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NewPages Blog

At the NewPages Blog readers and writers can catch up with their favorite literary and alternative magazines, independent and university presses, creative writing programs, and writing and literary events. Find new books, new issue announcements, contest winners, and so much more!

Crow Arts Manor Seeks Book Donations

From Crow Arts Manor Director Sid Miller:

Crow Arts Manor, located in a Northeast Portland, is a 501c3 non-profits writing center, that provides lost costs classes and workshop. Over the last 9 months we’ve been hard at work assembling a literary library.

Through donations we’ve been able to obtain a large amount of current literary journals, magazines, books of poetry, short fiction and criticism. But it’s been difficult to obtain the classics, from writers going back to Whitman reaching to the end of last century. So now we’re asking the public for help. We’re looking for folks willing to donate a title or more from their own personal library. Our library will be open to the public and will be a tool for local writers, as well as local schools and non-profit organizations. It will be a place to read, write, and engage with other writers. We will never charge a fee for use of the library. If you are willing to donate, we are happy to send you a present, a past copy of Burnside Review (our partner). Please e-mail me if you are interested in helping: sid-at-crowmanor-dot-org.

Vote Now: Broadsided Haiku Year-In-Review

Broadsided Press is honoring the year with a Haiku Year-In-Review (henceforth referred to as HYIR). To celebrate, examine, and honor the coming of 2012, Broadsided Press wants to publish haiku addressing the events of 2011 alongside visual work by Broadsided artists. Participants have sent haiku, and Broadsided has selected finalists, now YOU can see the art and choose the winners! The final result will be a published on January 4, 2012. To see the art and vote, visit the 2011 HYIR page at Broadsided Press – and feel free to share this with others.

[Pictured: “Tile Drainage” with writing by Christopher Lee Miles and art by Kara Searcy. Broadsided December 1, 2011.]

New Lit on the Block :: Under the Gum Tree

Under the Gum Tree is a new online (via MagCloud) publication of photography and creative nonfiction published out of ThinkHouse Collective in Sacramento, California.

The editors write: “Under the Gum Tree is a storytelling project, publishing creative nonfiction in the form of a micro-magazine. We believe in the power of sharing a story without shame. Too much of the human experience gets hidden behind constructed facades based on what we perceive the world expects from us…the authors and contributors featured in our pages own their story, even the ugly parts, and share it with pure, unadulterated, raw, candid vulnerability.”

The first issue of Under the Gum Tree features stories from Peter Grandbois, Kate Washington and Alexa Mergen, and photography from Mazzarello Media & Arts and Jeannine Mengel.

Under the Gum Tree accepts online submissions via Submishmash.

Editorial Changes at Jersey Devil Press

Eirik Gumeny, Founding Editor/Publisher, is stepping down from the editorial helm at Jersey Devil Press. Mike Sweeney will assume the role and all its responsibilities; Gumney writes of Sweeney: “He has always been one of my favorite writers, and he embraces everything Jersey Devil Press is about. He’s jumped into his new position feet first and guns blazing.”

Anobium – Summer 2011

Anobium embraces and celebrates the strange and surreal. As a reader, sometimes this works for me and sometimes not. This is the first issue of Anobium, and I think for what they are trying to do, it’s a strong start. I liked the design, for one: the journal is pocket-sized, perfect-bound, and features subtle yet effective graphic design by staff artist Jacob van Loon. Continue reading “Anobium – Summer 2011”

Bat City Review – 2011

Are you up for a side trip to Bat City? The landscape is compelling and the water’s fine. Compiled and produced by the University of Texas at Austin, the Bat City Review demands, as Editor Caleb Klaces states, “to be read closely.” Jam-packed with wonderfully wrought poetry and provocative prose, this issue is the perfect companion to take along on a weekend trip or for curling up by the fire on a chilly evening. Continue reading “Bat City Review – 2011”

The Coffin Factory – 2011

On its website, The Coffin Factory states that it “serves as a nexus between readers, writers, and the book publishing industry,” with a mission to “provide great literature and art to people who love books, including those who do not usually read literary magazines.” It strikes me that the debut issue upholds this mission. Continue reading “The Coffin Factory – 2011”

Ecotone – Spring 2011

I fell in love with this issue of Ecotone at founding editor David Gessner’s first mention of John Hay, one of my favorite nature writers. The issue proceeded to draw me in further and further, as I accompanied Poe Ballantine during his down-and-out struggles in Hope, Arkansas; drifted through former U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins’ dreamy poems; mired myself in Stephanie Soileau’s tale of two siblings, each stuck in a different rut; and stared transfixed at Magdalena Solé’s color photos of the Mississippi Delta. Next I floated above a poignant slice of childhood from Nancy Hale and stood by Joe Wilkins as he sent boys still short of manhood into a dark bar, following childish desires and finding much more. From there I traced Peter Trachtenberg’s enchanting map of his cats’ forays into the outside world, saluted Sam Pickering as he said goodbye to teaching, and in the final pages unsettled myself outside a remote cabin spun out of Kevin Wilson’s chilling words. Continue reading “Ecotone – Spring 2011”

