Fantastic News from Fiction Alum Jared (JY) Sexton

via Facebook, Jared (JY) Sexton (MFA '08) made this wonderful announcement:

The good people at Atticus Books have optioned my book of stories, An End to All Things. Really excited about this and am thankful for all of the people who've been supportive and kind over the last few years.

Congrats, Jared!!  Fine work!

http://atticusbooksonline.com/

News from fiction alums Jim Gill and Alex Lumans

from Jim Gill (MFA '99)

My story "The Poacher" is in the current issue of Night Train.  

http://www.nighttrainmagazine.com/contents/gill_11_1.php

from Alex Lumans (MFA '09):

he Journal accepted a story of mine called "The America Indian is Dead" for its next issue.

And I have two new poems now online: "With Teeth" at Strange Horizons and "The North Pacific Land-Bridge that Reappears Every Seventeen Years" at The Pedestal.

http://www.thepedestalmagazine.com/

http://www.strangehorizons.com/2011/20110321/lumans-p.shtml

Congrats, guys!  Thanks for the links!

John Owen and Nick Ostdick to read in Rivertown Reading Series

SIUC's own John Owen and Nick Ostdick will read on May 7 at the
Yeiser Arts Center as part of the Rivertown Reading Series.
Congrats, John and Nick, on being selected to read in the Series!

Yeiser Arts Center website:
http://www.theyeiser.org/events.html

More good publication news for Tim Marsh (MFA '06 fiction)

Fiction alum Tim Marsh is on a roll:

This morning within ten minutes of each other (which has never happened), I received good news from two more magazines. Knee-Jerk will run my story "Relegation, North Sumatra" in an upcoming issue, and Mason's Road will publish my piece "Skydiver". Pretty cool.

Congrats, Tim!  Keep the good news coming!

 

Congrats to Lane Kareska!

Third-year fiction MFA student Lane Kareska has happy news to start the week:

I just received the very pleasant news that my short story "Cursed" will be included in issue 32 of Berkeley Fiction Review. It's a dark one, featuring James Dean's haunted car, an ex-con and garden shears. 

Congrats, Lane!

Paul Guest to teach at the University of Virginia

With great pride, MFA Carbondale blog announces the appointment of
Paul Guest (MFA '99) to the creative writing faculty at the
University of Virginia!
Congratulations, Paul!!!!

Travis Mossotti (MFA '10) update

South Dakota Review took "Smokestacks," & Water~Stone Review took a longer poem "If we are humans then let us be fools."  (Kerry James also got a long poem in Water~Stone so I'll be in good company).

Catching Up with Tim Marsh (MFA '06)

Latest note from Tim Marsh (MFA '06, fiction):

I'm in Okinawa right now, surfing, exploring, the usual.

Small news for the blog: My piece "Courage" was accepted by Foliate Oak, and my essay "Banjar Dalung" was taken by The Kartika Review, to appear this May.


Congrats, world traveler!

2011 Academy of American Poets Prize Winners: Graduate Division

Poet Jake Adam York chose Leslie Adams' "Meditation with Lines from Wallace Stevens" as winner of this year's Academy of American Poets Prize for SIUC graduate students. He also singled out for honorable mention Jung Hae Chae's "Language Acquisition" and Andrea Wagner's "Arkansassy."  

Congratulations to all.

Storyspotting: Chad Simpson

Fiction alum Chad Simpson (MFA '05) announces the publication of a new story:

My story "Adaptations" was published yesterday at Necessary Fiction. 

You can check it out here: http://necessaryfiction.com/stories/ChadSimpsonAdaptations

Congrats, Chad!!!

Congrats to Brooks Rexroat!

Third-year MFA Brooks Rexroat has more good news!  Congrats, Brooks!

