Thursday, December 31, 2009

Farewell Performance




The year 2009 seemed awful for a lot of people, so I hope my latest and last new short story, published at Tor.com, makes for an effective banishment.

Farewell Performance by Nick Mamatas


Also, there's a podcast version for people who enjoy audio fiction.


For "market mavens": Tor.com, run by the publisher of the same name, launched in 2008. Tor is the first major publisher that I know of to completely reimagine its website as a social network, with blog posts, original fiction and art, and comics. It is widely considered one of the best places to publish science fiction and fantasy these days, given its substantial profile and stellar (for fiction) pay rate: 25¢ a word up to 5000 words, less beyond that.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

CNF Contest for MFA Students

CONTEST: MFA Program-Off


postmark deadline: January 28, 2010
http://www.creativenonfiction.org/thejournal/submittocnf.htm#programoff
Win a reading at the 2010 AWP Conference in Denver, publication in the summer 2010 issue of CNF, and bragging rights for your program!
Judge: Barbara Lounsberry
co-author (with Gay Talese) of Writing Creative Nonfiction: The Literature of Reality
Guidelines:

Contest is open to any student currently enrolled in an MFA creative writing program.

Submissions should be typed, double-spaced, no more than 3,000 words, and unpublished.

This is a blind read; your name should appear only in the cover letter, and each page of the manuscript should include the title of the piece.

No excerpts will be considered; your submission should be a single and complete piece.

Only one submission per author will be considered.
Please send submission and a cover letter with your name, university, complete contact information and title of the work to:
Creative Nonfiction Foundation
Attn: AWP Program-Off
5501 Walnut Street, Suite 202
Pittsburgh, PA 15232

Monday, December 21, 2009

Mentors

If you have questions about which mentor you have for which class, you can check the OpenClose system online. All mentors have been filled in according to your registration, so just look for your section and you'll see the mentor listed. Go to

http://online.wcsu.edu/openclose/

select Intersession 2010 or Spring 2010; on the next page select Writing in the Subject box and click Class Search.

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Poets Live On WNPR Tuesday

HARD ROCK QI
UNDERCARD FAVORITE
@ HARTFORD CLUB 1-15-10


  • Registration Form pdf


  • 2010 YOUNG WRITERS ENTRY FORM



  • -- THE HOTTEST SHOWS IN CT JUST GOT HOTTER


    - MERCILESS AMY MA


    -- GABRIELLE SHE BE STINGING CALVOCORESSI

    Poets Amy Ma & Gaby Calvocoressi,
    From The Gaby V. Iceman
    CT Young Writers Triple KO Event
    Jan. 15, 2010 @ The Hartford Club ...




    ... To Appear On WNPR's The Colin McEnroe Show
    Tues., Dec. 22, 2009
    Andy Thibault Of The CT Young Writers Trust
    Also In Studio



    -- The Colin WNPR Team: Patrick Skahill, Colin, Chion Wolf

  • WNPR's The Colin McEnroe Show


  • Amy Is The 2001 Ct State Poetry Champion,
    Now A Teacher For The Hartford Public Schools
    At Jumoke [Where Every Child Is Loved] Academy,
    Blue Hills Avenue, Hartford, CT

    Amy Will Be Bringing About 10 Of Her Students
    To The Gaby V. Iceman Extravaganza …


    JAN. 15, 2010 @ THE HARTFORD CLUB:
    CT Young Writers
    Triple Knockout Event: Prose, Poetry & Pugilism;
    Open Writing Workshops In Poetry & Sportswriting;
    Jen Allen Big Band With Vocalists




  • NEW: 2nd SET GABY V. ICEMAN, NIGHT BOXING, CT YOUNG WRITERS TRIPLE KO EVENT


  • Gaby's Fighting Words


  • Gaby & Iceman In Hartford Club Mag


  • Iceman Talks About Perez, Remillard Bouts … New Photos Celebrate Hall Of Fame Induction


  • Registration Form pdf


  • 2010 YOUNG WRITERS ENTRY FORM


  • Wally Lamb Swimsuit / Ring Girl Rumor: Fact Or Fiction?
  • Thursday, December 17, 2009

    Writing Contest - Call for submissions!

    Contest in Italian-American Short Fiction

    In conjunction with its first Italian-American Arts Festival, the Watchung Arts Center is looking for submissions of short fiction written from an Italian or Italian-American perspective. Five finalists will be chosen to read their work at the Italian-American Arts Festival on April 25, 2010 at the Watchung Arts Center in Watchung, NJ. The winning submission will be awarded a $200 prize.

    Submissions will be accepted online only from December 14, 2009 - February 14, 2010.

    • $10 entry fee to be paid via PayPal.
    • Submit at rich text format (rtf) copy of your work (500 - 5,000 words) to ItalianAmerican_Writers@yahoo.com. Only one piece per writer will be accepted. Please include your PayPal confirmation number in the Subject Line of your e-mail.
    • Any questions may be directed to Claudine D'Angelo-Dotzman at ItalianAmerican_Writers@yahoo.com.

    Tuesday, December 15, 2009

    Registration is Complete...

    ...and aren't we all delighted about that? Probably a good idea to log in to Banner and double check your courses to make sure they're all correct. Let me know if there are any problems.

    Monday, December 14, 2009

    Trudy Doyle on HSN...again!


    Remember my mentioning something about my latest from Ravenous Romance called The Lady's Choice? And how a Special Trade Edition of it was one of a collection of six contemporary romances featured in an Escape with Romance promotion in September on the Home Shopping Network? Well, plant a big lipsticked smooch on Friday 18 December, and join Ravenous Romance's fabulous president, Holly Schmidt, at 8 AM and 2 PM EST, for a special Holiday edition of Escape with Romance on the HSN. Check your cable network and a few gifts off your list, as my hero and heroine, Jack and Leslie, will be only too happy to dis the ballot boxes and stuff some Christmas stockings instead! Or dash your generous impulses and buy a set or two for yourself. Trudy Doyles make a great re-gift!


    See you on the high-def and smooch!

    Trudy

    Friday, December 11, 2009

    The Dude Who Collected Lovecraft, again!

    "The Dude Who Collected Lovecraft," the Bram Stoker award-nominated short story I co-wrote with Tim Pratt, is back, and this time in podcast form thanks to the audio geniuses as Pseudopod.

    Pseudopod #172: The Dude Who Collected Lovecraft.

    Please share with your illiterate pals!

    Thursday, December 10, 2009

    Roomate for Residency?

    Hello Everyone,

    I was wondering if there were any women out there looking for a roommate during residency. I got a suite at the Maron- one room with a king size bed and another room with a sleeper sofa (Queen size). I have the room checking in on the 28th and checking out on the 3rd. I don't have the room for the night of the 31st, however because I'll be driving home that night. However, I can always call back and try to get the room for that night also.

    If anyone is interested in splitting the cost of the room, please let me know. My email address is brophy_jennifer@yahoo.com.

    Thanks,

    Jennifer

    Wednesday, December 09, 2009

    Readers needed

    I am chairing an Italian-American arts festival here in NJ for my enrichment project, the focal point of which is a contest in short fiction. The contest runs from December 14- February 14 (check out watchungarts.org later this week if you're interested in submitting) and like the planner of any event at a non-profit I need volunteers. Writers, willing to read and rate submissions. The reading period is from January 15 - March 15. I would like to have enough readers to assure that no one has to read more than ten entries. There are no requirements for readers to have an Italian background, but it doesn't hurt if you do. Please email me (claudine@getgravity.com) with any questions.

    Tuesday, December 08, 2009

    WCSU MFA on GradInsider

    A new information provider on graduate programs, GradInsider, has listed our program. This particular service ranks programs by graduate/student reviews. If you have a moment, take a look and review the program to help us spread the news about WCSU!

    http://gradinsider.com/programs/more/western_connecticut_state_university_masters_of_fine_arts_in_professional_w/

    Don Snyder at Residency

    Many of you will remember the sections that Don read from his novel-in-progress at the last residency, Winter Travelers. Don will be talking about the book and his related screenplay project and reading more from the book at the winter residency. Please take a look at the pages Don read at last residency, which he will talk about during his lecture:

    http://www.wcsu.edu/writing/mfa//pdf/SnyderWest%20Conn%20Reading120709.pdf

    Scholarships for 2010-11

    The application deadline for WCSU graduate scholarships for the 2010-11 academic year is Feb. 15. Please visit http://www.wcsu.edu/scholarships. MFA students who have applied for scholarships in the past have a near-100% success rate. Perhaps it would be useful for those of you who have received scholarships to offer words of advice/encouragement here.

    Monday, December 07, 2009

    Course Evaluations

    Folks, Please go to the MFA website (click Forms under Current Students) to download the course evaluation forms. You must submit the forms by email, by fax, or by mail no later than December 18; forms received after the 18th cannot be accepted.

    There are two evaluation forms: a departmental evaluation form and a program evaluation form. They are clearly distinguished on the Forms page.

    If your course is with Briggs, Clements, Cohen, De Los Santos, Lomuscio, Qi, Sherlock, or Steinmetz, please ASK THE INSTRUCTOR whether he/she wants student evaluations this semester; if so, use the DEPARTMENTAL evaluation form. Other instructors may also choose to have you fill out the departmental form if they want the evaluation to go into their employment file; they are not required to do so. The departmental form should be emailed, faxed, or mailed to Sharon Foster, Writing Dept., WCSU, 181 White St., Danbury, CT 06810, 203-837-3953 (f). These forms must be sent to Sharon Foster's attention.

