News Around the Net

Head of Apple, Steve Jobs, presents the iPad. It's like the Kindle, apparently, except better in every way you can think of. And some that you probably can't.

More on Jobs and the iPad - Jobs is getting in on ripping Amazon early on this. Nerd fight! Hopefully this gets more fun.

The runner up design for the iPad.

Someone thinks young adult books should have ratings. I do not. When was this guy in high school? Does he not remember what went on there? Way to be old. And by the way, three paragraphs into the post, he admits that there is a rating on the book. What is he even arguing?

Check out illustrators picturing their favorite authors. Starts off well with C.S. Lewis and a giant red nose.

Is it really important where a writer is from? Does it matter that AS Byatt can only think of one Albanian author? I don't know. Probably not. Although it does give some European artists another way to look down their noses at America. So there's always that.

The Onion mourns JD Salinger, in its own way.

Here's some literary mythbusters for you, if you'd like to see another side of Fitzgerald and Hemingway. And of course you do want to.

A good, long list of famous literary drunks and addicts. Could they not find a more creepy picture of Stephen King? Or a funnier one of William Faulkner?

JD Salinger (1919-2010)

JD Salinger, the nearly mythic author of Catcher in the Rye, Nine Stories and Franny and Zooey, died yesterday, January 27th, at age 91.

While his death will almost certainly bring forth conversation of his legendary reclusiveness and his reportedly odd personal habits, we should all remember his genius. And not only during Catcher. Try to get through Nine Stories without being personally affected by it in one way or another.

In the mid-40's, Salinger got his start by publishing in the literary magazine circuit. And when we remember Salinger, we all remember the good that can come from a publisher giving a talented and radically new voice his or her chance to tell a story in his or her own way. Salinger's work proves that taking publishing chances can be good not only for the writer, but for the publisher and the literary world as a whole.

HFR thanks JD Salinger for his brief but truly meaningful contributions to American letters. Our condolences go out to his loved ones. Click here for more on Salinger.

Website of the Week - Slaughterhouse 90210

“Better be without sense than misapply it as you do.”
— Jane Austen, Emma

Slaughterhouse 90210 is a tumblr blog that juxtaposes images of prominent pop culture stars with famous literary quotes. Putting the likes of Dwight Schrute, Sarah Palin, and Pee-wee Herman next to the quotes of Agatha Christie, Lorrie Moore, and David Mazzucchelli is a recipe for hilarity. It's like a Lolcats for the literary, or as the creator, Maris Kreizman, puts it "Kurt Vonnegut, meet Brenda Walsh."

Follow Maris Kreizman on Twitter

Jobs!

English, Full-Time, One-Year Temporary, Non-Tenure-Track, Visiting Writer
Institution: University of Central Oklahoma
Location: Edmond, OK
Category: Faculty - Liberal Arts - English and Literature
Application Due: 02/15/2010
Type: Full Time
Salary: $40,000 USD Per Year
Effective Date: 08-16-2010 Position Number: 999766 Requisition Number: A000551
Position Summary: Writer in residence, novelist and/or short story writer; play/screenwriting experience desirable. Teach two classes per semester, including advanced novel or short story writing and introductory creative writing classes; serve on M.F.A. and M.A. thesis committees in creative writing; participate in co-curricular activities in support of the creative writing program. Online App. Form: https://jobs.uco.edu/applicants/Central?quickFind=71970&jtsrc=www.higheredj obs.com&jtrfr=www.peopleadmin.com&adorig=PA

