Re: poem acceptance!

Great news this Monday for first-year poet Maggie Graber:

Just wanted to let you know for the blog...my poem "Late Night Shift
at the Radio Station" was picked up by Black Heart Magazine.

Congrats to Sequoia Nagamatsu!

Second-year fiction MFA Sequoia Nagamatsu was named a finalist in the Third Coast Fiction Contest!!

Details here:
Third Coast

forthcoming publication for Adrienne Rivera (MFA '12)

Fabulous news from fiction writer Adrienne Rivera (MFA '12):

Copper Nickel is going to publish my short story "Murdered Girl."
This is my first publication ever, so I am pretty pleased.

Great news, AD!!!

Pinckney Benedict online reading and Q&A - Wednesday, April 18, 6 PM Eastern

SIUC fiction prof Pinckney Benedict will be reading from his work on Wednesday, online!

I'm doing an online video "event" tomorrow, Wednesday, April 18, at 6 PM Eastern time. It's an experiment - you all know me well enough to be aware of what a gadget guy I am, and it seems to me that this latest gadget will have some role in how book tours and such are done in the (near) future. I'll be giving a brief reading from Miracle Boy and Other Stories, and then there will be a Q&A period, during which webcam-equipped attendees (who can virtually raise their hands!) can ask me questions and so on.

I freely admit that I have no idea how this will go, so you're likely to see me fall flat on my face, or hit the wrong button and blip out of existence. What could be better?

Hit the link below to add yourself to the guest list. The event coordinators will then send you an email with the link to the actual reading, as well as a reminder when the reading is about to start. There's no software to install, as the whole thing works in a conventional browser.

Hope to see ("see") some of you there ("there").

http://www.eventbrite.com/event/3301840895/efbnen 

A scholarship for and a tip from Rachel Furey

Rachel Furey (MFA '09, fiction) writes with good news (and an inside tip):

The scholarship I received from the Highlights Foundation is $600
toward a Young Adult Boot Camp in June with Rich Wallace and Kathryn
Erskine. The folks at the foundation asked that I spread the word to
other writers, so if others are interested in children's/YA writing,
they might check out the list of workshops:

http://www.highlightsfoundation.org/fw-sched-preview/

They're happy to answer any questions and send a scholarship
application via email.

Congrats, Rachel, and thanks!!!

Congrats to Patrick Hunt!

First-year fiction MFA Patrick Hunt has this great news:

I'll have an upcoming short story, "Sooyoung at the Shore," in the
Spring 2012 issue of The Bellingham Review, which I think is coming
out later this month or next.

Congrats, Patrick!

SIUC MFA students to be featured in Paducah, KY

Poet Staci Schoenfeld and fiction writer Sequoia Nagamatsu will be the SIU readers at the Rivertown Reading Series in Paducah, KY on Saturday April 21 at the Yeiser Center for the Arts. The reading will begin at 7:30 pm at 200 Broadway Street. Congrats Sequoia and Staci!

Coming Soon: the Little Grassy Literary Festival

SIUC's annual spring literary festival, the Little Grassy Literary Festival, is back again for 2012.

April 11-April 13:

Read about it here:
Festival News Release

Poemspotting: Mark Brewin

Publication news for Mark Brewn (MFA 11, poetry):

A piece of mine was selected as Poem of the Month a while back and has
been posted on The
Pinch's website. It's a longer piece titled, "Seven Places I Have Found My
Grandmother in the Last Six Years."

http://www.thepinchjournal.com/poem-of-the-month/current/

Congrats, MB!

2012 Roxana Rivera Memorial Poetry Contest Winners

Announcing the Winners of the 2012 Roxana Rivera Memorial Poetry Contest
SPONSORED BY THE CREATIVE WRITING PROGRAM AND THE WOMEN'S STUDIES PROGRAM
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY CARBONDALE

Judge Catherine Pierce, poet and professor at Mississippi State
University has chosen to honor the following poets and poems:

UNDERGRADUATE WINNERS:
Winner: Jessica Lynn Suchon for "When you glimpse his hand, the heel
of his shoe,"

Runner Up: Jeffrey Haynes for "My Great Aunt Dies of Creeping
Paralysis at Age Sixteen"
Runner Up: Jessica Lynn Suchon for "The Anatomy of Guilt"

GRADUATE WINNERS:
Winner: Max Schleicher for "Story"

Runner Up: Ruth Awad for
"A Name for the Year's Longest Night: My Father's Grade-School Crush
Among the Maronite Militia"
Runner Up: Austin Kodra for "Parentless, In Her Childhood Home"

Please join us on Thursday, March 29 2012 at 7 pm in the SIUC Student
Center Mackinaw Room for an awards ceremony featuring a reading from
our judge, Catherine Pierce, author of The Girls of Peculiar and
Famous Last Words, both published by Saturnalia Books. The winners
will also read their award-winning poems. There will be a booksigning
and reception in the Faner Humanities Lounge after the ceremony.

The Roxana Rivera Memorial Poetry Contest honors the memory of Roxana
Rivera, who was a poet and graduate student in English at Southern
Illinois University Carbondale at the time of her death in 2003.

Congrats to Max Schleicher!

Second-year poet Max Schleicher has great Friday news:

Good news. My poem "White Tent City" has been picked up by the Irish
magazine "The Stinging Fly."

Congrats, Max!!!!

Allison Joseph Receives AWP's Garrett Award

SIUC MFA Program Director Allison Joseph is the 2012 recipient of the George Garrett Award for Outstanding Community Service in Literature:

Details here:

Joseph receives Garrett

Publication Forthcoming: Ruth Awad

I'm very excited and honored to announce that my poem "Karantina
Massacre" will be published by The New Republic and seen in print
during the next year. I'll keep you posted on a more specific date.
Happiness!

