The Other Life by Ellen Meister

I'm hearing very good things about The Other Life by Ellen Meister, due out in January. It's available for pre-order now at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, etc.


Keep an eye out for this one, or order it now!

I Love Bookstores

I love bookstores, don't you? I also love books, and, even though I'm sorely tempted to buy a Kindle or Nook and will probably succumb eventually, I'll always buy new (and new-to-me) books. I went to a book discussion last night (the Reading Liberally book club discussed Paul Krugman's The Conscience of a Liberal, which I highly recommend) and a couple of us had our copies of the paperback but two members had eBook versions. Maggie has an iPad and Fred has a Kindle. They're very different devices, but both remarkable. I don't think I want an iPad, but a Kindle or Nook would be great. (My book, In an Uncharted Country, will soon be released in a Kindle edition . . . )

But back to the subject of bookstores . . .

Nearly 5 years ago I wrote a post on this blog about local bookstores: Bookstores in the Valley. It was about the one used bookstore and one new bookstore in our town, and other local book-buying options. Things have changed a lot. In that post I wrote about the Bookstack and Final Draft, two stores on Beverley St. in Staunton, both of which have since closed. I wasn't happy about those losses, but somehow the bookstore scene isn't completely dead around here--probably because the nearest Barnes & Noble is 40 miles away, in Harrisonburg (the one in Charlottesville is about the same distance, but the mountain you have to cross to get there makes it seem farther).

I spend most of my book-browsing time in The Sacred Circle on E. Beverley. It's a little store that also has a large selection of fair-trade gift items in addition to its spirituality-focused inventory of books. There are current events and literature selections, too, but the books on religion and consciousness are what make the store special.

But I also spend time in the BookWorks on W. Beverley, a shop that concentrates just on books and magazines, and has a somewhat wider selection of fiction (although a lot of that is genre fiction that doesn't appeal to me).

And then there is Barrister Books, tucked away behind the courthouse on Lawyer's Row. This is a beautiful used bookstore that I visit frequently. Unlike the chaotic used bookstores (like Final Draft was), Barrister Books is quieter, well organized, and carries only better books -- don't go looking for trashy paperback novels.

But that's not all. We've also seen other bookstores pop up: Stone Soup Books opened in Waynesboro a couple of years ago. It's claim to fame is a cafe, a cozy atmosphere, and the fact that used and new books stand together on the same shelves. And just today I learned that another bookstore, John's Book Nook, opened earlier this year in Waynesboro. It is apparently a used bookstore. I haven't been there but I plan to visit soon.

And there's also Over the Moon Bookstore & Artisan Gallery which opened a few months ago in Crozet, just over the mountain from Waynesboro. It's a beautiful little bookstore (they're hosting me for a reading in two weeks) with a great selection.

In that post five years ago, I also mentioned the bookstores in Lexington-- Books & Co. (nice inventory of new books) and The Bookery (fun and chaotic, new and used), both of which are still alive and, as far as I can tell, doing well.

I suppose I should mention the other options, as well: Books-a-Million, which relocated from The Mall to the Target shopping center outside of Waynesboro. It's awful, although they do have a good selection of magazines. That's the only reason to go there. And the Barnes & Noble in Harrisonburg and Charlottesville are just like B&Ns everywhere. Okay. Not great. We also have the Green Valley Bookfair, which is unique. I confess that I shop there, but I feel guilty about it.

Considering that bricks & mortar bookstores are supposed to be dead, that is an incredible selection of bookstores. Suddenly I feel like buying a book. As if I needed any more . . .

The New Yorker: "The Tree Line, Kansas, 1934" by David Means

There’s a lot about this story that I like. There’s very little action here until the end—mostly we get interior monologue from one of the characters. I like the repetition of “Five days . . .” I like the thoughtfulness of the character Lee, the older of two FBI agents on a stakeout in search of Carson, a notorious robber. During the stakeout, the younger agent, Barnes, displays his youthful inexperience: he thinks they’re wasting their time. But his logic becomes more and more convoluted: “This guy knows we’re looking for patterns, and he’s even considered, I’d venture to say, the idea that we’d expect him not to come back here, and in expecting him to expect us to expect him not to come back, he’d expect that we’d take that expectation into consideration . . .” He ties himself up in knots.