Glimmer Train Stories – Fall 2011

Co-edited by two sisters, Susan Burmeister-Brown and Linda B. Swanson-Davis, Glimmer Train is a well-regarded magazine containing primarily short-stories. While many of GT‘s authors have impressive lists of past publications, other writers earn their first publication here. This issue includes stories by Geoff Wyss, Jenny Zhang, Daniel Torday, Evan Kuhlman, Nona Caspers, Olufunke Grace Bankole, Daniel Wallace, and Ken Barris. There is also an interview with Victoria Barrett by Debra Monroe. Continue reading “Glimmer Train Stories – Fall 2011”

The Missouri Review – Fall 2011

In this issue’s featured interview, author Dan Choan says, “A big part of my life has been feeling out of place in one world or another and trying to adjust to that sense of being alien all the time.” Displacement is a central theme in the fall issue of The Missouri Review, and the journal’s diverse settings keep readers moving as well. Most pieces at the beginning of the journal place readers abroad, showcasing the magazine’s attention to current political issues. It is about two-thirds of the way through that the stories take a turn toward cityscapes. (Burt Kimmelman’s urban nonfiction, Peter LaSalle’s NYC story and Kristine Somerville’s essay on graffiti art.) The final piece of fiction situates readers in rural Maine in Stephanie DeGhett’s story “Balsam.” We are constantly moving in this issue, but what ultimately unites all the included pieces is a thoughtfulness and quality of writing that make this issue a humbling, excellent read. Continue reading “The Missouri Review – Fall 2011”

Poetry – November 2011

One is prone to read Poetry expecting not only to find good poems, but also that something will be said about poetry. In this issue, the about reverberates most abundantly in Michael Robbins’s insightful review on three volumes, Clavics by Geoffrey Hills, Moving Day by Ish Klein, and Come and See by Fanny Howe. As Robbins suggests, poetry can be one thing—or that thing’s very contradiction: “where Flarf’s virtue is in its failure to hang together, Klein’s poems exude counterintuitive coherence.” This broad definition seems useful in dealing with a collection of poetry so diverse as in this issue of the journal. Continue reading “Poetry – November 2011”

Southwest Review – 2011

Christopher Bakken’s skillfully paced essay “Octopus Ear” begins serenely with a dive off the coast of Greece, where he takes students on tours. Before long, though, he’s climbing down Mount Olympus in terrible pain from an ear infection, confronting his grief over his wife’s mental illness, finding unexpected kindness from a young waitress, and simultaneously laughing and weeping in a gust of what the Greek’s call harmolypi—“joyful sadness.” Part observant travel writing, part gripping personal narrative, the essay gets this ninety-six-year-old magazine off to another good start. Continue reading “Southwest Review – 2011”

Strange Horizons – June 2011-November 2011

I am not a fan of science fiction, but I decided to check out Strange Horizons, an online publication of speculative fiction, poetry, articles, reviews, and art. The first two stories bored me but the third was engaging, and I was hooked. I read a bunch of them. Continue reading “Strange Horizons – June 2011-November 2011”

Voices de la Luna – July 2011

Part community news bulletin, part travel guide, and part literary magazine, Voices de la Luna drops the reader into the vibrant arts community of San Antonio, Texas. The magazine describes itself as “actively promoting poetry and arts in San Antonio by supporting other literary and arts organizations.” Discovering the interdependent community of creative folks represented in Voices de la Luna’s pages makes me want to buy a one-way ticket to this great town. Continue reading “Voices de la Luna – July 2011”

Iron Horse Review Single Author Issue

It would be impossible to know from the cover that Control Burn, a collection of poems by Hastings Hensel, is the latest issue of the Iron Horse Literary Review. A few years ago, IHR changed its publication cycle to six “slim” volumes a year. While other publications were ‘downsizing’ to less print/more online, IHR shifted to less print/more often. There’s no doubt the idea of ‘slim volumes’ of fiction, poetry, nonfiction and photography fits neatly into our busy lives, and IHR added yet another unique feature to their line-up: an entire volume dedicated to one author. Every year, IHR publishes a chapbook of poetry, fiction, or essays. These issues look like a regular, single-author book, and “help to promote the work of writers in the early stages of their careers.”

New Lit on the Block :: Revolution House

Revolution House is a new online publication of poetry, flash fiction, short storis, creative nonfiction, graphic stories, and art. A magazine run by writers Revolution House aims to publish both emerging and experienced authors.

Revolution House staff includes Executive Editor Alisha Karabinus, Managing Editors Fati Z. Ahmed, Elaina Smith, Creative Nonfiction Editors Jaime Herndon and Jami Nakamura Linwas, Fiction & Graphic Stories Editors Karen Britten, Carol H. Hood, Sarah Kamlet, Koty Neelis, and Katie Oldaker, and Poetry Editors Jonathan Dubow, Henry W. Leung, Karissa Morton, Susannah Nevison and Staci R. Schoenfeld.

The first two issue feature new work by Brooke Bailey, Myfanwy Collins, Patrick Thomas Henry, Amorak Huey, Deanna Larsen, Jen Marquardt, Thomas Michael McDade, Andrew Payton, Jessica Plante, Jessica Poli, Valerie Rubinaccio, Karin Rosman, Michael Simon, Courtney Thomas Vance, Ashley Wakefield, Tory Adkisson, Matthew Burnside, Alicia Catt, Caroline Crew, Sarah Crossland, Chanel Earl, William Henderson, Kea Marie, Michael Mlekoday, Francis Raven, Chad Redden, Sarah V. Schweig, Claire Shefchik, Caroline Swicegood, and James Valvis.

