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Thursday, December 31, 2009

News Around the Net

It's Romeo & Juliet as its remembered... or not. The Nature Theater of Oklahoma is running a version of Romeo & Juliet as people remember it from high school.

Apparently, the rough year in the publishing industry and the mass closing of book stores around the world did not hamper book sales as much as expected. Sales for the year were merely "meh" rather than catastrophically bad. Let's all thank Dan Brown.


Did Kindle books really outsell real books on Christmas? Technically, yes. Does this mark the beginning of Kindle's takeover of the publishing industry? Probably not.

If you were going to steal a book, which book would it be? The most common stolen book: the Bible. Yes, the "thou shalt not steal" Bible.

A donor is willing to donate $5,000 to the literary journal One Story, but there's a catch. I don't know what to make of this. Sure, its nice and everything, but it's also a little cruel.

This 90 year old woman just got her first book published. Congrats! And that means I have a little under seventy years to match her.

University of Chicago students sum up over eighty literary classics in twenty tweets or less. Need to have Anna Karenina read in five minutes? Who has time for CliffNotes anyway?

"So how do we strip away prejudice? First, we have to see prejudice."

How about that for a new year's resolution? We take a break from our holiday festivities to celebrate this article from writer (and recent HFR contributor) Julianna Baggott, in response to the recent Publisher's Weekly top 100 book list that named ZERO women in the top ten, and only twenty-nine in its entirety. "I could understand Publishers Weekly's phallocratic list if women were writing only a third of the books published or if women didn't float the industry as book buyers or if the list were an anomaly," she says.

If the PW list isn't upsetting enough, try out this information from the article:

Playwright Julia Jordan pointed me toward a recent study about perceptions of male and female playwrights that showed that plays with female protagonists were the most devalued in blind readings. "The exact same play that had a female protagonist was rated far higher when the readers thought it had a male author," Jordan said. "In fact, one of the questions on the blind survey was about the characters 'likability,'and the exact same female character, same lines, same pagination, when written by a man was exceeding likable, when written by a woman was deemed extremely unlikable.
Thanks to Julianna Baggott for this thoughtful article, and here's hoping for a better year for women writers in 2010.

Friday, December 25, 2009

Happy Holidays!

If you're here taking a break from opening presents, drinking eggnog, politely declining your Great-Aunt Edna's fruitcake, or, if you're like me, blowing out the candles on your birthday cake, I'm glad you stopped by, because here's a present for you from Hayden's Ferry.

What's Christmas without a little poetry to brighten your day? This poem by Chase Twichell from Issue #34 takes us back to childhood memories of snowy December evenings spent with family, though disillusionment may be the name of the game, and I'm not talking merely about finding out the truth about the big guy in the red suit.

Crèche

All the December I was twelve
and Cary two, I'd push her buggy
through the dusk a few blocks
of shoveled sidewalk to the church,
where a life-sized plaster family
has set up camp: Mary,
dull Joseph, their spot-lit doll.
Jesus hid behind a sleeping cow,
and Cary herself would ascend
to the manger, all eyes upon her:
simple shepherd's eyes,
sheep, camel eyes all watching her
climb in her stiff red snowsuit
into the milk crate,
her own eyes clouding
with some pleasure to which
I was already inured.
I wanted to be none of them,
especially not Mary,
who had to give birth
having never known love.

On that note, I'll let you get back to your festivities. Merry Christmas, Happy Birthday to my fellow Christmas babies, and Happy Holidays to you and yours from everyone here at HFR! The blog will be taking a short break, but we'll be back again in the new year.

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

News Around the Net

How could a romance story between a stuffy intergalactic cop who is forced to enter a Mr. Galaxy competition and his Earth cop manager go wrong? Apparently, an Amazon reviewer thought it did and the author of the book was having none of it.

The Millions helps us judge books by their covers, sort of. I'm glad they included Under the Dome. That is one cool book cover.

In response to the Ian McEwan hate-fest from last week, there have been columnists defending him. Turns out McEwan's not the English Dan Brown because everyone hates Dan Brown. He's the English Cormac McCarthy. There are supposedly people out there who like him, but I've never met one.