Congrats, Ruth!!! Excellent publication!

Publication Forthcoming: Andrew McSorley!

Second-year MFA Andrew McSorley has upcoming publication news:

The Lindenwood Review took my poem, "Winter's Ritual." Should be out this summer.

Congrats, Andrew!!!

Now Available: new poetry chapbook by Ingrid Moody!!

Poetry alum Ingrid Moody (MFA '07) has a new chapbook just published by Texas Review Press:

After a year of waiting...my book of poetry, Learning About Fire, has just been released from Texas Review Press! Check it out here:

Learning About Fire

Congrats, Ingrid!!!

Women's Words Reading is Tonight!

To help celebrate 2012 Women's History Month, come hear the lovely ladies of SIUC's MFA program read their fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. Tell your friends. Tell your students. Come out. Help us kick off 2012 Women's History Month programming in great fashion. Spread the word!

Readers include Ruth Awad, Jenny Flack, Brett Gaffney, Staci Schoenfeld, Maggie Graber, Alberta Skaggs, Allison Joseph, Jung Hae Chae, and Judy Jordan.

SIU Student Center, Missouri Room, 7 pm, March 8, 2012

Fantastic News for Jared (JY) Sexton!!!

MFA "08 fiction alum Jared (JY) Sexton has wonderful news:

I'm going to be the new Fiction and Screenwriting professor at Georgia Southern in Fall '12. It's bittersweet because I'm looking forward to the new post, but I'm leaving a lot of lovely people and the state I adore. Thanks to everyone who's been supportive over the last few weeks, and Go Eagles.

Congrats, Jared, and best of luck in Statesboro!

Nick Ostdick score!

Congrats to third-year fiction writer Nick Ostdick:

Fresh off AWP Chicago tomfoolery, I'm pleased to say The Northville
Review has accepted my short story 'Thursday' for an upcoming issue.
Neat, right?

Very neat. Congrats, NO!

News Update from Melissa Scholes Young (MFA '11)

An update from fiction grad Melissa Scholes Young

It seems I'll be employed again next year. The Literature Department
of American University has offered me another contract to keep doing
what I do. I'm a lucky lady, indeed.

Also, The Truth About the Fact, the literary journal of Loyola
Marymount University, has accepted my nonfiction essay "On the Verge
of Everything" for spring publication. Hopefully, I'll be out in LA
in April to read for their launch party.

www.thetruthabouthefact.com

Conclave: A Journal of Character is publishing a short story of mine
entitled "The Application" due out in their October print edition.

http://www.conclavejournal.com/

Rachel Furey (MFA '09) Update

Fiction alum Rachel Furey (MFA '09) continues to impress:

I hope all is well in Carbondale. I thought I'd pass along the good
news that my story "The Biology Bee" won the William Richey Short
Fiction Contest and will be published in Yemassee.

The editor of Fifth Wednesday Journal also let me know about this kind
review:

http://www.newpages.com/literary-magazine-reviews/2012/02-15/#Fifth-Wednesday-Journal

Great work, Rachel!!!

Good News for John Stanford Owen

Third-year poet John Stanford Owen has great news:

I'm happy to announce StorySouth has picked up "His Knives," the
longest poem in my manuscript.

Congrats, JSO!

News from Andrew McFadyen-Ketchum (MFA '09)

Here's an update from Andrew McFadkyen-Ketchum (MFA "09, poetry):

Man, sorry I haven't sent you anything in so long. It's been a pretty
amazing 12 months or so, but the first few weeks of 2012 have been
just out of control. The highlights:

"Corridor" and "Driving into the Cumberland" were selected to be in
The Southern Poetry Anthology: Tennessee

My anthology proposal for a book of Apocalyptic Lit (working title
Apocalypse Now: Poems and Prose from the End of Days) was accepted by
Upper Rubber Boot Books

I was given first prize in the Emerging Poets Prize awarded by
Methodist University's 22nd Southern Writers Symposium.

I just became (today!) a Contributing Editor for Southern Literary
Review. Check out my web-column called "poetry=am^k" (The title was
Ron Mitchell's idea, not mine) on their website,
http://www.usi.edu/sir/.

And I had 3 panels taken by AWP that are going to be awesome. I have a
feeling you may know a few of the participants:

F114. Redefining Lyric: Five Poets Featured on PoemoftheWeek.org Read
Their Work on Friday at 9:00, F138. Apocalypse Now: A Multi-Genre
Reading of Apocalyptic Literature on Friday at 10:30, and F149.
Ghostwriting the Eulogy: How to Survive and Make Your Name beyond the
Academy with a Degree in Creative Writing at noon.

Congrats on all this, AMK!

News Update from Jared (JY) Sexton (MFA '08)

Fiction alum Jared (JY) Sexton writes with a good news update:

My story "A Man Gets Tired" is forthcoming from PANK, "Now I Am Become
Death, Destroyer of Worlds" is forthcoming in Pulp Modern, "Everybody
Must Give Something Back for Something They Get" is forthcoming in The
Platte Valley Review, "The Right Men For the Job" appeared in 10,000
Tons of Black Ink, "Mediation" appeared in the newest issue of The
Raleigh Review and was nominated for the Million Writers Award, "It is
Wide and It is Deep" appeared in Prime Mincer and was nominated for a
Pushcart, I was named Managing Editor at BULL and was just interviewed
by The Review Review, and Atticus Books just announced that my first
collection, "An End to All Things," will be released November 23rd,
Black Friday, later this year.

Congrats on all this bounty, Jared!

Nick Ostdick nominated!

Third year fiction MFA Nick Ostdick has great news too!