    Please fill out a PROGRAM evaluation form for ALL instructors, even if they also want you to fill out the departmental form. Email, fax, or mail this form to Laurel at the same address or fax number above.

    These evaluation forms are an important part of our program review process; I know it's a pain in the neck, but I appreciate your taking a few moments to help us out for the benefit of the program.

    Residency Schedule

    The residency schedule is up at

    http://www.wcsu.edu/writing/mfa//pdf/January%2010%20Residency.pdf

    Meeting room for the workshops on the morning of the 31st are TBD.

    The schedule link is also available from the MFA web site.

    AWP Intro Journals Winners

    Congratulations to Margaret Bail, Michelle Walsh, and Birte Salvaraj for their winning entries in the WCSU AWP Intro competition. The WCSU winners have been entered into the national competition.

    Bail: "Strawberry Blues" (Poetry)
    Walsh: "Loss" (Creative Nonfiction)
    Selvaraj: "One Night Stand" (Fiction)

    Residency Workshop

    Please make your selections for residency workshops at this link:

    http://www.wcsu.edu/writing/mfa/workshops.asp

    You will find a description of each workshop, including any advance work that is expected of you. Each workshop is limited to 15 participants, so make your selections soon! If you have not made your selections by Dec. 21, you will be assigned to workshops.

    You can also access the link through the MFA web site.

    Friday, December 04, 2009

    Registration

    Dear MFAers,

    Thank you all for your patience and your efforts as we make this transition to online registration. We're all learning a new process, and that includes the Registrar's office. We're learning that there are a few things about our program that the registration system is not equipped to handle.

    One of those things is that thesis students are not able to register for more than one section of the thesis course online. This is due to a setting that restricts students from taking the same course twice in the same semester (which makes sense for most programs but must be over-ridden manually for us). So if you are a thesis student, we will be reverting to the old registration system--that is, I will send your registration to Grad Studies, they will enter it for you, and you'll get a bill in the mail or at the residency.

    Everyone else, please proceed with registering online. I would like to ask you to do us a HUGE favor and please complete your registration by the end of the day on the 8th. I know we said you'd have until the 9th, but completing registration by the end of the 8th will make everything go more smoothly for all of us. So, please, if at all possible...

    Also, if you do have problems with your registration, please contact Laurel. DO NOT contact University Computing directly; they're flooded with calls right now due to university-wide registration.

    Thanks again for hanging in there through this. The residency schedule and the online form for selecting your residency workshops will be up early next week.

    Have a great weekend...

    bc

    Monday, November 30, 2009

    NaNoWriMo Winner


    Just wanted to post a little blurb here...I lost all sanity around November 1st when I thought it would be a good idea to participate in NaNoWriMo this year in addition to taking a full course load, working full time, family, etc, etc. So long story short, I pushed myself beyond all reasonable expectations and today, on the last possible day, crossed the NaNoWriMo 50000 word finish line. Woohoo! Of course the novel isn't complete yet, but it's 50000 words closer and now that I've gotten this far I know I can finish it. I've got to say it was an amazing experience and one I intend to do again. So there ya go. Just wanted to share my little accomplishment. Have a great day! ~ Margaret

    Saturday, November 28, 2009

    REMINDER--Hotel Reservations Close on Dec. 14

    The cost for a standard king room or double room for the January 2010 Residency will be $89 per night. This rate will only be available until the end of business December 14th, so be sure to call and make your reservations ASAP. Don't forget to identify yourself as part of the WestConn MFA group. The number is (203) 791-2200. After December 14th, neither the availability nor the rate can be guaranteed.

    Please contact Laurel Richards (203) 837-8878 if you have any questions.

    Wednesday, November 25, 2009

    Some good news to share

    I received a letter from the MacGuffin yesterday that they nominated my poem "Afghani Summer" for a pushcart prize. Now that was a pleasant surprise!!

    Tuesday, November 24, 2009

    Registration Guidelines

    Dear Intersession/Spring 2010 Students,

    I have emailed each of you instructions for registering for your courses. Registration will begin Dec. 2 and must be compelted by Dec. 9. Please let me know if you have questions after reading the email message.

    Thursday, November 19, 2009

    Registration Re-Reminder

    Registration will begin on DECEMBER 2 and run through DECEMBER 9. We will be registering online, so you will need your Banner account (new students--grad studies should have sent your banner account info to you. If they have not, please contact me or Graduate Studies).

    If you have an outstanding balance, you must contact the Cashier's office before Dec. 2 or you will not be allowed to register!

    If you hear anything contrary to these registration dates, it doesn't apply to us. Ignore it.

    We will be posting registration instructions on the MFA web site as we near the 2nd.

    Poet on Campus, December 2

    Poet Christine Boyka Kluge will read from her work in Haas 508 (Midtown Campus) on December 2 at 5:30.

    Writing majors and students in the MFA program are also invited to join the WRT519 Topics in Creative Writing: Flash Fiction and Prose Poetry course following the reading for a discussion with Ms. Kluge. RSVP clementsb@wcsu.edu




    from “Giving Away Bones”

    I stood at the corner giving away my bones. My ribs went to the little girl who needed a cage for her ferret. My toe bones went to a gambler to replace his unlucky dice. My spine went home coiled around the neck of a snake charmer. As I plucked out each one, I felt delightfully emptier, translucent as breath. I simply stepped out of my ivory closet.

    The only piece I had trouble leaving was my skull. It stared at me with cavernous sockets like twin black wells.




    Christine Boyka Kluge is the author of three books of prose poems: Stirring the Mirror, Teaching Bones to Fly, and Domestic Weather. Her work has appeared in numerous anthologies. She is also a visual artist and she has collaborated on multimedia work. She lives in the Hudson Valley.

    Hotel Reservations

    In case you missed it--see the info below from November 10 regarding hotel reservations.

    Tuesday, November 17, 2009

    Prince of the City To Join Hard Rock Qi @ The Hartford Club


    -- Actor Treat Williams With Director Sidney Lumet During Filming of Prince of the City


    EDITOR'S NOTE: Rarely do readers get the real story on cops and courts. When the public focuses on corruption in the so-called justice system, virtually all the weight falls on the cops. The lawyers and judges are much more adept at evading justice. Author and former NYPD Detective Bob Leuci knows the score. He lived it. Leuci will be appearing in Connecticut Jan. 15, 2010 as part of the CT Young Writers Triple Knockout event at the Hartford Club. Following are some video excerpts of Prince of the City and links to Leuci books and details about the upcoming event.

    VIDEO:
    We Know How You Guys Become Judges


  • Scene From Prince Of The City


  • Trailer: IT HAPPENED


  • Undercover Life Gets Complicated


  • Prince of the City Wiki


  • Sidney Lumet Interview



  • THE BOOKS

  • Prince Of The City: The True Story Of A Cop Who Knew Too Much


  • All The Centurions: A New York City Cop Remembers His Life On The Street


  • Captain Butterfly


  • Odessa Beach


  • The Snitch


  • Doyle's Disciples



  • AUTHOR BOB LEUCI AND COMPLETE LINEUP
    POETS & WRITERS JAN. 15, 2010
    @ THE HARTFORD CLUB

    ALSO FEATURING
    THE JEN ALLEN BIG BAND
    WITH VOCALISTS


    USA BOXING BOUTS
    TO CONCLUDE THE EVENING




    Special thanks to our sponsors
    listed as
    heavyweights, middleweights, golden gloves and fans.


    EDITOR'S NOTE:
    Paul "Ding-a-Ling" Doyle has graciously agreed to take handoff from George "The Wolf" Kimball for sports writing workshop. Both guys worked the Dawson fight.

    Doyle has been a sports reporter and columnist at The Hartford Courant for 20 years. A member of the Baseball Writers Association of America, he has been a baseball beat writer and most recently a general assignment reporter. He has also written for the Boston Globe and The Sporting News.


  • Hartford Courant Post On CT Young Writers Triple Knockout Event


  • Gaby Heating Up Miami Beach ...

  • A Punch In The Face From Gaby "She Be Stinging" Calvocoressi


  • Odes To The Champ, Including Shankar Poem On Dawson Victory


  • The Iceman John Scully's Utube


  • Also @ gotpoetry.com


  • Quick Hits
    On More
    Of Our Poets & Writers


  • News Times Features Author Shouhua Qi


  • Retired CT State Trooper Jerry Longo Reviews NYPD Bomb Squad Book


  • Chandra "Bonecrusher" Prasad Featured In CT Mag


  • Iceman John Scully


  • Kate Rushin's Black Back-Ups


  • Franz Douskey


  • Binnie Klein


  • MUSIC
    VIDEOS


  • Jen Allen Big Band @ Twain House May 2009


  • Jen Allen Big Band @ Litchfield Inn June 2008
  • Residency Dates

    It seems that a few people missed it earlier, so here it is again:

    December 28 through January 3

    December 28 is arrival date with the New Student Orientation and the Welcome Dinner the only events scheduled.

    January 3 is the departure date with only the morning wrap-up meeting scheduled.

    We will take off between dinner on New Year's Eve and lunch on New Year's Day.

    Residency schedule and workshop options will be posted soon.