Stephen F. Austin State University. Assistant Professor of Creative Writing. The Department of English & the BFA program at Stephen F. Austin State University seeks applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor of Creative Writing, with a specialization in fiction & a strong secondary strength in creative nonfiction or poetry. The successful candidate will have an MFA or PhD in Creative Writing by time of appointment, a record of substantial publication, & demonstrated teaching excellence. We are looking for candidates with the ability to teach a variety of courses, from freshman composition to advanced or graduate courses in Creative Writing. The successful candidate will have the ability to supervise creative theses on the BFA & MA levels; the ability to teach introductory film courses & literature, with particular interest in American multicultural literatures, is highly preferred. Experience in teaching freshman composition is essential. The standard load is 4-4 with opportunities for research & service-related reductions. SFASU is a comprehensive university with an enrollment of more than 12,000 students, located in the East Texas Piney Woods region. Candidates must apply via the SFASU online application system. Please submit letter of application & CV at: https://careers.sfasu.edu. Send copies of transcripts, three current letters of recommendation, & a 25-page creative writing sample directly to: Dr. Mark Sanders, Chair, Department of English, Stephen F. Austin State University, PO Box 13007, SFA Station; Nacogdoches, TX 75962-3007.Review of applications begins January 20; position open until filled.

Norwich University. Visiting Instructor/Assistant Professor of English—Creative Nonfiction/Advanced Writing. The School of Humanities at Norwich University invites applications for a one-year English faculty position to begin fall 2010. Preference will be given to candidates holding the PhD (ABD considered). This position will teach courses in freshman composition, world literature surveys, & English program electives. Documented expertise in creative non-fiction & advanced writing is welcomed. To apply: please submit a cover letter, curriculum vitae, names, addresses, & telephone numbers of three references, & a Norwich application, to: English Faculty Search, via e-mail:jobs(at)norwich.edu (replace (at) with @) Candidates must have U.S. Citizenship or Permanent Resident status. This is a one-year appointment with the possibility of extending this position to a second year. Applications must be received no later than February 5.

Carroll College. The English program at Carroll College is accepting applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professorship in creative writing with emphasis in fiction. The position will entail the teaching of multi-genre creative writing courses from the introductory to the advanced undergraduate level, so experience in teaching poetry is also required. The successful applicant will have the MFA or PhD in hand along with a substantial record of publication. Teaching experience in areas such as non-fiction prose, screenwriting, world literature, or first-year seminar is welcomed but not required. All members of our department teach literature courses & one section of freshman composition per year; the course load is 4/3. The search committee will contact selected candidates sometime in January for phone interviews. Please send a letter of application, CV, & writing sample of 20-30 pages by January 10 to: Renee McMahon, Director of Human Resources, Carroll College, Helena, MT 59625. Carroll College is a Catholic undergraduate college in the liberal arts tradition.

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The Department of English & the Creative Writing Program seek to bring an emerging talent to campus for a one-year teaching appointment as the Kenan Visiting Writer, a position that alternates between poetry & prose. For the 2010-2011 academic year, beginning August 2010, the Program requests applicants in prose Fiction. Requirements of Applicants: Significant publication in major literary magazines; Applicants should have published onerecent book or have one book under contract, no more; Previous college teaching experience; Willingness to relocate to Chapel Hill for one year; MFA degree preferred but not required. Conditions of Appointment: 1-Year appointment; Salary: $28,000; will teach ONE undergraduate creative writing course per semester, probably on an introductory level; Must give one major public reading & otherwise participate fully in the life of the Creative Writing Program. Materials Needed: Curriculum vita; Three letter of reference, two of which should be written by people familiar with the applicant’s teaching abilities & who can evaluate applicant’s suitability; Up to 10 pp. of published work; 1-page personal statement indicating how an appointment of this sort would serve the applicant’s needs & endeavors. Deadline for Submissions: February 1, 2010. Mail applications & all supporting materials to:Michael McFee, Director, Creative Writing Program, Kenan Visiting Writer Search Committee, Greenlaw Hall, CB# 3520, UNC-CH, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3520.