There’s more repetition, too (giving additional weight to Barnes’s talk about patterns): the two men take turns crawling off into the woods to smoke; Lee presents analytical lists, befitting his character; Lee’s narrative alternates between the present action of the stakeout story and sections that begin with “Years later . . .”, the author’s signal that Lee has shifted into retrospection.

It is also the signal for what’s coming in the story, and that is the story’s biggest failing for me. It’s predictable. Please, I said to the pages as I kept reading, don’t let that be what happens. Much too easy. Please let the author work harder to surprise us! But, no. No surprises. It’s a shame.

October 25, 2010: “The Tree Line, Kansas, 1934” by David Means

FRiGG | Fall 2010 | Last Lilacs | Clifford Garstang

My story "Last Lilacs" is up in the Fall 2010 issue of the beautiful FRiGG magazine. Please have a look:

FRiGG | Fall 2010 | Last Lilacs | Clifford Garstang

And then read the rest of the issue (FRiGG Fall 2010) which has wonderful work by Kathy Fish, Joseph Young, and others. FRiGG has long been one of my favorite online magazines and I am delighted to finally have my work appear there.

And the Nominees are . . .

One of the fun things about being an editor of a magazine is the opportunity to select pieces from the magazine to be nominated for annual prize anthologies. Having been nominated for a few anthologies myself, I know what an honor it is to writers, so it's something I take very seriously as an editor.



There are lots of these annual anthologies: Pushcart, O. Henry, BASS. And, because it is very rare for online publications to be included in these anthologies (although we do plan to nominate for the Pushcart), we're very glad—as a brand new publication—to be able to nominate for anthologies that focus on the web. Specifically, Dzanc's Best of the Web 2011, which is taking nominations now until the end of the month.



For BotW2011, we could nominate three pieces in any combination of fiction, poetry, and nonfiction. I asked each of the editors of Prime Number Magazine to select from among our pieces in their genre, and then the three of us decided which of those selected would get the nominations. It wasn't easy! But we did it, and I sent the nominations in last night.



Very happy about that!

Locals in Litmags

WriterHouse and The Bridge Progressive Arts Initiative are co-sponsoring a unique event in which I'm honored to participate: Locals in Litmags. Six local writers will be reading from work that has appeared within the past year in literary magazines. At this point I'm not sure who else is reading, but I'll be reading from "Artoyen's Razor," a story that just came out in The Tampa Review.

The reading will be November 3 at 7:00 pm at The Bridge, 209 Monticello Rd., Charlottesville. Please come if you are in the area!

Dominoes

Interview with Christine Schutt

One of the things I've enjoyed about being Editor of Prime Number Magazine is conducting interviews with writers. Only two so far, of course, but they were both fun, for different reasons. For the first issue I interviewed Josh Weil, author of The New Valley. I've known Josh for a couple of years and we've even done a reading together, plus I've heard him talk about his book. So I had a sense of what he would say and what questions could lead to some answers that would be interesting to readers.

For Issue 3 of Prime Number I interviewed Christine Schutt, author of Florida and All Souls, among other books. And that was fun because even though I've known Christine for as long as I've known Josh, I had much less of an idea of what to expect from the interview. Since I generally conduct the "interview" by email, I sent my questions off (after reading the two novels and one of her story collections) and waited for the reply. What I got back was simply stunning, as I think you'll agree. Although it is largely responsive to my questions, it turns out be a beautiful essay on writing.

Issue 3 of Prime Number is LIVE!

Issue No. 3 of Prime Number Magazine is now LIVE!

I'm really pleased with the issue. We've got new stories by novelists Richard Wiley and John Givens, plus work by Anne Leigh Parrish, Jon Trobaugh, and Meagan Ciesla. In poetry we have selections by Susan Meyers, Mark Smith-Soto, Lola Haskins, and Nick Ripatrazone. And there are four very fine essays--by Randall Horton, Elizabeth Bernays, Nina Feng, and Joe Mills. On top of all that we've got a review of Lori Ostlund's story collection, The Bigness of the World, and interviews with novelists Emma Rathbone and Christine Schutt.

And check out that beautiful "cover" photo--"Three Hanging Calla Lilies" by Katinka Matson.

And don't forget that we're open for submissions for Issue No. 5 (scheduled for mid January, so get your work in soon).

Literary Magazine Club

There are book clubs, so why not a Literary Magazine Club? Great question. And Roxane Gay has one for us. I'm in. See the details here.