    Call for Articles

    Dear Brian,
    I thought this might be of interest to your students…we’re sending it primarily to environmental organizations, but welcome first-person essays, as well…

    E/The Environmental Magazine is seeking new commentaries for its “Our Planet” weekly newsletter. The commentaries appear on the homepage of our website, and are included in a newsletter sent free via e-mail to tens of thousands of interested people from around the nation. We’re looking for lively essays on your environmental mission, your latest environmental endeavors, or thoughts on nature, and welcome first-person accounts. A length of approximately 800 words is preferable, and accompanying photographs and contact information are welcome. We do not pay for “Our Planet” submissions, but the column would make a good forum to talk about the work you do and reach a new audience.

    You can check it out online here: http://www.emagazine.com/news/archives.php?current

    Please send inquiries or submissions to E Magazine editor Brita Belli at brita@emagazine.com

    Only Two of the Top 30 Grossing Films This Decade Are Original

    [click the link in the title] It's a good time to be a kid.

    Wednesday, November 11, 2009

    Enrichment Projects

    If you would like to present your enrichment project at the winter residency, please let me know as soon as possible--by the end of this week, please.

    Registration Heads Up

    Folks, Registration will be conducted online this year from Dec. 2 through Dec. 9.

    If you are a new student, you will be receiving log-in information from Graduate Studies. I suggest you attempt to log in before Dec. 2 to ensure that your account is activated.

    If you are a returning student who has NOT been in an online workshop this semester, please log in before Dec. 2 to ensure that your password is still active. Students currently in online workshops should have no problems.

    NOTE: If you have an outstanding balance and have not arranged for a payment plan with the Cashier's office, the Registrar will not allow you to register online during the registration period.

    I will provide you with specific, individualized instructions for registration as we near Dec. 2.

    Hope to see some of you at Gian Lombardo's reading this evening.

    Tuesday, November 10, 2009

    Jan 2010 Residency Hotel Reservations**REMINDER

    The cost for a standard king room or double room for the January 2010 Residency will be $89 per night. This rate will only be available until the end of business December 14th, so be sure to call and make your reservations ASAP. Don't forget to identify yourself as part of the WestConn MFA group. The number is (203) 791-2200. After December 14th, neither the availability nor the rate can be guaranteed.

    Please contact me if you have any questions.

    Blog? Facebook?

    That time has come. We have outgrown our blogspace here. While we will continue to maintain the blog through the Winter residency and into next semester, we will be making a move to a space that allows more members/authors in a semi-private setting. I am considering moving to Facebook, but I know that not everyone has a Facebook account. So let me simply ask--how would you feel about moving to Facebook, especially those of you who do not currently have Facebook accounts?

    Friday, November 06, 2009

    Winter Fellowship at the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, MA

    For the last forty years, the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, MA, has
    run the largest and longest residency Fellowship in the United States for
    emerging visual artists and writers. Artists who have not had significant
    recognition for their work and writers who have not yet published a book
    with significant distribution are welcome to apply. Fellows receive a seven
    month stay (October 1-May 1) at the Work Center and a $650 monthly stipend.
    Fellows do not pay or work in exchange for their fellowships in any way.
    Fellows are chosen based on the strength and promise of their work. Former
    Visual Arts Fellows include Ellen Gallagher, Jack Pierson, Lisa Yuskavage,
    Angela Dufresne, Geoffrey Chadsey, and Lamar Peterson. Former Writing
    Fellows have won every major national award in writing including the
    National Book Award and six Pulitzer Prizes. The list of former Fellows
    includes Denis Johnson, Louise Glück, Jhumpa Lahiri, and Yusef Komunyakaa.

    The postmark deadline for the 2010-11 Writing Fellowships is December 1,
    2009.

    2010-2011 Visual Arts Fellowship applicants may apply online beginning
    December 1, 2009. Online submissions must be received by midnight February
    1, 2010. FAWC will accept slide applications for one more year. Applicants
    submitting slides, must have their applications postmarked by February 1,
    2010.

    For details, please visit:
    http://www.fawc.org/fellowships/

    Thursday, November 05, 2009

    "The Uncanny Valley" at Escape Pod

    My novelette "The Uncanny Valley" is now live as the latest weekly installment of the online audio magazine Escape Pod.

    Podcasting, as many of you know, is becoming increasingly important. Not only have a number of writers parlayed personal podcasts into book deals, venues such as Escape Pod are gaining a listenership larger than most print literary journals. The the three Escape Artists venues: Escape Pod for science fiction, PodCastle for fantasy, and PseudoPod for horror, have even reawakened the market for reprints. If you're interested at all in short fantastic fiction, you should be tuning in on your iPod or desktop.

    "The Uncanny Valley" originally appeared in a journal called Polyphony and is also available in You Might Sleep...

    AWP Intro Journals Project

    As a member program of the Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP), our department is invited to participate in AWP’s prestigious Intro Journals Project. The Intro Journals Project is a literary competition for the discovery & publication of the best new works by students currently enrolled in the programs of AWP. All undergraduate writing majors, all MA students with Creative Writing concentration, and all students in the MFA in Creative and Professional Writing are eligible to participate.

    Winners of the WestConn Awards will be entered into AWP’s national competition. Winners at the national level will receive publication in a participating journal and a $100 cash honorarium. Winners will be contacted in the spring of 2010. Participating journals are Hayden’s Ferry Review, Mid-American Review, Colorado Review, Puerto del Sol, Controlled Burn, Quarterly West, Tampa Review, and Artful Dodge.

    Students must follow the guidelines below for submitting nominations.

    • Submissions should be mailed or hand delivered to:

    Laurel Richards
    MFA in Creative and Professional Writing
    Higgins 205
    181 White St.
    Danbury, CT 06810

    • Submissions must be received in the office no later than 8 am, Monday, November 23.

    • Submissions must come with a cover sheet that includes the title of the work, the name of the author, the mailing address of the author, and the genre of the submission (fiction, creative nonfiction, or poetry).

    • Translations are acceptable, but the submission must come with evidence of permission to publish the translation.

    • Submissions must be unpublished and may not be under consideration elsewhere.

    • Each student may submit no more than three works of creative nonfiction, three works of fiction, and six poems. Excerpts from novels are acceptable but must not exceed 25 pages.

    • Prose must be double-spaced and typed or printed on a letter-quality printer; dot-matrix is not acceptable. Poetry only may be single-spaced.

    I encourage all MFA students to participate! The AWP Intro Award is one of the most highly visible awards for students, and the participating journals are choice venues.

    Gian Lombardo Reading on Campus


    Wednesday, November 11, 5:30, WARNER HALL ATRIUM
    (on WestConn’s Midtown Campus)



    Gian Lombardo
    is Publisher-in-Residence in the Writing, Literature & Publishing Department at Emerson College. He directs Quale Press, which publishes literary works and which also supplies other publishers with editing, design, consulting, production and project management services. He is also the author of Between Islands, a collection of poems and verse translations; and four other collections of prose poetry – Standing Room, Sky Open Again, Of All the Corners to Forget and Aid & A_Bet. His translation of the first half of Aloysius Bertrand’s Gaspard de la nuit was published in 2000 and his translation of Eugene Savitzkaya’s Rules of Solitude appeared in 2004. He lives in Western Massachusetts where he tends a small orchard and occasionally makes a passable wine.

    I hope all of the MFA-ers in the area, current and recent, will come out for this reading!

    Wednesday, November 04, 2009

    Faith and Art Essay on Liturgical Credo

    Click on the title to go to the essay. I have an essay on Liturgical Credo based on the concept of suspension of disbelief in fiction and in faith. My sincere thanks to editor/publisher Colin Burch for fostering this along. Be well / RON

    Monday, November 02, 2009

    RUMBLE @ THE HARTFORD CLUB: Gaby Versus The Iceman, A CT Young Writers Triple Knockout Event ...



    ANNOUNCEMENT:

    CT Young Writers
    Triple Knockout Event
    At The Hartford Club Jan. 15, 2010


  • CT Young Writers Trust Website



  • Eclectic Hartford Club Event
    Celebrates Young Writers Competition;
    Notes Entry Deadline

    Open Writing Workshops,
    Readings By Poets & Writers,
    Jen Allen Big Band & Live Boxing


    CEU Credits Granted For Teachers



    More Than $182,000 For Teenage Writers Since 1998
    CT Young Writers Trust
    Surges Into 13th Year
    With Strong Grassroots Support


    HARTFORD, Conn. Oct. 31, 2009 -- The Connecticut Young Writers Trust kicks off its 13th year with vigor and pizazz Jan. 15, 2010 at
  • The Hartford Club


  • "GABY VERSUS THE ICEMAN" is a CT Young Writers Triple Knockout Event: Prose, Poetry And Pugilism.

    The day begins at 11 a.m. with open workshops on the teaching and writing of poetry and the teaching and writing of sports stories. Continuing education credits will be granted to teachers for the workshops and other events including dialogue with poets, writers, musicians and boxers.

    The Jen Allen Big Band -- featuring vocalists including DominiQue Rivers and Laura McCabe -- will perform during lunch.

  • Jen Allen Big Band @ Twain House May 2009


  • Jen Allen Big Band @ Litchfield Inn June 2008


  • Well-known and highly-regarded poets and writers enter the ring after lunch.

