Undergraduate Student Poetry Prize: for SIUC Students

Undergraduate Student Poetry Prize

Cash Award & One Year Membership to the
Academy of American Poets

To Enter:
Submit up to 3 Poems
Deadline: Wednesday, April 15th 4 p.m.

SIUC undergraduates 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 this
address is good until), phone number, email address, and poem
titles. Plus an address good after May 15th.
2) Poems on individual, separate pages. Include title on poems
but not your name please.

Upcoming Reading: Ed Pavlic

Poet Ed Pavlic will read at SIUC at on April 16, 2009 in Faner Hall's Harry T. Moore Auditorium at 7pm, with a reception to follow at 8pm in the Faner Humanities Lounge.

For more about Ed Pavlic, visit
UGA Faculty Page

Writers on the Road: Ball State edition

Writers on the Road visits Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana:

Details:

Southern Illinois University's Writers on the Road series will read from 3:30-4:30 pm on Friday, April 10 in Bracken Library Room 225. Featured readers include Kerry James Evans and Travis Mossotti, poets, and Renee Evans and John Flaherty, fiction writers.

Directions to Muncie:
BSU Maps

Congrats to Kerry James Evans!

Third-year MFA in poetry Kerry James Evans scores again!

Allison,
New England Review just accepted "A Good Hunt."
Thanks,
Kerry James

Congrats, KJE!

LINK
New England Review

R&D April Edition: The Birds and the Bees

R&D, aka "Reading and Drinking," is back for its April edition, "The Birds and the Bees."

poetry-fiction-drama-drink specials-trivia=prizes

Melange, 607 S. Illinois, Carbondale
Thursday, 4/9/09
at 7pm

Melange's website:
Melange

Congrats to Kerry James Evans!

Good news for Kerry James Evans (third-year in poetry):

Allison,

Agni just accepted "Seven Chants, A War Cry" for its Fall Issue.

-KJE

Congrats, Kerry!

LINK:
AGNI

Academy of American Poets Prize Guidelines

From Rodney Jones's door in Faner:

Each year, the creative writing program at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, in conjunction with the Academy of American Poets, presents a poetry prize. The prize of $100 is given for the best poem and is open to all SIUC graduate students.

Contestants should submit up to three poems to
Rodney Jones, Coordinator
Academy of American Poets Prize
Department of English
Southern Illinois University Carbondale

by April 7, 2009.

Manuscripts should be prepared as follows:

Along with your submission, submit a title page listing your titles, your name, your e-mail address and your regular address. Include your title, but not your name, on the manuscript of each poem.

Announcement of winners and runner-ups will be made before the end of the semester.

Allison Joseph to read at APSU

Allison Joseph, creative writing faculty, will read from her work at APSU in Clarksville, TN:

Leaf-Chronicle

Alumni Profile: Greg Schwipps (MFA '98)

Here's a profile of Greg Schwipps (MFA '98) from his undergraduate alma mater:

De Pauw University News

Greg is back at SIUC for the Little Grassy Literary Festival and will be reading from his new novel on Friday, April 3 at 11 am in the Student Center Auditorium.

Congrats to Mark Brewin!

Mark Brewin, first-year poet, writes with this good news!

Ahoy there, Allison.

Just dropping you an e-mail to say my poem "Fidel Castro Visits a Frat Party" has been accepted for publication in New Delta Review. Whoa, sugar.

-mark.

Congrats, Mark!
LINK:
New Delta Review

Little Grassy Literary Festival: Robert Wrigley

Poemspotting: Amie Whittemore

"Visiting," a poem by second-year MFA student Amie Whittemore, appears in the Spring/Summer 2009 issue of Atlanta Review.

LINK:
Altanta Review

Little Grassy Literary Festival: Kercheval reading

Congrats to Melissa Scholes Young!

First year fiction writer Melissa Scholes Young has more good news!

I wanted to let you know that Stone's Throw Magazine is publishing my nonfiction piece "Brazil: 10 Ways." 

Thanks,
Melissa

LINK:
Stone's Throw

Congrats, Melissa!

Announcing the Inaugural Little Grassy Literary Festival

Announcing the Inaugural Little Grassy Literary Festival
Sponsored by the Graduate Writers Forum, SIUC

featuring readings from and events with Jesse Lee Kerchval, Robert Wrigley, and SIUC MFA grad Greg Schwipps (MFA '98).

Festival Schedule:

April 2
4pm Jesse Lee Kercheval reading
SIUC Student Center Video Lounge 4th Floor

8pm Robert Wrigley reading
SIUC Student Center Video Lounge 4th Floor

April 3
9:30am Panel Discussion with all three readers
SIUC Student Center Auditorium 2nd Floor

11am Greg Schwipps reading
SIUC Student Center Auditorium 2nd Floor

12pm Book signing and reception
SIUC Student Center Old Main Lounge 2nd Floor
Refreshments and Light fare to be provided

VISITING WRITER BIOS:

Jesse Lee Kercheval is the author of several books, including the poetry collection honoring silent cinema, Cinema Muto, which won the Crab Orchard Series in Poetry. She also wrote the short story collections The Alice Stories, which won the Prairie Schooner Book Prize in Fiction, and The Dogeater. A versatile writer, Kercheval also has a novel, a memoir, and a textbook, as well as several other poetry collections to her credit. Other awards include fellowships from the National Endowment of the Arts, the Radcliffe Research and Study Center at Harvard, the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference and more. Kercheval grew up in Florida. Now she is the Sally Mead Hands Bascom Professor of English and a founding director of the master’s of fine arts program in creative writing at the University of Wisconsin at Madison.

Robert Wrigley has six poetry collections to his credit, including the San Francisco Center Book Award winner, In the Bank of Beautiful Sins, and the 2000 Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award winner Reign of Snakes. He has five Pushcart Prizes, two National Endowment for the Arts fellowships, Best American Poetry selections and a Guggenheim Foundation fellowship. Wrigley is originally from a coal mining family from East St. Louis. He is on the creative writing faculty at the University of Idaho.

Greg Schwipps is an SIUC MFA alumnus presently on the creative writing faculty at DePauw University. His novel, What This River Keeps, is due for release later this spring from Ghost Road Press. His essays and articles appear in such publications as In-Fisherman, Outdoor Indiana and Esquire.

Women's Words: A Celebration of Women and the Written Word

A.K. Thompson reads Virginia Woolf and her own work

Amie Whittemore reads Dorianne Laux

Rachel Furey reads Lorrie Moore and her own work

Janelle Blasdel reads Julie Orringer

Melissa Scholes Young reads Anne Panning and her own work

Krishna Pattisapu reads Audre Lorde and her own work

Allison Joseph reads Wendy Cope, Dorothy Parker and her own work

Alberta Skaggs reads Alice Walker and her own work

Azizat Danmole reads AI


SIUC Student Center, Carbondale, IL
Mississippi Room, 4-5 pm
Refreshments to follow reception in Old Main Lounge

Congrats to Jared (JY) Sexton!

