Poems by SIUC Writers in new issue of Alehouse

Poems by Kevin McKelvey (MFA '04) and SIUC faculty member Allison Joseph appear in the new issue of Alehouse, an all-poetry journal from California.

The issue may be pre-ordered here:

Alehouse

One correction: Kevin teaches at the University of Indianapolis, not the University of Indiana.

And speaking of Paul Guest (MFA '99, poetry):

Paul Guest was featured recently in the "Poet's Choice" column of the Washington Post Book Review:

Paul Guest

Ben Percy (MFA '04) Awarded Whiting Fellowship!

Huge congratulations to Ben Percy (MFA '04), who has been awarded a Whiting Fellowship for 2008! Ben makes the second SIUC MFA grad (after Paul Guest, MFA '99, poetry) to receive this highly prestigious honor!

Read the award announcement here:

Award Announcement

Bios of Award Winners

Congrats again, Ben! You make us proud!

Career Presentation for Creative Writers: November 6, 2008

COURTING THE CASH, SAVING THE MUSE:
A CAREER PRESENTATION FOR CREATIVE WRITERS

HOSTED BY ALLISON JOSEPH, DIRECTOR,
MFA PROGRAM IN CREATIVE WRITING
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY CARBONDALE

FREE AND OPEN TO ALL

LEARN THE DO’S AND DON’TS OF:

---RESUME AND VITAE PREPARATION
---APPLICATION LETTERS FOR JOBS, BOTH ACADEMIC AND NON-ACADEMIC
---APPLYING FOR STATE AND FEDERAL GRANTS & PRIVATE FELLOWSHIPS FOR CREATIVE WRITERS
---CONFERENCES, RETREATS, AND COLONIES FOR CREATIVE WRITERS

DATE: THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6
TIME: 4:00-5:30 PM
PLACE: SIUC STUDENT CENTER, SALINE ROOM

Sponsored by the Graduate Writers Forum
Southern Illinois University Carbondale

Congratulations to Adrian Matejka (MFA '01)

Congrats to Adrian Matejka (MFA '01, poetry)--new poems by Adrian appear in the new issue of American Poetry Review (November/December 2008). These poems ("Battle Royale" and "Sporting Life") are from Adrian's manuscript-in-progress about the life of boxer Jack Johnson.

For more about American Poetry Review, visit

APR

Grassroots Open Mike Reading and Halloween Party

Grassroots, SIUC's undergraduate journal of the literary and visual arts, will host a Open Mike Reading and Halloween Party on October 29, 2008 in Faner's Humanities Lounge at 7 pm. Wear a costume, read your work--all are invited!

In-House Reading: Wednesday, October 22

Reminder: In-House Reading tomorrow!

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2008 4-5:30 PM
KASKASKIA & MISSOURI ROOM STUDENT CENTER
SIUC Student Center

Travis Mossotti (2nd year poetry)
Lane Kareska (1st year fiction)
Jenna Bazzell (2nd year poetry)
Brooks Rexroat (1st year fiction)

Free and open to the public.

Curtis Crisler (MFA '04) to read in Bloomington, IN

Curtis Crisler, MFA '04, will read from his poems in Bloomington, Indiana, along with splendid poets Ross Gay and Eugene Gloria:

Reading: Curtis Crisler, Ross Gay, and Eugene Gloria

Keyhole Goes to Bloomington
Event Info Host: Keyhole Magazine
Type: Music/Arts - Performance

Date: Saturday, November 1, 2008
Time:
7:00pm - 8:00pm
Location: Boxcar Books, 408 E. 6th St., Bloomington, IN

Keyhole Magazine and Boxcar Books present an evening of Indiana Poets: SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 1 at BOXCAR BOOKS: 7pm

Eugene Gloria, author of Drivers at the Short-Time Motel (National Poetry Series) and Hoodlum Birds, Ross Gay, author of Against Which (New Voices), and Curtis Crisler, author of Spill, the winner of Keyhole Magazine's 2008 poetry chapbook contest.

Devil's Kitchen Literary Festival Event Schedule

2008 Devil’s Kitchen Literary Festival
Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Thursday, Friday, & Saturday, October 23 – 25


THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23

8:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Readings by Jim Tomlinson & Janice N. Harrington
Student Center Auditorium

9:00 – 10:00 p.m.
Festival Reception (sponsored by the SIUC Dept. of English)
Student Center J.W. Corker Lounge


FRIDAY, OCTOBER 24

— panel discussions, Student Center Auditorium —

10:00 – 10:50 a.m.
Poetry Panel featuring Janice N. Harrington, Richard Jones, Sean Nevin, & Jennifer Perrine

11:00 – 11:50 a.m.
Fiction Panel featuring Amy Knox Brown, Josh Goldfaden, Anne Panning, & Jim Tomlinson

2:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Readings by Sean Nevin & Anne Panning
Student Center Auditorium

3:15 – 4:30 p.m.
Reception and Booksigning featuring all festival readers
Student Center Old Main Lounge

5:00 – 6:00 p.m.
Readings by Jennifer Perrine & Josh Goldfaden
Student Center Auditorium


SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25

11:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
Readings from the new Crab Orchard Review, “The In-Between Age: Writers on Adolescence”
Student Center Auditorium

2:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Readings by Amy Knox Brown & Richard Jones
Student Center Auditorium


The festival is sponsored by GRASSROOTS, the Southern Illinois University Carbondale Department of English’s undergraduate literary magazine. The Devil’s Kitchen Fall Literary Festival is made possible through funding from the SIUC Fine Arts Activity Fee, the SIUC Creative Writing Program’s Visiting Writers Series, and CRAB ORCHARD REVIEW.