What's the most popular word in story titles? No, it's not "Story," but close.

I feel like most people have discussing only the best novels of the year, so here's a small list of the best poetry books of the year. Best I could find.

Why A Christmas Carol was a financial disaster for Charles Dickens. And it had nothing to do with the sales of the book.

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Season's Greetings from HFR!

Snow has inspired some of the most beautiful images in literature (think Joyce), and so in celebration of this holiday season...especially for those in Arizona who won't get snow...we give you a little winter treat from the Hayden's Ferry Review vaults:

Anna Meek, Issue #28
An Old Man Performs Alchemy on His Doorstep at Christmastime

Cream of Tartar, commonly used to lift meringue and angel food cake, is actually made from crystallized fine wine.

After they stopped singing for him,
the carolers became transparent in the dark,
and he stepped into their emptiness to say
he lost his wife last week, please
sing again.
Their voices filled with gold.
Last week, his fedora nodded hello to me
on the sidewalk and the fragile breath
of kindness that passed between us
made something sweet of morning
that had frightened me for no earthly reason.
Surely, you know this by another name:
the mysteries we intake, exhale, could be
sitting on our shelves, left on the bus seat
beside us. Don't wash your hands.
You fingered them at the supermarket,
gave them to the cashier; intoxicated tonight,
she'll sing in the streets. Think of the old man.
Who knew he kept the secret of levitation,
transference, and lightness filling a winter night
with effortless crystalline powder that could almost seem
transfigured from loss?
*

Monday, December 21, 2009

Virtual Poet-in-Residence: ARC Poetry

Call for Proposals: Poet in Residence, October 1, 2010 to June 30, 2011
History and Overview: Over 32 years of publication Arc Poetry Magazine has established itself as an important feature in the Canadian literary landscape. In addition to the publication of dozens of vibrant and thought-provoking issues, some highlights of Arc’s legacy include the establishment of the Confederation Poets Prize, the Lampman-Scott (formerly Archibald Lampman) Award for Poetry, the Poem of the Year Contest, and the Diana Brebner Prize for emerging poets. Arc has also received many honours, including numerous National Magazine Awards. A new addition to the Arc family of services is the Poet in Residence program. As a publication that receives hundreds of applications from emerging poets each year, Arc would like tobe able to offer more constructive feedback than time usually allows topoets whose work shows promise. The Poet in Residence (PIR) will provide this editorial feedback through an internal referral system,will produce a commissioned work for publication in Arc, andwill attend to present this work at the issue launches (locations to be confirmed). This will be the second year for the Poet in Residence program, and may be subject to the approval of funding. The PIR willbe asked to provide relevant feedback regarding the program in order to improve service for subsequent years. The successful candidate will beable to meet the criteria established by the Canada Council for the Arts for its writers residency program. Position Description: The nine-month residency will consist of the following: This is a virtual residency, so the Poet in Residence will not be required to relocate. Ten to twenty hours of mentoring per each month of the residency, serving a minimum of ten poets per month, for a total of between three and four weeks of the entire residency; Tailored mentoring will include written assessments of approximately 250 words, a tailored recommended reading list, and phone and/or email consultation where necessary; The PIR will undertake to clarify with each participant in the program that the opinions are those of the him or herself and not those of the Arc Poetry Society or of Arc Poetry Magazine; In order to prepare a thorough mentoring statement the poet in residence will request a larger sampling of a mentee’s work where necessary; Creation of a project of ten to fifteen printed pages for publication in Arc and approximately two weeks of travel and readings to promote the launch of the issue of Arc containing the PIR’s work. More here.

Saturday, December 19, 2009

News Around the Net

Sorry for the shortness this week, but if I see one more list of best books of the year or the decade or the month or the day, I'm going to lose it. Lose it!

With all the trending toward the internet, McSweeney's proves that print is not dead. It's just a little uncomfortable to read in the bathtub. But it doesn't get you electrocuted!

A New Jersey man returned his Spanish to English dictionary to the Jersey City library. It was 54 years late. Luckily his $1,750 fine (!) was forgiven by the library's new amnesty policy, started as a way to encourage "fugitive bibliophiles" to bring their books back. Yes, fugitives.

