Gabriele Rico Challenge in Creative Nonfiction: A prize of $1,333 and publication in Reed Magazine is given annually for an essay. Entry fee: $15
Reed Magazine John Steinbeck Fiction Award: A prize of $1,000 and publication in Reed Magazine is given annually for a short story. Entry fee: $15
Briar Cliff Review Writing Contests: Two prizes of $1,000 each and publication in Briar Cliff Review are given annually for a short story and an essay. The editors will judge. Entry fee: $20
Madison Review Fiction Prize: A prize of $1,000 and publication in Madison Review is given annually for a short story. The editors will judge. Entry fee: $10
Fiction Collective Two Ronald Sukenick Innovative Fiction Contest: A prize of $1,500 and publication by Fiction Collective Two is given annually for a short story collection, novella, novella collection, or novel. U.S. writers who have not previously published a book with Fiction Collective Two are eligible. Noy Holland will judge. Entry fee: $25
Visit the contest websites for complete guidelines, and check out our Grants & Awards database and Submission Calendar for more upcoming contests in poetry, fiction, and nonfiction.
Daniel Alarcón on Radio
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“For me personally, it’s about recovering and celebrating a language.” Daniel Alarcón talks about his work as the executive producer of NPR’s Radio Ambulante, the Spanish-language podcast that presents long-form Latin American narratives. Alarcón’s second story collection, The King Is Always Above the People (Riverhead Books, 2017), is featured in Page One in the November/December issue of Poets & Writers Magazine.
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Spooky Halloween Reads, WME Drops Bill O’Reilly, and More
Turkish novelist Elif Shafak joins Future Library; Publishers Weekly’s best books of 2017; Bill Cain, pseudonymous author of Murder, She Wrote, dies; and other news.
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