More good news, this time from recent grad Jared (JY) Sexton (MFA '08):

Hey Allison,

Just got word my story "I Know I Am Deathless" will appear in an upcoming issue of the magazine The Benefactor.

Cheers,
-J

LINK:
The Benefactor

Congrats to Melissa Scholes Young!

The good news just keeps on coming for first-year fiction writer Melissa Scholes Young:

Hello Allison:

I just got a call from Doug Goetsch, editor of New Plains Review, and I've been invited to do a reading at their magazine's inaugural party. They are awarding me $1000 for the reading and the publication of my story "Guinea Pig." The event is in Oklahoma City in April. He told me to tell you that you are, of course, invited!

-Melissa

LINK:
New Plains Review

Meet this year's judge: Stacey Lynn Brown

Stacey Lynn Brown was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. Her poems, essays, and reviews have been published in Crab Orchard Review, Natural Bridge, Sou’wester, Anti-, and The Southern Quarterly. Her book-length poem in sections, Cradle Song, was published by C&R Press in 2009. Poems from Cradle Song were selected by E. Ethelbert Miller as the second-prize winner of the 14th Annual Poetry Center of Chicago Juried Reading. She teaches creative writing at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

Announcing the Winners of the 2009 Roxana Rivera Memorial Poetry Contest!

ANNOUNCING THE WINNERS OF THE 2009 ROXANA RIVERA MEMORIAL POETRY CONTEST!

Judge Stacey Lynn Brown, poet and author of the collection Cradle Song, has chosen to honor
the following poets and their poems:

Undergraduate:
1st place: Kate Gramlich for "bride not to be"
2nd place: Kate Gramlich for "six and falling"
3rd place: Joyce Terpstra for "Veteran's Day"
Honorable Mention: Kate Gramlich for "things i should tell you"

Graduate:
1st place: Amie Whittemore for "The Movement of Heat"
2nd place: Andy McFadyen-Ketchum for "To Touch the Moon"
3rd place: Jonathan Travelstead for "For Sean, from the Fire House"
Honorable Mention: Rachel Furey for "Hey, ref, what's up with the mercy rule?" and Travis Mossotti for "Oak Grove Cemetery"

Please join us on Thursday, March 26 at 4pm in the SIUC Student Center Auditorium for the annual contest ceremony, featuring readings from both this year's judge and this year's award-winners.

3/23-3/27: A Week's Worth of Creative Writing Events

Lots of great events happening this week. Here's a roundup:

Monday, March 23: Visiting Writers Series reading with Kathleen Rooney, Kyle Minor and Laura Benedict
SIUC Student Center Ohio Room, 4-5:30 pm

Tuesday, March 24: In-House Readings featuring MFA students Justin Benton, Amie Whittemore, Rick Pechous and Travis Mossotti
SIUC Student Center Thebes Room, 4-5:30 pm

Thursday, March 26: Roxana Rivera Memorial Poetry Contest ceremony, featuring readings from the contest judge, poet Stacey Lynn Brown, and this year's prize-winning poets
SIUC Student Center Auditorium, 4-5 pm, with book signing and reception to follow in Old Main Lounge

Friday, March 27: Women's Words. Women students and faculty from the SIUC MFA Program read from their favorite women writers and from their own work. Featuring A.K. Thompson, Amie Whittemore, Rachel Furey, Janelle Blasdel, Melissa Scholes Young, Krishna Pattisapu, Allison Joseph, Alberta Skaggs and Azizat Danmole.
SIUC Student Center Mississippi Room 4-5 pm with reception to follow in Old Main Lounge

Last In-House Reading for Spring 2009

Hello friends,

Our final In-House reading of the spring semester is this Tuesday, March 24th, from 4-5:30 in the Thebes room (Located behind the Blimpie's in the Student Center, I'm told).

Here are the readers for this Tuesday:


4 -- Justin Benton (2nd year fiction)
4:15 -- Amie Whittemore (2nd year poetry)
4:30 -- Rick Pechous (1st year fiction)
4:45 -- Travis Mossotti (2nd year poetry)

Thank you, and we hope to see you there.


-Janelle

Congrats to Melissa Scholes Young!

Melissa Scholes Young (first-year, fiction) has more good news:

Good morning, Allison. Two more good pieces of news have come my way...

Literary Mama has accepted my poem "Wrestle the Octopus" for publication in their May 2009 journal.

Also, my fiction piece "Postpartum Exile" is up at the literary journal Mused

Links:
Mused
Literary Mama

Congrats, Melissa! Keep the good news coming!

Writers on the Road: U of Memphis edition

A reading announcement from Rachna Sheth (third-year fiction):

On Saturday March 21, Mark Brewin, Rachel Furey, AK Thompson and I will be having an "away game," reading at the University of Memphis at 1:00 pm in Patterson Hall. We are hoping for a good turnout despite the UMemphis vs. Maryland game starting at 2:20. We would like to think listening to us read is more exciting than the first half of a second round NCAA game. There's only one way to find out.

Link:
University of Memphis MFA Program

Upcoming Reading: Minor, Rooney & Benedict

March 23, 2009: Visiting Writers Series presents fiction/nonfiction readings by Kyle Minor, Kathleen Rooney and Laura Benedict
SIUC Student Center Ohio Room, 4-5:30 pm

Novelist Laura Benedict is the author of Isabella Moon, which has been selected as part of Target Stores Breakout Writers promotion, and Calling Mr. Lonely Hearts, both available from Ballantine Books and Brilliance audio. She also co-edits Surreal South, a series anthology of short fiction, with her husband, writer Pinckney Benedict. Her work as appeared in EQMM and other anthologies.

Kyle Minor's work has appeared widely in magazines and anthologies, among them Best American Mystery Stories 2008, The Southern Review, The Gettysburg Review, Surreal South, and Twentysomething Essays by Twentysomething Writers: The Best New Voices of 2006. Kyle is also co-editor, with Okla Elliott, of The Other Chekhov (New American Press, 2008). His writing has been lauded by The Atlantic Monthly, The Columbus Dispatch, and Random House. Originally from Florida, he now lives in Ohio, where he is Visiting Writer at the University of Toledo.