My story "Storms" has been nominated for a 2012 Pushcart Prize! Kinda
stoked, not gonna lie.

Stoked for you, Nick!

upcoming publication for John Stanford Owen

The good news keeps on coming--this time from third-year poet John
Stanford Owen:

I'm happy to announce "First Barrow" will be appearing in the Southeast Review.

Congrats, JSO!!!

More Brewin doings

Looks like they just can't get enough of poetry alum Mark Brewin (MFA
'11) in Memphis:

It seems that The Pinch is so interested in my work that the
Editor-and-Chief just emailed me and asked that besides having my poem
"Seven Places..." as the April "Poem of the Month" that she would love
one of her favorites of my submission "Lily of the Valley" be printed
in the upcoming issue as well!

Congrats, MJB!

Catching Up with Brooks Rexroat (MFA '11)

Fiction alum Brooks Rexroat also has a lot of great news in his update:

An update for the blog:

My hyper-short story "Vacuum" appeared in issue 21 of Boston Literary
Magazine. It's out in print and online at
http://www.bostonliterarymagazine.com/fall11dribble.html.

The Jet Fuel Review at Lewis University published "Five Meals in
Paris" in its fall edition. http://jetfuelreview.com/?page_id=749

"In the Center" was included in the first issue of Literary Juice.
http://www.literaryjuice.com/#/in-the-center/4558199081

Generations Literary Magazine has accepted the story "Wisdom of Age"
for its upcoming third print edition.

The folks at Alt Hist Fiction have posted an interview with me. It's
up online, along with an excerpt from my story "To the Stars," which
came out in the new edition of that publication.
http://althistfiction.com/2012/01/13/interview-with-brooks-rexroat-author-of-to-the-stars/

My story "Destroying New Boston," which was first published last July
by The Cleveland Review was the story of the day for Jan. 31 at
http://fictiondaily.org

"Last Night" was chosen by author Louise Doughty from among 700
submissions as one of six finalists for the Telegraph Newspaper's
(England) Short Story Competition.

I've also got a Web site up and running at brooksrexroat.com

Catching up with Tim Marsh (MFA '06, fiction)

Fiction alum Tim Marsh (MFA '06) has loads of great news:

Hey Allison! Hope the new year is treating you right! Things are
pretty awesome on this end. It's been a while and a lot of things have
happened:

Publications: New Plains Review has just published my essay "Patience"
in their latest issue; The Kartika Review has just included one of my
pieces "Banjar Dalung" in their 2011 Anthology of Asian Pacific
Islander American Literature, available on Lulu and Amazon; Ninth
Letter will be publishing my nonfiction piece, "Something Californian"
in their Spring 2012 issue; Quiddity will be publishing another essay
of mine in their 2012 issue, due out in the spring I think.

Fellowships: I've received a full bursary from the Tenot Foundation in
France, which grants me 6 weeks at the CAMAC Centre d'Arts, in
Marnay-sur-Seine, not far from Paris. Utterly stoked about this. I've
also received a scholarship to the Can Serrat International Arts
Center and will be spending June as a writer-in-residence in
Montserrat, Spain.

Bigger News: Though I'm not totally committed to this yet, I also just
received a conditional acceptance into the Aberystwyth PhD Creative
Writing Program in Wales. I'm a finalist for a departmental
scholarship that would fund my entire first year...so please keep your
fingers crossed, and anything else on your body that can overlap.

More publication news for Mark Brewin!

More great news for Mark Brewin (MFA '11):

I am happy to say that my poem "On Thunderstorms" was recently accepted for
publication at Georgetown Review, as well as my poem "Seven Places I Have
Found My Grandmother in the Last Six Years" which was not only accepted at
The Pinch, but will be featured as their "Poem of the Month" for April!

Congrats, Brewin! Wonderful!

2012 Roxana Rivera Poetry Contest Guidelines

ANNOUNCING THE 2012 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:

$50 for the winning entry, $25 for two runner-ups

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: "Her Body, Her Self"

DEADLINE: Friday, March 23, 2012 at 4pm

Submission Guidelines: Send an entry packet with:

1) A cover sheet with your name, address, phone number, e-mail address, and poem title(s). Indicate on your cover sheet whether you are an undergraduate or graduate student.

2) No identifying information on the poems themselves, please. One poem per page. There is no entry fee, but there is a limit of three poems per entrant. When sending entries via e-mail, please send in rtf or doc file format (no docx) —send all poems as one file.

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

Entries accepted via e-mail only at
roxpoetrycontest-AT-gmail.com

(replace -AT- with @ in sending e-mail).

Winners will be honored at a special awards ceremony to be held March 29, 2012.

Re: publication news

Congrats to third-year poet Jung Hae Chae!

So happy to share news that my poem, "Happiness" found a
home--Georgetown Review will publish it in 2012 or 13 or 14 (strange,
but they didn't confirm the exact date). No complaints though.

Something to look forward to! Congrats, Jung!

Congrats to Melissa Scholes Young!

Great news for MFA '11 fiction grad Melissa Scholes Young:

I just got word that my short story "Holding Hands," which used to be
called "Anywhere But Here," will be published with Sliver of Stone. I
saw that they published your awesome naked mole rat poem, so I know
I'm in good company. The story is the first in my short story
collection, and I'm pretty proud it finally found a home.

Congrats, MSY!!!

Also:

I have an interview with Ana Menendez up at Fiction Writers Review:

Menendez interview

My past interviews with Devil's Kitchen's own Danielle Evans and Jennine Capo Crucet are over there, too.

Spectacular News for fiction alum Chad Simpson

Delightful news for MFA '05 grad Chad Simpson--his story collection "Tell Everyone I Said Hi"--has won the 2012 Iowa Short Fiction Prize!!!!