Under The Volcano - Writer's workshops in Mexico

Looking for a writers' workshop? Want to get away to Mexico in January? Believe me, this is a perfect combination. January is fantastic time to be in the mountains of Central Mexico, and the village of Tepoztlan is a magical place.

I've been to Under the Volcano three times, and I recommend the experience highly. This year workshop director Magda Bogin is running things a little differently, but it's definitely worth considering for writers in search of a little inspiration and motivation. January 16-24, 2011. Also note the Opera workshop in the week prior to that--maybe that's something you're interested in, too.

Under The Volcano - Writer's workshops in Mexico

The New Yorker: "To the Measures Fall" by Richard Powers

 You trudge out to the mailbox and reach inside, hoping that the New Yorker has come. Surprise! You find that it has indeed come. You open to page 72 to read the new Richard Powers story and to your immeasurable disappointment you see that the story is written in the second person. You read the story anyway, conclude that the choice of second person is just a gimmick, as it usually is. You like some aspects of the story, although you sigh when you learn that the protagonist has cancer, because you’re permanently tired of stories about people with cancer, even though there are other elements here that might redeem the story, if only it weren’t for that damned second person.

Enough. Let me explain why I don’t like the second person. This “you” voice is really the first person in which the narrator is either addressing the reader or some other auditor (in which case, sure, second person is intimate and fine), or, more often, is really talking to him or herself (the gimmick). The “I” is merely sublimated to the “you” and the only time I buy it as being exactly the right narrative choice is where there has been some trauma that, as it were, splits the narrator in two. Now, the fact that at the end of this story the protagonist—the “you” and, I would argue, also the “I”—appears to be on her deathbed might be justification for the second person. Her dying self is looking back on her life from some distance and addressing herself as a young woman and as she grows older. So maybe it is actually justified in this case.

I still don’t like it.

The story—the narrator goes to England as a student, finds a used copy of a book that intrigues her. She tries to read it but fails. Later as she is working on her dissertation she tries again and loves the book. She becomes obsessed. She gets married, has an affair with her thesis advisor, quits her program, goes to law school, gets divorced. She concludes that her copy of the book is signed by Winston Churchill, but doesn’t get the signature verified, but still follows the obscure author’s writings and news about his work. She gets married again and has kids. She practices law. She gets sick.

Although I was drawn through this story by the fluid writing and the suspense created about the mysterious author, in the end it didn’t satisfy me, probably because I resisted the voice. You?

October 18, 2010: “To the Measures Fall” by Richard Powers

Library of Virginia awards announced | Richmond Times-Dispatch

Barbara Kingsolver won the Library of Virginia award for fiction last night, for her novel Lacuna. Library of Virginia awards announced | Richmond Times-Dispatch

Josh Weil and Ramola D were finalists.

More Negative Scripts

More Negative Scripts: McKenna continues the interviews, including mine.

LitMag Reviews

There are some fresh reviews of literary magazines posted at New Pages--Review of Literary Magazines

Negative Scripts: Part II – The Interviewees « McKenna's Way

Negative Scripts: Part II – The Interviewees « McKenna's Way

Author Rants

I recently published a book review in a new online magazine. It was a mostly positive review but pointed to one significant flaw. The editor of the magazine asked me to consider a change that would soften my criticism, but I opted not to go that route. I didn't think it was possible to overlook the problem.

I learned last night that the author of the book I reviewed contacted the editor, with whom he is acquainted, and was angry about being "misunderstood." He seemed to be under the impression that SHE had written the review and she correctly pointed out that in fact an outside reviewer had done the work. I gather that he didn't get the point and continued his rant. (Other reviewers have pointed out the exact same problem with this book, so I'm hardly alone in my reading; others have also pointed out, which I chose not to mention, the clunky dialogue and other thematic problems with the novel.)

The writer should consider himself lucky to be reviewed. As I was writing that review, I very nearly contacted the editor to say that I couldn't do a review that wouldn't be overly negative, because I didn't think the book was very good. On reflection, though, I thought there was enough redeeming value that I could recommend the book to some readers--it's just not for everyone.

One more point on this review. The magazine has chosen to include a "disclaimer" with its book reviews which states that the reviewers have discretion and the magazine doesn't always agree with what they write. This sort of disclaimer is wholly unnecessary and I've not seen it before. I felt that the editors were, in fact, anticipating the reaction they got on my review and wanted to preserve their ties to the author, even thought my review was spot on. That apparently didn't work, and in the meantime they annoyed a reviewer.