Kathleen Rooney is a founding editor of Rose Metal Press and the author of Reading With Oprah (University of Arkansas Press, 2005), Something Really Wonderful (with Elisa Gabbert, dancing girl press, 2007) That Tiny Insane Voluptuousness (also with Gabbert, Otoliths, 2008), Oneiromance (an epithalamion) (Switchback Books, 2008), and Live Nude Girl (Arkansas, 2009). Her poems have appeared in AGNI online, 32 Poems , and Cincinnati Review, and her essays have appeared in Gulf Coast, Gettysburg Review, Ninth Letter, Southern Humanities Review and Provincetown Arts. She lives in Chicago.

Alumni Reading Alert: Matt Guenette (MFA '99) to read in St. Louis

4 P.M., Saturday, March 28
Black Bear Bakery, 2639 Cherokee, St. Louis

WORDS ON PURPOSE presents a benefit reading by

Matthew Guenette
author of
Sudden Anthem
a collection of funny, raucous & satirical poems
&
Rockwell Gray
essayist, biographer and local historian
author of A Century of Enterprise
a history of St. Louis industry

To Support StudioSTL
A free literary arts center empowering St. Louis youth by partnering them with writers who help them discover, develop, and celebrate their individual voices.

Recommended Donation, $5
100% of proceeds go to StudioSTL

Words on Purpose is a committee of socially concerned writers who produce literary readings to support community-based efforts that improve quality of life and promote equality of opportunity.

Congrats to Curtis L. Crisler (MFA '04)

Curtis L. Crisler (MFA '04, poetry) has exciting news!  His second full-length collection of poems, Pulling Scabs, has been accepted for publication by Aquarius Press! Congratulations, Curtis!

Link:
Aquarius Press Site
Aquarius Press Blog

R&D: March Madness

R&D: March Madness

"R&D," aka "Reading and Drinking," has the March Madness spirit!

3/19/09
7:00 PM
Melange
607 S Illinois Avenue
Carbondale, IL 62901

There'll be words (of poetry, of prose, of admired work) read, activities for the audience, trivia, games, prizes, and much, much more! Come early, come late, all are welcome.

Congrats to JY (Jared) Sexton (MFA '08)

News this afternoon from JY (Jared) Sexton (MFA '08, fiction):

Hey,

Wanted to drop a note saying my story "Loose Him and Let Him Go" has been accepted for publication in an upcoming issue of the journal Relief. Also, hope you're feeling better and all is well.

-J

Congrats, Jared (and I'm working on getting better)!

LINK
Relief

Roxana Rivera Memorial Poetry Contest Deadline Nears

ANNOUNCING THE 2009 ROXANA RIVERA MEMORIAL POETRY CONTEST

Join SIUC’s Creative Writing and Women’s Studies Programs as we honor the memory of a wonderful poet and celebrate Women’s History Month.

The Roxana Rivera Memorial Poetry Contest honors the memory of Roxana Rivera (1977-2003), who was a first-year creative writing graduate student from Lynwood, California. Roxana, a graduate of California State University Long Beach, earned her Bachelor’s degree in Women’s Studies and English. While at SIUC, Roxana was a PROMPT Scholar and a Graduate Teaching Assistant in the Department of English.

To remember this special woman and poet, a campus-wide poetry contest will be held, with divisions for both undergraduate and graduate students.

Gift certificates will be awarded as prizes in both divisions:
$80 for first place $40 for second place $25 for third place

This contest is open to all students currently enrolled at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Students of all majors are encouraged to participate in this contest.

This Year’s Theme: “Like a Mother, Like a Daughter”

DEADLINE: Friday, March 20, 2009

Submission Guidelines:

Submit an entry packet with:
1) A cover sheet with your name, address, phone number, e-mail address, and poem titles. Indicate on your cover sheet whether you are an undergraduate or graduate student.
2) Poem(s) on individual sheets (one poem only per page). No identifying information on the poems themselves, please. There is no entry fee, but there is a limit of three poems per entrant.

The contest theme is provided to spark your creativity, and entries that reflect upon the theme in the lives of women are particularly welcome.

Entry packets should be submitted to Prof. Allison Joseph, English Dept., Faner Hall 2380, Mail Code 4503. Entries may be sent via campus mail or dropped off at the English Department office (Faner Hall 2380) during regular campus office hours. Winners will be honored at a special awards ceremony to be held on March 26, 2009.

In-House Reading Tomorrow!

Janelle Blasdel writes with news of the next In-House Reading:

The second In-House reading of the semester will be held this Tuesday, March 17th , from 4-5:30 in the Missouri River Room of the Student Center.

The line-up of readers is as follows:

Melissa Scholes Young (1st year fiction)
Brenna Lemieux (1st year poetry)
Hannah New (2nd year poetry)
Lane Kareska (1st year fiction)

Thank you, and we hope to see you there.

-Janelle

An Invitation from Liz Whiteacre (MFA '02)

Liz Whiteacre (MFA '02 poetry) invites everyone to come hear Curtis Crisler (MFA '04, poetry). Liz currently teaches writing at the College of DuPage.

You are invited to "An Evening with Curtis Crisler" at College of DuPage (425 Fawell Blvd., Glen Ellyn, IL 60137) on Wednesday, April 29, 2009 from 7:00-8:30 pm, SRC 1450. To RSVP, so she may send you more information, email Liz Whiteacre at whiteacr@cod.edu. Join us to hear Curtis read from his newest collection, Spill.

More good news from Tim Marsh

Tim Marsh (MFA '06, fiction) writes with more good news:

Hope all is well. I wanted to let the program know that I've been awarded an arts grant by the St. John's City Council and Arts Jury. It's a $1000 grant given to assist organizations and individuals working in the professional and amateur arts. The money is much needed, as always. I've also had a piece accepted for publication in the Canadian literary journal Paragon. Just letting you know.

Hope you had a great and productive time at AWP. Wish I could've made it.

Best,
Tim

Link:

Paragon

Adrian Matejka (MFA '01) profiled in St. Louis Post Dispatch

Adrian Matejka (MFA '01, poetry) has been profiled by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch as one of three and upcoming St. Louis-area poets:

LINK:
St. Louis Post Dispatch

Congrats to Justin Hamm!

Good news continues for Justin Hamm (MFA '05, fiction):

Hi, Allison --

Just wanted to let you know that my poem "illinois, my apologies" will appear in volume XI of Plains Song Review. Mom, the new baby and I are celebrating by taking a nap.

Cheers,

Justin Hamm

Congrats to Justin (and family!)

LINK:
Plains Song Review

Congrats to Kerry James Evans!

Kerry James Evans (third-year, poetry) writes with this news:

Roger took "How to Avoid an Ambush."

Congrats, KJE!

LINK:
roger

Congrats to Melissa Scholes Young!