Submissions are open unless otherwise announced and accepted via Submishmash.

Anniversary :: Tin House 50th

With the newest Tin House (Winter 2012), the magazine quietly celebrates its 50th issue with a the theme of Beauty. In addition to a full volume of featured writing, novelist and critic Marilynne Robinson explores the notion of beauty and its role in our changing society in her essay, poet Crystal Williams views the subject through the kaleidoscopic lens of race, while Aimee Bender talks with the artist Amy Cutler.

[Cover image by Elissa Schappell.]

The Louisiana Poetry Project Online Resource

The Louisiana Poetry Project offers a biographical directory of Louisiana poets, sample poems from each, and a poem a day calendar with selected poems from LA poets. Also included on the site is a Lesson Plans area with poems and lesson plans for a variety of subject areas: English, science, math, history, geography, social studies, art, journalism, government, and more. The newly added Poetical Terms Glossary is still under development, but provides additional resources for teachers and readers alike. A calendar of events includes recurring meetings as well as scheduled events. A great resource site and an inspiration for other states to do the same.

New Lit on the Block :: Vlak Magazine

Vlak Magazine, edited by Louis Armand, Edmund Berrigan, Ali Alizadeh, Stephan Delbos, Jane Lewty & David Vichnar is an international curatorial project with a broad focus on contemporary poetics, art, film, philosophy, music, design, science, politics, performance, ecology, and new media. Vlak is published by Litteraria Pragensia in Prague, London, New York, Paris, Melbourne & Amsterdam.

Issue 2 contributors include David Hayman, Vincent Katz, Philippe Sollers, Niall Lucy, Alice Notley, Emmanuelle Pireyre, Jeroen Nieuwland, Holly Tavel, John Kinsella, Rs Jaeggi, Louis Armand, Adam Trachtman, Leila Sebbar, Dorra Chammam, Moncef Gachem, Jane Lewty, Stephan Delbos, Ali Daghman, Mehdi Mahfoudh, Dawn Fowler, Ken Edwards, Vadim Erent, Carla Harryman, Andre Jahn, Travis Jeppesen, Karel Jerie, Steve McCaffery, Hank Lazer, Phil Coates, Ann Hamilton, Petra Ganglbauer, Marjorie Perloff, David Vichnar, Michal Ajvaz, Lucie Skrivankova, Pavel Novotny, Ondrej Buddeus, Jonas Hajek, Adam Borzic, Mark Melnicove, Adrian Clarke, j/j hastain, Ali Alizadeh, Ania Walwicz, Claire Potter, Felicity Plunkett, Gig Ryan, jeltje, Justin Clemens, Matt Hetherington, Michael Farrell, Nicole Tomlinson, PiO, Pam Brown, Sebastian Gurciullo, Chris Edwards, Matt Hall, Tereza Stejskalova, Charles Bernstein, Steve Benson, Katarzyna Bazarnik, Zenon Fajfer, Michal Sanda, Andrew Nightingale, Amaranth Borsuk, Kate Durbin, Zach Kleyn, Redell Olson, Clody Clevidence, Eleza Jaeger, Megan M. Garr, Sara Nicholson, Amy De’Ath, Larry Sawyer, Amy King, Brendan Lorber, Chris Martin, Corrine Fitzpatrick, Jason Morris, Macgregor Card, Nina Zivancevic, Noah Eli Gordon, Johan De Wit, Damien Ober, Joshua Mensch, Kamil Bouska, Cralan Kelder, Robert Sheppard, Francesco Levato, and Vincent Dachy.

The magazine is published in a square format (8.5 in) with full bleed and page insert photography and graphics in black and white throughout.

Vlak invites contributions that extend our understanding about what is possible; which pose questions about the prevailing attitude of norms; which explore the ramifications of contemporary culture and attempt new critical and creative methods. Annual deadline: January 15

[Cover image by Adam Trachtman.]

RATTLE Tribute to Buddhist Poets

RATTLE Winter 2011 highlights the work of 30 contemporary Buddhist poets. As Dick Allen writes in his introduction, Buddhism “is not a glimpse or gaze but an immersion. There’s no glass, no other side.” Informed by years of studying human experience from their unique perspectives, these poets have much to offer Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike. Additionally, in the conversations section, Alan Fox speaks with M.L. Liebler and Buddhist poet Chase Twichell.

Authors featured in the tribute include Dick Allen, Li Bai, Pam Herbert Barger, Karen Benke, John Brehm, Toni Cameron, Louisa Diodato, Teresa Chuc Dowell, Jeffrey Franklin, Robert Funge, Gary Gach, Dan Gerber, Sam Hamill, Gail Hanlon, Lola Haskins, Donna Henderson, Yang Jian, Bo Juyi, Alison Luterman, Paul Pedroza, Peg Quinn, Diana M. Raab, Richard Schiffman, Jinen Jason Shulman, Sarah Pemberton Strong, Anne Swannell, Robert Tremmel, Tony Trigilio, Chase Twichell, and Jack Vian.