Shakespeare characters want things for Christmas too. Except Hamlet. He doesn't want anything.

Here's a snow in literature quiz. Somehow, I managed to get 8 of 14. I knew reading The Golden Compass would come in handy someday!

Is this the future of magazine publishing? If everyone was rich, then maybe it would be. What's really wrong with magazine publishing anyway? How lazy are we going to get?

The 2009 United States Artists fellowships have been awarded. Among the writers getting a $50,000 unrestricted grant (spend it on the most awesome vacation ever, if you want) is Sapphire, the writer of the novel which the new Oprah-endorsed movie Precious is based upon.

What The Paris Review and swimsuit models have in common.

Friday, December 18, 2009

The Southern Review's Resident Scholar Position

Louisiana State University. Postdoctoral Researcher/Resident Scholar, The Southern Review. This is a two-year non-renewable twelve-month appointment & carries a salary of $32,000 & benefits (Pending final administrative approval). Preferred start date is August 1, 2010. The Scholar will commit 20 hours per week to editorial duties at The Southern Review & teach one class per regular semester in the English Department (courses assigned by departmental need and/or Fellow's expertise). Required Qualifications: Terminal degree (MFA, PhD or equivalent); one year editorial experience on the staff of an established literary journal. Additional Qualifications Desired:Ability to demonstrate the following: editorial expertise with fiction, nonfiction, & poetry; a broad knowledge of literature, especially contemporary; basic computer skills; a solid understanding of publishing, especially small presses & literary magazines. Special Requirements: All candidates must be eligible to work in the United States; ability & willingness to work some holidays. Flexible scheduling of hours may be available. Responsibilities: handles manuscript review & selection, proofreading, circulation development, fundraising support & conference participation; teaches one class per regular semester for the English Department; produces new works of prose or poetry culminating in a public presentation the final semester of the residency. An offer of employment is contingent on a satisfactory pre-employment background check. Application deadline is January 4, 2010 or until a candidate is selected. Apply online at: www.lsusystemcareers.lsu.edu Position #034688. AA/EOE

Electric Literature's Single Sentence Animations

I'm a huge fan of these single sentence animations from newbie, boat-rocking literary magazine Electric Literature. Not only because it's a cool idea (asking writers to choose a favorite sentence from their stories, and then asking artists to animate them) but because the videos are so fun to watch! The latest was posted just yesterday, a claymation interpretation from artist Donna K. of a sentence from Lydia Davis' story "Cows." Check it out here.

I considered posting the sentence to whet your appetite, but part of the joy is watching it reveal itself over the course of the video. Bet you can't watch just one.

Thursday, December 17, 2009

A Very Merry Offer From Hayden's Ferry Review!

Still looking for the perfect gift? How about a subscription to HFR for that special someone? Or two special someones! Or one kinda special someone and a coworker. Your hairdresser and your mom. Your roommate and your brother's best friend. The point is, you can spread the love around. Because we're practically giving subscriptions away! Through the holidays, buy one subscription to HFR, and get one free. Yes, FREE! That means you can cross two people off of your list for only $14. For a limited time, we'll also include a frame-able copy of our incredible cover art (featured here) for only $3 more.

We'll even include holiday greetings along with the issues, mailed straight to your chiropractor. Email us at HFR@asu.edu or call 480-965-1337 and we'll get everything going.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Website of the Week - What to Give & What to Get

You know that one person on your list that you can never shop for because either they have everything already, or they hate everything, so you spend hours walking around the mall milling in and out of shops, pulling your hair out because they're so impossible?  Well, I've got a suggestion for you: give them a book.  Books are always in style, they go with anything, and everyone always looks good while reading one.

At What to Give & What to Get, you can check out what books Penguin Group authors are gifting to loved ones this year and which ones are on their wish lists.  Jan Brett, one of my favorite author/illustrators for her classics like The Mitten or Hedgie's Surprise, is giving Born to Run by Christopher McDougall to her "outdoorsy children, nieces, nephews, sister and trainers" because long distance running is a bonding activity in her family.  Brett would like to get Tomie DePaola (another of my favorites!)'s Mother Goose to read to her new granddaughter.