Melissa Scholes Young, first-year student in fiction, writes with more publication news:

"The New Plains Review has accepted my story "Guinea Pig" for publication in their Spring 2009 issue. 

New Plains Review

Just wanted you to know that my three literary publications this semester have all come from the CRWROPPS listserve. Keep it coming. It's a wonderful resource and you do a great job keeping us informed. Thanks so much for this service!"

Congrats, Melissa, and thanks for the CRWROPPS shout out!

Check out CRWROPPS at
CRWROPPS or click on Creative Writers Opportunities List in the "Useful Links" list on the right.

Joseph featured in new critical book

SIUC poet and professor Allison Joseph is among the writers featured in a new critical book titled Writing the Future of Black America: Literature of the Hip-Hop Generation, written by Daniel Grassian and published by the University of South Carolina Press.

Find out more about this book here (click on "New Titles" link):

University of South Carolina Press

Congrats to Travis Mossotti!

More love for Travis Mossotti, this time via Pittsburgh:

Allison,

The Fourth River out of Chatham University in Pittsburgh has accepted the following four poems for publication...dang...[ the poems are] “Reminiscing Skyros,” “Creating the Garden,” “I'm Explaining a Few Things” and “Dialogue Box."
Thanks,
Travis

LINK:

The Fourth River

ACM loves SIUC MFAs

No sooner did I post Travis's news than I received this bit of news from Michael Meyerhofer (MFA '06):

Hey, Allison. Just letting you know that a couple pieces, " From One Poet to Another" and "Poem in Which I, and Only I, Get What I Deserve", were just accepted by Another Chicago Magazine. Hope all is well, and congrats again on the book! :)
Michael

LINK:
ACM

Congrats to Travis Mossotti!

Travis Mossotti (second-year MFA, poetry) keeps on keeping on:

Allison,

Another Chicago Magazine has accepted my poem "Glass of Water" for publication. No rest for the weary.

Thanks,

Travis

Congrats, Travis!

Link:
Another Chicago Magazine

Congrats to Justin Hamm!

Justin Hamm (MFA '05, fiction) has some wonderful news:

I just wanted to pass on some good news to you all. At 5:50 Sunday morning (March 1st) Mel and I welcomed Abigail Josephine Hamm into the world. She and Mom are both healthy and -- if I may say so -- quite beautiful.

Take care,

Justin

Congratulations, Justin, to you and your family on the birth of your daughter!

Allison Joseph's sixth full-length collection of poems selected for publication

Allison Joseph, SIUC poet and professor, has had her sixth full-length collection of poetry selected for publication by Western Kentucky University's Steel Toe Books:

Details here:
Steel Toe Books

The same press will be publishing Michael Meyerhofer's (MFA '06) second collection of poems, Blue Collar Eulogies.

In-House Readings start this Tuesday

This Tuesday, March 3, is the first In-House reading of the spring semester. The reading will be held in the Student Center's Missouri Room from 4 to 5:30.

The schedule is as follows:

Mark Brewin (1st Year Poetry)
Brooks Rexroat (1st Year Fiction)
A.K. Thompson (1st Year Fiction)
Janelle Blasdel (1st Year Fiction)

The event is free and open to all.

Congrats to Lane Kareska!

Lane Kareska, first-year MFA in fiction, sends this fine news:

Hi Allison,
Wanted to pass along that my short story "They're My Arms Now" was just accepted by the online journal Poor Mojo's Almanac(k) and my short story "The Dragoon" just appeared as a graphic short online at Prick of The Spindle.
Thanks,
Lane Kareska

Congrats, Lane!

Links:
Lane's story
Lane's Graphic short

Congrats to Travis Mossotti!

The Travis Mossotti (second-year MFA, poetry) express keeps on keeping on:

Allison,

The New Delta Review out of LSU just accepted my poem "Out of the Sky" for publication. I'm going to go celebrate with a cup of coffee from Starbucks.

Thanks,
T. Mossotti

Link:

New Delta Review

Jacinda Townsend and Allison Joseph to read for Black History Month

SIUC professors Allison Joseph and Jacinda Townsend will read from their creative work on Thursday, February 26th at 4:00pm
in the SIUC Student Center's Mississippi Room.

Congrats to Travis Mossotti!

Travis Mossotti (second year-MFA in poetry) rules! Congrats on this exceptional news!

Allison,

I just found out Robert Pinsky selected my poem "The Dead Cause" as the 1st place winner of the North American Review's James Hearst Poetry Prize ($1000, publication in the NAR, and an announcement in upcoming Poets & Writers).

Thanks,

Travis

North American Review

Congrats to Melissa Scholes Young!

First-year MFA fiction writer Melissa Scholes Young writes with news of these current publications:

"An essay entitled "Sex Education Sesame Street Style" was bought by a family magazine in Tallahassee, Florida called Family Forum. It's published in this month's issue. Also, the literary journal Mused-Bella Online accepted a piece of short fiction entitled "Postpartum Exile" for this month's journal. The short story was previously published in the literary journal Literary Mama."

Congrats, Melissa!

Links:
Bella Online

Catching Up with Tim Marsh (MFA '06)

Fiction grad Tim Marsh (MFA '06) has been busy:

"In the last few months I've had pieces published in Green Hills Literary Lantern, the Oregon Literary Review, the Newfoundland Quarterly, and the Nashwaak Review (Canadian), among others. I'm very happy about it all. I've also completed my first collection.
I'm in Newfoundland now, chasing a PhD in folklore. It's interesting scholarship, but of course I'd rather be writing the stories."

Thanks for the update, Tim--and congrats on the stories!

Congrats to Justin Hamm (MFA '05)!

MFA fiction grad Justin Hamm writes with some cross-genre news:


Hi, Allison,

Just wanted to drop a line to let you know that my poem "meditations on a kiss" will appear in late spring in The Spoon River Poetry Review.

Hope all is well in C-dale.

Thanks,


Justin Hamm

Congrats, Justin!

Link:
Spoon River Poetry Review

2009 Roxana Rivera Memorial Poetry Contest Announcement

ANNOUNCING THE 2009 ROXANA RIVERA MEMORIAL POETRY CONTEST

Join SIUC’s Creative Writing and Women’s Studies Programs as we honor the memory of a wonderful poet and celebrate Women’s History Month.

The Roxana Rivera Memorial Poetry Contest honors the memory of Roxana Rivera (1977-2003), who was a first-year creative writing graduate student from Lynwood, California. Roxana, a graduate of California State University Long Beach, earned her Bachelor’s degree in Women’s Studies and English. While at SIUC, Roxana was a PROMPT Scholar and a Graduate Teaching Assistant in the Department of English.

To remember this special woman and poet, a campus-wide poetry contest will be held, with divisions for both undergraduate and graduate students.