Details here
Iowa winners

Congrats to Brett Gaffney!!

First-year poetry MFA Brett Gaffney has great news to share:

Precipitate just accepted by poem "La Isla de las Muñecas, Xochimilco, Mexico."

Congrats, Brett!!!

Helena "Hel" Bell update

Congrats to Helena Bell (MFA '08) on the new story publication:

"All the Young Kirks and Their Good Intentions" is now live at Clarkesworld!

http://clarkesworldmagazine.com/bell_02_12/

Alex Lumans: Recent Publications

Word from fiction grad Alex Lumans (MFA '09):

A story of mine entitled "Eighty-SIx Ways to Cross One Desert" was
accepted by Fifty-Two Stories. And Booth took a story called "Phys Ed
112: You and Your Apocalypse."

Hobart also accepted a story of mine that's told in tweets called
"Twitterfeed: TheSinner'sCorpse." It's up now:
http://www.hobartpulp.com/website/january/lumans.html

I also have a story starting today at Necessary Fiction called
"Acknowledge the Corn" for their Origin Stories Month:
http://necessaryfiction.com/writerinres

And The Collagist will soon publish my book review of Michael Griffith's Trophy.

Congrats on everything, Lumans!

Congrats to Leslie Adams!

Third year MFA poetry student Leslie Adams sends this great news all
the way from France:

West Branch will be taking "Half-Water Meditation," "Men Eating
Alone," "Meditation with Lines from Wallace Stevens," and "The Beach
House." It's great when some of your favorites get picked up together!

All best, and miss you all,

Leslie

Congrats, Leslie!

Congrats to Max Schleicher!

Great news this morning from third-year poetry MFA Max Schleicher:

Lake Effect is publishing my poems "Hunger Weather" and "January
Coyote." My first pub.

Congrats, Max!!!

forthcoming story for Helena "Hel" Bell

MFA '08 grad Helena "Hel" Bell writes with this lovely news:

Clarkesworld Magazine (you may remember that they published a story by
Alex Lumans a while back) has accepted "All the Young Kirks and Their
Good Intentions" Will send a link when it goes live.

Congrats, Hel!!!

New Poem from Mark Brewin

Recent MFA grad Mark Brewin has a new poem up on line at Mason's Road:

"...just came out today from Mason's Road. It's a longer piece
titled, "Letter about my last night in Carbondale, Illinois."

http://www.masonsroad.com/issue-4/poetry-issue-4-2/letter-about-my-last-night-in-carbondale-illinois-to-colin-joseph-campbell/

Congrats, Brewin!

Congrats to Andrew McSorley!

Lovely news for second-year poet Andrew McSorley:

Rougarou, the online literary journal at the University of Louisiana,
Lafayette took my poem "Backyard Rink."

Congrats, Andy!!!!

Congrats to Shawn Mitchell!

Third-year fiction student Shawn Mitchell shares this great news:

I had an essay on the Cuirt Literary Festival picked up for the next
issue of P&W!

Congrats, Shawn!

Congrats to Staci Schoenfeld and Brett Gaffney!

Some fine news for two first-year poets:

First-year poetry MFA student Staci Schoenfeld has publication news:

I just received word that nibble will publish two of my poems -
"Desire from A to Z" and "Valentine" in their next issue!

Congrats, Staci!!

First year poetry MFA student Brett Gaffney also has publication news:

The Medulla Review accepted two of my poems into their next (all women) issue
The poems are "Night People" and "The Scream Queen."

Congrats, Brett!!

Congrats to Brenna Lemieux (MFA '11)

Great news for poetry alum Brenna Lemieux:

I'm writing with the glad tidings that three of my poems have recently
been accepted for publication: "Someone Else's Pain" and "Mrs. Eder's
Sunday School Class" got picked up by Bellevue Literary Review, and
"The Gospel of Household Plants" was accepted by cream city review.

Congrats to Mark Jay Brewin, Jr!

Congrats to Mark Brewin (MFA '11, poetry):

I am pleased to say that my poems "On Sea Glass" and "Mother('s)-"
(which won third place in the Roxana Rivera contest) have been
accepted to be printed in the Fall/Winter Issue of Interrobang?!,
while my poem "A Turn of Phrase" is being featured on the main page of
their website:

http://www.interrobangzine.com/poetry/a-turn-of-phrase-mark-jay-brewin-jr/

Check it out. It's nice to have a little online presence.

Great news, Mark! Congrats!

Congrats to Melissa Scholes Young (MFA '11, fiction)

News from Melissa Scholes Young (MFA '11, fiction):

Saw Palm accepted my nonfiction piece entitled "Bean Point" and I have
a poem, "Escape from Brazil" coming out in the next issue of Tampa
Review. I also have an interview with Ana Menendez being published
with the good folks at Fiction Writers Review. I'll let you know when
it's live.

Congrats, MSY!

Congrats to Jung Hae Chae!

Third-year poetry MFA Jung Hae Chae has great news:

I'm delighted to share news of my upcoming publication (first ever!).
My poem, "Dream of the Forest Inside Desert," will be published in
Third Coast in Fall 2012.

Congrats, Jung!!!

Congrats to Mark Jay Brewin, Jr.

Congrats to Mark Brewn (MFA '11, poetry) on another forthcoming publication!

I am happy to say that my poem, "Letter about my last night in
Carbondale, Illinois" was accepted for publication in Mason's Road out
of Fairfield University. It's a long one, too. Another poem that would
have never come to be--skill or subject wise--if I hadn't attended the
wonderful MFA program at SIUC. Missing all of you.

Lumans update: Pushcart Nomination

Congrats to Alex Lumans (MFA '09, fiction):

The Journal has decided to nominate my story, "The American Indian is
Dead," which came out in their spring issue and which is still up on
their website, for a Pushcart Prize. I'm now indebted forever to them.