[Cover art by Toni Cameron.]

New Lit on the Block :: Valparaiso Fiction Review

Founded in summer of 2011 as a sister publication the Valparaiso Poetry Review (VPR), Valparaiso Fiction Review (VFR) is one of the newest publications of Valparaiso University and its Department of English. VFR publishes two editions a year, usually around the first of December and the first of May, and features fiction from established and emerging authors. Co-Editors are Jonathan Bull and Edward Byrne, both of Valparaiso University, and Assistant Editors Emily Bahr, Ethan Grant, R. James Onofrey, Ellen Orner, and Jeremy Reed.

The first issue includes works by Andrea Dupree, Meg Tuite, Norman Waksler, W.F. Lantry, Dallas Woodburn, and Clifford Garstang. The magazine is available to read online or download in individual PDF format for each story.

VFR accepts submissions of original, unpublished fiction, 1,000 to 9,000 words with possible exceptions. No novels – though stand-alone excepts are acceptble, poetry (see VPR), or children’s fiction unless otherwise noted.

Black Warrior Review SLS Contest Winners

Black Warrior Review has teamed up with Summer Literary Seminars for their annual contest. Judges Jayne Anne Phillips and Matthew Zapruder selected winners for the 2011 contest: Blair Bourassa, for his story “Love is Such an Old Fashioned Word,” and Lillian Bertram, for her poem “I Believe the Far Fields.”

Each received tuition, airfare, and accommodations to the 2011 SLS program of their choosing (Montreal, Lithuania, or Kenya), plus publication in the most recent issue of Black Warrior Review (Fall/Winter 2011) and online in The Walrus.

[BWR Fall/Winter 2011 cover art “Liquid Ground I” by Helen Pynor.]

Pine Manor College Fellowship Winners

The Solstice MFA Program of Pine Manor College (MA) has announced Fellowship winners for the 2012 winter/spring semester: MFA student Ann Breidenbach has been awarded the Michael Steinberg Fellowship for Creative Nonfiction, and MFA student Charles Tucker has been awarded the Dennis Lehane Fellowship for Fiction. Each Fellow will receive $1,000 toward her/his first semester’s tution.

RATTLE Poetry Prize: Readers Decide Winner

The Winter 2011 issue of RATTLE includes the finalists for the 2011 RATTLE Poetry Prize. The winner has not yet been selected, as RATTLE has opted to turn this final decision over to the magazine’s readership. Editors have carefully considered the best way to do this, and have opted to offer voting eligibility only to those who were already subscribing to RATTLE prior to the announcement of the finalists.

Even if you’re not a subscriber, it would be fun to pick up this issue (or have a class of students read it at the start of next semester) and go through your own selection process, then see how this compares with the final decision. The winner will be announced at RATTLE online on February 15, 2012.

Finalists whose poems are included in this issue are Pia Aliperti, Tony Barnstone, Kim Dower, Courtney Kampa, M, Andrew Nurkin, Charlotte Pence, Laura Read, Hayden Saunier, Diane Seuss, Jeff Vande Zande, Craig van Rooyen, Bryan Walpert, Anna Lowe, Weber Maya, and Jewell Zeller.

[Cover art by Toni Cameron.]

New Lit on the Block :: Cobalt

Staffed by Managing Editor Andrew Keating, Poetry Editor Jill Williams, Fiction Editor Rafe Posey, Non-Fiction Editor Samantha Stanco, Art Director Danielle Peterson, Social Media Manager Michelle Junot, Blog Contributors Gillian Ramos and Kate Stone, Cobalt is an online quarterly of fiction, non-fiction and poetry “of the highest caliber,” as well as interviews “with some of the most influential writers in the literary community.” Cobalt‘s mission is “to publish quality creative work and promote the literary arts, as well as those who celebrate them.”

The first issue features Poetry by Brian Russell, Georgia Kreiger, John Abbott, Steven Leyva, Andrea Dickens; Fiction by Jen Michalski, Mandy Taggart, Emily Kiernan; Nonfiction by James Claffey, John FitzGerald; and Interviews with Nicola Griffith (author of The Blue Place) and Jessica Anya Blau (author of Drinking Closer to Home).

Issue two will be available December 10. Submissions are open and accepted through Submishmash.

[Cover image “Metro” by Sophie Johnson (Oil on Canvas).]

New from TED

From the TED website: The success of TEDTalks has demonstrated that millions of people around the world are hungry to absorb new ideas. Many of the talks create a desire to go deeper – but not everyone has the time to read an entire book on a subject. TED Books fill that gap. While a traditional book is at least 60,000 words, TED Books, at fewer than 20,000, allow someone to see an idea fleshed out in a satisfying way – but without having to devote a week of reading time to it.

