More Lumans News!

Alex Lumans (MFA '09, fiction) is the first-place genre fiction winner in this year's Press 53 Open Awards for his story "Haruspices":

Award Announcement

Poemspotting: Alex Lumans

Alex Lumans (fiction, MFA '09) has work in Redheaded Stepchild Magazine (insert ironic comment here)

Redheaded Stepchild Magazine

Congrats to Tim Marsh (MFA '06)!

Another story acceptance for Tim Marsh (MFA '06, fiction):

Hi Allison--

More news for the blog. My story "Impetus for a Sketch" has been accepted by The New Quarterly. It'll appear in either the summer or fall issue. More importantly, they actually compensate...with currency.

Shh, my beating heart.

Tim

Always nice to be paid in cash!

LINK:
The New Quarterly

Congrats to Justin Hamm (MFA '05)!

More good news from Justin Hamm (MFA '05, fiction):

Hey, Allison, some more good news: just finished tweaking a few lines in a poem called "personal day" for Cream City Review, and now they're going to use it in an upcoming issue.

Happy summer!
Justin

Keep tweaking!

LINK:
Cream City Review

Adrian Matejka (MFA '01) book release party and 2 IAC Literary Awards!

Adrian Matejka (MFA '01, poetry) is on a hot streak. His new collection, Mixology, is about to be released:

"Here is the book release party info. All the SIU folks are welcome:

Mixology Book Release
Tuesday June 2nd, 2009
7:00 to 8:30 p.m.

Regional Arts Commission
6128 Delmar Boulevard
St. Louis, Missouri 63112
Regional Arts Commission

I also found out today that I won a Literary Award from the Illinois Arts Council for poems in Crab Orchard Review and Ninth Letter.

Like the family-friendly actor formerly known as Ice Cube said, "I got to say it was a good day."

I have to correct AD on one thing here--he actually received 2 Literary Awards, one from Crab Orchard Review (for the poem "Tyndall Armory") and another from Ninth Letter (for the poem "Babel by Foot"). $2000 total!

Illinois Arts Council Literary Awards

Upcoming Reading in Paducah, KY: Kerry James Evans and Abigail Wheetley

2009 MFA grads Kerry James Evans (poetry) and Abigail (Abby) Wheetley (fiction) will read as part of the River Town Reading Series on May 30th at the Yeiser Arts Center in Paducah, KY. Yeiser is located at 200 Broadway Street.

The reading will be at *8* pm, but remember Paducah is a hour's drive from the 'Dale. I recommend making a day of it, drive down early, go see the murals by the river, get an early dinner at Whaler's Catch, and then come hear Kerry and Abby.

LINKS
Yeiser Arts Center
Whaler's Catch Restaurant

Congrats to Kerry James Evans!

More good news from Kerry James Evans (MFA '09):

Harpur Palate accepted "A Treatise on Violence" and that I have a poem that is among ten finalists in Bellingham Review's 49th Parallel Poetry Contest.

All the best,

kje

LINKS:
Harpur Palate
Bellingham Review

Meyerhofer Book News: Release Party at WKU

A note from Michael Meyerhofer (MFA '06, poetry):
A few updates... I had a couple science fiction stories accepted recently. "Career Day, 2136 A.D." was taken by Absent Willow Review and "Mission: Fail" was taken by Planet Magazine. Also, my book review of Peter Bethanis's "American Future" was accepted by Rattle. Lastly, I'll be reading on May 12th for my Blue Collar Eulogies book release, should anyone find themselves in Bowling Green, KY with some time to kill. Thanks!

LINKS:
Absent Willow Review
Planet Magazine
Rattle
Blue Collar Eulogies

Grassroots Release Party Tonight @ 6 PM

A note from Kathleen and Amy, Grassroots editors:

I hope you are all excited about the party tonight!!! Just so you know, though, we have moved the party location to the FANER HUMANITIES LOUNGE due to inclement weather. So that's on the second floor of Faner sort of down the hall from the english department! Everything else is the same...the party starts at six and there will be food, reading and fun stuff. OK SEE YOU THERE!!!'
ALSO YOU BETTER BRING SOMETHING TO READ OR ELSE! AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE DELICIOUS FOOD!
-Kathleen and Amy

Congrats to Alex Lumans!

Alex Lumans (MFA '09, fiction) will have his poem "The Design Plan" published in Poet Lore!

Keep up the hot cross genre action, Lumans!

LINK:
Poet Lore

Congrats to Justin Hamm (MFA '05)!

Justin Hamm (MFA '05, fiction) keeps racking up the poetry acceptances!

Hi, Allison --

Thought I'd write to share some more good news: while working my way through 500 pages of student research papers this week, I learned that New York Quarterly will publish my poem "goodbye, sancho panza" in a future issue. I'm rewarding myself by skipping a night of grading (a decision that will no doubt haunt me this weekend).

Hope the end of the semester is treating everyone well!

Justin Hamm


LINK:
New York Quarterly

Essayspotting: Justin Benton

Rising third-year fiction student Justin Benton sends this news:

I am posting an essay on The Nervous Breakdown entitled "Fiction Confidential."
It should be up tonight. Fiction folks and poets may find it interesting. Or not.

I post there monthly.

LINK
The Nervous Breakdown

Melanie Martin (MFA '04) published in new anthology

A note from Melanie Martin (MFA '04) via Facebook:

I also just had a poem published in an anthology titled Beyond Forgetting, poetry and prose about Alzheimer's Disease. Kent State University kindly published it.

Read more about this anthology here:
Beyond Forgetting

Mossotti and Evans: Finalists!

Both Travis Mossotti (second-year, poetry) and Kerry James Evans (graduating third-year, poetry) are finalists for the Gulf Coast Prize in Poetry!
We wish they both could win!
LINK:
Gulf Coast