Lumans

Publication Alert: Rick Pechous

Congrats to Rick Pechous (MFA '11) on this newly published story:

It'd be great if you could post the link to this story I wrote a while
back that just came out today from Nashville Review. It's a longer
piece titled, "The Eagle Has Conjured Itself into a Dry Leaf Floating
in the Wind."

Nashville Review

Publication Alert: Ruth Awad

Congrats to Ruth Awad (MFA '12, poetry)

I'm happy to pass along news that RHINO has accepted my poem "Winter
Salat" for publication and will be out in print in April 2012.
Huzzah!

Congrats, Ruth!

SIUC faculty poet to read at Tusculum College

SIUC faculty poet Allison Joseph will read from her work at Tusculum College in Greeneville, TN on December 1:

Joseph reads

Congrats to Travis Mossotti!!

Upcoming publications from Travis Mossotti (MFA '11, poetry):

"The Logger" is forthcoming at Fourth River (another eight-page poem)
"Midnight, After the Snowstorm" is forthcoming at The Briar Cliff Review
"Trends Motel" is forthcoming at River Styx (Honorable Mention for their
International Poetry Prize)

Congrats, TM!

congrats to Amie Whittemore!!!

Amie Whittemore (MFA '10, poetry) has news of recent accepted work:

My poems "Tadpole Season" and "In Which Great Aunt Whitt Becomes the
Patron Saint of Leaving" have been accepted for publication by
Cimarron Review.

My short story "Pythagorean Theorem" has been accepted for publication
by Valparaiso Fiction Review.

Congrats, Amie!!!

Alumni Alert: News from Chad Simpson (MFA '05)

Fiction alum Chad Simpson (MFA '05) sends fine news as well:

I have a bit of news for the blog:

My story "Your Place in the World" is included in the latest issue of
Midwestern Gothic, along with work by a couple of other SIUC folks.

My essay "On Helplessness" was recently published in Fifth Wednesday Journal.

And: My chapbook, Phantoms, previously sold out, was recently
re-released by Origami Zoo Press as an e-book for the Kindle.
http://www.amazon.com/Phantoms-ebook/dp/B006584WGY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1321545258&sr=8-1

http://midwestgothic.com/

http://fifthwednesdayjournal.org/

Staci Schoenfeld publications forthcoming!

First-year poetry MFA Staci Schoenfeld also has great news:

I just received the news that The Dead Mule School of Southern
Literature will publish my poems "World Wide Web," "Exploring the
Boundaries of Comfort," and "Kentucky Woman" in March 2012.

Congrats, Staci!!!

Andrew McSorley publication forthcoming!

Second-year poetry MFA student Andrew McSorley writes this great news:

Good publication news: The Minnesota Review accepted my poem, "Hunting
Poy Sippi Swamp" for their Spring 2012 issue! Good things.

Congrats, McSorley!

Nick Ostdick on a roll!

More great news from Nick Ostdick (third-year fiction):

The title story for my thesis/collection, 'Somewhere Between This
World and Another,' has just been picked up by THE2NDHAND for their
broadside series. Looks like it'll go to print in early 2012. Not too
shabby.

Congrats to Nick Ostdick!

Third-year fiction writer Nick Ostdick has more good news:

The First Line has accepted my story Accidents Happen for their winter
issue. It should be out in a few months, I think, and it's a paying
gig too! I'll take that.

Congrats, NO!

Come Join Our Faculty: Fiction Position Announcement

The English Department at SIU Carbondale seeks applications to fill a faculty
position at the level of tenure-track Assistant Professor in fiction writing for
the Creative Writing Program. Candidates must possess an earned MFA or PhD in
fiction writing or a related field, a record of national publications, and
teaching experience. Principal responsibilities include teaching undergraduate
and graduate level courses, maintaining a successful publication record in the
area of expertise, and serving on departmental, college, and/or university
committees. Application deadline: 12/23/11 or until filled. Send letter of
application, current c.v., and writing sample to Professor Michael R. Molino,
Chair, Department of English, Mail Code 4503, SIU Carbondale, 1000 Faner Dr.,
Carbondale, IL 62901. SIU Carbondale is an affirmative action/equal opportunity
employer that strives to enhance its ability to develop a diverse faculty and
staff and to increase its potential to serve a diverse student population. All
applications are welcomed and encouraged and will receive consideration.

SIUC writers are taking the show on the road!

This semester Writers On the Road heads up to Champaign via U of I's
MFA program, and this Saturday at 5:30 PM at the Indi Go Artist Co-Op
in downtown Champaign, SIUC MFA's Josh Bontrager, Jenny Flack, Austin
Kodra, Shawn Mitchell, and Nick Ostdick will read their work, rock the
house, etc. Should be fun!

poetry publication alert: Mark Brewin (MFA 11, poetry)

Good news today from poetry alum Mark Brewin (MFA '11, poetry):

I am pleased to say that The Hollins Critic has accepted my poem
"Conversion" for publication.

Congrats, Mark!

Congrats to Nick Ostdick!

Third-year fiction MFA Nick Ostdick is on a roll:

Very stoked to say my short story 'Woundedness' has just been accepted for publication by the good folks at Main Street Rag for their Secrets anthology, forthcoming in 2012.

Congrats, NO!!!

Congrats to Maggie Graber!

First-year poetry MFA student Maggie Graber also has publication news:

I just got news from Yes, Poetry that they're accepting my poem "4
Poets and a Bicycle Walk Through Empty Parking Lot" and it will be
featured in their January issue.

Congrats, MG!!!!

Congrats to Sequoia Nagamatsu!