    In the main event, poet Gabrielle "She Be Stinging" Calvocoressi and "Iceman" John Scully -- the trainer and former light heavyweight contender -- will read from their works. (A complete listing of poets and writers follows.)

    The evening will conclude with the singing of The National Anthem by Rivers -- a student at Hartford Conservatory -- and a boxing exhibition. The bouts are being organized by Scully; Sammy Vega, a seven-time national amateur champion now working as a paralegal; and Mike Mike "Machine Gun" Oliver, a reigning New England and Eastern Boxing Association Junior Featherweight Champion.

    Co-Masters of Ceremonies are: Rand "Blood" Cooper, the novelist and travel writer for Bon Appetit; "Irish" Ravi Shankar, the poet and Central Connecticut State University English professor; and attorney Jeffrey "No Dice" Dressler, a long-time advocate for education and boxing in Hartford and a boxing announcer.

    The Bookworm of West Hartford will serve as vendor for the event and will take advance orders with reasonable notice.

    Since 1998, the Young Writers Trust has awarded more than $182,000 to Connecticut teenagers. More than 5,000 young poets and writers have competed in the program.

    The Connecticut State University System is the primary donor for prize money. Prize money and expenses are also funded by banks, law and real estate firms, the Litchfield-Morris Rotary, numerous businesses including a construction firm, a wine merchant, a publishing firm, restaurants, bookstores, an art gallery, a tree care firm and a printing company. Sponsors are noted via display ads in the annual program.

    Teenage writers, ages 13-18, are being encouraged to submit original entries to the annual literary competition which also offers state champions an opportunity to have their work published in the literary journal of the Connecticut State University System, Connecticut Review.

    Entry forms for the 2010 competition will be handed out at the Hartford Club event. Forms are currently available on line at the Connecticut State University System site, http://www.ct.edu/community/ctyoungwriters.htm

    During this academic year, two young writers from each of Connecticut's eight counties will win cash awards for either prose or poetry writing. Entries must be nominated by a teacher in a public or private school, and postmarked on or before February 1, 2010. Home school entries are also accepted. (In 2009, there were about 580 entries.)

    Central Connecticut State University in New Britain, Eastern Connecticut State University in Willimantic, Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven, and Western Connecticut State University in Danbury will receive the initial entries and host county award ceremonies in April 2010. Entries are sent directly to one of the universities, depending upon the county in which the student lives (see list at CSU System Young Writers website).

    From the select group of county winners, a distinguished panel of judges will select the state's top poet and writer at a dinner and awards ceremony held in late May or early June 2010. The 2009 event was held at the Mark Twain House & Museum. Winners are also interviewed by local media, and have their work highlighted on the website of the Connecticut State University System.

    A home-schooled student from Redding and a student at Westover School in Middlebury were awarded the top statewide prizes in prose and poetry May 31, 2009 in the 12th annual IMPAC-Connecticut State University System Young Writers competition.

    The competition highlights works of poetry and prose submitted by teenagers from throughout the state. A panel of judges selected works submitted by Emma Lowenberg,16, of the Lowenberg Home School in Redding, for her story, "Bernard," and Felicity Sheehy, 16, of Westover School of Middlebury, for her poem, "Evening Conversation."

    At the annual awards celebration, held at Hartford's Mark Twain House & Museum for the first time, both students received $1,000 for their efforts. Lowenberg and Sheehy also were awarded $500 in April after being named, respectively, prose and poetry winners in Fairfield and New Haven counties.

    A complete listing of all county and state champions since 1998 is included in the 2009 program.

    Poets and writers appearing at The Hartford Club Jan. 15, 2010:

    * Robert "The Breeze" Leuci -- Treat Williams played Leuci's character in the movie, "The Prince of the City." The former NYPD detective reveals the full range of his career in the memoir, "All The Centurions." Leuci's novels include "Doyle's Disciples," "Odessa Beach" and "Renegades." Leuci teaches at the University of Rhode Island.

    * "Merciless" Amy Ma -- Ma is the 2001 State Poetry Champion. She currently teaches for the Hartford Public Schools. Ma earned her undergraduate English degree from Wesleyan and a Masters from Central Connecticut State University. Ma has been a keynote speaker for two annual dinners.

    * Binnie "The Demon Barber" Klein -- Klein, a psychotherapist and lecturer at Yale Medical School, is the author of "Blows To The Head: How Boxing Changed My Mind." The book is a memoir including Klein's experiences in the ring and her observations of The Sweet Science. She hosts a weekly music and interview show on WPKN Bridgeport, CT and Montauk, NY.

    * Shouhua "Hard Rock" Qi -- Qi, a professor of English at Western Connecticut State University, is the author of "When the Purple Mountain Burns," "Red Guard Fantasies and Other Stories" and a dozen other books. "Red Guard Fantasies" is dedicated to his father, who was a middle school principal during the Cultural Revolution. Like many other so-called elites, Qi's father suffered intense physical degradation. He was forced to kneel on broken glass with a wooden chalkboard hung around his neck while being denounced by angry mobs. The volume has 14 stories about Chinese society transforming after the Cultural Revolution, including the signature Red Guard Fantasies.

    * Rich "Six Heads" Esposito - Esposito is the author of "Bomb Squad: A Year Inside The Nation's Most Exclusive Police Unit." Esposito is a winner of the George Polk Award for Television Reporting, is a reporter and producer on ABC News. He is the recipient of the Silurian and Deadline Club Awards, two Associated Press Awards, and shares in a Pulitzer Prize.

    * Chandra "Bonecrusher" Prasad -- Prasad is a writer and editor with an established track record in both fiction and nonfiction. Most recently, Prasad completed a novel based on the life of Amelia Earhart. It is called "Breathe the Sky." Wally Lamb, author of The Hour I First Believed," writes that "Breathe the Sky" is, "by turns, an adventure story, a love story, and a cautionary tale about the double-edged sword of modern American celebrity. From lift-off to landing, [it] is a novel that soars." Prasad is also the author of "On Borrowed Wings," a novel set in Depression-era Connecticut. On Borrowed Wings is about a quarryman's daughter who attends a prestigious university in 1936 in the guise of a boy. A graduate of Yale, Prasad is the originator and editor of, and a contributor to, "Mixed: An Anthology of Short Fiction on the Multiracial Experience." Her works have appeared in The New York Times, The New York Times Magazine, The Week, Teen Voices, and The Wall Street Journal, among others. In addition, her short stories have been printed in numerous literary forums, including Faultline, the University of California at Irvine's Pushcart prize-winning journal.

    * Kate "La Terrible" Rushin -- Rushin is the author of "The Black Back-Ups" (Firebrand Books). Her "The Bridge Poem" appears in "This Bridge Called My Back: Writings by Radical Women of Color," a ground-breaking feminist anthology edited by Cherríe Moraga and Gloria E. Anzaldúa. Recipient of the Rose Low Rome Memorial Poetry Prize and the Grolier Poetry Prize, her work is widely anthologized and has been published in such journals as Callaloo. A Connecticut resident, Kate currently teaches creative writing at the Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts. Previously, she taught at Wesleyan University, where she served as Director of the Center of African-American Studies, Associate Professor and Visiting Writer. She has read at Hill-Stead Museum's Sunken Garden Poetry Festival, the Geraldine Dodge Poetry Festival and Smith College Poetry Center, among many other places, and has led workshops for the Omega Institute for Holistic Studies and Cave Canem Foundation. She has served as a judge for the Connecticut Young Writers Award, the Connecticut Poetry Circuit Student Poetry Contest, and the NEA's/Poetry Foundation's Poetry Out Loud. Rushin received her B.A. from Oberlin College and her M.F.A. from Brown University. She is a former Fellow of The Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown and a graduate fellow of Cave Canem Foundation.

    * Franz "Onions Oregenato" Douskey -- Douskey teaches creative writing at Gateway Community College in New Haven. He has been published in more than 150 journals and magazines including the New Yorker, Rolling Stone and Yankee. A featured guest at New Haven's Festival of Arts &Ideas, Douskey's books include "Rowing Across The Dark" and "Indecent Exposure." He is a founding board member of the Connecticut Young Writers Trust and has served as a judge every year of the competition. Douskey is also the author of the forthcoming biography, "The Unknown Sinatra." He currently produces and co-hosts a weekly radio show with musician Bud Finch on 1220 am, WQUN, Quinnipiac University. The show, "Once Upon a Bandstand," is one of the station's most popular programs.

    * "Iceman" John Scully -- Scully is a prolific writer and a commentator for ESPN classic fights. Excerpts of Scully's manuscript -- The Iceman Diaries -- draw numerous comments in posts at his website IcemanJohnScully.com and on his Facebook page. Scully won numerous amateur championships including the Ohio State Fair in 1987. He defeated a national amateur champion, Darin Allen. Scully turned professional in 1988, just three years after graduating from Windsor High School. He fought for the International Boxing Federation world light heavyweight championship in Leipzig, Germany, in 1996, losing a 12-round decision to Henry Maske. In a controversial bout, Scully connected regularly against two-time world champion Michael Nunn for the World Boxing Organization - North American Boxing Organization super middleweight title, but lost by a decision that was roundly criticized. He racked up wins against Art Baylis, Billy Bridges and Alphonso Bailey in televised fights before retiring in 2001 with a record of 38-11, including 21 knockouts. Scully has served as a sparring partner with world champions including Vinny Pazienza, Roy Jones Jr. and James "Lights Out" Toney. Pros he has trained include Mike Mike "Machine Gun" Oliver, International Boxing Organization light heavyweight champion Chad Dawson, Pito Cardona, Scott "The Sandman" Pemberton, former Olympic team captain Lawrence Clay-Bey, Clay Bey's son Jarin and Matt Remillard, an undefeated featherweight contender.