For all you celebrity groupies out there, here's Perez Hilton's list:

Give:
  • How to Be Famous by Heidi and Spencer. Give it to Tara Reid. Show her how other D-listers work the field.

Get:

  • Going Rogue by Sarah Palin. Then I'd give it right back.
  • The Time of My Life by Patrick Swayze and Lisa Niemi. Because he was a true Hollywood star who had talent and class.

There are tons of other authors, from Elizabeth Gilbert (author of Eat, Pray, Love) to Nick Hornby (Juliet, Naked), so click on over.  Who knows, maybe you'll get some inspiration for gifts for the bibliophiles in your life.  Of course, a subscription to Hayden's Ferry Review is always a lovely choice as well.

SANTA LITERARY ALERT

You have roughly 11 hours from the time stamp on this post to join the literary Secret Santa put on by HTML GIANT.  Sign up and exchange with other like minded folks the joys of the holiday season and the fruits of the excellent small and independent presses and magazines.   I will see you there.  

Classy and Curious

The Review Review takes a look at issue #45...

The front page of their website teases, "Maybe you have a poem that takes a fresh look at racism, a story that's something of a genre-blending hybrid. Maybe you too are ready for the big-time, but you've got something a little edgy, a little wacky. You might be interested in HAYDEN'S FERRY REVIEW. Learn more about this classy, curious journal by reading Vince's latest review."

We thank Vince very much, for his generous review which found its way into their "overwhelmingly positive" (the highest!) category, as did our issue #42, the last they reviewed. The new review begins:
You would do well to judge the latest issue of Hayden’s Ferry Review by its cover. The front and back cover art, from Hong Hao’s photographic series “My Things,” was made “by using the scanned images of thousands of items from the artist’s everyday life.” It can take minutes for you actually to open the magazine, as the objects, “which appear almost as satellite-like representations,” continue to draw you in. Just when you think you’re finally ready to open the cover and start reading, what should fall out but a sturdy bookmark decorated with a detail from Hao’s very cover art. This is a class opening act that sets the bar high for content. Fortunately, Hayden’s Ferry Review is up to the challenge.
Read the whole review here.

Monday, December 14, 2009

Found in Translation

Hayden's Ferry Review started printing an International Section of translated literature in issue #37 back in 2005. Great literature, of course, doesn't all come from America, and we're happy to publish what we can and contribute to the body of translated work available here. So we were very heartened by the post Translate This Book! we saw at the Quarterly Conversation recently. It's a manifesto put together by translators, publishers, agents, and foreign language journalists. Each of them names a book that is not translated into English but should be, with a little explanation about what makes this book so special. There's also some facts about translation in the intro to the post that illuminate just how little of the rich breadth of international literature we actually read. Add in the opinion of the worldwide literary community about American interaction with foreign authors, and the picture looks quite dismal. So the Quarterly Conversation decided to speak out to change that.

We here at HFR couldn't agree more. At least six of the translators in the article have already appeared in HFR, together with the work in its original language by the original author. They include Margaret Jull Costa, Fady Joudah, Ilya Kaminsky, Andrea Lingenfelter, and Idra Novey.

Check out some of our new translated literature from issue #45 here, and read International Editor Brian Diamond's blog post on the disappearing languages the issue features. You can also subscribe, and that way won't miss anymore of the great international work we have planned for the future.

Support Rain Taxi and Get Cool Stuff

Looking for holiday gifts for the literary minded in your life?

Rain Taxi's annual fundraising auction contains a multitude of items sure to please book lovers -- first editions, gorgeous broadsides, rare chapbooks, quirky used books, as well as original art, an article of clothing, a decorative bag, a crazy quilt, and more! Many items are SIGNED by the authors and/or artists.

Bidding is conducted on eBay, with prices starting as low as 99 cents. For more information, visit their website.

Friday, December 11, 2009

Website of the Week - Identity Theory

I'm not exactly what you'd call "hip" on the whole online literary magazine scene, but this week my Internet diggings have produced a gem of a lit mag called Identity Theory.