Second-year fiction MFA Sequoia Nagamatsu has great news:

West Branch will be accepting my story, Before You Melt into the Sea,
for their web edition (w/ some cash to boot). The person that emailed
me was also the former editor at the Kenyon Review for a while and
said he had advocated for my work in the past, which was also an added
bonus to say the least. Yay!

Congrats, Sequoia! Well done!

Devil's Kitchen Literary Festival Event Schedule: 2011

This week is the 10th! annual Devil's Kitchen Literary Festival:

Information here:
Festival Schedule

Congrats to Mark Brewin!

Mark Brewin (MFA '11, poetry) writes with happy publication news:

I am pleased to say that Copper Nickel has accepted for publication my
poem "Turkey Point."

a new anthology is born!

Congrats to third-year fiction writer Nick Ostdick, who writes this
morning with very fine news:

Some big news, actually. I've spent the last few months working on
this and I'm overjoyed to say my anthology of short stories inspired
by hair metal songs is forthcoming mid 2012 from Orange Alert Press, a
Chicago-based indie publisher. The anthology is called Hair Lit, Vol.
1, and is packed with amazing writers. Seriously, it's pretty insane.
I'm thrilled!

Superb work, Nick! Congrats!

Newly Published: Imaginary Logic by Rodney Jones

Rodney Jones, poet and longtime SIUC faculty poet, is celebrating the publication of his new book, Imaginary Logic!

Details here:
Imaginary Logic

Panel for Undergrads Considering the MFA: Thursday, 4 pm, Faner Humanities Lounge

the SIUC Graduate Writers Forum will be hosting an MFA program
Application/Info panel for undergrads interested in pursuing an MFA in
the near future. Please notify any students you think may be
interested in such a session. We'll be discussing funding, the nuts
and bolts of application packets, letters of reference, statements of
purpose, the GRE, writing samples, and what exactly the value of an
MFA is/isn't. The panel will be on Thursday, October 20th in the Faner
Humanities Lounge.

Exciting news for first year poet Maggie Graber!

First-year MFA in poetry Maggie Graber has great Friday news:

My following poems will be featured in the summer 2012 issue of Avatar Review:

"Bees Turn House into Hive"
"In the Garden"
"Poem for the Glassmaker"
"The Sweatshirt"

Congrats, Maggie!

LINK:
Avatar Review

Congrats to Melissa Scholes Young!

Melissa Scholes Young (MFA '11, fiction) writes with news of publication:

I have a poem entitled "Safety" up at Switched-on Gutenberg Issue 17:
Accidental. Judy, Mark, and Brenna had their hands all over this one.

http://www.switched-ongutenberg.org/current/Young.htm

Congrats, MSY

Mini-Conference on "Life After the MFA": October 15, 2011

On Saturday (yes, you read that right) Oct 15th, SIUC faculty poet
and MFA Program Director
Allison Joseph will lead a mini-conference on "life after the MFA."

Here's the mini-conference schedule:

1-3pm: CVs and Resumes, Academic Job Searches (How to read a job posting)

break

3:30 pm-5pm: Non Academic Jobs for MFAs, getting recommendations,
post-MFA fellowships, writing colonies andconferences; Should I get
another degree?

We will meet in the Faner Humanities Lounge.

Judy Jordan to speak for Sigma Tau Delta

SIUC faculty poet Judy Jordan will speak and read new poems for Sigma Tau Delta on Thursday, October 13th at 6 pm in the SIUC Student Center Mackinaw Room. All are welcome to attend.

Congrats to Nick Ostdick!

Happy news from Nick Ostdick (third-year fiction):

Super good news this morning: my short-short 'Junk' has been accepted
for publication by the Emprise Review for their forthcoming issue. No
firm date yet, but very cool. Thanks!

Congrats, NO!!!

Congrats to Beth Lordan!

Congrats to fiction faculty member Beth Lordan whose story "A Useful
Story" (which first appeared in New England Review, volume 31, number
1) has been cited as a "Distinguished Story of 2010" in Best American
Short Stories 2011!

Catching Up with Travis Mossotti (MFA '10)

Here's what Travis Mossotti (MFA '10, poetry) has been up to:

Pub Updates:
Got two: "Dust" got picked up at Burnside Review (with a reading in
Portland, OR at the Crow Manor House Wednesday, February 22, 2012);
"Santorini" got picked up at Cream City Review.

Other:
Interview with Tim Green should also be coming out soon with Rattle.
Edward Byrne at Valparaiso Poetry Review nominated "My Brother's
House" for "Best of the Net 2011." I'll be down in your neck of the
woods this Friday, October 7th: Reading @ 4pm in Harry T. Moore
Auditorium. Reading at the River Styx Reading Series in St. Louis with
Erika Meitner on Monday, October 17th @ 7:30pm @ Duff's in the CWE.
Invited to the Utah Humanities Book Festival October 26th & 27th for a
reading at the Salt Lake City Main Public Library, a screening of
"Decampment," followed by a reading at Utah State University the next
day.

See you soon, TM!

Congrats to Staci Schoenfeld!

First-year poet Staci Schoenfeld has these upcoming publications to announce:

My poem "Misdiagnosed" will be published in the Fall 2011 issue of
Appalachian Heritage. "Miscellaneous Merchandise" and "On the Way Home
from Lexington to Frankfort Via Leestown Road" will be published in
Accents Publishing's Bigger Than They Appear: Anthology of Very Short
Poems in November.

Congrats, Staci!!!

Shawn Mitchell update

Third-year fiction student Shawn Mitchell has been very busy:

I've got a few things up over at the Fiction Writers Review, inc.:

An appreciation/review of Pinckney Benedict's "Miracle Boy":

http://fictionwritersreview.com/reviews/miracle-boy-and-other-stories-by-pinckney-benedict

which is the book of the week over there right now!