Gift certificates will be awarded as prizes in both divisions:
$80 for first place $40 for second place $25 for third place

This contest is open to all students currently enrolled at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Students of all majors are encouraged to participate in this contest.

This Year’s Theme: “Like a Mother, Like a Daughter”

DEADLINE: Friday, March 20, 2009

Submission Guidelines:

Submit an entry packet with:
1) A cover sheet with your name, address, phone number, e-mail address, and poem titles. Indicate on your cover sheet whether you are an undergraduate or graduate student.
2) Poem(s) on individual sheets (one poem only per page). No identifying information on the poems themselves, please. There is no entry fee, but there is a limit of three poems per entrant.

The contest theme is provided to spark your creativity, and entries that reflect upon the theme in the lives of women are particularly welcome.

Entry packets should be submitted to Prof. Allison Joseph, English Dept., Faner Hall 2380, Mail Code 4503. Entries may be sent via campus mail or dropped off at the English Department office (Faner Hall 2380) during regular campus office hours. Winners will be honored at a special awards ceremony to be held on March 26, 2009.

Congrats to Kerry James Evans!

Even more publication news, this time from third-year poet Kerry James Evans:

Allison,

Iron Horse Literary Review accepted "Sisyphus" for publication in their upcoming National Poetry Month Issue.

-KJE

Congrats, Kerry James!

Link:
Iron Horse Literary Review

You all are going to make me the proudest program director at AWP!

Congrats to Travis Mossotti!

Good news via e-mail from second-year poet Travis Mossotti:

My poem "Variations on a Political Theme" was accepted for publication at the Antioch Review.

Travis has been ill, so this was good news in the midst of his flu-fog!
Congrats and get better, Travis!

Link:
Antioch Review

SIUC at AWP Chicago 2009

SIUC will be in full effect as a sponsor at this year's annual AWP Conference at the Hilton Chicago, the nation's annual conference for creative writing students and programs. Here are some schedule highlights (SIUC folks in CAPS):

Saturday, February 14:
Joliet, 3rd Floor, 1:30 pm-2:45 pm
More Than a Collection: Imagining and Realizing Thematic Poetry Projects. (JON TRIBBLE, Oliver de la Paz, Jesse Lee Kercheval, Sean Nevin, Alison Townsend, Jake Adam York) A panel discussion featuring five Crab Orchard Series in Poetry authors who have published collections with Southern Illinois University Press that explore extended thematic concerns or ongoing poetic projects on topics including the imaginative interior life of a young boy, silent film, Alzheimer's, the Persephone myth and twenty-first-century America, and the martyrs of the Civil Rights Movement.

Lake Huron, 8th Floor, 1:30 pm-2:45 pm
In the World and of the World: The Post-Evangelical Writer. (Scott Kaukonen, PINCKNEY BENEDICT, David McGlynn, Kyle Minor, Angela Pneuman) Writing honestly about the devout of any religion, including Evangelicals, can be a delicate business, especially for those with more than an academic interest. If you appear too critical, the devout will paint you a heretic and circulate your name through the church prayer chain. If you appear too sympathetic, skeptics will view you with suspicion and recommend a good therapist. Yet in a cultural landscape where stereotypes abound on all sides, what possibilities—and challenges—exist for these writers?

Continental B, Lobby Level, 4:30 pm-5:45 pm
Twenty Years in Utopia: The RopeWalk Writers Retreat Aniversary Reading. (Ron Mitchell, RODNEY JONES, ALLISON JOSEPH, Michael Martone, Andrew Hudgins) RopeWalk Writers Retreat, a weeklong summer conference set in New Harmony, Indiana, the site of two 19th-century experiments in utopian living, celebrates its 20th anniversary with a poetry and prose reading by retreat faculty.

In addition:
Allison Joseph, booksigning for her new chapbook "Voice": Saturday, February 14, 10-11:30am at the Mayapple Press book table (table 653).

SIUC's Private Reception for Alums, Faculty, Current Students and Friends (not listed on the official schedule):
Friday, February 13
7:00-8:15 pm
Hilton Chicago, Private Dining Room 3

Look for Crab Orchard Review and SIU Press at the AWP Bookfair, tables 107 and 108.

Sigma Tau Delta Presentation: Beth Lordan

SIUC fiction professor Beth Lordan will speak on Monday, February 9th for SIUC's chapter of Sigma Tau Delta, the international English Honor Society.

Her topic: the MFA in fiction writing

Bio:
Professor Beth Lordan is the acclaimed author of the books August Heat, And Both Shall Row, and But Come Ye Back. Her short fiction has also appeared in numerous literary journals, including the Atlantic Monthly, O. Henry Prize Stories, and Best American Short Stories. She is currently the Director of Irish and Irish Immigration Studies at SIUC.

Location:
Missouri Room, SIUC Student Center, 6-7pm

All are welcome to attend.

Congrats to JY (Jared) Sexton (MFA '08)

MFA '08 fiction grad Jared (JY) Sexton sends me good news via Facebook:

Hey Allison,

Just wanted to pass along word that my story 'Old' has been accepted for publication in the next issue of the Emerson Review.

Thanks,
-JY Sexton

Congrats, JY!

Link:
Emerson Review

More good news, via Jason Lee Brown (MFA '08)

The great news keeps pouring in! This time, there's nonfiction publication news from Jason Lee Brown (MFA '08, fiction):

"The Truth About the Fact: A Journal of Literary Nonfiction accepted my memoir “My First Time in Japan Visiting the In-Laws” for publication."

Congrats, Jason!

The Truth About the Fact

More Acceptances!

The acceptances keep rolling in for current students! This one's from third-year poet Kerry James Evans:

Allison,

Spoon River Poetry Review accepted "Operation Noble Eagle."

KJE

That Kerry's succinct, isn't he?
Congrats, Kerry James!

Link:
Spoon River Poetry Review

Catching Up With Michael Meyerhofer (MFA '06)

Here's an update from MFA poetry alum Michael Meyerhofer:

My poem, "Subatomic Redemption", was accepted by Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine. Another poem, "I Christen Thee My Higgs Boson", was accepted by Strange Horizons. A third poem, "Portrait of a Midwestern Exile on Wheels" was accepted by Valparaiso Poetry Review. "A Plea for the Cessation of Fruit Metaphors" was nominated for a Pushcart by North American Review. Finally, a piece previously published in Modern Haiku is being reprinted in white lies: The Red Moon Anthology of English-Language Haiku 2008.


Congrats, MM, on all your continued achievements!