The New Yorker: "Corrie" by Alice Munro

Finally, a story worth reading. Unfortunately, it’s not available to non-subscribers. I wonder if the magazine planned this? Let’s let everyone read the light-weight junk, but when we publish an Alice Munro story, something with some real meat, we’ll make them pay. Wouldn’t surprise me.

The story is set in a small Canadian town and features Corrie, the polio-stricken daughter of a wealthy man. Her life is empty and there is nothing and no one in the town for her, despite her wealthy. But her father hires an architect to restore the steeple of the Anglican church—he’s Methodist, himself, but the church is important to the town—and introduces this architect to his daughter. (A nice bit of foreshadowing: as Corrie is preparing for a trip to Egypt, Howard thinks, “Some creepy fortune hunter was bound to snap her up.”) He’s married with children, but that doesn’t stop them from beginning an affair when she returns.

When Corrie’s father has a stroke, she hires young Sadie Wolfe to help out around the house. Howard visits often. When the father dies, Sadie moves on. But then Howard, attending a dinner party with his wife, runs into her. In a letter, which Howard destroys immediately, Sadie threatens to expose them, and so begins the blackmail, which wealthy Corrie happily pays, in cash, in an envelope that Howard delivers to Sadie.

The affair continues. Years go by. Accidentally, Corrie learns of Sadie’s death on the day of her funeral in the small town. She wonders how she can get the news to Howard. And then the truth dawns on her.

Aside from the plot, which has a nice twist to it, there’s a lot in this story, including the discussion of churches in the town. It is the collapsing Anglican steeple that first brings Howard and Corrie together. The father is a Methodist. Sadie’s funeral is in the new “Church of the Lord’s Anointed” and leads Corrie to recall that her father had said that only “freak religions” flourished in the town. At the reception following the funeral, Corrie sees many women of the town and notes that the United church and the Presbyterian church were barely hanging on and the Anglican church—again, the church that Howard was hired to save—and closed long ago.

The saga of Corrie’s father’s shoe factory is another element. He sold the factory, but despite assurances that they’d keep it open the buyers moved production elsewhere. Corrie tries to turn the place into a museum of shoe-making, but that is short lived. And, ironically, Corrie herself has a built-up shoe because of her lameness.

And then politics. Howard is rather conservative, but Corrie’s father and Howard’s wife are both left-wing supporters of the Saskatchewan premier.

A good story, with plenty to enjoy.

October 11, 2010: “Corrie” by Alice Munro

Neatness Counts

Actually, it isn't neatness per se that counts; it's attention to detail. As a teacher and an editor, I am disturbed when correct form is not followed. I'm even more disturbed when I see grammar, spelling, or usage errors in submissions. I'm horrified when these mistakes creep into my own work. (How about that for transference? Those mistakes aren't my fault, apparently, if they somehow manage to worm their way into my story all by themselves.)


Grammar, spelling, and usage errors will affect a grade in my class. They'll also make a rejection more likely if I see them in a submission to my magazine. And I don't think my attitude is unique.


This was emphasized for me at the "First Pages Critique" during the recent James River Writers Conference in Richmond. It's an interesting session: the first pages of several manuscripts are read aloud and critiqued by a panel of three literary agents in front of an audience. It's a little like American Idol, without the screaming fans. A couple of the agents noted grammar and punctuation errors (misplaced commas) in a number of the manuscripts. It wasn't clear that they would have rejected any of these manuscripts simply because of wild comma, but the fact that these mistakes were noticed was significant. Anything that bugs an agent or an editor is not going to help your manuscript make it through the screening process. There's too much competition, and we have to do our best to make sure that our work will survive.


But here's the problem: many writers don't know grammar, and they certainly don't know the rules for comma. Although I'm pretty well educated, I didn't either until I began TEACHING. I saw the same mistakes over and over again and realized I needed to be able to articulate the rules in order to teach them. I learned. You can, too.

Identifying with our Negative Scripts – Gentle on the Path « McKenna's Way

L. McKenna Donovan has an interesting project on her blog this week, in which she is exploring the "negative scripts" that get in our way. She's interviewing a number of writers, including me, and will have a number of posts as she examines the answers to a series of questions. Since this isn't something I've given a lot of thought to, I'm looking forward to the series.

