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Joy Harjo reflects on editing a new anthology of Native American poetry; Duke University Press editorial director Gisela Fosado responds to Jessica A. Krug revelation; Jesse Green turns to Walt Whitman to make sense of contemporary crises; and other stories.
Parneshia Jones named director of Northwestern University Press; Megan Cummins discusses the nature of autobiographical fiction; Greg Mania reflects on the intimacy of writing; and other stories.
Sigrid Nunez reflects on writing about friendship; Emma Cline shares strategies for writing about extreme incidents; publishers discuss the new normal of virtual events; and other stories.
Viet Thanh Nguyen joins the Pulitzer Prize Board; Doubleday announces promotions and new executive hire; Peter Blackstock named publisher of Atlantic Books in the UK; and other stories.
This COVID Vivid blog series has been a real treat to work on these last couple months, and so, what was supposed to be only five entries will now be extended for a few more. So far, you have heard from Katherine Hoerth, Daniel Peña, Melissa Studdard, and Jonathan Moody. And now I will spin the question on to myself:
What have you been doing since the pandemic started?
“I have been trying to keep it together. I’ll be honest: I’ve been praying. I’ve been cooking. I’ve started three little gardens and built things for my kid. I’ve been playing with my two year old and trying my damnedest not to go down the rabbit hole of what-ifs when it comes to reading about the pandemic on social media.
I’ve also spent a little bit of time trying to write, but sometimes, I just stare at my screen. I’ve been buying useless things and binge-watching shows, and fighting and then making up with my wife, and trying to lose myself in good music. I was lucky enough to get the month of June off (I am an eleven-month contract employee in my local school district) and as of this writing, I am knee-deep in creating updated lesson plans for teachers in my district as well as creating two sets of digital lessons for students under the scenario that they won’t have access to their teachers online. It is tough trying to plan for teachers and students in a situation where we are totally blind as to what might happen next. If you haven’t seen how Texas is handling COVID-19, it’s not pretty.
I am entirely in alert mode. I am in hurricane warning mode. It’s like I stay up at night listening to the house, listening to my daughter sleep, maybe writing late into the night or working on curriculum, but I am lucky if I get a full night’s sleep. I am working on trying to build routines to take better care of myself, but honestly I have always sucked at it. It is easier for me to tend to other people. I probably look a wreck. I know I look a wreck. But everything is a slow movement. I am learning every day to take better care of myself. I am reading more. That’s where I begin.”
And speaking of reading, if you don’t already have your copy of the September/October 2020 issue of Poets & Writers Magazine, check out the piece published online about Spanish-language and bilingual creative writing programs, “Writing in Spanish Elevates Academia” by Enma K. Elias.
Lupe Mendez is the literary outreach coordinator for Poets & Writers in Houston. Contact him at Houston@pw.org or on Twitter, @houstonpworg.Booksellers across the country reflect on independent bookstore day; Sabrina Orah Mark analyzes the talking animals that appear in fairy tales; Elisabeth Egan profiles former first daughter and publishing insider Jenna Bush Hager; and other stories.
Poets gather to remember Hurricane Katrina; Bertelsmann and HarperCollins signal interest in acquiring Simon & Schuster; Daniel Nayeri renders his experience as a refugee in fiction; and other stories.
Poet Claudia Castro Luna on fostering a diverse literary community; Aya Kanai describes her day-to-day as editor in chief of Marie Claire; Kimberly Alidio turns to Language poetry in times of crisis; and other stories.
Leaves are flirting with fall colors all across Michigan as we walk into September. I am excited to see more virtual events being planned out in advance, and I hope a few of these that feature Detroit writers make it on to your calendar.
On September 2, PEN America is facilitating a panel discussion in collaboration with the Authors Guild and the NYC Literary Action Coalition to speak about how literary organizations are surviving and responding to COVID-19. Moderated by Cheryl Davis of the Authors Guild, Detroit’s own Nandi Comer of Allied Media Projects will be one of the panelists sharing their experiences. I think that this panel will be rich with tips and tools for anyone working within a nonprofit organization, literary or otherwise.
The Zell Visiting Writers Series presented by the Helen Zell Writers’ Program with support from the University of Michigan’s Department of English Language and Literature is going with a virtual platform on September 3 to offer a reading and Q&A with Kaveh Akbar. This is an opportunity not only for the Detroit community, but those who can access the event online worldwide to take part in this renowned reading series.
Pages Bookshop has steadily hosted their visiting artist series virtually this summer. There is an upcoming event scheduled for September 15 featuring novelist Sharon Harrigan in conversation with Kelly Fordon. In addition, Pages is still open for business online!
Finally, on September 20, M. L. Liebler and Jennifer DeBellis, in collaboration with the Detroit Writers’ Guild, will host the ninth annual Midtown Detroit Lit Walk via Facebook Live—although there won’t be any walking involved this year. The reading will feature Shonda Buchanon, Brian Gilmore, and Alison Swan, just to name a few.
For more upcoming events, check out the Literary Events Calendar.
Justin Rogers is the literary outreach coordinator for Poets & Writers in Detroit. Contact him at Detroit@pw.org or on Twitter, @Detroitpworg.Jesmyn Ward mourns the death of her husband; Alyssa Cole tackles gentrification and anti-Blackness in her first thriller; Kevin Young reflects on curating a new anthology of African American poetry; and other stories.