R&D: The Return

"R&D," aka "Reading and Drinking," has returned for spring! Check out the details (thanks to Amie Whittemore for sending them):


You know you've been missing some Reading & Drinking action in your life. So join
us:

Wednesday, February 4, 2009
7:30 PM
Melange
607 S Illinois Avenue
Carbondale, IL 62901

There'll be words (of poetry, of prose, of admired work) read, activities for the
audience, trivia, games, prizes, and much, much more! Come early, come late, bring
your friends, your enemies, the disasters you have hidden in your cupboards, the
mistakes hidden under your bed. All are welcome.

More Great News from Students and Faculty

First, this news from Rachel Furey, third-year student in fiction:

Dear Allison:

Just wanted to pass along the news that I have a piece coming
out in the Twins and More edition of Chicken Soup for the Soul,
due out this March.

Best Regards,
Rachel Furey


Congrats, Rachel!

Link:
Chicken Soup Website


Second, I am happy to announce the publication of my chapbook, Voice: Poems (Mayapple Press, 2009).
Watch this blog for information on a post AWP book release party.

Congrats to Andy McFadyen-Ketchum!

You all are keeping me busy blogging with all this good news! This time, the good word is from third-year poet Andy McFadyen-Ketchum:

Hey Allison, I just got word from Blueline that they'll be taking two poems, "When the Dark Heads of Sleep" and "Tonight." When it rains it pours I guess...

Thanks, keep warm,
Andy

Congrats, Andy!

Link:

Blueline

Congrats to Chris Bryson (MFA '07)

The good news just keeps on coming! This time, it's from MFA grad Chris Bryson:

Hi, Allison!

I've got something to brag about at AWP this year. My story "Thirteen
Months Unemployed" has been selected as a Story of the Week at Narrative
Magazine (www.narrativemagazine.com). It might not be up for a few
months, but people should go there and check back frequently.

Bryson

Congrats, Bryson! We'll be on the lookout for the story!

Link:

Narrative Magazine

Congrats to Rachel Furey!

Every day I get more good news! This time, the news comes from third-year fiction writer Rachel Furey:

Dear Allison:

I thought I'd pass along the news that my short story "Drowning
Beetles" was one of the 25 finalists in Glimmer Train's
November Short Story Award for New Writers.

Best Regards,
Rachel

Congrats, Rachel!

Link:
Glimmer Train

Acceptances and Honors Abound

More good news from current MFAs--this time from third year poet Kerry James Evans and second-year poet Hannah New:

Allison,
Georgetown Review accepted "The Bidding," an auction poem.
KJE

Link:
Georgetown Review


My poem, "Cold Creek" was selected as one of 25 semi-finalists in the Donald Barthelme Prize for Gulf Coast.
Hannah K New

Link:
Gulf Coast

Congrats, Kerry and Hannah!

Congrats to Travis Mossotti!

News today from Travis Mossotti, second-year in poetry:

Allison,

My poem "Funhouse of Mirth" was accepted for publication at Passages North, a journal out of the University of Northern Michigan.

Thanks,

Travis Mossotti

You can't stop that Travis!
Congrats!

Link:
Passages North

Poemspotting: Sou'wester Edition

Poems by Stefan Forester (MFA '99) and Andrew McFadyen-Ketchum (current third-year poet) appear in the new issue of Sou'wester, the national literary journal published by Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (our sister school in the SIU system). In addition, the journal includes a review of MFA '04 alum Ben Percy's latest short story collection, Refresh, Refresh.

for more about Sou'wester, visit:
Sou'wester

Prairie Fire is Hot for SIUC

Dig this note from Ethan Castelo (MFA '06, fiction):

Allison--

To ride shotgun on James's news--Prairie Fire accepted my story "Nothing Is Impossible" for their Fall 2009 issue.

I hope all is well with everyone in C-dale.

Take care,
Ethan

Looks like there's much love for our fiction writers in the Great White North!

Congrats to Andy McFadyen-Ketchum!

Looks like this is the season for acceptances! More congrats in order for current third-year poetry student Andy McFadyen-Ketchum:

Hi Allison,

Sou'wester has informed me that they plan to publish a poem (or a number of poems) of mine in a forthcoming issue, not sure which one(s) yet.

And the River Oak Review took "Proffer Mountain," one of the Mary poems.

Thank you!

-Andy

Links:
Sou'wester
River Oak Review

Congrats to Jake Boyd (MFA '07)

Hi Allison, "New South" is going to take this here yankee's poem, titled 'Divorce', for their spring/summer 09 issue. Welcome news after a 13 month streak of consistent rejection.

Persistence pays!
Congrats, Jake!

Link:
New South

more Scoles good news

No stopping James Scoles, second-year student in fiction:

And today I got even more good news... 'The Electricity of
Crime,' a 5500-word short story workshopped in Pinckney's class
last semester, has been accepted for publication in Prairie
Fire. It will be featured in a special 'Winnipeg Fiction
Writers' issue coming out in April.

Huge thanks to Pinckney for pointing out serious flaws in POV;
big hugs to sisters Janelle (awesome reader), Melissa (details)
and Azizat (title). Great, great workshop.

Also, in December Pinckney nominated my work in Prairie Fire
for the Pushcart Prize.

Thanks, and all the best,

James

Congrats, James!

Link:
Prairie Fire

James Scoles news

James Scoles, a current second-year student in fiction, has news to share:

Just wanted to let you know some good news... My story "An Early Grey Cup," workshopped in Beth's class last fall, was just nominated for a 2008 National Magazine Award. "El Juego," a short story workshopped in Beth's class and published in Prairie Fire, has been nominated for The Journey Prize in Canada.

Congrats, James!

Links:
National Magazine Awards Canada
The Journey Prize

Rodney Jones Elected to the Fellowship of Southern Writers

When told this news, I asked, "Well, what took them so long? Do writers come more southern than our Mr. Jones?"

Details here:

Fellowship of Southern Writers

Poemspotting: Alums and Faculty

New poems by current poetry faculty member Allison Joseph, former poetry faculty member Lucia Perillo, and MFA alum (MFA '06) Michael Meyerhofer appear in the new issue of MARGIE.

Poems by SIU MFA alums Curtis Crisler (MFA '04) and Adrian Matekja (MFA '01) appear in the new issue of Ninth Letter, in this issue's special music feature.

Web Links:
Margie
Ninth Letter

Congrats to Travis Mossotti!

Second-year poetry MFA student Travis Mossotti has been one busy poet:

New York Quarterly picked up three poems: "An Apology," "For Years" and "Henry's Blues."

Cream City Review out of U. of Wisconsin Milwaukee picked up "Happens Slowly."

Southern Humanities Review out of Auburn took "Decampment" (a seven page poem for which I owe a serious debt of gratitude to Allison's workshop and many others).