A second batch of good news in one week: Subtle Fiction, an online magazine out of New Zealand, has taken my story "Theft Against Such Beauty." Not only did they accept it--they posted it right away.

subtlefiction.wordpress.com

Undergraduate Poetry Prize @ SIUC: Deadline 4/14/11

Undergraduate Student Poetry Prize
Cash Award and One Year Membership to the Academy of American Poets

To Enter

Submit: Up to 3 poems
Deadline: Thursday April 14th at 4pm

SIUC undergraduates may submit an entry packet to Prof. Judy Jordan,
English Dept, Faner Hall, Mail Code 4503 or drop off at the English
office,
Faner room 2380 during regular hours.

Entry packet should include:

1) A cover sheet with your name, address (including date address is
good until), phone number, e-mail address and poem titles, plus an
address that is good after May 15, 2011.

2) Poems on individual, separate pages. Include title(s) on poems,
but no names, please.

Mossotti Update: Upcoming Publications

Travis Mossotti (MFA '10) has news of upccoming publications:

Saint Ann's Review took "Outside Pinckneyville" and "Wheat Field with Crows." Nimrod took "The Story of a Plant." Also, all April long I'm writing articles for basalt's website, a literary journal out of Eastern Oregon University in La Grande, Oregon. Stop by and check them out.

Congrats, TM!  Great to see you at Little Grassy!

Congrats to Brenna Lemieux!!

Third-year poet Brenna Lemieux has great news to share:

Hi, Allison --

I've just heard that Greensboro Review will be publishing my poem "Grief as a Half-Swallowed Kite." What swell news for a swell spring day, huh?

Thanks!

Brenna

Congrats, Brenna!!  Way to work it!

Congrats to Brooks Rexroat!

Third-year fiction student Brooks Rexroat has great news:

Alt Hist Magazine has accepted my story, "To the Stars." My first fiction publication, and it's a paying gig.

Congrats, Brooks!!!

news from Kerry James Evans (MFA '09, poetry)

Kerry James Evans (MFA '09, poetry) sends fine news from Tallahassee:

New Letters nominated my poems from their issue for a Pushcart. 

Narrative Magazine accepted six poems for publication. 

I am the recipient of a Kingsbury Fellowship at Florida State, which allows me to only teach one class in the fall and spring semesters, and includes a $9000 award. 

Congrats, KJE!!!

Storyspotting: Chad Simpson edition

Fiction alum  (MFA '05) Chad Simpson has new stories just published!

"my pretend heart" appears in Issue Three of Twelve Stories (ahttp://www.readtwelvestories.com/my-pretend-heart/) and "smoke" appears in the Spring 2011 issue of Moon Milk Review (http://www.moonmilkreview.com/2011/spring-2011-fiction-smoke-by-chad-simpson/).

Mark Brewin keeps racking acceptances up!

Third-year poet Mark Brewin writes with news of another accepted poem:

Guess I must have done something right: West Branch has accepted another poem for publication, ¨Marriage.¨ They like me, they must really like me.

Congrats to you, MB!

MFA Graduate Paul Guest Awarded Guggenheim Fellowship!!

Hearty congratulations to Paul Guest (MFA '99) on being awarded a
2011 Guggenheim Fellowship!

Details here:
http://www.gf.org/fellows/current?page=2

Reminder: Little Grassy Literary Festival starts today!!!

The Little Grassy Literary Festival starts today with a reading from
Traci Brimhall and Jake Adam York!

Details here:

http://news.siuc.edu/news/March11/032311amh11064.html

Publication News from Andy McFadyen-Ketchum (MFA '09, poetry)

MFA grad Andy McFadyen-Ketchum sends along good news:

Cimarron Review just took "First Catch," the first of the father-story poems to be taken...finally!  And The Writers Chronicle will soon be publishing my interview with Andrew Hudgins.

Congrats, AMK!!!

Allison Joseph to read at Converse College, South Carolina

SIUC poet Allison Joseph travels this week to Converse College in South Carolina for a reading from her work:

Converse College guest writers