Upcoming Literary Events in Carbondale

Two events this week:

from Amy McKenzie, this year's editor:

Grassroots Undergraduate Literary Magazine will be hosting an Open Mic and Introductory Party Monday, August 31st at 7:00pm in the Faner Courtyard. We’ll have live music and delicious food! This is open to the public, so feel free to bring friends, family members, acquaintances, and whoever else you would like to! Also, don’t forget to bring your work to read!

Reading & Drinking, aka R&D, finds a new home at Mississippi Flyway this semester. First Wednesday of each month at 7PM, there will be readings--poetry, fiction, and drama--plus drink specials, trivia and prizes. Come out and support the merriment at the Murdale Shopping Center (1925 W Main St Carbondale, IL 62901-2167).

Congrats to...

Justin Hamm (MFA '05) whose poem "the electric widower" will appear in the Fall 2009 issue of Jmww.

and to Kerry James Evans (MFA '09) whose poem "Leaning in from the Sea" was accepted for publication by Beloit Poetry Journal.

LINKS:
Jmww
Beloit Poetry Journal

Congrats, you two!

Congrats to Renee Evans!

News this afternoon from Renee Evans (MFA '09, fiction):

Allison,

Fogged Clarity just took "Strangers" for their October issue.

Miss you guys!

-Renee


Congrats, Renee!
We miss you and KJE too!

LINK:
Fogged Clarity

News from Alex Lumans (MFA '09)

Today's e-mail brings word from Alex Lumans (MFA '09, fiction):

"So, my poem "At the Range" has been accepted for publication in the forthcoming James Brown-themed anthology Say It Loud!
I can't think of a better theme, so I'm hugely excited about this. And I wouldn't have know about this James Brown anthology were it not for your listserv, so many thanks for that opportunity.

Also, as of today, I have two adjunct english teaching jobs: 1) teaching two classes at the Community College of Denver, and 2) teaching one class at Johnson and Wales University.

Now I have to go searching for a third job."

Good luck, Alex! And congrats to your bad self!

Congrats to Nick Ostdick!

First-year MFA student in fiction Nick Ostdick has placed his short-short, "The Blackbirds in Lime Rock, Connecticut" with Staccato Fiction! Congrats, Nick, and welcome to the MFA program and the blog!

LINK:
Staccato Fiction

It's the end of the world, and Pinckney Benedict knows it...

SIUC's apocalpyst-in-residence, fiction writer and professor Pinckney Benedict, is the subject of this profile:
the end is nigh

Hearty Congrats

to Josh Woods (MFA '09, fiction), who has been offered and has accepted a tenure-track Assistant Professor position in English at Kaskaskia College in Centralia, IL! Way to be gainfully employed, Josh!

and to Mark Brewin, second-year poetry MFA student, who writes, "New Letters has selected my poetry manuscript as a finalist in their 2009 Poetry Contest."

Way to make Mama proud, guys!

Congrats to Tim Marsh (MFA '06)!

News from Tim Marsh (MFA '06, fiction):

My nonfiction piece "Gym Bag Steak" has just been named runner-up in the Toasted Cheese "A Midsummer Tale" writing contest. It'll appear in the September issue of Toasted Cheese Literary Journal. I also placed my first poem "Car Accident" in the inaugural issue of Squid Quarterly. 

Congrats, Tim!

LINKS:

Toasted Cheese
Squid Quarterly

BONUS: Rachel Furey (MFA '09, fiction) also appears in the same issue of Squid Quarterly as Tim!

Rachel's "In Front of the Aquarium"

Welcome to Carbondale, New MFA Students!

MFA Carbondale is pleased and proud to welcome the following writers to the SIUC MFA Program:

Leslie Adams, Poetry

Ruthie Awad, Poetry

Bryan Brower, Fiction

Jung Hae Chae, Poetry

Katie Darby, Fiction

Shawn Mitchell, Fiction

Nick Ostdick, Fiction

John Owen, Poetry

Jonathan Travelstead, Poetry

Adrienne Rivera, Fiction

So glad you could join us in the 'Dale!

Pre-Semester Workshop Breakout Session: August 20

A note for returning and new MFA students:

Our annual "breakout session" during the English Department's Pre-Semester Workshop will be on Thursday, August 20. This year, the breakout sessions will be preceded by a reception for all graduate students at 3:15 in the new library's Special Collections Room. Then, at four, we'll head to Faner Hall 1222 for our session.

I will have gifts and food for all!