Some TED titles include

Homo Evolutis: Please Meet the Next Human Species by Juan Enriquez & Steve Gullans
The Happiness Manifesto: How Nations and People Can Nurture Well-Being by Nic Marks
Beware Dangerism! Why We Worry About the Wrong Things and What It’s Doing to Our Kids by Gever Tulley
Make Love Not Porn: Technology’s Hardcore Impact on Human Behavior by Cindy Gallop
Weekday Vegetarian: Finally, a Palatable Solution – Graham Hill
Media Makeover: Improving the News One Click at a Time by Alisa Miller
Aftercrimes, Geoslavery, and Thermogeddon: Thought-Provoking Words from a Lexicographer’s Notebook by Erin McKean

TED Books are available from Amazon.com and Apple’s iBookstore, and for the Nook platform. They can be purchased for $2.99 each (US).

New Lit on the Block :: Lost in Thought

Editor Kyle Schruder writes: “Lost in Thought came from a simple idea: I like magazines, why not make one of my own?” Always easier said than done, yet Lost in Thought introduces itself as a beautifully designed publication that looks more like something Shruder’s been doing for decades.

“For this premiere issue,” Schruder says, “I decided to combine short stories and artwork. I approached writers, photographers and illustrators with this simple premise: you can write something new, or you can submit something already finished. I paired the people who wanted to make something new with the people who gave me finished works. Some writers wrote entirely new stories based on illustrations that the artist had submitted. Other photographers arranged photo shoots based on stories I received.”

The premier issue, available via MagCloud in print and digital formats features Writers Jules Archer, Kim Bannerman, Katrina Gray, Graeme Lottering, Sem Megson, Kari Nguyen, Sara Patterson, Katerina Prudchenko, Gareth Spark, and Chris Tarry; Photographers James Azzopardi, Julien Hayard, Karrah Kobus, Lindsey Kowalski, Aleksandra Skiljevic, Synchrodogs (Tania Shcheglova and Roman Noven); and Illustrators Yeremeeva Katya, Jennifer Maidment, mathiole, Jared Meuser, Estelle Morris, and Rose Wong.

Submissions are open for issue two, which Schruder says will “more free-flowing, more experimental, and hopefully even more interesting!”

2011 St. Lawrence Book Award Winner

Black Lawrence Press has announced that Adrian Van Young has won the 2011 St. Lawrence Book Award for his collection of short stories, The Man Who Noticed Everything. A complete list of the 2011 St. Lawrence book Award finalists and semi-finalists can be found on the Black Lawrence Press blog.

Creative Nonfiction Launches Book Imprint

From CNF: Creative Nonfiction has announced the launch of Creative Nonfiction Books. The magazine, nearing its 20th anniversary, has long been considered “the voice of the genre” and has an impressive and highly acclaimed history of creating an understanding of our world through thoughtful, engaging narratives on a wide variety of topics and real-life experiences. The debut list, consisting of two titles, will be launched this spring and distributed by Publishers Group West.

Most of the Creative Nonfiction Books titles, at least initially, will be anthologies with contributions from many authors, offering multiple perspectives and appealing to a diverse readership. Forthcoming titles include Becoming a Nurse, insightful essays about what drives those in this demanding and difficult profession; Surviving Crisis, essays exploring intense, pivotal moments in life that trigger personal growth; and Southern Sin, essays on the sultry South and its sins, which range from skipping church to coveting your neighbor’s wife.

Creative Nonfiction has worked with exceptional book publishers in the past — W.W. Norton, Tarcher-Penguin, Other Press and many university presses — in order to distribute and sell titles associated with the magazine. Lee Gutkind states, “Now, with the traditional publishing industry in turmoil, we see opportunities for a small publisher with a well-established base. Creative Nonfiction has a long history of spotting talent and of introducing new writers who have important stories to tell. The book imprint offers the opportunity to expand our reach—and to help those writers, and their stories, find a wider audience.”

Creative Nonfiction Books, debut list:

April 2012
At the End of Life: True Stories About How We Die
Edited by Lee Gutkind; Introduction by Francine Prose

An anthology of 22 personal narratives that explore death, dying and palliative care, revealing the inner workings of a system in which doctors, patients and their loved ones battle to hang on—and to let go.

ISBN: 978-1-937163-04-4, Trade Paper, $15.95, 288 pages

May 2012An Immense New Power to Heal: The Promise of Personalized Medicine
By Lee Gutkind and Pagan Kennedy

Through intimate patient stories as well as profiles of leading-edge doctors and scientists, this clear-eyed, lively and highly engaging book explores one of the most significant scientific breakthroughs of our time: the sequencing of the human genome and the subsequent development of personalized medicine.

ISBN: 978-1-937163-06-8, Trade Paper, $15.95, 320 pages

2011 Gulf Coast Prize Winners

The Winter/Spring 2012 issue of Gulf Coast includes the 2011 Gulf Coast Prize winners.

Poetry
Winner: “A New Vessel” by Amaranth Borsuk
Poetry judge: Ilya Kaminsky

Fiction
Winner: “The Window” by Brian Van Reet
Fiction judge: Frederick Reiken

Nonfiction
Winner: “The Suturing of Wounds or Words” by Arianne Zwartjes
Nonfiction judge: John D’Agata

A full list of winners and runners up is available on the Gulf Coast website.

New Lit on the Block :: Unstuck

Newly lauched out of Austin, Texas, Unstuck is an independent print literary annual emphasizing “literary fiction with elements of the fantastic, the futuristic, the surreal, or the strange — a broad category that would include the work of writers as diverse as Borges, Ballard, Calvino, Huxley, Tutuola, Abe and (of course) Vonnegut.”