An interview/conversation with Elif Batuman and Geoff Dyer at the Cuirt
Festival in Galway:
http://fictionwritersreview.com/interviews/writing-whatever-you-want-whenever-you-want-to-write-it-a-conversation-with-elif-batuman-and-geoff-dyer

A short appreciation of the Granta Book of the Irish Short Story:
http://fictionwritersreview.com/blog/stories-we-love-the-granta-book-of-the-irish-short-story

In fiction:

My story "The Pink Missive" just ran over at Johnny America just
today: http://www.johnnyamerica.net/
My story "She Was Beautiful, Yes" ran over at The Montreal Review awhile ago:
http://www.themontrealreview.com/2009/She-Was-Beautiful-Yes.php

Congrats, Shawn!

SIUC Poet to Read at Central Methodist University

SIUC faculty poet Allison Joseph will read from her work at Central Methodist University on Wednesday, Sept 28, 2011:

Details here:
Poetry Reading, Fayette, MO

2011 Devil's Kitchen Literary Festival @ SIUC

Here's information on our upcoming annual fall literary festival

2011 Devil's Kitchen Literary Festival
Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Wednesday, Thursday, & Friday, October 26 – 28
(All Events in SIUC's Morris Library)

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26

8:00 – 9:15 p.m.
Readings by Amina Gautier & Rodney Jones
John C. Guyon Auditorium (1st Floor Morris Library)

9:15 – 10:00 p.m.
Festival Reception (sponsored by the SIUC Dept. of English)
1st Floor Rotunda (Morris Library)

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 27

—panel discussion, John C. Guyon Auditorium (1st Floor Morris Library)—

11:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
Visiting Writers Panel featuring Amina Gautier, Alyson Hagy, Katherine
Riegel, Ira Sukrungruang, & Jerry Williams

2:00 – 3:15 p.m.
Readings by Brian Barker & Camille Dungy
John C. Guyon Auditorium (1st Floor Morris Library)

3:15 – 4:30 p.m.
Reception and Book Signing featuring all festival readers
1st Floor Rotunda (Morris Library)

4:30 – 6:00 p.m.
Readings by the 2011 Devil's Kitchen Reading Award Winners
Jerry Williams & Alyson Hagy
John C. Guyon Auditorium (1st Floor Morris Library)

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28

11:00 – 11:50 a.m.
Readings by Katherine Riegel & Ira Sukrungruang
John C. Guyon Auditorium (1st Floor Morris Library)

2:00 – 3:30 p.m.
The Anthology Pathology: How to Edit a Creepy Book (Editors and
contributors discuss and read from two new anthologies--The Book of
Villains and Surreal South '11: Monsters and Ghosts)
John C. Guyon Auditorium (1st Floor Morris Library)

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.

Festival author links:

Brian Barker website: http://brianbarker.net/

Laura and Pinckney Benedict bios and information on the Surreal South
anthologies on the Press 53 website:
http://www.press53.com/surrealsouth.html

Camille Dungy website: http://www.camilledungy.com/

Amina Gautier website: http://www.aminagautier.com/

Alyson Hagy author page at Graywolf Press with links to her books:
https://www.graywolfpress.org/index.php?option=com_phpshop&page=shop.author&product_id=302&author_id=39

Rodney Jones page at The Poetry Foundation:
http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/rodney-jones

Katherine Riegel website: http://www.katherineriegel.com/

Ira Sukrungruang website: http://www.sukrungruang.com/

Jerry Williams bio and Q&A on the blog How a Poem Happens:
http://howapoemhappens.blogspot.com/2010/02/jerry-williams.html

Josh Woods bio (bottom of the page) and his anthology The Book of
Villains at Main Street Rag Publishing website:
http://www.mainstreetrag.com/Villains.html

A Profile of the SIUC MFA Program

courtesy the Daily Egyptian, SIUC's student newspaper:


Profile

more Brewin news

Mark Jay Brewin Jr. (MFA '11, poetry) is definitely on a roll:

I am pleased to say that Cave Wall has accepted for publication the
untitled, prologue-poem for my book which I will affectionately refer
to as by its first line "Water was always the problem
surrounding...".

Congrats, MB, on all your recent publication acceptances!

Update: Kevin McKelvey (MFA '04, poetry)

An update from Kevin McKelvey, poetry alum:

So I'm still doing writing-in-the-schools programs, now with my UIndy
students through Second Story (secondstoryindy.org). My students are
also editing, designing, and publishing books for second through
eighth graders at local schools. Here's an article about some of that
work, which I co-wrote with my collaborators from a local IPS school,
Second Story, and a class at Butler University:

http://www.ascd.org/ascd-express/vol6/625-mckelvey.aspx

Great work, Kevin! Keep us posted!

more Brewin news

Mark Brewin (MFA '11) has more news:

I just found out I was a finalist in the 2011 New Letters Literary Award.

Congrats, MB!!

list of finalists here:
http://www.newletters.org/finalists_2011.asp

A Portrait of a New Literary Journal: Prime Mincer

Read here about Prime Mincer, a new literary journal founded by SIUC MFA alums and current creative writing graduate students:

Prime Mincer

Kudos to Lumans and Brewin

News from some recent alums:

Alex Lumans (MFA '09, fiction):

A story of mine entitled "The Dictionary of Your Fears" was published
yesterday at Necessary Fiction. And the day before, they posted an
essay of mine with a far too long title ("Parochial Plaids,
Self-Cogitation, the Water Moccasin Myth, and "I Might Want to Come
Back": How You're Already Trying to Figure Out What This List Means").

Also, Blackbird accepted my story "Signs and Wonders" for publication.