    * Grabrielle "She Be Stinging" Calvocoressi -- Calvocoressi was born in Central Connecticut. She has been the recipient of numerous awards and fellowships including a Stegner fellowship in Poetry, a Jones Lectureship in Poetry at Stanford University and a Rona Jaffe Woman Writers' Award. Her poem "Circus Fire, 1944" received The Paris Review' Bernard F. Conners Prize. Her first collection, "The Last Time I Saw Amelia Earhart," was published by Persea Books in 2005 and won the Connecticut Book Award. It was shortlisted for the Northern California Book Award . Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in numerous journals and online publications including; The Paris Review, The New England Review, Gulf Coast and Guernica. A new multi-media piece is forthcoming online on The Owls. he lives in Los Angeles and teaches in the MFA program at California College of Arts in San Francisco and in the MFA Program in Creative Writing at Warren Wilson College. She is serving as a visiting professor at Bennington College in the fall of 2009. Her second collection, "Apocalyptic Swing," is out now from Persea Books. Garrison Keillor read her poem, "Jubilee," on WNPR in October 2009. Calvocoressi's fight poems, including "Blues For Ruby Goldstein," "Boxers In the Key Of M" and "Prayer in the Name of Saint Thomas Hearns," are highly-regarded by boxers, academics and sports writers.

    Workshop leaders:

    * David "The Body Snatcher " Cappella -- Cappella is a professor of English at Central Connecticut State University. He has co-authored two books on the teaching of poetry with Baron Wormser: "Teaching the Art of Poetry: The Moves" (Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2000) and "A Surge of Language: Teaching Poetry Day to Day" (Heinemann, 2004). He is the winner of the 2004 Bright Hill Press Poetry Chapbook Competition, of which the first poem was nominated for a Pushcart Prize. He has published poems in The Connecticut Review, The Bryant Literary Review, Diner and other journals.

    * George "The Wolf" Kimball
    -- Kimball (born December 29, 1943 in Grass Valley, California) is an American author and journalist who spent 25 years as a sports columnist for the Boston Herald before retiring in 2005. Considered one of the foremost boxing writers of his era, he is the author of "Four Kings: Leonard, Hagler, Hearns, Duran, and the Last Great Era of Boxing." Since 1997 he has written the weekly 'America at Large' column for The Irish Times in Dublin, Ireland, and has contributed to a number of boxing websites. He lives in New York City. In 1980 he began a columnist for the Herald, and for the next quarter-century covered major sporting events around the world, including Super Bowls and World Series, NBA Finals and the Olympic Games, golf's four majors and Ryder Cups, Wimbledon and the America's Cup yacht races. He covered nearly 400 world title fights, and was the 1985 recipient of the Nat Fleischer Award for Excellence in Boxing Journalism. Kimball also received 'Best Column' awards from the Boxing Writers Association of America, the Golf Writers Association of America, Boston Magazine, and United Press International. Kimball served as a regular co-host for several sports talk radio programs in the Boston area, as a television analyst for boxing broadcasts on the Fox SportsNet and Comcast networks, and as a panelist for several PBS programs produced by WGBH-TV. He appeared (as a boxing writer covering a fight between Woody Harrelson and Antonio Banderas) in Ron Shelton's 1999 film "Play it to the Bone." In a ceremony officiated by former heavyweight champion George Foreman, Kimball married New York psychiatrist Marge Marash in 2004.

    Efforts are being made to keep the price of admission for the Hartford Club event to under $40.

    As we begin our 13th year, we face daunting challenges.

    The Trust incurred a $10,000 shortfall of annual funding for the last cycle. But, we were able to continue the program for youngsters in all eight of Connecticut's counties. Many poets, writers, business people, university administrators and board members stepped up to fill the void.

    Sadly, our founding donor suffered an untimely death last month.

    We are bouncing back with vigor, confidence and a clear focus. The CSU System -- led by the Chancellor, Dr. David Carter, and supported by literally hundreds of volunteers -- has ensured the continuation of the program.

    Our 2010 entry form has been mailed to all public, parochial and private secondary schools in Connecticut. To highlight the entry deadline of Feb. 1, 2010, The Hartford Club has agreed to host the Jan. 15, 2010 event.

    Sponsorships remain available as follows:

    $1,000
    Heavyweight Champion

    $500
    Middleweight Champion

    $250
    Golden Gloves

    $100
    Fan


    Checks should be made out to CT Young Writers Trust and sent to 231 Beach St., Litchfield, CT 06759. Sponsorships are noted on the poster and in the event program. We hope all sponsors can attend this event so they can enjoy all the festivities and accept our thanks and gratitude in person.

    RSVP @ tntcomm82@cs.com or 860-690-0211.


    Connecticut Young Writers Trust
    231 Beach St.
    Litchfield, CT 06759


    * 800-814-6931 * Fax- 860-567-9119
    * tntcomm82@cs.com
    http://www.ct.edu/community/ctyoungwriters.htm

    ANDY THIBAULT
    Chairman
    Cell: 860-690-0211

  • Retired CT State Trooper Jerry Longo Reviews NYPD Bomb Squad Book



  • -- Photo By Bob Thiesfield
    For The Connecticut Young Writers Trust,
    Courtesy Of The Hartford Club


    GABY TUNES UP FOR JOHN ICEMAN SCULLY, 9-24-09, WITH 7-TIME FORMER NATIONAL AMATEUR CHAMPION SAMMY VEGA (left) AND MIKE MACHINE GUN OLIVER, A REIGNING PROFESSIONAL FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMPION, AT THE HARTFORD CLUB. Gaby, aka Gabrielle Calvocoressi, the poet / ring enthusiast, and Iceman, the former light heavyweight contender / trainer, also got together.


    -- Photo By Bob Thiesfield
    For The Connecticut Young Writers Trust,
    Courtesy Of The Hartford Club


    GABY LETS ICEMAN KNOW WHO'S THE BOSS



    -- Photo By Bob Thiesfield
    For The Connecticut Young Writers Trust,
    Courtesy Of The Hartford Club


    SHE LETS UP, GIVING ICEMAN
    A FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY

    Fundraiser for Veteran's Transitional Housing program


    I am giving a poetry reading on Wednesday, November 11th at Bru Cafe, 141 Orange St New Haven. This is a fundraising event for the Homefront, a transitional Housing program for veterans returning from Afghanistan and Iraq. The Homefront is run by Columbus House. Also reading with me are the Vietnam veterans whom I worked with for my enrichment project. The event is from 5:30 to 7:00.

    Tuesday, October 20, 2009

    Poetry Reading in honor of Veteran's Day

    Coming Home: Soldier/Poets
    Remember Veterans of Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan
    Sunday, November 1, 2009
    1:00pm-2:00pm.
    EXPRESSIONES
    74 State Street
    New London, CT
    860-501-4278

    This event, a program from the William Meredith Foundation, features poets from the Veterans Arts Council in West Haven, CT reading from the “Season of Now: A Collection of Poetry by Vietnam Veterans.” Allan Garry, veteran and poet, will also be reading his newly published poems. The event will be moderated by award winning poet Lisa Siedlarz, author of “I Dream My Brother Plays Baseball,” a collection of war poems that draws from her brother’s deployment to Afghanistan. Ms Siedlarz is also the editor of the CT River Review.

    This event is free and open to the public.

    Paola Corso Article

    Paola Corso has a terrific article in November's issue of The Writer magazine. She writes about publishing with a University Press. Great article!
    Don Lowe

    Friday, October 16, 2009

    Adventures of a Dog Whisperer Wanna Be

    Hi all-

    Check out my blog for the first in a series of essays on my adventures as a dog whisperer wanna be. Read how Dallas, a rescued dog from a killing house in Ohio, comes to live with us, and my ongoing attempts to create a happy pack life for him and our first dog, Layla.

    http://schachabybaby.wordpress.com/2009/10/16/the-leader-of-the-pack/

    Tonia

    Thursday, October 15, 2009

    All things good!

    Well today I appeared on the live radio show "Meet the Author" with the gracious host, Harry Rinker. Thanks Harry! If anyone wants to hear a re-broadcast it will air on Sunday at 9:30 on 91.7 FM or on www.WXCI.org (I think I got that right)

    Other good news....I am reading with my Vietnam veterans in New London on November 1 at a gallery called Expressiones. I believe that begins at 1:00 but will confirm in case anyone wants to come out.

    I am also reading with the Veterans on November 11th at 5:30 at Bru Cafe on Orange St in New Haven. This event is a fundraiser for "The Homefront." The Homefront is Columbus House's Veterans Transitional Housing Program that will provide housing and support for 14 veterans returning from the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. They must raise another $110,000. So I was asked to be the featured reader for a fundraiser, and I suggested that the veterans whom I worked with be included as they are very supportive of the veterans who are coming home now. So if anyone wants to come out and support this great event - please do!