The editors add, “In our pages, you’ll find straight-up science fiction and fantasy; domestic realism with a twist of the magical; and work that experiments with form or blurs the boundaries between poetry and prose. We also publish a small selection of poems and essays.”

The first issue features new fiction by Aimee Bender, J. Robert Lennon, Amelia Gray, Joe Meno, Marisa Matarazzo, Arthur Bradford, Helen Phillips, Matthew Derby, Rachel Swirsky, Matthew Vollmer, Lindsay Hunter, John Maradik & Rachel B. Glaser, Leslie What, Charles Antin, Meghan McCarron, Sharona Muir, Andrew Friedman, Julia Whicker, Judson Merrill, Karin Tidbeck, and Randy Schaub; new poetry by Kiki Petrosino, Zach Savich, Dan Rosenberg, Kaethe Schwehn, and Patrick Haas; and new non-fiction by Rennie Sparks.

Unstuck will be available in Kindle format for e-readers, and a portion of each print run of Unstuck is donated to schools, libraries, and literacy programs. If you’re a librarian, teacher, tutor, or administrator, and think your students or clients would enjoy Unstuck, visit the Libraries and Schools link on their website.

Unstuck accepts online submissions via Submishmash.

[Cover photography “Highland Reservoir II” by Timothy J. Fuss.]

Glimmer Train September Fiction Open Winners :: 2011

Glimmer Train has just chosen the winning stories for their September Fiction Open competition. This competition is held quarterly and is open to all writers for stories with a word count range between 2000 – 20,000. The next Fiction Open will take place in December. Glimmer Train’s monthly submission calendar may be viewed here.

First place: Janis Hubschman [pictured], of Demarest, NJ, wins $2000 for “Wilderness of Ghosts.” Her story will be published in the Winter 2013 issue of Glimmer Train Stories, out in November 2012.

Second place: Abe Gaustad, of Germantown, TN, wins $1000 for “Buch and the Snakestretchers.” His story will also be published in an upcoming issue of Glimmer Train Stories.

Third place: Andrew Tibbetts, of Kitchener, Ontario, wins $600 for “My Sister in Eleven Shots.”

A PDF of the Top 25 winners can be found here.

Deadline for Short Story Award for New Writers: November 30
This competition is held quarterly and is open to all writers whose fiction has not appeared in a print publication with a circulation over 5000. No theme restrictions. Most submissions to this category run 2000-6000 words, but can go up to 12,000. Click here for complete guidelines.

New Lit on the Block :: Botticelli Magazine

Botticelli Magazine is an online literary and art journal produced and edited by students at Columbus College of Art and Design. Already in its third issue, Botticelli is planning a lot of expansion, inclusive of literary and logo contests.

Contributors to the first issues include Austin Charles Barrow, Chelsea Besse, Ross Caliendo, Austin Charles, Silver Corbin, Danielle Doughty, Brittany Leigh Ference, Chester Fillmore, Daniel Foley, Amy Gallagher Gallagher, Emily Gallik, Bina Gupta, Liandra Holmes, Matthew Houston, Kylie King, Amanda Knittle, Brittany Kotur, John Malta, Brian May, Mary S.Nemeth, Dave Nichols, Siddartha Beth Pierce, Todd Pleasants, Hannah Ross, Michelle Ross, Apryl Skies, Scott Stewart, Miles Tsang, and Elizabeth Vest.

Botticelli Magazine accepts only online submissions of fiction, poetry, creative non fiction, reviews, art, photography, as well as flash pieces and links to online work as long as the rights are available to the contributor. Collaborative work is also welcome. The magazine’s review process involves an editorial staff of writers and artists.

[Cover art for Issue 3: “French Friends” by Matthew Houston]

Books :: Shelter Puppies

I can honestly say, I hope eBooks will never replace the coffee table book. While I know digital picture quality can surpass print quality when it comes to art and images, it’s the cover of a book like this one that will get readers and “non-readers” alike to pick it up and thumb through its pages.

In his newest book, professional pet photographer Michael Kloth helps readers focus on the plight of the “pound puppies,” but without once showing the dark, heart wrenching images we think of when imagining life in “the shelter.” Instead of wire cages and cement floors as scenery, Kloth expertly poses the pups on clean backdrops with plenty of warm, bright light, letting viewers – and prospective owners – see the canine kids at their best. Little puppy personalities fill the pages of this book, and while they are the photographic subject, the real message of this effort is shared in Kloth’s introduction.

While Kloth recognizes there are “valid reasons to buy a puppy from a breeder,” he shares the message of animal advocates in promoting the adoption of shelter and foster animals. He cites research on the number of purebred dogs brought to shelter each year and that, though families may be eager when first purchasing designer-breeds, that excitement may wane when the resulting dogs turn out not to be such a good match.

Kloth volunteers his time each month to visit shelters in his area and photograph pets ready for adoption. The photos are used to help would-be owners find their next family member. Kloth offers helpful advice to shelters and volunteer photographers about ways to present these animals to give them the best chance at adoption. Photographing through wire cages, Kloth tells readers, is a no-no, along with images of the animal backed into the corner of a cage or in any way looking scared. While these may raise the sympathy meter, they don’t tend to help bring out the true, positive characters of the pet.