Identity Theory, first published in July 2000 and updated regularly, is an online magazine that features literature, music, film, social justice and art.  This magazine has it all, from author interviews to film reviews to books and poetry.  However, I think the social justice section is what makes it stand out as a literary magazine.   Identity Theory covers international social issues through stories and its social justice blog, appropriately subtitled "blogging for change."

While browsing today, my eye was caught by "Hey Joel Osteen, I Like Your Teeth!" under Books and Writing.  Turns out it's a post on the IT Editor-in-Chief Matt Borondy's blog "tourist information," which is "a spiritual anti-journey."  My favorite part of the post is when Borondy berates Osteen for his megawatt grin: "Apparently, there's no money in innovation when it comes to spirituality.  It's all about having a nice smile.  I never got that.  Who wants a preacher with perfect teeth?  If you're going to talk about struggle and redemption, I want to see your scars."

And that is just one of the many, many engaging stories on Identity Theory.  I also like that you can submit your work (fiction, nonfiction, politically conscious, music, art, etc.), volunteer to join the editing staff, or just buy some IT stuff to support what the site is doing.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I've just discovered Polly Frost's comical visual essay "A Guide to Museum Women," so I'm off to learn about the different types of women you're bound to meet in an art gallery.  Click on that lovely link up there and you can learn with me.

Happy weekend, everyone!

News Around the Net

Remember when I asked if anyone had a spare $20,000 around for Cormac McCarthy's non-functional (it doesn't work!) typewriter? Well, I was wrong. It turns out you needed more than ten times that much.

For so much talk about the best books of the decade, how about a little talk about the worst books of the decade? A surprising amount of hate for Ian McEwan. It's like he's the British Dan Brown and I had no idea. He wrote Atonement!

Read Herta Muller's Nobel Prize speech. Even in her speeches, she tells better stories than me. Sigh.

Literary magazine Opium is getting on the iPhone with its own app. If only all lit mags had enough money to get their own iPhone applications. The world would be better. And less bulky.

Speaking of technology, let the kindle-ization of short fiction begin. The Atlantic is going to offer short stories exclusively on Kindle. They will not be offered in print.


Rick Moody, who recently twittered a short story, talks about online publishing.

The Millions has been posting their annual "A Year In Reading" series. You can also feel free to look through previous years' posts.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Unusual Calls for Submissions

Call for submissions: Celebrity Issue
The Other Journal seeks submissions of poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction for our upcoming "Celebrity" issue. Our deadline for this issue is December 15, 2009. All submissions should be sent via email to submissions(at)theotherjournal.com (replace (at) with @) with "TOJ Submission" written in the subject line. Please indicate the genre of your submission in the subject line of your email and submit your work as Microsoft Word or rich text format documents. Submissions that are pasted directly into the text of an email rather than an attached document may not be considered. Send up to six poems or one piece of prose at a time. Fiction submissions may include short stories or self-contained novel excerpts, and creative nonfiction submissions may include personal essays or memoirs. Because we are an online journal, we take a special interest in short prose submissions, especially pieces that are less than 2,500 words. We will consider simultaneous submissions, but please indicate they have been simultaneously submitted elsewhere, and let us know right away if you are withdrawing them from consideration. More info here.

Neil and Zara McAlister solicit poetry of all genres for their fourth collection, "Science Poetry."
Submissions close 30 June 2010. Our requirements for this new book are quite specific. Detailed instructions for authors can be found through the link on our poetry website.

Triolet Challenge at the Rondeau Roundup

The first two contests at the Rondeau Roundup have been rondeau contests, so it's time to mix it up a bit with another form. The next contest at the Rondeau Roundup is a Triolet Challenge! Not familiar with the form? It's an eight-line poem with a strict rhyme scheme: explanation here.

Tattoo Highway, an online journal of prose, poetry and art, is now reading for TH/20: "Detours."
Deadline, Jan. 10, 2010. GENERAL GUIDELINES: Our tastes are eclectic. We like fresh, vivid language, and we like stories and poems that are actually about something -- that acknowledge a world beyond the writer's own psyche. If they have an edge, if they provoke us to think or make us laugh, so much the better. We strongly suggest reading a previous issue or two before submitting. More here.