Identifying with our Negative Scripts – Gentle on the Path « McKenna's Way

Writerday: Second Thursdays

SWAG Writers is trying something new: Writerday. This Thursday, October 14, we'll gather at Mockingbird in Staunton to talk about writing, or whatever.

6:00pm - 8:00pm.

Join us if you can.

Howard Jacobson wins Man Booker Prize

Jacobson wins Booker for The Finkler Question.

Maria Thomas Fiction Award

I've already commented about this great honor that my book and I received this year, but the certificate just arrived in the mail and that gives me an excuse to mention it again.

I received the 2010 Maria Thomas Fiction Award from Peace Corps Writers for my linked collection of stories, In an Uncharted Country.

Previous winners of the award have included Paul Theroux, Kent Haruf, Norm Rush, Joanne Omang, Bob Shachochis, Marnie Mueller, Richard Wiley, and Mark Brazaitis.

I'm honored to be added to that list.

Booker Prize

And the Booker goes to . . .

We don't know yet. It will be announced today. Betting is heavily in favor of Tom McCarthy's novel C.

In the meantime, here's the shortlist.

James River Writers Report--Day 2

The second day of the James River Writers Conference was just as packed as the first. It began with the "first pages critique" in which writers submit the first pages of novels which are then read aloud to the audience. Three agents on the panel--Michelle Brower, Melissa Sarver, and Lucy Carson--then offered a critique. It's a very instructive exercise--probably horrifying for the "contestants"--but it's a clear demonstration of what works and what doesn't. Mostly what doesn't. Mostly I agreed with the agents, although the insistence of all three agents that the first page be an action-oriented scene doesn't completely resonate. I understand what they're looking for, but I think of Richard Bausch's craft lecture at Sewanee this summer in which he talked about the "art of exposition" and argued that we would do well to look at the beginnings of Dickens and Tolstoy novels to see the beauty of another approach. But overall this was a very informative panel.

Next I attended a panel on the legal and tax issues faced by a professional writer. Mostly what was discussed I knew, although I did pick up a few tips, and it was interesting to hear about the experience of the panelists.

After lunch I went to the panel on literary journals. Again, not much new here for me, but it was fun to hear Silas House talk about the new Appalachian magazine of which he is the fiction editor.

I had planned to attend "Publicity through Social Media" but the room was packed, so I gave myself an hour off before the conference wrapped up with an on-stage interview of Charles Shields by Dean King. He talked about his biography of Harper Lee and his forthcoming biography of Kurt Vonnegut. Fascinating subjects.

And then we came to the end, which was a very nice party at the Kent-Valentine House, a gorgeous home dating from 1845.

A terrific conference, and I am honored to have been part of it!

Report from James River

It's been a busy couple of days. I drove down to Richmond on Thursday morning in order to participate in the first "pre-conference" workshops that James River Writers has offered. I think it was successful--both the query workshop and the short story workshop, which I led, were filled (in fact mine was over-subscribed, somehow) and the feedback I've received has been quite positive. My topic was, ostensibly, how to "create a world" in a short story, but really it was a short course in short story writing. I enjoyed doing it, and I think the participants enjoyed it, too.

Then last night we had a wonderful party for presenters and other invited guests. Good food, great people, beautiful house. A nice "kick off" for the conference (although, of course, I'd gotten a head start in the afternoon).

The conference proper began this morning with some inspirational poetry (Invitation to Write!) followed by lots of panels. I heard one panel talk about the challenges of writing in multiple genres and another about freelance writing. Then, after lunch, it was my turn--I was on two panels. The first was Character 101 and it was so popular we needed to move to a different room. Then I was on Mastering the Short Story, a topic I don't think we could ever do justice to. Both went well, I think. The final session of the day was a plenary session about the relationships among writers, agents, and editors. I thought the panelists did a really good job with that, and I haven't seen the subject presented in quite that way before.

Right now I'm standing by for another party . . . and I'm looking forward to another full day tomorrow!

Mario Vargas Llosa wins Literature Nobel

At least it's someone I've heard of and have read . . . some. Read about the prize here: Vargas Llosa wins Nobel. And here's the story in the New York Times.

James River Writers Conference

I'm off to Richmond today for the kickoff of the James River Writers' Conference. I attended a few years ago as a participant and thought it was terrific--very well organized, and in a wonderful venue, The Library of Virginia--and so when I was asked to be a presenter this year, I jumped at the chance.