I am also a finalist for the North American Review's James Hearst Poetry Prize (Robert Pinsky judging) for my poem "The Dead Cause," which will be published regardless in the spring.

Thanks for everyone who's helped (both in and out of workshop),

Travis Mossotti

Many congrats, Travis!

Web Links:
New York Quarterly
Cream City Review
Southern Humanities Review
North American Review

Congrats to Judy Jordan!

Hearty congratulations to SIU poetry professor Judy Jordan on being awarded an Illinois Arts Council Fellowship in Poetry for 2009!

Details here:
Illinois Arts Council

check out this press release

about third-year fiction student Josh Woods's forthcoming anthology:

Versus press release

Catching Up With Sara Burge (MFA'08)

Some news from Sara Burge (MFA '08, poetry):

The New York Quarterly took three of my poems: "Drive," "Spark," and "Miss Queen City." They have a policy that they only publish one poem per poet per issue, so these poems will be appearing in different issues of NYQ. As of now, I'm not sure when they'll be published, but when I find out, I'll let you know.


Also, I know this is way after the fact, but the reason I wasn't at Devil's Kitchen was because I was invited to read at the faculty invitational here at MSU. It was fun--I read in a big room that was PACKED!! I've never read in front of that many people before, but it was kind of a rush.

Congrats, Sara!

Website:
New York Quarterly

Congrats for these writers!

Congrats to first-year fiction writer Melissa Scholes Young:

"My poem "My Problem" has been accepted for publication in MO: Writings from the River, the literary journal of Montana State University. It will appear in their Spring 09 issue."

and to third-year poet Kerry James Evans:
"My poem "A Year or More" has been accepted for Agni's website."

Congrats, Melissa and Kerry! Happy holidays to all!

Websites:
MO: Writings from the River
AGNI

Catching up with Clint Cargile and Gillian King (MFA '05)

Good news about Gillian King (MFA '05) via her man, Clint Cargile (MFA '05):


Just wanted to pass along that Gillian's short story, The Dead Kid, is in the Winter 2008 issue of Carve Magazine:

Carve

It will also be published in their 2008 anthology sometime next year.

And it was nominated for a Pushcart Prize!

Take care,

Clint

Congrats, Gillian! Great to hear from you both!

Pinckney in Sonora Review with "The Beginnings of Sorrow"

And now a message from fiction faculty member Pinckney Benedict:

"Hi, Allison. Just wanted to pass along the news that my long (about 13,000 words) apocalyptic story "The Beginnings of Sorrow" - in which a talking dog is a secondary character - appears in the most recent issue (#54) of Sonora Review, from the University of Arizona, Tucson. It contains the haunting phrases, "The strong will do what the strong will do. And the weak will bear what they must."'

Good going, PB--way to end the world!

Sonora Review website:
Sonora Review

Guenette Quickie

from Matt Guenette (MFA '99, poetry):

My short poem "Commercial Zoning" is up at decomP.

Here's the web address:
decomP

Melanie Martin (MFA '04) featured poet in new issue of PEARL

Melanie Martin, MFA '04, is the featured poet in the new issue of PEARL (#39, Fall/Winter 2009), a national literary journal based in California. Of Melanie's poems, editor Joan Jobe Smith writes: "In some of the most powerful, beautifully-written poems we've ever come across, she lays bare the emotional reality of a life haunted by loss--of lives and relationships destroyed by mental illness, of a beloved grandmother fading into Alzheimers." Nine of Melanie's poems are featured in this issue, along with a beautiful author photo!

Check out PEARL's website at
PEARL website

Check out a poem by Melanie from "Leaving the Ones Leaving:"
Melanie excerpt

more Kerry James news

Just got this from Kerry James Evans (third-year MFA, poetry):

"I just received an email from Jose A. Rodriguez at Harpur Palate: '"Your poem "Soldier's Apology" has been selected as a
Finalist/Honorable Mention for the Milton Kessler Memorial Prize for Poetry. As such, we'd like to publish it in our next issue."'

Go, Kerry! Congrats!

Harpur Palate is published in New York at Binghamton University. More about them here:

Harpur Palate

SIUC Poets in new issue of RATTLE

Poems by Helena Bell (MFA '08) and Amie Whittemore (current second-year poet) grace the pages of the new issue of RATTLE. Hel's poem is "Dalton's Law," and Amie's is "The Calendar." Amie's poem was an honorable mention in RATTLE's annual poetry contest.

For more about RATTLE, visit

RATTLE website

Congrats to Kerry James Evans!

Third-year poetry MFA student Kerry James Evans has some good news to share:

"Poet Lore took "What Makes the Green Grass Grow" and Spoon River Poetry Review took "Scarab."

Kerry's succinct, isn't he?


For more about the publications Kerry's poems will be appearing in, visit their websites:

Poet Lore:

Poet Lore

Spoon River Poetry Review

Spoon River Poetry Review

Jon Tribble featured in "Ten Questions With..."

Find out Jon's answers at

Jon's answers

Happy news from Rachel Furey!

Third-year fiction writer Rachel Furey has happy news to share:

I'm a bit slow to pass this news along to you, but I wanted to
let you know that like Travis, I will be participating in a
pedagogy forum at AWP with my paper "Reimagining Nonfiction
into Fiction." In addition, my short fiction piece "Mountain
Climbing" took third in the 12th Annual Women Who Write Short
Prose Contest and I'm planning on attending the award
presentation and reading on Dec. 13 in Louisville, KY. I have
some family coming out for it, so I'm pretty stoked about that.


Thanks for the update, Rachel!

REMINDER: Rachel Furey and Josh Woods will be reading their award-winning pieces from the Press 53 Open Competition Awards anthology today at 4PM in the Harry T. Moore Auditorium, Faner Hall, SIUC campus. Free and open to the public!

Campus Writing Contest: Andy P. Smith Award

2009 Andy P. Smith Writing Contest

Calling SIUC Undergraduate and Graduate Students
Any Major

First Prize: $200
1 undergrad and 1 grad

Second Prize: $50
1 undergrad and 1 grad

Topic: How does the geography and environment of Southern Illinois affect your experience as a student?

Length: 1000-1500 words

Submission Format:
Do not write your name or anything that would identify you on the essay. Instead,
submit your essay with a coversheet containing the following information:

Name
Address, Phone #, E-mail (if you are graduating include permanent contact info)
Year in school and major
Essay title

Deliver essays to Emily McQuillian, Awards Coordinator at Faner 2265
Due: January 20, 2009

To get a more detailed explanation or for answers to any questions, contact Emily Mc
Quillan at emcquill@siu.edu. Please put “Smith Award” in the subject line.