Kloth’s book features 65 puppies in full color on the main pages with a “follow-up” section in the back about what happened to each of the pups shortly after – most were successfully adopted with only a couple stories of return and retry. Also included are several later follow-up stories of the dogs now in adulthood and the lives they have changed. This is a truly heartwarming and highly educational addition to Kloth’s series on shelter pet books, which I hope he will continue.

I was initially interested in this book because it was promoted as one that donated a portion of the proceeds to the ASPCA. But, when I got the book, I was a bit let down to see that only twenty-five cents per book is donated. While this doesn’t seem like a lot, I relinquished that any amount is a good amount. Further, when reading about how much time, equipment, and resources Kloth devotes to his volunteer work photographing these animals, I understood that a great deal more of whatever he might earn from this book has already been donated through his kindness, and no doubt will continue.

In addition to his work with local shelters, Kloth is also a member of the new non-profit organization called HeARTs Speak. HeARTs Speak was founded with the expectation that visual artists can make a very real difference in helping adoptable animals find homes.

As with all my recommended books, this one makes a great personal or gift purchase, but would also be a good library donation to share with your community, or even purchasing a copy for your local shelter (who might benefit from the photography tips).

NewPages Book Reviews :: March 2011

Visit NewPages Book Reviews for December to read thoughtful commentary and analysis of the following titles:

Almost Never
Fiction by Daniel Sada

The Book of Life
Fiction by Stuart Nadler

Mr. Fox
Fiction by Helen Oyeyemi

Hard to Say
Fiction by Ethel Rohan

–gape–seed–
Edited by Ice Gayle Johnson, Jane Ormerod, Brant Lyon, Thomas Fucaloro

Waiting: Selected Nonfiction
Nonfiction by Elizabeth Swados

Habibi
Graphic Novel by Craig Thompson

Surprised by Oxford
Nonfiction by Carolyn Weber

Hooked
Fiction by John Franc

A Mortal Affect
Fiction by Vincent Standley

The Beds
Poetry by Martha Rhodes

New! New! New! NewPages Updates

We’ve been busy at work, watching the snow fall, adding more good reading to see us through the winter!

New addition to the The NewPages Big List of Literary Magazines:
2 Bridges Review Image – poetry, prose, artwork
Cartys Poetry Journal [O]
The Cleveland Review [O] – poetry, fiction, nonfiction, photography, illustrations
Cobalt Review [O] – poetry, fiction, nonfiction, interviews
The Corner Club Press [O] – poetry, fiction, nonfiction
Covalence [O] – poetry, fiction, art
Crosstimbers Image – poetry, fiction, nonfiction, book reviews, arts, science
defunct [O] – essays
FortyOunceBachelors [O] – poetry, fiction, nonfiction, drama, screenplay
La Petite Zine [O] – poetry, prose
Lantern Review [O] – Asian American poetry, translations, essays, book reviews, visual art, photography
Poetry Quarterly [O]
Porchlight [O] – poetry, fiction, nonfiction, graphic art, comics
Prairie Wolf Press Review [O] – poetry, prose
Rattapallax [O] – poetry, essays, videos, interviews
Revolution House [O] – poetry, fiction, nonfiction
Short, Fast, and Deadly [O] – poetry, prose, word art
The Tonopah Review [O] – poetry, fiction
Unsplendid [O] – poetry
Verdad [O] – poetry, fiction, essays, memoir, artwork
Vice-Versa [O] – poetry, fiction, nonfiction, interviews, reviews, visual art, multimedia
Yes, Poetry [O]
The Ides of March [O] – historical poetry
Phantom Limb [O] – poetry
Pinstripe Fedora [O]
Upstairs at Duroc Image
Crannog Image – poetry, prose
Cyphers Image – poetry, fiction, criticism
The Dublin Review Image – essays, memoir, travel writing, criticism, fiction and reportage
Horizon Review [O] – poetry, fiction, reviews, interviews, art
Outburst [O] – poetry, fiction, flash fiction, book reviews, illustrations
THE SHOp Image – poetry
The Stinging Fly Image – poetry, fiction
Abramelin [O] – poetry
Botticelli Magazine [O]
The Destroyer [O] – poetry, text, art, opinions, video, new media
Black Lantern Publishing Image – macabre fiction
First Inkling Image – undergraduate poetry, fiction, nonfiction, interviews
Lost in Thought Image – fiction, art
Nassau Review Image – poetry, fiction, essays, artwork
Sierra Nevada Review Image – poetry, fiction
Unstuck Image – fiction

[O] = mainly online
Image = mainly print

NewPages Guide to Literary Links
Black Heart – reading writing rebellion
Eunoia Review – poetry, fiction, nonfiction
The Postcard Press – poetry, prose
Xenith

Newly added to the NewPages Guide to Alternative Magazines:
Zeek Image – A Jewish journal of thought and culture
Steel Bananas [O/P] – poetry, prose, nonfiction, visual art, multimedia

Newly added to NewPages Guide to Independent Publishers & University Presses:
RASP (UK) – works by dyslexic writers
Big Wonderful Press – poetry, fiction, nonfiction, collections, chapbooks

New Lit on the Block :: Safety Pin Review

The Safety Pin Review is a new literary magazine featuring fiction of less than 30 words, posted once a week, with a major D.I.Y. twist: in addition to being published online, each story is hand-painted onto a cloth back patch, which is attached (via safety pins) to one of SPR‘s operatives – “a collective network of punks, thieves and anarchists” — who wear it everywhere they go for a week. The SPR website features the poems as well as pictures of the operative-of-the-week wearing it around.

