Via Brooklyn Magazine: Molly McArdle interviews writers and publishers on the state of diversity in publishing.
About Writing Anxieties.
At the Electric Literature blog, Ingrid Rojas Contreras boldly presents an illustrated guide to her writing (and not writing) anxieties.
She has an interesting take on the subject, and this is surely the first time I have seen a Venn Diagram used to effectively describe writing anxieties.
http://electricliterature.com/on-not-writing-an-illustrated-guide-to-my-anxieties/
Secondhand Inspiration: Advice for Younger Writers
A recent blog post from Jane Friedman includes some excellent writing advice for the children and teens in our lives. I think it is worth passing along to younger writers as a bit of encouragement and guidance.
The post also presents adults with a viable question: Should the writing advice we give to children or teenagers differ from the advice I give to adults? Check out the link and find out Jane’s insight on this.
https://janefriedman.com/writing-advice-for-children-and-teens/
Guest Blogging at NAR’s Blog
in Publications
I took a little time off to retool and refine things on this website. Hope you like the upgrades.
But I didn’t completely stop blogging. Head over to the North American Review’s blog to see my guest post there. You’ll get a chance to check out my poem “How to Keep It Real When Everything Has Gone Wrong” that appeared in Issue 301.1 of NAR, as well as read notes on the development of that poem and about my creative process in general.
Don't Let the Silence Fool You…
...something is coming soon.
Great article.
Worth the read: Salon’s Paula Young Lee looks at how “we need diverse books” can move beyond wishful thinking.
Lit Mags for Your Reading Pleasure.
BuzzFeed has compiled a list of 29 amazing literary magazines we should all be reading.
And since my work has only appeared in one of these journals, this list can also double as a list of places I need to submit my work to. It’s good to have goals.
Suggested Reading That'll Help Improve Your Writing.
Not every great author can give equally great writing advice. But according to Micah Solomon, the three books mentioned in this Bookbaby blog post can give you the tips you need to progress your writing to new levels.
Don't call it a comeback, they've been here for years.
Avid readers: check out this recent New York Times article to find out why indie bookstores are back, with a passion.
Building a Black Literary Movement.
Vinson Cunningham interviews Chris Jackson, editor for Ta-Nehisi Coates and Victor LaValle, among others, on building a black literary movement.
Top 20 Books People Lie About Having Read.
Do you have an unopened dusty copy of War and Peace or Catch 22 wedged shamefully in the back of your bookcase?
Take heart regarding your literary duplicity with this list from the BBC of the top twenty books people lie about having read (20% of which are by Charles Dickens)—and then slap those unread tomes on your bedside table, because 60% of those surveyed said being (or at least seeming) well-read made a person appear more attractive. I guess that may be the motivation for the lies.
This list is for the UK, but I have a feeling people are bluffing about reading these books in the US as well…
Print vs. E-books
A recent survey shows that most students do still prefer print over digital. In this Star-Tribune article, Laurie Hertzel contemplates: http://www.startribune.com/print-or-e-books-the-debate-continues/367820511/
99 Ways.
From Book Riot: Claire Handscombe's insightful list of "99 Ways to Spread the Word About a Book You Love" is an awesome article for writers to share with their non-writing family and friends.
http://bookriot.com/2016/01/20/99-ways-spread-word-book-love/
North American Review, Winter 2016.
in Publications
The Winter 2016 issue of the North American Review is now out.
North American Review (NAR) is the oldest and one of the most culturally significant literary magazines in the United States. Past contributors include important nineteenth-century American writers and thinkers such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Frederick Douglass, Edith Wharton, and Charlotte Perkins Gilman; and twentieth-century writers like William Carlos Williams, John Steinbeck, Thomas Wolfe, William Saroyan, and Flannery O’Connor.
And now add to the list…little old insignificant me. My poem “How to Keep It Real When Everything Has Gone Wrong” appears in the Winter 2016 issue. This issue features a host of excellent poets and writers such as Patricia Spears Jones, Traci Brimhall, Zakia Henderson Brown, and many others. The visual art in the issue is impressive as well.
I can’t deny it – it feels cool to have work in the first American literary magazine. A big thanks goes to guest editor Metta Sáma who deemed my poem worthy of being in NAR. Much appreciated.
Secondhand Inspiration: Writer Podcasts
It can be easy to get a tad overwhelmed by all the podcasts that are out there. But here’s a useful list of podcasts that are recommended “for writers, word nerds, and book lovers.” Check out Crystal King’s post for Grub Daily. There’s bound to be a few podcasts on this list that will interest you, and maybe even motivate you.
https://grubstreet.org/grub-daily/podcasts-for-writers-word-nerds-and-book-lovers/
The 100 Best Websites for Writers in 2016.
There’s a boatload of great recommendations in this extensive post from The Write Life/Marisol Dahl on “The 100 Best Websites for Writers.”
As someone who looks at tons of writing blogs and websites on a daily basis, I was surprised at how many other helpful sites exist that I had never heard of before. This is definitely worth checking out…
Hartskill Review.
in Publications
Volume 2, Issue 3 of the literary journal Hartskill Review is available for purchase. Hartskill Review is dedicated to publishing contemporary poetry crafted with thoughtfulness and care. It also contains reviews of poetry collections and chapbooks.
Among the works included in this issue are my poems “Craigslist” and “Entry from an Insomniac’s Dream Book.” I really appreciate the chance to contribute. Thanks to editor Joshua Hjalmer Lind for deeming my work worthy of publication.
What's the Key?
Dawn Field has written a keen post on the Bookbaby Blog called "The Key to Great Writing.”
This article is well worth the read for those writers who know that there isn’t some panacea that triggers great writing, but that there are some common features of bad writing you can avoid to make your writing stronger.
Questions.
Is there rehab for a workaholic? Or does society just serve as an enabler, giving workaholics more to do until it is unhealthy?
I have a vested interest in the answers.
Goal setting.
The focus in 2016 is to not allow my intermittent trickle of creative work get subsumed under the rising tide of other things – the day job and other general life stuff that inundates my existence.
To continue doing what makes me happy in terms of writing and creativity, and not what I feel like I should or shouldn't be doing…according to writing world, academia, friends, family, or others. I finally found my voice in 2015, and I don’t plan on shutting up just because that voice doesn’t match what’s popular in modern writing.
To create with purpose and goals, but not to let them become the master of me.
What are your goals – creative or other?