Congrats to Travis Mossotti!

Nice note this morning from Travis Mossotti (second-year, poetry):

Allison,

Just found out on Friday that Rattle will be publishing my
poem "Crossing the Gap". I Guess Tim Green has a sweet spot
for SIUC poets.

Thanks,

Travis

Congrats, Travis!

Here's Rattle's website:

Rattle

Carbondale's alternative weekly previews upcoming Devil's Kitchen Literary Festival

The Devil's Kitchen Literary Festival, SIUC's annual celebration of the writer and the written word, starts this Thursday!
Here's an article previewing the festival (scroll down to see festival profile):

Carbondale's Nightlife

Congrats to Jim Gill (MFA '99)

from Jim Gill (MFA '99, fiction, former creative writing lecturer):

"How are things in Southern Illinois? All is well here. Just wanted to send a quick note to say that I've just had a story, "Redemption", accepted at Colorado Review. It'll come out in the Spring 2009 issue. It was welcome news. The editor there, Stephanie G'Schwind, is great to work with, so it's always nice to have a story there."

Congrats, Jim!

For more about Colorado Review, visit

Colorado Review

Paul Guest (MFA '99) Featured in Poets & Writers

The November/December 2008 issue of Poets & Writers Magazine features an extensive article about Paul Guest (MFA '99).
The article, titled "The Guest List," features excerpts from Paul's upcoming third collection of poems from Ecco Press and also details his upcoming memoir, also with Ecco.

Congratulations, Paul!

Poets & Writers

In-House Reading Series Update: October 2008

from the fabulous Amie Whittemore:

My esteemed lilypads and leapfrogs,

Here is your reminder regarding the in-house reading series. I've included both this week's and next's info as the reader list has gone through some shifts due to a whole galaxy of circumstances.

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2008 4-5:30 PM ILLINOIS ROOM STUDENT CENTER

Janelle Blasdel (1st year fiction)
Azizat Danmole (2nd year fiction)
Amie Whittemore (2nd year poetry)
Justin Benton (2nd year fiction)

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2008 4-5:30 PM KASKASKIA & MISSOURI ROOM STUDENT CENTER

Travis Mossotti (2nd year poetry)
Lane Kareska (1st year fiction)
Jenna Bazzell (2nd year poetry)
Brooks Rexroat (1st year fiction)


As always, tell your friends and enemies, your co-conspirators and those against whom you conspire. Or at least do whatever it is you've been doing, because attendance has been *outstanding*.

Jason Lee Brown (MFA '08) update:

The hardworking Jason Lee Brown (MFA '08, fiction) has some updates:

My story “Histrionics” was selected for publication in Quiddity for its themed Abraham Lincoln “Better Angels” Issue. My story spans from 1837-42, the years in which Lincoln lived and shared the same bed with lifetime friend Joshua Fry Speed.

On the poetry front, I have poems (“My Older Brother, June Bug” and “Name I Will Never Forget”) in the current issue of Post Road. Post Road has included an excerpt of one of the poems on its website. My poem “First Acceptance” is in the current issue of Confrontation.

Also, Universal Table/Wising Up Press will republish my poem “Curt Jones’s Father” in its anthology Cold Shoulders, Evil Eyes, Steadying Gazes and Warm Embraces. The poem first appeared in Elysian Fields Quarterly, The Baseball Review.

Post Road
Post Road

Quiddity
Quiddity

Confrontation
Confrontation

Universal Table
Universal Table

More Rodney-centric news, via Andy McFadyen-Ketchum

Third-year poetry MFA Andy McFadyen-Ketchum has this news:

I just learned that The Missouri Review will be publishing my interview with Rodney, "Poetry of the Instance, Poetry of the Instant: A Conversation with Rodney Jones," in, I believe, the Spring.

Congrats, Andy!

Upcoming Readings by Rodney Jones

SIUC faculty poet Rodney Jones will be appearing at two literary venues this fall:

Rodney will visit Mississippi University for Women for the upcoming Eudora Welty Writers' Symposium:

Welty Symposium

Rodney will also read at the University of Alabama on November 6, 2008:

UA Reading Series

In-House Reading Tomorrow!

Reminder:

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2008 4-5:30 PM MISSISSIPPI ROOM STUDENT CENTER

Brenna W. Lemieux (1st year poetry)
James Scoles (2nd year fiction)
Hannah New (2nd year poetry)
Melissa Scholes Young (1st year fiction)

News from Matt Guenette (MFA '99)

News from Matthew Guenette (MFA '99, poetry):

Check me out at this blog:
First Book Interviews

I'll also be reading at the Wisconsin Book Festival, Wednesday, October 15th.

Thanks for the updates, Matt!

New Rooms for In-House Reading Series

from Amie Whittemore:

Due to the overwhelming turn-out for the first In-House Reading last week, we've requested larger rooms to accommodate our adoring fans. So here's the corrected schedule.
Thanks, Amie

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2008 4-5:30 PM MISSISSIPPI ROOM STUDENT CENTER

Brenna W. Lemieux (1st year poetry)
James Scoles (2nd year fiction)
Hannah New (2nd year poetry)
Melissa Scholes Young (1st year fiction)

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2008 4-5:30 PM ILLINOIS ROOM STUDENT CENTER

Derand Wright (1st year poetry)
Janelle Blasdel (1st year fiction)
Laura Gross (2nd year poetry)
Justin Benton (2nd year fiction)

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2008 4-5:30 PM KASKASKIA & MISSOURI ROOM STUDENT CENTER

Travis Mossotti (2nd year poetry)
Lane Kareska (1st year fiction)
Jenna Bazzell (2nd year poetry)