    I am also reading on January 18th in downtown New Haven in the Mermaid Room of the Anchor Bar. I believe that starts at 7:00. So anyone wanting to come to New Haven we can perhaps go have dinner afterwards!

    Finally, I met with the director of the New Haven Vet center in West Haven Ct and I am putting together another writing workshop. This one will be open to veterans, and their immediate families. That includes spouses, children, siblings, and parents. We hope to start on Wednesday, November 18 and run for 5 weeks. If all goes well, I will restart it after the first of the year.

    As I said - all good things!!!!!!

    "Escapism" in Nature




    My latest story, the short-short "Escapism" is in the current issue of Nature, the hybrid magazine/scientific journal.

    If WestConn's library system happens to subscribe to the journal, the whole story can be seen from the link above. If not, hold out for a hard copy. Many newsstands carry it, or perhaps a daring raid on the biology and environmental science department will turn up a copy.

    For those interested in flash fiction and SF, Nature is one of the best venues. Submission guidelines are here and the pay is significant—$135 or £85 (contributor's choice) for stories between 850-950 words.

    Wednesday, October 14, 2009

    Faculty Requests for Spring '10

    It's that time again! Unless you will be a first-semester student in Spring '10 (in which case your mentors are assigned) please email me (clementsb@wcsu.edu) with your faculty requests.

    NOTE: Because we will be registering online this semester, I need to know exactly which courses you are going to take in which term (Winter Intersession or Spring). This applies only to students who are taking part-time loads (4-8 hours) and students who are registering for a combination of Intersession and Spring hours. If you plan to register as a full-time student in the spring, there is no need to indicate that. If you do not specify the number of hours in Winter/Spring, I will assume that you are going full time in the Spring. All sections of the Online Multigenre are in the Spring.

    So please email your requests to me no later than noon on Wednesday, October 21. If I do not receive your requests by then, your mentors will be assigned.

    Again, your requests must include 1) the courses you plan to register, 2) which semester you plan to take each of those courses, and 3) the faculty you would like for each of those courses (do not request faculty for the online workshops). I recommend that you rank first, second, and third mentor choices for each course.

    Also, if you are going to be a 3rd-semester student in the spring, you should begin planning your internship now, if you haven't already started doing so.

    First semester students: you will need the computer account information mailed to you by Graduate Studies in order to complete your online registration.

    Registration will take place in early December.

    One Book/One Community Programs

    Click the title link for information on the upcoming on-campus events for the One Book/One Community program. This week, the authors of Divided Minds, Pamela Spiro Wagner and Carolyn Spiro, will appear. There are also film screenings and lectures coming up,culminating in Hurry Down Sunshine author Michael Greenberg's appearance on October 28. If you're in the area, take advantage of this good programming, and bring a friend! Some of you who need to make up residency workshops will want to take advantage of the Greenberg day.

    Tuesday, October 13, 2009

    MIchael Greenberg to Meet with MFA Students

    Michael Greenberg, author of Hurry Down Sunshine, will meet with MFA students in a special session on Wednesday, Oct. 28th, from 2:30 pm to 3:30 pm in Haas Library, room 508. I strongly encourage those of you in the area and available at that time (both current students and graduates of the program) to attend. I do need a list of attendees by this Friday, October 16. If you are interested in attending, RSVP to clementsb@wcsu.edu

    Sunday, October 11, 2009

    Francine Prose Reads Like a Writer - Again

    Those of us who were assigned Francine Prose's Reading Like a Writer in 2007 may be interested in her interview on NPR this weekend. She talks about her new book Anne Frank: The Book, The Life, The Afterlife. In it, Prose revisits The Diary of Anne Frank as an adult reader and discovers just as much craft in the way young Anne wrote (and rewrote!) her story as courage in the way she faced its events.

    Friday, October 02, 2009

    New Story at HOBART

    I'm pleased to have my short story "Grass" come out at the wildly irreverent and eclectic HOBART today.
    Funny, I submitted this piece for their print edition, which had the theme "The Great Outdoors." Realizing that my story only had a tenuous connection I said, "I offer this for the theme issue or however you see fit." Apparently this "however you see fit" invitation opened the door for them accepting it for their website. There's a lesson there somewhere...I think.

    Thursday, October 01, 2009

    Lovecraft Unbound



    I'm very excited to have a story in Lovecraft Unbound, which will be out, officially, next week, but which is in stock at amazon.com and probably on some bookstore shelves already.

    Lovecraft is one of my favorite writers and though long dismissed as a pulp hack has recently gotten the star treatment. Penguin Classics has issued a number of collections of his short fiction and a few years ago many of his stories were collected in a Library of America edition.

    Lovecraft Unbound continues the trend of literary "legitimization", which if one looked at the current issue of The Writer's Chronicle and Debra Spark's nasty little missive, is apparently still an issue. In addition to "genre" writers such as Caitlin Kiernan and Laird Barron (both of whom would probably object to the classification on some level), the anthology contains Lovecraftian stories by Joyce Carol Oates, Brian Evenson, and Michael Chabon.

    My own piece, which is in the "hot spot" at the very end of the book, is a Lovecraft/Carver mash-up called "That of Which We Speak When We Speak of the Unspeakable." It was fun to write and publish, and it's not as though anyone was soliciting me to submit to a Raymond Carver tribute anthology!

    Wednesday, September 30, 2009

    Trudy Doyle's Got a New Blog

    Trudy Doyle's got a new blog...

    trudydoyle.wordpress.com

    ...if you're so inclined.

    Thursday, September 24, 2009

    Online Registration Is On Its Way!

    Starting with Winter/Spring 2010, registration will be handled online. You will need your Banner account information in order to log in and register, so if you are not in an online workshop this semester, be sure that you have your Banner account info ready for registration in early December.

    Students who will be new to the program in January: you will receive your Banner account info in the mail with your official acceptance letter from Grad Studies. You must use that account to register.

    I advise you all to log into Banner before December to make sure your account is working properly. Also, be advised that you will not be able to register unless your account with the university is current at the time of registration. If you have a balance at that time, please contact the Cashier's office to arrange a plan.

    More info on registration processes in the coming weeks...

    Friday, September 18, 2009

    Empty Nest Syndrome Before its Empty?

    Why am I celebrating an empty nest when I don't have one?

    Thursday, September 17, 2009

    Open Mic on Campus

    Every Thursday night there is a Coffeehouse on campus in Alumni Hall with an Open Mic. Signup for the open mic begins at 7:30 and the open mic starts at 8. There is usually professional enterntainment after the open mic. Dean of Student Walt Cramer is keen to have more writers coming to the open mic, so step on up!

    Monday, September 14, 2009

    Look Into Your Family History

    My MFA thesis was featured in the Connecticut Post Sunday Business section yesterday. American Swindle and Musica, a nonfiction book and screenplay respectively, look at the life of the greatest con man of the last century, who also happened to be my grandparents’ brother-in-law.

    Philip Musica was born on the Lower East Side of Manhattan when the island was bursting with the greatest influx of immigrants in American history. Al Capone might have been a playmate, but Philip didn’t become another godfather. Instead, he pursued the American Dream in his own inventive and uniquely dark way.

    Philip was arrested twice for fraud in New York City in his formative years. Each time he avoided his sentence with a brilliant display of social networking, the first time with a presidential pardon from William Taft, the second time by ingratiating himself with and then working for the Manhattan District Attorney under an alias.

    As Investigator William Johnson, Philip settled old scores with WWI sedition laws and mastered Wall Street trading and Prohibition bootlegging on the side. He met his future wife and cunningly divided her from her first husband. Then he disappeared into a third and final identity that is difficult to believe was possible for a twice-convicted forger.

    Frank Donald Coster was a German chemist from Heidelberg University who lived on the Gold Coast of Connecticut and single-handedly ran McKesson & Robbins, the biggest pharmaceutical company in the world at the time. This was Philip’s final masterpiece alias and he kept it up for most of the Great Depression, until it all finally unraveled.

    The story is incredible and yet completely forgotten, I believe for the simple reason that no one likes to remember that they were swindled. Yet the SEC laws that are being changed this week for Bernie Madoff were originally written in response to Philip. The story has sat crumbling in a number of scrapbooks in my parent's attic for seventy years.

    And today, after two years of research and writing and editing, and a lifetime asking questions, it goes out into the world. I have a website, of course.

    Reminder to Students in Internships/Practica This Semester

    At the end of the semester, I need to get a letter or report from your ON-SITE mentor evaluating your performance over the semester.

    MFA student wanted for paid Internship in the University's Office of Publications & Design - Spring 2010

    The Office of UP&D is offering an internship to an MFA student who wish to hone his/her human interest writing skills. We’re looking for a responsible, reliable student to interview and write articles about alumni, donors and individuals/events at WCSU. In addition to receiving byline and masthead credit (and printed copies of the publications), students will learn the ‘ins and outs’ of the production process (design conception, editorial, layout, pre-press) to create a full-color magazine. Knowledge of Associated Press Style and InDesign a plus. Journalism background helpful but we mostly want an enthusiastic student eager to learn. You can write from home (or Starbucks), but meetings/interviews will be conducted on the WCSU campus. Interns will check in weekly via e-mail and phone.

    Benefits: We will provide a letter of recommendation and serve as references. You will have an amazing array of writing for your professional portfolio. Timeline: January 2010 through June 2010, 10 to 15 hours per week, for a total of 150 hours. Compensation: $12/hour.