THE LONG STORY CONTEST, International (formerly The Long Fiction Contest, International), now in its 17th year, has become the premier competition for writers of stories that don't fit the conventional limits imposed by the economics of small press publishing. Named for A. E. Coppard, one of the leading British writers of the 1920's, whose first story was rejected only because it was too long--12,000 words--the contest attracts writers from all over the world. In order to acknowledge and encourage entries from outside the United States, the word International has been added to the title. All submissions must be in English and entry fee in U.S. dollars. Manuscript Length: 8,000-14,000 words (30-50 pages double spaced). Manuscript Genre: Single story (may have multi- parts or be a self-contained novel segment). Deadline: December 15, 2009 postmark. Winner announced by late Spring 2010. Award: 2010 A. E. Coppard Prize for Fiction. Winner--$1000. and 25 copies, plus 10 press kits to news sources of choice. *** All entrants receive a copy of the prize chapbook.*** More here.

Call for Submissions: Poemeleon: A Journal of Poetry
We are now accepting submissions for Volume IV Issue 2, the collaborative issue. For this issue, we are looking for works that are collaborative in nature: poem collaborations, call-and-response, or poet/painter (or other medium) pairs/trios, etc. If there are two or more collaborators, and the project involves poetry, we might be interested. In addition to poems, we are looking for relevant essays and interviews that speak to the collaborative process. Please visit the website for full guidelines. All submissions must come through our electronic submissions form.

The 2010 Stella Kupferberg Memorial Short Story Prize with guest judge Nathan Englander
The winning submission will be read as part of the Selected Shorts performance at Symphony Space on April 7, 2010. The story will be recorded for possible later broadcast as part of the public radio series. The winner will receive $1000. Story requirements: Submit a single short story that addresses the theme, Apartments and Neighbors. Your story must have a title. Make sure your name and contact information appear on the first page of your story. If you are submitting by online, this information needs to appear on the first page of the attached Word document. Include page numbers. All submissions must be received by January 29, 2010. Submit your story here.

Jobs!

Missouri State University: Creative Writing/Poetry Instructor (A060)
Creative Writing (Poetry) Instructor--The English Department at Missouri State University in Springfield, MO anticipates an August 16, 2010 opening for a 9-month, non-tenure-track Instructor. For a full description of the position seehttp://www.missouristate.edu/academicopenings. To apply for this position, please complete the electronic application and submit supplemental materials to: Dr. W.D. Blackmon, English Department, Missouri State University, 901 South National, Springfield, MO 65897. EO/AA. Employment will require a criminal background check at University expense.' Postal Address: Dr. W.D. Blackmon/English Department/Missouri State University/901 S. National/Springfield, MO 65897. Online App. Form here.

Assistant Professor of English with specialty in Poetry Writing.
Ph.D. required and experience teaching first-year composition highly desired. Candidates must be committed to teaching excellence and serious creative production and/or scholarship. The 3-course load includes responsibilities at the freshman, sophomore, and upper levels with occasional opportunities to teach in the M.A. program. Interviewing at MLA. Deadline for applications is November 15, 2009 Send cover letter, CV, statement of teaching philosophy, and dossier (with current transcripts and three letters of recommendation), to Dr. Patricia Ward, Department Chair. For more information please visit here.

The University of Michigan-Flint invites applications for a tenure-track position in Creative Writing at the Assistant Professor level beginning in Fall 2010. The appointment carries a 3-3 teaching load divided between undergraduate and M.A. courses in Creative Writing and introductory and/or advanced courses in a second field. We seek an individual committed to teaching and curricular development at the undergraduate and Master's level, creative and/or scholarly publication, university and community service. Cover letter, CV, statement of teaching philosophy, dissertation abstract, and three letters of reference should be sent electronically to creativewritingsearch@umflint.edu or in hard copy to Thomas C. Foster, Creative Writing Search Chair, Department of English, University of Michigan-Flint, 326 French Hall, Flint, MI 48502-1950. No first-round interviews at MLA. On-campus interviews will likely be conducted in February 2010. Review of applications will begin January 4 and continue until the position is filled.