Poemspotting: Guest, Meyerhofer, plus a Bond honorable mention

Poems by Paul Guest (MFA '99) and Michael Meyerhofer (MFA '06) appear in the latest issue of River Styx (number 78). Paul's poems are "Remember How Sad That Was When" and "Loyalty Oath"; Michael's poem is "Peccadillo." In addition, David Bond (MFA '98) is cited as an honorable mention in the 2008 River Styx International Poetry Contest.

For more about River Styx, visit
River Styx

Pinckney Benedict Fans Take Note!

"Straight from the Department of Shameless Self-Promotion: I’ve just received copies of THE ECCO ANTHOLOGY OF CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN SHORT FICTION (ed. Joyce Carol Oates and Christopher Beha, Harper Perennial), which contains my story “Mercy.”

Joyce writes in her preface that, in the book, she “hopes to bring together in a reasonably permanent structure the very best and most representative work of [the] era,” in this case the beginning of the 21st c. There are lots of good folks in the volume (48 stories in all) – Sherman Alexie, George Saunders, Jhumpa Lahiri, on and on – sufficiently prominent and skilled to make me both embarrassed and proud to find myself in their company."


Well done, PB! You can be embarrassed; the rest of us will just be proud.

Catching Up With Justin Hamm (MFA'05)

Here's a note from Justin Hamm (MFA '05, fiction):

I thought this might be a good time to resurface after maintaining a rather hermitesque profile for some time. I had a little bit of success publishing my short stories before I left Carbondale, but then I stopped writing for quite some time--taking in those lessons from the program, I suppose, and trying to understand them.

Lately, though, I've been at it again--this time writing, believe it or not, what I like to think of as poetry--and I've had some very modest success. I had a poem, "To the Venerable Bede" appear in Renaissance Magazine's Issue # 61 this summer, and two of my poems, "1434 bruges blues" and "dream: perhaps of futility?", will be appearing in the January/February issue of Oak Bend Review.

Right now I'm teaching high school English in Missouri and listening to too much Bob Dylan. My wife Melissa and I are expecting our first child this February.

Thanks, Allison, and I hope all is well in Carbondale.

Sincerely,

Justin


Congratulations, Justin, on all your good news! Keep in touch!

Upcoming Reading: Press 53 Award Winners Anthology Reading

from Josh Woods:

OPEN AWARDS ANTHOLOGY reading on Wednesday, November 19, at 4:00pm in the Harry T. Moore Auditorium, Faner Hall. Rachel Furey will be reading "Mississippi Mud," the winner in Non-Fiction, and Josh Woods will be reading "The Exorcise Machine," the winner in Genre. See you there!

for information about the Press 53 Open Awards Competition, visit
2009 Guidelines

AWP Conference News and Notes

The 2009 AWP Conference in Chicago is sure to be a good time. The MFA Program in Creative Writing at SIUC will be a conference sponsor, and the program will also hold a reception for alumni during the conference.

Faculty members Jon Tribble, Allison Joseph and Rodney Jones will be featured on panels during the conference. Current poetry MFA student Travis Mossotti will be participating in the Pedagogy Forum with his paper "Circumstances of Composition: A Collaborative Writing Exercise" an entry developed from the Surrealism exercise he designed for the last summer's Young Writers Workshop.

for more information about the upcoming AWP Conference, visit the website at
AWP

Career Talk Today Moved to New Room in Student Center

Please note change in initially announced location for this talk: no longer in Saline, moved to Illinois Room!

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, ILLINOIS ROOM

Sponsored by the Graduate Writers Forum
Southern Illinois University Carbondale

Congratulations to Janelle Blasdel!

Janelle Blasdel, a first-year MFA in fiction, has happy Election Day news to share:

Hi Allison,

I was told to pass along my good news...my short story "Vampire Crop" was accepted for publication in MAIN STREET RAG'S upcoming spring anthology on small town stories! Fun stuff.

Happy election day,
Janelle

Congrats, Janelle! Those Main Street Rag folks like our fiction writers, don't they? Janelle is the third currently-enrolled fiction writer to have work accepted for a Main Street Rag anthology, after Rachel Furey and Josh Woods.


Here's a link to Main Street Rag's current call for fiction:

Main Street fiction anthology info

Irish Studies Presents a Lecture and Two Literary Readings!

Beth Lordan, SIUC creative writing faculty member and director of our Irish and Irish Diaspora Studies Program, sends news of upcoming literary readings:

--John McAuliffe, poet and Irish exchange alum,author of A BETTER LIFE and NEXT DOOR, co-director of Manchester (England)
University's Centre for New Writing, will read at 4 pm Monday November 10
in the Mississippi Room;

--on Wednesday November 12 at 4 in the Mississippi Room, Galway poets Kevin Higgins (author of THE BOY WITH NO FACE) and Susan Millar DuMars (author of BIG PINK UMBRELLA) will read.

--For those with a taste for talk about what's already written, Anne Fogarty, the first Fanning Medalist in Irish Studies, will give a public lecture at 7 pm in the Mississippi Room on figurations of abuse in contemporary Irish writing. Modest receptions follow all events.

Reading and Drinking: November '08 edition

from mistress of ceremonies, Amie Whittemore:

Hey independent clauses and prepositional phrases,

R&D is back in red, white, and blue this Wednesday, November 5th! So join us for
some post election merriment/downtroddenness/confusion/hullabooity or whatever
you'll be feeling on this Historical Wednesday.

The info:

Where: Melange, 607 S. Illinois Avenue, Carbondale, IL
When: November 5th 7pm
What: The Win, Lose, or Draw R&D featuring poetry, fiction, music, bedazzlement,
trivia, and absurdity in healthy doses.


Spread the word!


Adverbially yours,

~ Amie

And speaking of Kevin McKelvey (MFA '04, poetry)

an early-morning note from Kevin himself:


"I've had a few good months, to say the least. I started a new project last winter on water, water usage, watershed health and the Wabash River in Indiana, and three of those poems have been accepted for publication. "Siipiiwi" will appear in Alehouse. The Pinch picked up "After seining the Wabash River near a train trestle on the Indiana-Illinois border." And the Tipton Poetry Journal, which was started in and named after my mother's home county in Indiana, published "Prophetstown" in Issue 10.

CUTTHROAT, a journal of the arts, accepted "Wampus Cat Token" from my "Deam Wilderness" manuscript.

Also, I'll be reading poems from my "Deam Wilderness" manuscript at the 22nd Annual Conference of The Society for Literature, Science, and the Arts in Charlotte, NC on Nov. 14.

And the new job at the University of Indianapolis is keeping me busy, especially with editing and publishing classes and other writing classes."

Thanks for the update, Kevin!