Not only am I on a couple of panels on Friday (I think they gave me Saturday off), I'm also one of two presenters holding workshops today. One of the workshops is given by Michelle Brower, and agent, and that was a hot ticket, as I understand it. (I might have signed up for that one myself!) My workshop is more focused on craft, as we'll talk about how to create a world in a short story.

The conference proper begins tomorrow morning and features talks by such fantastic writers as Silas House, Charles Todd, Charles Shields, Jacqueline Woodson, Mike Olmert, and a whole lot of other terrific writers..

I'm looking forward to it!

SWAG Reading Series

On September 29, about 30 Staunton-area residents gathered at the Darjeeling Café for a night of poetry and prose readings and a sneak preview of the Café’s new location at 103 West Beverley. Hosted by SWAG Writers—that’s the Staunton-Waynesboro-Augusta Group of Writers, the local wing of the Blue Ridge Writers Club—the event featured local author Janet Lembke and visiting poet Todd F. Davis. Also on hand was Carey McCallum from The Sacred Circle to sell the readers’ books.

Lembke has published 18 books, including several essay collections and translations, most dealing with the natural world. Her most recent book, Because the Cat Purrs, is about human relationships with other species—cats (of course), chickens, morning glories, turtles, and many others. Davis is the author of three collections of poetry, most recently The Least of These, published by Michigan State University Press. His work is also focused on the natural world.

Lembke kicked things off by reading an introduction to her cats that appear in her book, and then also read sections about groundhogs and other local wildlife. Davis then read—mostly from his most recent book and an earlier collection, Some Heaven, but he admitted that he changed what he had planned to read because of Lembke’s selections. In response to her groundhog story, Davis read a woodchuck poem. And because of her comments about deer, Davis read one of his deer poems.

Following the readings, both authors engaged with the audience about a range of subjects, from the craft of writing to the ins and outs of publishing.

Known for hosting literary events and book clubs, the Darjeeling Café’s new location—which boasts a stage in the center of its east wall—seemed ideal for this event. SWAG, which was formed earlier this year by a group of local writers, announced plans to continue the reading series and also hold open mic nights for writers in the near future.

Prime Number Magazine--update 2.7

Have I mentioned that Prime Decimals 2.7 is now live at Prime Number Magazine? That's the 4th and final update to Issue No. 2, our debut issue. 2.7 features poetry by Donna Hunt, Harry Calhoun, and Donna Vorreyer; nonfiction by Donna Steiner; and fiction by Tiff Holland and Meg Pokrass.

Stay tune for Issue No. 3, which should appear two weeks from today, on October 19.

The New Yorker: "The Dungeon Master" by Sam Lipsyte

A bunch of kids are play Dungeons & Dragons after school (at least I guess that’s what this is—having never played the game, I don’t know if the description of the game is right or if the author has come up with something new) at the home of the “Dungeon Master,” a boy who seems a bit disturbed, although it could be nothing more than having grown up without a mother. The narrator is a shy boy on the periphery who eventually gets fed up with the Dungeon Master (the broken wrist the DM causes could have something to do with it) and moves on. 

But the DM doesn’t move on, lives in his fantasy world, and hints at a future suicide. Other kids in the group are also pretty marginal—one kid who is a thief in the game turns out to be a thief in real life.

Is there a point here? Is it that we—meaning the parents of impressionable kids—need to keep closer watch? Because it does seem to me that the Dungeon Master’s father could have been doing a better job with him, and the narrator’s parents aren’t so hot either. But, really, is that the point?

On the one hand, this story seemed far more readable than anything else I’ve read in The New Yorker lately. But I think it only appeals in a relative sense. My standards for this magazine have fallen.

October 4, 2010: “The Dungeon Master” by Sam Lipsyte

Nobel Prize week

It's Nobel Prize week, with the prizes doled out one-a-day, like vitamins. Today was the announcement of the inner in medicine. Tomorrow we get physics, Wednesday is Chemistry, Thursday is Literature, Friday is Peace, and then we have to wait until Monday for Economics (can they give it to Paul Krugman again?) Check out all the action at Nobelprize.org

The only one I'm really interested in (although Peace is nice), is literature. I'll be traveling on Thursday, so I won't be on top of it, but would anyone like to hazard a guess as to the winner? I have no idea, but apparently the bookies are favoring poetry this year (see Poet tipped in Nobel Prize for Literature). I don't think anyone really has a clue.

