Now It Can Be Told, Part Two: Michael Meyerhofer Wins Brick Road Poetry Press Book Contest!!

Hearty congratulations to SIUC MFA poetry alum Michael Meyerhofer for winning the 2010 Brick Road Poetry Press Book Contest for his third full-length collection of poems!!!

Details here:
Michael Meyerhofer wins Brick Road

Congrats, MM!!!

Now It Can Be Told: Travis Mossotti (MFA '10) wins May Swenson Poetry Prize!!!

Exciting news for Travis Mossotti (MFA '10, poetry)!! He is the 2011 winner of the May Swenson Poetry Prize! His poetry collection, About the Dead, will be published this year by Utah State University Press!!!

Details here:

Travis wins May Swenson

Congrats, TM!!!!

Congrats to Melissa Scholes Young!

Third-year fiction student Melissa Scholes Young has some crossover action to report!  Congrats, MSY!

"I got me a poem accepted in the Tampa Review.  My poem's called "Escape from Brazil." 

http://www.ut.edu/tampareview/trmain.aspx

Writers on the Road: Vanderbilt Edition

The Graduate Writers Forum of SIUC presents

Vanderbilt @ SIUC: Writers on the Road Series

featuring Vanderbilt MFA students reading from their work:

Amanda Abel
Chad Abushanab
Melissa Cundieff-Pexa
Jill Schepmann


Saturday, February 26th at 5 pm
Harry T. Moore Auditorium
Faner first floor, Door 7 into building

Poemspotting: Kerry James Evans

"Atomic Bible," a new poem by Kerry James Evans (MFA '09) appears in
the new issue of The Pinch, the national
literary journal from the University of Memphis:

Storyspotting: Alex Lumans

Fiction alum Alex Lumans (MFA '09) has new work here:

http://www.primenumbermagazine.com/Issue5_PrimeDecimals3.html

Allison Joseph to be featured at Valdosta State University

SIUC faculty poet will be a visiting writer at Valdosta State
University this week:

http://www.valdosta.edu/news/releases/joseph.021611

Congrats to Bryan Estes

Happy news for first-year poetry student Bryan Estes:

I just received word that PANK will be publishing my poem, "Getting the Drift," in their next issue.

http://www.pankmagazine.com/

Congrats, BE!!

news and notes about SIUC writing alums and faculty

MFA alum (MFA '05, fiction) Gillian King's piece "Fresno" appears in the new issue of River Styx (Number 84).

MFA alum Chris Allen (MFA '07, fiction) has a new poem published in H.O.D:

http://hofd.wordpress.com/

Faculty member Pinckney Benedict:

My new collection, MIRACLE BOY AND OTHER STORIES, is now available in the UK, from the wonderful folks at Salt Publishing. Audio version (read by me) forthcoming.

Jon Tribble: Publications and Appearances

Jon Tribble, Crab Orchard Review's managing editor and the soul of the MFA Program, has these news items to share:

Here are the four solid current or upcoming things (I'll save two others for when they feel real):

--My poem "Grease Trap" has been published in Two Weeks: A Digital Anthology of Contemporary Poetry, edited and produced by Ash Bowen and Johnathon Williams. Here is the link for those interested in this project:

http://linebreak.org/two-weeks/

--My poem "Lupus" was published online by Caper Literary Journal. Here is the link (you can actually comment on the poem):

http://caperlitjournal.weebly.com/5/post/2011/02/-jon-tribble-poetry.html

--Friday, February 11, A Panel Discussion with Publishers. University of Missouri--St. Louis, room 200 in Lucas Hall. One University Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63121. 6 PM. The UMSL MFA Program presents a panel of publishers from independent presses that specialize in books of literary fiction and poetry. Alex Schwartz from Switch Grass, Ben Furnish from BkMk, and Jon Tribble from Crab Orchard will discuss and answer questions about what they look for in manuscripts, how to submit, what to expect, and more. Free and open to the public. Call 516-6845 for more information. 

--Thursday, May 5, 2011, I will join Mary Elizabeth Braun, Acquiring Editor at Oregon State University Press (moderator); Kathryn Lang, Senior Editor at SMU Press; and Brian Doyle, Editor of Portland Magazine for an Editor's Panel at Oregon State University in Corvallis. I'll send more details as soon as I have them.

Check out new stories by SIUC MFA alums!

Here are links to newly-published stories by SIUC fiction MFA alums Jim Gill and Jared (JY) Sexton:

Jim Gill
Jim's story

Jared (JY) Sexton
Jared's story


Jim adds:
let others know that The Common is actively seeking submissions for their 2nd issue as well as the dispatches section.

Thanks for the tip, Jim!

Congrats to third-year poet Brenna Lemieux!!!

Great news on this cold day from third-year poetry MFA Brenna Lemieux!

I just found out that my poem "Two Purple Sponges" has been accepted by the Threepenny Review. Thought you might like some warm news to spice up this cold, snowy evening.

Congrats, BL!!  Great place to publish!

Congrats to Desiree Dighton: MFA '07 fiction

via Facebook:

"In the Cemetery Where Jim Morrison is Buried" will be published in the next issue of the fabulous new journal, Prime Mincer."

Congrats, DD!

Upcoming BHM Month Event: SIUC Writers

You are cordially invited to

"A Block of Writers: Conversation on Creative Writing"

Wednesday, Feb. 9         

SIUC Student Center Auditorium          

5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Conversation on why words matter, and the power of writing featuring:   

Allison Joseph, Jacinda T. Gides, Frank Chipasula, Joseph Brown.

New Pubs from Alums: Hamm and Mossotti

from Justin Hamm (MFA, fiction, '05):

Just wanted to pass along that my chapbook Illinois, My Apologies is now available from RockSaw Press.

from Travis Mossotti (MFA, poetry '10):

"Where We Are Going" and "Juniper Berry" were accepted at Italian Americana.

Congrats, guys!!