Mark Jay Brewin, Jr. (MFA '11, poetry):

I am happy to say that my poem "So Intricate, So Inconceivably
Complex" has been accepted for publication in Columbia Poetry Review.
You, Rodney and Judy have all seen this poem in every incantation, and
it would not have been picked up without your diligent work. Thanks
very much.

Congrats, Alex and Mark!!!

Writers Workshop, Carbondale Public Library, starting 9/20/11

Third-year MFA students Shawn Mitchell and Nick Ostdick will be
running a semester-long creative writing class/workshop at the
Carbondale Public Library every Tuesday from 6:30PM-8PM starting
September 20th.

Update: Rachel Furey (MFA '09)

Spectacular news from Rachel Furey (MFA '09, fiction):

I hope all is well in Carbondale.
I thought I'd pass along news of recent publications. My short story
"Jody's Solo" took second place in the American Fiction Prize and will
be published in Volume 12 of American Fiction: The Best Unpublished
Short Stories by Emerging Writers. The story was also a finalist for
the Normal School Fiction Prize, so I am happy it found a home. Also,
my story "Stealing Scalpels" will appear in Fifth Wednesday Journal,
my story "Baby Girl" in the Tidal Basin Review, and my story "The
Blood Donation" in New Texas.

Fiction Forthcoming from Nick Ostdick!

Congrats to third-year MFA fiction writer NIck Ostdick:

My flash fiction 'About That' has been accepted for publication by the good folks over Big Lucks for their 'real talk' issue.

Congrats, Nick!

Big Lucks:
Big Lucks

Congrats to Pete Lucas!

Second-year fiction MFA student Pete Lucas has this great news:

My short story, "For the Good of the Family" received an honorable
mention in Glimmer Train's June Fiction Open.
list of honorable mentions
List

Alumni Publications: New and Forthcoming

SIUC MFA alums have been busy:

Brenna Lemieux (MFA '11, poetry):
Ploughshares has just accepted my poem "Precision," for its Winter 2012 issue.

Mary Jay Brewin, Jr. (MFA '11, poetry):
My poem "Kansas Burning" was accepted for publication at storySouth. I
like the sound of that.

Melissa Scholes Young (MFA '11, fiction):

My interview with Devil's Kitchen's very own Jennine Capo Crucet is
up at Fiction Writers Review. Enjoy!

http://fictionwritersreview.com/interviews/how-to-leave-and-why-you-stay-an-interview-with-jennine-capo-crucet

Congrats to all on these excellent publications!

SIUC MFA Program Ranked at #25 in 2012 Poets and Writers rankings!

Poets and Writers Magazine has ranked the SIUC MFA Program in Creative Writing at #25 in the nation!

Details here:
the Top 50

Welcome to Carbondale, New MFA Students!

MFA Carbondale is happy to welcome the following new students to Carbondale:

Josh Bontrager, Poetry
Jenny Flack, Fiction
Mary Kate Flannery, Fiction
Elise Foster, Fiction
Brett Gaffney, Poetry
Maggie Graber, Poetry
Josh Gray, Fiction
Ben Guerette, Fiction
Patrick Hunt, Fiction
Austin Kodra, Poetry
Zach Macholz, Poetry
Staci Schoenfeld, Poetry
Ashley Sigmon, Fiction

Welcome and thanks for coming!

MFA Orientation: Monday, August 15 @ 3:30 pm

Come one, come all (MFA students and faculty that is):

MFA Orientation for New and Returning Students
MFA Program in Creative Writing
Southern Illinois University Carbondale

Meeting time: 3:30 pm
Meeting date: Monday, August 15th, 2011
Meeting place: Harry T. Moore Auditorium, Faner Hall

We will welcome our new class of MFA students officially to the SIUC MFA Program!

Travis Mossotti to be featured on "The Writer's Almanac"!

2011 MFA poetry alum Travis Mossotti has more good news:

Just found out that Garrison Keillor is going to be reading my poem, "Crossing the Gap" on NPR's The Writer's Almanac this upcoming Monday, August 8th 2011. The broadcast will be available online at
http://writersalmanac.publicradio.org/, The Writer's Almanac official website.

Great news, Travis!!!

Congrats to Nick Ostdick!

Third-year fiction MFA student Nick Ostdick starts August off with some very good news:

My story 'Thursday' has been picked up by Anthills for their sixth issue due in November. It's the first story from thesis to be picked up. How 'bout that, huh?

Congrats, Nick!!!

Travis Mossotti update

Travis Mossotti is now a daddy!  And yes, his poems are still being accepted everywhere:

Genie and baby are doing great: sleeping, feeding, sleeping, feeding, well, you get the picture. I read Cora the last half of "Song of Myself" between last night and the early hours of the morning. She was a fan. Might move on to some Allison Joseph next.

Got some pub news: 5AM took "At the Deli Counter" for publication this winter, and Dark Horse accepted "Delivering the Bad News" for this fall.   

Congrats on the publications, Travis, and congrats to you and Genie and the birth of Cora!

Mark Brewn publication update

Poetry alum Mark Brewin (MFA '11, poetry) writes:

I am pleased to announce that my poem "On Garages" was accepted for publication at Arroyo Literary Review. Thanks very much to all of my peers and professors from SIUC for helping this piece get this far. I hope all is well, and--I must say--I miss The 'Dale quite a bit.

Congrats, MJB!

Brenna Lemieux publication update

MFA '11 grad Brenna Lemieux writes with fine poetry publication news:

I'm writing with some publication news for a steamy summer day. I just found out that Prairie Schooner will publish my poems "Three-Fingered Willy" and "Mislaid Memory about Pigeons," and RHINO has accepted "Ear Training.

Congrats, Brenna!!!!