    To apply: Please email a resume, cover letter explaining your interest and qualifications, and a writing sample (an article, a school paper, etc.) to http://www.blogger.com/sherlocki@wcsu.edu with “MFA Internship” in the subject line. Irene SherlockAssociate Director, Publications & DesignOld Main 202AWestern Connecticut State University181 White Street, Danbury, Conn.(203) 837-8292 phone(203) 837-8865 fax

    LK still earning positive reviews

    The Hartford Courant reviewed Larry's Kidney this weekend.
    http://www.courant.com/features/books/hc-larry0913.artsep13,0,5991570.story

    Saturday, September 12, 2009

    Trudy Doyle Makes the Home Shopping Network!





    Trudy Doyle makes her Home Shopping Network debut Monday as part of a six-book set of Contemporary Romances in HSN's "Escape with Romance" promotion! Come join Ravenous Publisher Holly Schmidt as she introduces this fabulous collection at the following times:

    Monday September 14 - 8:35am - 8:55am then 4:35 pm- 4:55pm. Early Tuesday September 15 -3:00am - 3:20am.

    Voyage to a distant land where fantasy and passion ignite. The Escape with Romance Exclusive 6-Book Collection is a fascinating compilation of stories filled with infatuation, excitement and of course, love. These tales will evoke the internal fires that burn deep within us all. Choose from the 3 collections; the romantically nostalgic Historical genre, the futuristic and supernatural of the Paranormal genre, or the modern-day heroines of the Contemporary genre. Plus, if you can't decide choose the Sampler, which includes 2 books from every genre, so you can get a little bit of it all. Suddenly, reading just got a lot more interesting. Escape with Romance Exclusive 6-Book Collection Features:

    Historical Genre:
    "Land of Falling Stars" by Keta Diablo; ISBN 13-978-1-60777-628-4, 192 pages
    "Force My Hand" by Em Brown; ISBN 13-978-1-60777-629-1, 192 pages
    "Kiss of Scandal" by Isabel Roman; ISBN 13:978-1-60777-630-7, 192 pages
    "The Mercenary Bride" by Jamaica Layne; ISBN 13-978-1-60777-631-4, 192 pages
    "Dark Desires of the Druids #1" by Isabel Roman; ISBN 13:978-1-60777-632-1, 192 pages
    "The American Heiress" by Roxanne Dent; ISBN 13-978-1-60777-645-1, 191 pages

    Historical Genre Features:
    Swashbuckling, dashing heroes
    Innocent, but passionate heroines
    Princesses, dukes, cads and rakes are just a few of the characters
    Heroes save heroines in a bold display of passion

    Paranormal Genre:
    "The Wolfpact" by Jo Atkinson; ISBN 13-978-1-60777-633-8, 191 pages
    "Stilettos, Inc." by Lexi Ryan; ISBN 13-978-1-677-634-5, 192 pages
    "Twilights Edge" by Jo Atkinson; ISBN 13-978-1-60777-635-2, 208 pages
    "Love in Space" by Lisa Lane; ISBN 13-978-1-607777-636-9; 192 pages
    "Haunted Seduction" by Morgan James; ISBN 13-978-1-60777-637-6, 192 pages
    "Loving Daylight" by Malia Sutton; ISBN 13-978-1-60777-638-3, 192 pages

    Paranormal Genre Features:
    6 stories with otherworldly or supernatural elements
    Escape to exciting fantasy worlds where anything is possible
    Meet vampires, warewolves, shape-shifters and mind-readers
    Heroes are dark, misunderstood and waiting for that special someone

    Contemporary Genre:
    "Ripping the Bodice" by Keta Diablo; ISBN 13-978-1-60777-628-4, 192 pages
    "Nashville Heat" by Bethany Michaels; ISBN 13-978-1-60777-640-6, 192 pages
    "Hot on Her Heels" by Monica Newcomb; ISBN 19-978-1-607777-641-3, 192 pages
    "The Lady's Choice" by Trudy Doyle; ISBN 13-978-60777-642-0, 191 pages
    "Once an Obsession" by Bella French; ISBN 13-978-1-60777-643-7, 192 pages
    "Vital Signs" by Jamica Lane; ISBN 13-978-1-60777-644-4, 192 pages

    Contemporary Genre Features:
    Features modern-day heroines and hunky heroes who find love and compassion despite the pressures of life
    Sweeping love stories about true soul mates
    Smart, innocent heroines who face insurmountable obstacles
    Strong, masculine heroes consumed by passion
    True love conquers all for a happily-ever-after ending

    Sampler:
    "Land of Falling Stars" by Keta Diablo; ISBN 13-978-1-60777-628-4, 192 pages
    "Kiss of Scandal" by Isabel Roman; ISBN 13:978-1-60777-630-7, 192 pages
    "Stilettos, Inc." by Lexi Ryan; ISBN 13-978-1-677-634-5, 192 pages
    "Twilights Edge" by Jo Atkinson; ISBN 13-978-1-60777-635-2, 208 pages
    "Ripping the Bodice" by Inara Lavey; ISBN 13-978-1-60777-639-4, 191 pages
    "Nashville Heat" by Bethany Michaels; ISBN 13-978-1-60777-640-6, 192 pages

    Product Features:
    These novels contain explicit language and content that are intended for adult audiences only
    Measure approx. 9"L x 6"W x 3-1/4"H each
    Softcover
    Printed in USA


    Escape with Romance Exclusive 6-Book Collection
    HSN Price: $29.95

    Friday, September 11, 2009

    NaNoWriMo Kicks Off November 1st

    National Novel Writing Month is fast approaching. NaNoWriMo, as it is affectionaly acronymed, is a global celebration of writing where the goal is to write a rough draft of 50,000 words in 30 days.

    Last year I participated in NaNoWriMo for the first time. I wrote a 50,000 word ROUGH draft of a novel that had been swimming in my head while my first novel continues to plod along 3 years later.

    The cool thing about NaNoWriMo is that it cultivates a community of writers and charges the adrenaline tanks for cranking out writing. You can join local groups and participate in marathon writing sessions and other fun, collaborative activities throughout the month.

    A few other MFA alumnae participated. I decided after suffering through the pain of last year's aggressive goal that this was something I would give to myself as a "writer's gift" annually. So I'm gearing up for November 1 and prepping to write a YA novel about eating disorders that has been taking up too much space in my brain and not enough bytes on my computer.

    Hope you'll think about joining the fun in a little more than a month!

    Josh Olson will not read your #%$&ing script.

    Thursday, September 10, 2009

    PT Job Opportunity in CT

    Educational Center for the Arts. Writer in Residence in fiction and/or poetry sought to teach in New Haven, part-time, on Mon and Tues afternoons from 1-4:00 in the Creative Writing Dept. in a high school for the arts for gifted students. Compensation includes five hours prep time and five hours teaching time. Students are highly motivated and graduate to pursue further study at NYU, Barnard, Columbia, Wesleyan, Sarah Lawrence, etc. Please email crosenstone@snet.net immediately if interested.

    Wednesday, September 09, 2009

    Where Have All the Students Gone?

    Click above for a sobering article about the demise of the English department from The American Scholar.

    Tuesday, September 08, 2009

    Thesis Proposal Reminder

    Thesis proposals are due IN THE OFFICE on Sept. 15.

    Monday, September 07, 2009

    Potential Internship and/or Enrichment Project Opportunities with Super Interns

    I worked as an intern with Super Interns and recommend that you do the same (if one of the opportunities below appeals to you). If you have any questions about my internship experience, you can e-mail me at carmencpalmer@gmail.com

    Here's some info about Super Interns:

    Company Info:

    The dual mission of Super Interns LLC (www.SuperInterns.com) is:

    1. to help businesses and organizations of all sizes to create successful, profitable, and easy-to-manage internship programs.

    2. to create exciting, high-level, career-building internship opportunities for interns that don’t currently exist in the market.

    Our main product is an online course that teaches employers how to build successful internship programs, and we will be expanding to include products for interns. We also provide consulting and public speaking services.

    See internship descriptions from Super Interns below. The Product Development, Blog, E-Newsletter and SEO Web Writing Interns would need to have good English and writing skills. The Business Development Interns would need to be strong in their people skills.

    Feel free to pass on to friends or family who might be interested in an internship for any reason.


    1. Blog Editor Intern ~ Fall 2009

    Internship Description: The Blog Editor Intern will be responsible for helping us launch our new blog this fall. This will include writing and ghostwriting blog posts and articles, listing our blog in online blog directories, and conducting internet research to find timely articles, websites, and blogs of relevance to our topic. You will also be contributing articles and posts to our weekly newsletter. If you wanted to learn not just how to blog – but how to make a business out of blogging – this internship is for you.

    Ideal Candidate: Passion, enthusiasm, and excitement for the company and the product are most important! You must have excellent writing and communication skills. (Previous business writing and marketing experience gets extra brownie points.) You must be proficient with technology – email, internet, MS Office, and willing to learn user-friendly software. Previous blogging experience with Wordpress counts as a bonus, but not required. You must be organized, dependable, punctual, and able to work independently from home with phone and email support. You must be able to attend phone meetings a few times a week and be flexible to include some evening and weekends (we will work with your schedule). You must be able to multi-task and be adaptable to changes in projects and priorities typical of a start-up environment. Residing within an hour of New Haven, CT to allow for occasional face-to-face meetings is a plus, but not required. We will work with you virtually!