The Department of English at the University of Massachusetts Lowell seeks an energetic and collaborative colleague for a full-time, tenure-track Assistant Professorship in Creative Writing-Poetry. Teaching includes poetry workshops and other upper-level as well as introductory writing courses. Secondary specialty in one or more of the following areas also desirable: children's/adolescent literature, world literature, linguistics. The successful candidate will be expected to pursue an active publishing agenda, to mentor students on individual and group projects, and to develop significant outreach projects in the community and the region. Online App. Form.

Bennington College seeks two published writers of distinguished literary accomplishment to teach literature and writing to highly motivated undergraduates. In keeping with our commitment to the teacher-practitioner model, we seek writers of poetry, fiction, drama or nonfiction whose own interests and abilities as teachers will shape our future curriculum. We are committed to teaching major works in the history of literature, and likely candidates will demonstrate the ability to teach a broad spectrum of essential works. Please submit a letter of interest and CV to Literature Search Committee, Bennington College, One College Drive, Bennington. VT 05201. Online App. Form.

Assistant Professor of English - Creative Nonfiction Writing, Bemidji State University
Responsibilities: Teach creative nonfiction writing at junior through graduate levels. Teach first-year composition and related academic writing. Contribute to a program of scholarship within the discipline,student advising, service to the University and community, and other associated faculty duties. Contribute to interdisciplinary teaching and distance learning delivery. Involvement in activities that support Bemidji State University's signature themes: Environmental stewardship, Civic engagement, Global/multicultural understanding. Minimum Qualifications: MFA in writing and/or PhD in English with specialization in writing creative nonfiction. Significant and appropriate publications. Teaching experience in university level courses. Ability to teach upper division and graduate level courses. Ability to teach first-year composition. Teaching excellence, student-centered. Knowledge of and interest in diverse cultures and populations. Application Procedure: Apply online here.

Monday, December 7, 2009

Best of 2009

The end of 2009 is approaching at the speed of the earth’s rotation and in light of that and the holiday season (because books are the greatest gift around, besides Hayden’s Ferry Review) we’ve decided to create a one-stop spot where you can find more Best Book Lists for 2009 than you’ll ever need.

Publishers Weekly said this year’s list gave staff a reason to fight…see whose books were left standing, here.

And for PW’s long list of “almosts” or more specific subcategories of the casualties check this out.

The New York Times list was a little more compromising than Publisher’s Weekly and split the 10 spaces equally amongst the best fiction and nonfiction of 2009. Read the reviews and excerpts from its best-10 here.

Or, if you have a favorite of the three NYT book critics, you can read their personal favorites of 2009, here.

The Times Literary Supplement posted its teaser of the best-10 books, here.

The Huffington Post’s Anis Shivani, the ultimate list-making softy, made not only a list of 10 amazing books, but added 11 honorable mentions for good measure.

The Millions gives us the best fiction of the millennium (so far) here.

The best 100 books of the year are here from Amazon.

And we have to give credit to the other notables over the years…because we all know that sometimes nice guys do finish last. So we’re giving you the most notable books, according to The New York Times, for the last 10 years, because this is the end of a decade…so, reminisce up before the new decade arrives!

And if none of those lists is long enough, The Guardian lists 1000 novels everyone should read. That should keep you busy!

A late edition: this meager list has been royally trumped by Largehearted Boy, who has aggregated every best-of list. Like, everywhere. Check it out here.

Friday, December 4, 2009

Issue #45 Hits the Blogosphere

Issue #45 contributors blog about their appearance in the new issue, and lots of other interesting things. Check them out!

From Matt Bell.

From Timothy Archibald.

From Kelly Spitzer.

From Sean Patrick Hill.

From John W. Evans.

News Around the Net

Cormac McCarthy is so old, he's used the same typewriter since 1963. That's not even a joke. It's the truth. And now it doesn't work, so he's auctioning it off. Anyone have $20,000 in spare cash? Could anyone really see Cormac McCarthy writing on a Mac at Starbucks anyway?

What killed Jane Austen? Was it Addison's disease? Was it a cow?

There's Rick Moody and his Twitterature, then there's this. Some people are focused on bringing writing into the electronic age, Nicholas Rombes is bringing it back to the 19th century. Touche, Mr. Rombes.

