Here's a great read that I found on TheAtlantic.com: “American Literature Needs Indie Presses.”
There’s a lot to appreciate about this insightful article by Nathan Scott McNamara which focuses on the role indie presses now have in the literary world. Check it out…
“Hockey mom” and “Scooby Snack” are just two of the new words in the Oxford English Dictionary. I don’t know…it all seems a bit much to me. Slang is slang for a reason.
http://www.latimes.com/books/jacketcopy/la-et-jc-icymi-dictionary-20160707-snap-story.htm
Another awesome piece from Lit Hub: Kim Liao’s “Why You Should Aim for 100 Rejections a Year” explains how the path to writing success is paved with rejection notices. This one changed my perspective on submitting work to journals.
http://lithub.com/why-you-should-aim-for-100-rejections-a-year/
As a practicing writer, one of the more critical decisions you will face is deciding where to submit your work.
Check out this new piece by Erika Dreifus on Literary Hub called “13 Questions to Ask Before Submitting to a Literary Journal.” It provides some sound advice on what you should look for as you’re searching for potential “homes” for your writing.
http://lithub.com/13-questions-to-ask-before-submitting-to-a-literary-journal/
Birch Gang Review is an online literary magazine of poetry, fiction and photography/artwork that features new and established writers and artists of all backgrounds.
I’m excited to announce that my prose poem titled “An Algorithm for Grieving” has been published online in Birch Gang Review. Check it out if you get a chance…
http://www.birchgang.org/issue-1-2/an-algorithm-for-grieving/
Don't miss this excellent piece by Zinzi Clemmons on Literary Hub today: "What It Means To Be an Inclusive Literary Journal."
http://lithub.com/what-it-means-to-be-an-inclusive-literar…/
From New Republic: Alex Shepard discusses what could happen if Barnes & Noble were to fold.
Spoiler alert – it is not a positive prediction.
Eva Langston has a new article, “10 Words to Trim from Your Writing,” up on the Beyond Your Blog website. It’s a valid list of words you can reduce or eliminate from your writing to make it more effective.
#2 is my crutch word of choice, especially when I’m writing fiction.
http://www.beyondyourblog.com/10-words-to-trim-from-your-writing/
Fellow creatives, science says there are hormones behind the pleasure of adult coloring books.
It just might be time to go buy some crayons and colored pencils. :)
From The New Yorker: Ceridwen Dovey investigates bibliotherapy. Can reading make us happier?
I think so. :)
http://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/can-reading-make-you-happier
I really did intend to write today, but...
From Writer’s Digest, a guide on how to deal with criticism in order to evolve as a writer: “4 Ways to Take Criticism Like a Pro,” by Tanaz Bhathena.
http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/there-are-no-rules/4-ways-to-take-criticism-like-a-pro
“Mrs. Moore and I are going to write a sonnet about my upcoming fight…”
Among the countless stories floating around the internet about the late legendary Muhammed Ali, this one has a literary lean, documenting a meeting between poet Marianne Moore and Muhammad Ali.
https://bookhaven.stanford.edu/2016/06/poet-marianne-moore-meets-muhammad-ali-im-a-poet-too-he-says/
This essay by Gabino Iglesias on Dead End Follies brings some heat to the literary establishment: Online Literary Magazines and their (Intense) Diversity Problem.
http://www.deadendfollies.com/blog/online-literary-magazines-diversity-problem
From a fiction standpoint, I’m a flash fiction/short story writer. As a result, I’ve often been confronted with the question, “But where’s your novel?”
So although I’m far from being a famous short story writer, I can identify with Amber Sparks’ article on Electric Literature: “Let Us Now Praise Famous Short Story Writers (And Demand They Write a Novel).”
From NPR: Young poets in juvenile corrections – and their poems of fury, loss and beauty.
Check out this feature on from Lit Hub: The Unsung Heroes of the Poetry World.
A feature on some of the hardworking folks who keep some of the small presses afloat. Interesting read.
A recent study by Paul Thibodeau, a professor of psychology at Oberlin College, examines the phenomenon of "word aversion"--the extremely visceral distaste that some people have in response to certain words, such as "moist," "luggage," and "phlegm." Check out this article about this study and the words that repel us. It got me thinking about the inherent power of these words and how I can use their “yuck factor” to my advantage in my writing.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/07/science/moist-word-aversion.html?_r=1
Cult books, as with films that are considered cult favorites, often contain elements of the extreme, bizarre, or subversive--their power to inspire and persuade seemingly just on the edge of propriety. That is why I thought it would be great to share this awesome top-fifty list of cult books. These books are great to put into your personal reading queue, and I bet some will spark some original ideas for your own writing. Happy reading!
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/books/what-to-read/50-best-cult-books/
A Quiet Courage is an online literary journal that publishes compelling, poignant, memorable, and well-written microfiction and poetry in 100 words or less. I am happy to announce that three of my microfiction pieces – Cabin Fever, Migrations, and Hopeless – have been published online in A Quiet Courage. Check them out if you get the chance.
https://aquietcourage.wordpress.com/2016/05/14/cabin-fever/