Featured poets thus far include Barry Basden, J. Bradley, Doug Paul Case, Brian Hurley, Simon Jacobs, David James Keaton, Len Kuntz, Helen Vitoria, and xTx.

Safety Pin Review accepts submissions of unpublished fiction of no more than 30 words – no poetry, and pays $1.00 per acceptance.

[Operative pictured in Times Square, NYC, with “Scope” by Barry Basden.]

Almost Never

In the opening scene of Almost Never, by Mexican writer Daniel Sada, the perturbed protagonist, Demetrio, an “agronomist” in Oaxaca, ponders his humdrum life. What will relieve his tedium? The answer: “Sex, as an apt pretext for breaking the monotony; motor-sex; anxiety-sex; the habit of sex, as any glut that can well become a burden; colossal, headlong, frenzied ambiguous sex … pretense-sex, see-through sex. Pleasure, in the end, as praise that goes against the grain of life.” Continue reading “Almost Never”

The Book of Life

The seven stories that make up Stuart Nadler’s spirited debut collection, The Book of Life, are about men: husbands and boyfriends, fathers and brothers, sons and grandsons. They’re about relationships, the mistakes and the misunderstandings. As a whole, the collection strikes a balance between characters who reclaim a portion of what is lost and those who are humbled by their circumstances and left to persevere. Infidelity is the crux of six out of the seven stories, but Nadler’s characters find surprises inside surprises inside surprises, spiraling the life out of any potential clichés. Continue reading “The Book of Life”

Mr. Fox

For those familiar with the French folktale “Bluebeard,” especially in its various versions such as the British “Mr. Fox” and “Fitcher’s Bird,” Helen Oyeyemi’s novel Mr. Fox will delight. Even if you are not familiar with these other versions, you get them in this novel. You only need to love fairy tale convolutions, especially when blended with real-life situations. Continue reading “Mr. Fox”

Hard to Say

Hard to Say, recently published by PANK, contains a collection of short personal stories that will pluck at your heartstrings. Ethel Rohan, author of Cut Through the Bone and Dark Sky Books, executes the tone of youthful awkwardness with the perfect amount of bittersweet. The pangs of childhood tales and oddities resonate throughout the book, keeping the reader drawn until the finish. Continue reading “Hard to Say”

–gape–seed–

Spoken word is powerful not only in language, but also performance. It can be difficult to capture the essence and emotion on the page; however, the writers in –gape–seed– have done just that. The diverse selection of poetry made it difficult to choose the best writers as each distinct piece had punch and power. At first I was wary; making a successful anthology of spoken word seemed like a tall order, but –gape–seed– inspired me to really feel the language as opposed to just reading it. Continue reading “–gape–seed–”

Waiting: Selected Nonfiction

It wasn’t that long ago when Broadway producers put originality before the box office and tourists. In 1979, the New York Shakespeare Festival moved Runaways, another in a series of sold-out shows (the most successful 1975’s A Chorus Line; the most recent 2010’s Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson), uptown from Astor Place. The musical, featuring real runaway teenagers, was composed, written, and directed by Elizabeth Swados. Runaways received multiple Tony nominations and established Liz Swados’s reputation. As she makes clear in Waiting: Selected Nonfiction, she has been “trashed, resurrected, trashed, and mentored dozens of young artists. I’ve survived well.” Despite its brief length, Waiting is a thoroughly friendly introduction to Swados’s life and work, a wistful remembrance of a vibrant era in New York theatre, and a perceptive look at how theatre is created. Continue reading “Waiting: Selected Nonfiction”

Habibi

I picked up Habibi and thumbed through it with the intent of gathering its basic information for NewPages. Only a small number of the books we receive here are graphic novels, and my familiarity with the genre extends to buying Batman comics for a family member and having watched the movie version of Sin City. So I was curious to see what a two-inch-thick graphic novel consisted of. Continue reading “Habibi”

Surprised by Oxford

Carolyn Weber’s relationship with Oxford University began with a surprise when she received a letter in the mail announcing that she had won a full scholarship to pursue her post-graduate studies there. Without her knowledge, a professor had submitted her name for consideration for the scholarship. The book chronicles many more surprises that accompany Weber’s Oxford experience, most significantly her spiritual journey from cynical agnostic to evangelical Christian. Without a note of self-pity, Weber describes growing up in poverty with her mother and siblings after her father abandoned the family. A high-achieving student, she realized that through hard work she could improve her future prospects and become self-sufficient. Weber’s admission that she lied about her age on the application in order to qualify for her first job is particularly poignant following recollections of her family’s lavish lifestyle during her early childhood, before her father’s questionable business deals and resulting arrest doomed the family to financial devastation. Continue reading “Surprised by Oxford”