Congrats to Andy McFadyen-Ketchum!

Catching up with poetry alum Andy McFadyen-Ketchum (MFA '09):

Looks like Southern Indiana Review is taking "Suicide Watch" and Greensboro Review is taking my review of Joshua Poteat's second collection: Illustrating the Machine that Makes the World. Also, check out my website I just launched at www.AndrewMK.com

Congrats, Andy!!

News from SIUC MFA alums!!

Congrats to these poetry alums on their recent acceptances! Keep the good news coming!


Travis Mossotti (MFA '10):

“Place of Rest” is forthcoming at Vallum; “Float Trip” and “News of Surgery” are forthcoming at Cutthroat; “Peregrination” and “Open Mic” are forthcoming at Exit 7; and, “As Broken in the End” is forthcoming at Bellevue Literary Review.


Kerry James Evans (MFA '09):

Moon City Review took "The Patient Curse" and the Pinch took "Waiting for Fire."

Pinckney Benedict Update!

More kudos for Pinckney Benedict's fiction collection, Miracle Boy and Other Stories!

Nobbie Awards

MIRACLE BOY has been selected for one of the 2010 Nobbie Awards for the Best Books of the Year over at The Nervous Breakdown.

"Absolutely phenomenal short story collection—kind of a Stephen King meets Flannery O'Connor experience. The title tale— a young boy's feet are accidentally chopped off by his father in a farming accident, and he and his friends must cope—may just be the best short story ever written. Other stories feature kids trying to spy dead people in a wrecked car, stories of hauntings, bodily possession, and the approaching end of the world--all set in back-roads communities, and all told with tremendous literary skill. (Press 53)"

Storyspotting: Shawn Mitchell and Sarah McCartt-Jackson

Now available: NANO #4, featuring work by second-year fiction writer Shawn Mitchell and third-year poet Sarah McCartt-Jackson:

NANO fiction

Good News Galore from Current Students and Grads

John Stanford Owen, second-year poet, has had his poem "In 1991" accepted for publication in the Yalobusha Review.

Leslie Adams, second-year poet, has won the Yellowwood Prize!! (Sponsored by the Yalobusha Review!)

Amy Blache Graziano, MFA '07 (poetry), has had her prose poem "The Dog" accepted for publication in Quick Fiction.

Alex Lumans (MFA '09 fiction) has a boatload of good news:

I just found out that John Brandon picked my story "No Wants, No Returns" for the 2011 Barry Hannah Fiction Prize that's put on by the Yalobusha Review. It'll come out in their next issue in February.

I also won third place in the Sycamore Review's 2010 Wabash Poetry Prize. January, Winter/Spring issue. Don't ask me how.

And a story of mine, "The Crow That is Still Eating Chicago" (which is secretly dedicated to Flaherty and his Bears), was accepted for publication by Prime Number.

LINKS:
Yalobusha Review
Quick Fiction
Sycamore Review
Prime Number

Poemspotting: Brenna Lemieux

Third-year poet Brenna Lemieux's poem "Dysphasia" appears in the Fall 2010 issue of the North American Review! Congrats Brenna!

Congrats to Abby Wheetley (MFA '09, fiction)

Abby Wheetley's story "Dagwood" has been accepted for publication in the debut issue of Fridge!!

Congrats, Abby!!

Breaking News: Meyerhofer Wins Chapbook Contest!

Stolen directly from Michael Meyerhofer's (MFA '06) Facebook page:

Good news: my latest chapbook, "Pure Elysium," won the Palettes and Quills Chapbook Contest!

Congrats, MM!!!

LINK:
Palettes and Quills

NB: Justin Hamm (MFA '05, fiction) was a finalist!

Poemspotting: Sarah McCartt-Jackson

Dual-degree wonder Sarah McCartt-Jackson is the featured poet at Tidal Basin Review.
Go to
Sarah at Tidal Basin Review
to view her feature!

Congrats to Nick Ostdick!

Good news this morning from second-year fiction student Nick Ostdick:

Some wonderful news this morning: Sheepshead Review, UW Green Bay's literary outfit, accepted my short story 'Moons' for their Fall 2010 issue. It'll be coming out in both their print and online versions.. Cool beans.

Cool beans indeed! Congrats, Nick!

Sheepshead Review

Alumni News and Notes: Early December Edition

from David Bond (MFA '98, poetry):
I had the opportunity to read at the Yeiser Art Center in Paducah a few weeks ago, a venue that is getting its share of SIUC writers lately!
Yeiser Art Center

from Matt Guenette (MFA '99, poetry):
My poem "Elvis in Evansville" was accepted at Forklift. I also have a review of Erica Meitner's Ideal Cities over at Barn Owl Review online:
Barn Owl Review

from Alberta Skaggs (MFA' 01, fiction, current lecturer in the SIUC English Department and advisor to Grassroots, SIUC's undergraduate literary journal):
Alberta's story, "Pavlov's Dog," has been accepted for publication in Fifth Wednesday, a literary journal based in the Chicago area:
Fifth Wednesday

from Gillian King-Cargile (MFA' 05, fiction):
Gillian has accepted a new position as a communications specialist at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois! Congrats, Gillian!

Congrats to Nick Ostdick!

News from second-year fiction writer Nick Ostdick:

Big Lucks wants to reprint my story "On the Coast'"in their Spring 2011 issue. How 'bout that, huh? Pretty cool.

Congrats, NO!

LINK:
Big Lucks

Pinckney Benedict Update!

Pinckney Benedict's fiction collection, Miracle Boy and Other Stories, is a finalist for the Weatherford Award, sponsored by Berea College's Appalachian Center! Congrats, PB!

LINK:
Weatherford Award

Writers on the Road Visit: U of Illinois writers visit

Another edition of Writers on the Road is coming! Thanks to Shawn Mitchell for the information below:

Where: Faner Hall, SIUC, Harry T. Moore Auditorium
What: 5 Readers from the MFA Program @ Urbana-Champaign rock SIUC, testing the promise that Faner is riot-proof
When: This Friday, 12/3 @ 6:00pm.

Bios:

Laura Adamczyk wants you to know that she’s a product of an SIU union. Also that she’s won awards for her fiction from the Union League Civic & Arts Foundation of Chicago. And finally that, given the chance, she will change the music on your stereo.

Sean Karns’ poems have appeared or are forthcoming in Cold Mountain Review, Folio, Mayday Magazine, and elsewhere.

Sara Gelston comes from Maine. She has an affinity for rural life and soul music and an aversion to most games. When asked for directions, she always points east.

Max Somers is a poet and former (and, hopefully, again in the future) world record holder.

Aaron Burch has a book out from Keyhole Books (How to Predict the Weather), won a chapbook contest with PANK, has published a handful of stories, started a reading series in Champaign, edits a lit journal (Hobart), and likes bourbon (bourbon).

For Sale: Aaron Burch’s How to Predict the Weather and Hobart digs/books/things.