The MFA needs a splash of MBA -- guest post by Cameron Conaway

That’s right.

MFA (Master of Fine Arts) students often joke about how the degree they are attaining is at the opposite end of the spectrum from the MBA (Master of Business Administration). They joke about how MFA and MBA students have different morals – one pursues the craft and love of an art regardless of the money it may bring in. The other, they say, is in pure pursuit of what typical MFA students couldn’t care less about – money.

I’m not laughing. It’s this pious, holier-than-thou attitude that makes aspiring, talented writers go unpublished. In fact, I’ve been told by one professor, “Do not attempt to publish anything during graduate school – not even a single poem here or there in a literary magazine. Your entire focus should be on becoming a better writer.”

Bull. Part of becoming a better writer is becoming a better representative of your writing. The field of writing is every bit as competitive (maybe even more so) than any other field. The audience for literary writers is so small – any MFA graduate trying to find a credible publisher or a decent non-adjunct teaching job will readily admit this – yet the number of MFA graduates is so large. Since graduating with my MFA in May 2009, I’ve been one of the fortunate few – two book deals, requests to write for various magazines and opportunities to teach. To get these opportunities, I had to wade doggedly and alone through an unfamiliar world – the business world of writing. A vast majority of recent MFA grads are now trying to become border patrol agents or are filing tax forms or working at coffee shops. These jobs are fine, of course. What isn’t fine is that the writers working them are miserable. What isn’t fine is that these jobs have left the writers with little time or energy to actually write. These writers have stacks of manuscripts, but most aren’t professionally edited, most have only been read by friends, most are and will continue to sit under the job section of the local newspaper.

I’ve met many high school teachers in their forties, fifties and sixties who graduated with an MFA and pursued teaching right out of school (to make money). They are now bitter about their lack of writing successes. Regret drips from their wrinkled faces. It’s sad and I’m saddened and I’d like to do something about it.

MFA programs need a splash of the MBA. I loved how the MFA taught me how to distinguish good writing from bad, how to spark my own creativity, how to study and learn from the masters. But I’m upset that it taught me these things and didn’t teach me at all about how to get the work I spent years crafting, read. Creative writing teachers teach students to rid clichés from their writing. Let’s also rid our lives of the “I’ll be the typical struggling artist” cliché.

MFA instructors are often fabulous writers, but they are also experienced veterans in regards to the publishing business. Why aren’t these skills part of the MFA curriculum?

I want all MFA programs in the country to have one all-inclusive 3-credit class that discusses some of the following:

When should I and how do I write a Query Letter?

What does a literary agent do and do I need one?

What does a standard book contract look like in my genre?

What type of emotions might I feel when I’m published?

Should I hire an editor or will my publisher grant me one? How do editors edit creative writing? Will they take away my style?

Where do I find literary agents and outlets for my writing?

How can social media and personal websites be used to attract readers?

What is my niche? Do I have one? What sets me apart from other writers?

Great writing changes the world for the better. From it grows peace. Peace should not remain in the attic.

Cameron Conaway, NSCA-CPT, was the 2007-2009 Poet-in-Residence at the University of Arizona's MFA Creative Writing Program. He is the author of “Until You Make the Shore,” (forthcoming January 2012 from Salmon Poetry) and "Caged: Memoir of a Cage-Fighting Poet," (forthcoming Fall 2011 from Tuttle Publishing) which has received endorsements from UFC Hall of Famer Ken Shamrock and renowned writer Dinty W. Moore. Visit www.CameronConaway.com for more information.

Book Review in Transition Voice

My review of James Howard Kunstler's The Witch of Hebron is in a new magazine, Transition Voice, which debuts today.

Yiyun Li on KQED

Yiyun Li recently appeared on KQED's Writers' Block program to read the title story from her new collection.

The audio is embedded below (thanks to KQED for the tip!)

2011 Press 53 Open Awards

Check out the 2011 Press 53 Open Awards and, more importantly, check out the incredible lineup of judges: Chris Offut judging the short story, Josh Weil judging the novella, Sherrie Flick judging flash fiction, Carolyn Kreiter-Foronda (former poet laureate of Virginia) judging poetry, Stefanie Freele judging the short short story, and Bill Roorbach judging creative nonfiction. That's star-studded.