    Benefits: Although we are a virtual company, we place a strong value on team-building and mentorship. You will work directly with the founders and CEOs (AKA the Dynamic Duo) and have high-level skills and responsibilities to add to your resume. For the successful intern, we will provide a letter of recommendation and serve as references. You will have an amazing array of writing for your professional portfolio. We will gladly help you arrange for academic credit, if at all possible. You will have first-hand knowledge of how to start and run a business and how to market yourself as a freelancer.

    Location: This is a virtual internship! You will work from home (or school, or Starbucks, or the library…or wherever).

    Timeline: September 2009 through December 2009, 10 to 15 hours per week for a total of 150 hours. There is potential to continue through spring 2010 for the right candidate.

    Compensation: This is an unpaid internship, but the experience is priceless!

    To Apply: Please email a resume, cover letter explaining your interest and qualifications, and a writing sample (an article, a school paper, etc.) to apply@superinterns.com with “Blog Editor Intern” in the title. Thanks!


    2. Business Development Interns ~ Fall 2009

    Internship Description: The Business Development Interns will attend networking events of various business groups, including Chambers of Commerce, BNI Groups, Rotary Clubs, and other business groups to introduce our company and product. The Business Development Interns will represent Super Interns in a professional capacity, help us to collect new contacts for our database, and make personal follow up calls and emails to welcome new contacts to the Super Interns community. While we certainly encourage sales, this is primarily a grassroots marketing and outreach position. This internship provides a high-level mix of sales, marketing, communications, and public relations.

    Ideal Candidates: Passionate about sales and marketing, personable and confident, and great with people. You must have excellent verbal and written communication skills. You must be comfort and proficiency with technology – email, internet, MS Office, and willingness to learn user-friendly software. You must be organized, able to multi-task, and work independently. You must be reliable, punctual, and able to travel to attend various events as well as phone meetings a few times a week. You must be flexible to include some evening and weekends (we will work with your schedule). You must be adaptable to changes in projects and priorities typical of a start-up environment. Residing within an hour of New Haven, CT to allow for occasional face-to-face meetings is a plus, but is not required. We will work with you virtually!

    Benefits: Although we are a virtual company, we place a strong value on team-building and mentorship. You will work directly with the founders and CEOs (AKA the Dynamic Duo) and have high-level skills and responsibilities to add to your resume. For the successful intern, we will provide a letter of recommendation and serve as references. Everything you create (that is not confidential) will go in your professional portfolio. We will gladly help you arrange for academic credit, if at all possible. You will have first-hand knowledge of how to market yourself.

    Location: This is a virtual internship! You will work from home (or school, or Starbucks, or the library…or wherever).

    Timeline: September 2009 through December 2009, 10 to 15 hours per week for a total of 150 hours. There is potential to continue through spring 2010 for the right candidate.

    Compensation: This is an unpaid internship, but the experience is priceless!

    To Apply: Please email a resume and a cover letter explaining your interest and qualifications to apply@superinterns.com with “Business Development Intern” in the subject line. Thanks!

    3. E-Newsletter Editor Intern ~ Fall 2009

    Internship Description: The E-Newsletter Editor Intern will prepare and send out our weekly email newsletter. You will work with our writing interns and guest expert writers to pull together, coordinate, and edit each week’s newsletter, supplementing with your own writing where needed. You will use 1ShoppingCart, our email marketing program, to manage our subscriber list, to format and send out each issue. You will learn the art and science of email marketing, people and project management, as well as an array of important technical and communication skills.

    Ideal Candidate: Passion, enthusiasm, and excitement for the company and the product are most important! You must have excellent writing and communication skills. You must be proficient with technology – email, internet, MS Office, and willing to learn user-friendly software. (Experience with 1ShoppingCart software will get you extra brownie points but is not required.) You must have great attention to detail and organizational skills. You must be able to work well with others and independently. You must be able to attend phone meetings a few times a week and be flexible to include some evening and weekends (we will work with your schedule). You must be able to multi-task and be adaptable to changes in projects and priorities typical of a start-up environment. Residing within an hour of New Haven, CT to allow for occasional face-to-face meetings is a plus, but not required. We will work with you virtually!

    Benefits: Although we are a virtual company, we place a strong value on team-building and mentorship. You will work directly with the CEOs and have high-level skills and responsibilities to add to your resume. For the successful intern, we will provide a letter of recommendation and serve as references. You will have an amazing array of newsletters for your professional portfolio. We will gladly help you arrange for academic credit, if at all possible. You will have first-hand knowledge of how to start and run a business and how to market your services as a freelancer.

    Location: This is a virtual internship! You will work from home (or school, or Starbucks, or the library…or wherever).

    Timeline: September 2009 through December 2009, 10 to 15 hours per week for a total of 150 hours. There is potential to continue through spring 2010 for the right candidate.

    Compensation: This is an unpaid internship, but the experience is priceless!

    To Apply: Please email a resume, cover letter explaining your interest and qualifications, and a writing sample (an article, a school paper, etc.) to apply@superinterns.com with “E-Newsletter Editor Intern” in the title. Thanks!

    4. Product Development Intern ~ Fall 2009

    Internship Description: Our Product Development Intern will be the main assistant on creating “version 2.0” of our online course and turning it into a physical product (a binder of text materials and several audio CDs). You will learn how information products are created and sold, and you will work on all facets of product development, including research, writing, editing, copywriting, packaging, fulfillment, and marketing (especially internet marketing). You will also experience a highly virtual and entrepreneurial work environment. How cool is that?

    Ideal Candidate: Passion, enthusiasm, and excitement for Super Interns and our product are most important! You must have excellent writing skills, including excellent use of grammar and editing abilities. (Previous business writing and marketing experience will get you extra brownie points.) You must be proficient with technology – email, internet, MS Office, and willing to learn very user-friendly software. You must be organized, dependable, punctual, and able to work independently from home with phone and email support. You must be able to attend phone meetings a few times a week and be flexible to include some evening and weekends (we will work with your schedule). You must be able to multi-task and be adaptable to changes in projects and priorities typical of a start-up environment. Residing within an hour of New Haven, CT to allow for occasional face-to-face meetings is a plus, but is not required. We will work with you virtually!

    Benefits: Although we are a virtual company, we place a strong value on team-building and mentorship. You will work directly with the founders and CEOs (AKA the Dynamic Duo) and have high-level skills and responsibilities to add to your resume. For the successful intern, we will provide a letter of recommendation and serve as references. You will have an amazing finished product for your professional portfolio. We will gladly help you arrange for academic credit, if at all possible. You will have first-hand knowledge of how to start and run a business and how to market your services as a freelancer.

    Location: This is a virtual internship! You will work from home (or school, or Starbucks, or the library…or wherever).

    Timeline: September 2009 through December 2009, 10 to 15 hours per week for a total of 150 hours. There is potential to continue through spring 2010 for the right candidate.

    Compensation: This is an unpaid internship, but the experience is priceless!

    To Apply: Please email a resume, cover letter explaining your interest and qualifications, and a writing sample (an article, a school paper, etc.) to apply@superinterns.com with “Product Development Intern” in the title. Thanks!

    5. SEO (Search Engine Optimization) Web Writing Intern ~ Fall 2009

    Internship Description: The SEO Web Writing Intern will write the copy for our main website www.SuperInterns.com (company mission, bios, products, services, etc.) as well as writing and ghost-writing a library of articles on topics relating to interns and internships that will optimize our search engine rankings on these and other key words. You may also be contributing your writing skills to our newsletter, blog, and information products. A bonus: you will learn insider secrets from the world renown internet marketer who is working with our company!

    Ideal Candidate: Passion, enthusiasm, and excitement for the company and the product are most important! You must have excellent writing and communication skills. (Previous business writing and marketing experience gets you extra brownie points.) You must be proficient with technology – email, internet, MS Office, and willing to learn user-friendly software. Experience with Wordpress, our website software, a plus but not required. You must be organized, dependable, punctual, and able to work independently from home with phone and email support. You must be able to attend phone meetings a few times a week and be flexible to include some evening and weekends (we will work with your schedule). You must be able to multi-task and be adaptable to changes in projects and priorities typical of a start-up environment. Residing within an hour of New Haven, CT to allow for occasional face-to-face meetings is a plus, but not required. We will work with you virtually!

    Benefits: Although we are a virtual company, we place a strong value on team-building and mentorship. You will work directly with the founders and CEOs (AKA the Dynamic Duo) and have high-level skills and responsibilities to add to your resume. For the successful intern, we will provide a letter of recommendation and serve as references. You will have an amazing array of writing for your professional portfolio. We will gladly help you arrange for academic credit, if at all possible. You will have first-hand knowledge of how to start and run a business and how to market your services as a freelancer.

    Location: This is a virtual internship! You will work from home (or school, or Starbucks, or the library…or wherever).

    Timeline: September 2009 through December 2009, 10 to 15 hours per week for a total of 150 hours. There is potential to continue through spring 2010 for the right candidate.

    Compensation: This is an unpaid internship, but the experience is priceless!

    To Apply: Please email a resume, cover letter explaining your interest and qualifications, and writing sample (an article, a school paper, etc.) to apply@superinterns.com with “SEO Web Writing Intern” in