Speaking of the future of books, I don't see any reason this wouldn't work. Right? Okay, so it wouldn't work with a population over 800. Fine.

Want to grow as a writer? Doesn't matter what type of writing, there is a class for you. And a lot of them.

This week, the NY Times is giving us their 10 best books for 2009 as part of their holiday gift guide. You can get me any of them, of course, since I have read none of them. Keep it fiction though, nonfiction is lame and boring. I'm sure Raymond Carver's whole life was very exciting, but I know the basics and I don't care about anything else.

I think being sued for plagiarism is more of a rite of passage at this point. Join the club, Stephanie Meyer. Have you met Ian McEwan and Dan Brown?

In case you've ever wondered how much money a bookseller makes.

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Website of the Week: Bookninja

I read recently that they're remaking/re-imagining The Karate Kid, setting the movie in Beijing with Jaden Smith (Will Smith's talented 11-year-old son) playing the title character and featuring Jackie Chan as the Chinese version of Mr. Miyagi.  To be honest, I'm not sure how I feel about this; I was never a hardcore fan of the original (I'm a little young for that), but I still thought it was pretty good, if a bit corny.  And yet this casting pairing intrigues me.  I am perturbed about the title, though; the Will Smith-produced film started out as The Karate Kid, got changed to The Kung-Fu Kid to reflect the correct form of martial arts, and is now back to the original title, which I don't understand.  Jackie Chan does not know karate, so why call the movie that?

Anyway, my point is that this karate/kung-fu debate brings me to this week's Website of the Week, appropriately entitled Bookninja.

Bookninja, according to founding ninja George Murray, is the "premier Canadian literary site," and with all the neat things I found browsing the site I can see why.  One of the reasons I like this site so much is because the newslog Hearsay, which serves as the site's front page, is written with acerbic wit so biting sometimes you can feel the teeth marks - now that's my kind of newsreel.

Bookninja also produces a seasonal magazine; some of the content, including discussions, audio podcasts, interviews, essays, and reviews, can be found in the Magazine section.  The discussions feature four big names in the Canadian literary world answering questions about a topic.  The latest one, On Sex in Fiction, piqued my interest; I wanted to see how the writers responded to "What hazards have you faced?" "Fear," Nalo Hopkins responds, and then goes on to elaborate on all of her fears when writing about sex. "The fear is a hazard that happens in my head," she says. "It's there before I even put fingers to keyboard."

Bookninja's not just all about print, either; founding ninja Murray also draws the Litterati comics.  Or drew, I should say - the comics are "currently on creative hiatus," but the archives are still up.  Murray uses a simplistic style which I found intriguing; for instance, he only draws the heads and hands of people, and most people are bald.  I especially liked one entitled "Oprah," which features an answering machine with the following caption: Beep! Hey, Honey! I finally got onto Oprah!! Not in the way we'd always hoped, but beggars can't be choosers! I only get one call, so I need you to listen carefully...

Now, go check Bookninja out before I karate-chop you.  Oh, and if you've any thoughts on that whole karate/kung-fu thing, let me know, because it's kinda making my head hurt.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Issue #45 Release!

We're thrilled to announce the release of issue #45! If you're a subscriber, your issue is on the way. If you're not a subscriber, you might want to reconsider that position. A year-long subscription is only $14. Seriously. Drop an email to HFR@asu.edu and we'll give you all the details.

Issue #45 features the amazing work of Chinese artist Hong Hao, along with fiction from Matt Bell, Kelly Spitzer, Naveed Noori, Sean Lovelace, and more. We've got poems from Mary Ruefle, Joseph Mains, Joshua Robbins, Emily Carr and a bunch more. Our international section features translations from lost and disappearing languages including Yiddish, Basque, Ladino and Zapotec.

To check out some of the work inside, visit our website.

Ellen Meloy Fund Desert Writers Award

Many thanks to Erika Dreifus at The Practicing Writer, for information about this desert-related award opportunity:

Honoring the memory of writer Ellen Meloy, this grant ($2,000) is intended to help a writer "write about the desert from the desert." Considers literary or creative nonfiction proposals only. See Web site for more information/application materials. More here. Deadline: December 31, 2009 (received). NO APPLICATION FEE.