Poemspotting: Justin Hamm (MFA '05)

SIUC MFA grad Justin Hamm (MFA '05, fiction) continues to publish poetry! Here's a link to a poem of his in the new issue of Oak Bend Review (scroll down some to see the poem):
Oak Bend Review

Congrats to Mark Brewin!

Congrats to second-year poetry MFA student Mark Brewin:

Ms. Joseph,

My poem "Burning Down the Camper" was accepted for publication in Southern Poetry Review. Nice.

-mark brewin.

LINK:
Southern Poetry Review

"Rhymes & Stuff" Recalled

Former SIUC faculty poet Joel Brouwer recalls Adrian Matejka's (MFA '01) early 2000s radio show "Rhymes & Stuff" in a post on the "Harriet" blog:

Poetry Foundation

Joel is now on the faculty at the University of Alabama, but he's remembered fondly in C'dale.

Travis Mossotti Author Appearances: August 2009

Third-year MFA student in poetry Travis Mossotti will have two upcoming author appearances in August 2009. He'll read from his work as part of the annual River Styx Hungry Young Poets summer series and will also read at the premiere party for the next issue of the California-based poetry journal RATTLE:

LINKS:
Hungry Young Poets, St. Louis, MO:
Hungry Young Poets, STL

Rattle Summer Reading and Release Event, Santa Monica, CA:
RATTLE

Allison Joseph to receive the Aquarius Press Legacy Award

SIUC poet and faculty member Allison Joseph has been chosen to receive the inaugural Aquarius Press Legacy Award, the purpose of which is "to spotlight a woman writer of color from the Midwest who has yet to gain high exposure and who is also actively involved in providing opportunities for other writers."  Aquarius Press, based in Detroit, will celebrate its 10th anniversary in October 2009.  
Allison will attend the award ceremony in Detroit on October 3, 2009. Among the other writers in attendance that night will be SIUC MFA grad Curtis L. Crisler.

In terms of the award itself, there's a cash prize of $500 and the 2010 issue of the journal Reverie: Midwest African American Literature will be dedicated to Allison's work.

LINK:

Aquarius Press

An Easier Link for Ordering Curtis Crisler's book

Here's an easier-to-use link for ordering Curtis Crisler (MFA '04, poetry)'s new book:

Willow Books, an imprint of Aquarius Press:
Pulling Scabs

Alumni Sighting!

Cynthia Roth (MFA '01, poetry) has a poem in the current issue of Dusie--she's on page 301 with "Figure Bet."
LINK:
DUSIE

Alumni Sightings!

Andrew McFadyen-Ketchum (MFA '09, poetry) has a review of Ciaran Berry's collection The Sphere of Birds in the new issue of the Southern Indiana Review.
LINK:
Southern Indiana Review

Adrian Matejka (MFA '01) will read from his poems on Saturday, August 1 in Chicago as part of Word: Across Generations along with Quraysh Ali Lansana, Angela Jackson, FM Supreme and Kevin Coval, 3:00pm – 5:00pm, Perry Mansion Cultural Center in Englewood, 7042 South Perry Ave, Free. Open to the public. Reservations are recommended and can be made online, by email at events@prairie.org, or by calling 312.422.5580. Each of the poets will perform their work and participate in a post-performance conversation, moderated by spoken word artist Kevin Coval about the power of words. This program is part of The Public Square’s "Looking for Democracy Through the Arts," made possible in part by the Woods Fund of Chicago.

Also, click here for a radio interview Adrian did with poet Kevin Coval:
WBEZ

Curtis Crisler (MFA '04, poetry)'s new book, Pulling Scabs, is now available for purchase from Aquarius Press:
Aquarius Press Order Site

Congrats to Hannah New!

Good news from third-year MFA student in poetry Hannah New. Two of her poems appear in the new issue of The Sylvan Echo:

LINK:
The Sylvan Echo

The poems are "Phantom Fruits" and "Proving My Uncle Wrong."

Congrats, Hannah!

Catching Up With Teresa Kramer (MFA '04)

A recent note from Teresa Kramer (MFA '04, poetry). She currently works at Central Washington University, where she directs the university's Writing Center.

My poems have or will appear in the "Iguana Review" and "Not A Muse: the inner lives of women, a world poetry anthology" -- both of which I heard about through your CRWROPPS list. I so appreciate it. I hardly send anything out these days, but your e-list makes it both easier to think about submitting and almost shameful not to.

LINKS:
Iguana Review
Not A Muse
Teresa's Writing Center Bio