The English Department seeks to foster the writing culture of Whitworth University by stressing writing in all courses, cultivating a sensitivity to language, its power and complexity, and a commitment to training good writers through working cooperatively with the Whitworth Writing Center. We are seeking evidence of exceptional teaching and significant publication in Creative Nonfiction. Preference will be given to candidates who have expertise in a second genre in creative writing, and in composition. Teaching load: three courses in Fall, one course in compressed January Term, three courses in Spring; courses taught will include Creative Nonfiction, Intro to Creative Writing, Composition, and possibly a topic of the candidate's choosing. More information at http://www.whitworth.edu/Administration/HumanResources/Pdf/EnglishFacultyCreativeWriting.pdf

The Department of Writing, Literature, and Publishing seeks a full-time, tenure-track Assistant Professor, or Distinguished Writer-in-Residence, in the area of Fiction writing. The initial appointment is for the 2010-11 academic year beginning September 1, 2010. An M.F.A. or other terminal degree, or equivalent professional experience, with a significant national publication record including at least two published books, are required. Essential to the position will be the teaching of undergraduate workshops, graduate level workshops in a thriving M.F.A. Program, as well as courses in literature of narrative fiction. Ability to teach literature courses that focus on African American literature is also essential. Additional faculty responsibilities will include maintaining professional development and scholarship activities, academic advising and participation on faculty and College committees. Send a letter of application, a curriculum vita, and writing sample to Search Chair, Fiction Writer, The Department of Writing, Literature and Publishing, Emerson College, 120 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116. Have your dossier sent to the same address. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Please visit our web site for a full listing of academic positions: http://www.emerson.edu/academic_affairs/faculty/Faculty-Employment.cfm

News Around the Net

A crap load of awards for children's and young adult literature have been announced. Newbery, Caldecott, Prinz, etc. Congrats to all involved.

More awards: The nominees for the 2010 Edgar Awards from the Mystery Writers of America have been announced as well. Want to see what the winner gets? Of course you do.

Since I mentioned Edgar Allan Poe, I'll keep going. Have you ever seen a portrait of Poe in which he did not look completely miserable? I didn't think so. Never fear, here's your chance. Poe looking surprisingly young and spry, and dare I say it?, a bit fat.

Comical translation of Cormac McCarthy. Yes, it is just as confusing. Don't forget Part 2 and Part 3.

The convoluted history of the ownership of the rights to Sherlock Holmes since Sir Arthur Conan Doyle died in 1930. It makes a bunch of money, but who is it going to and how did it get that way? And why isn't this stuff in the public domain like all of Conan Doyle's contemporaries? My head hurts.

What's killing us now: A short history of apocalypse literature. If you didn't get enough of The Road in the previous post, it's discussed here too, of course.

The American Winston Churchill. He wrote books as well, before the British Churchill came along. They sold lots and lots of copies. Then he stopped writing in 1915.

New rule for poets: no killing thyself.

Unusual Calls for Submissions

Merton Prize for Poetry of the Sacred
What is poetry of the sacred? Poetry that expresses, directly or indirectly, a sense of the holy or that, by its mode of expression, evokes the sacred. The tone may be religious, prophetic, or contemplative. More here.

Call for Writing Inspired by Mark Twain
The Village Pariah, a bi-annual literary journal sponsored by the Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum, is accepting submissions for its inaugural issue. We are interested in publishing poetry, short fiction, and creative non-fiction inspired by the writings and life of Mark Twain, his hometown of Hannibal, Missouri, the Mississippi River, the Midwest, and small town or rural life in America. More here.

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
Exot Books, a high-quality chapbook press in New York City, is publishing an anthology of sonnets in 2010. Submit as many sonnets as you like to the editor, Mary Meriam, at sonnetexot(at)gmail.com (replace (at) with @). The deadline for submissions is June 1, 2010.

Lone Star Legacy: African American History in Texas
LONE STAR LEGACY is seeking work for our PREMIERE SEPTEMBER 2010 FALL ISSUE by Writers from Texas and Writers with Connections to Texas. Lone Star Legacy is looking for work that details the struggles, existence, and triumphs of trailblazing African Americans (current and past) throughout Texas, including various periods from their arrival to the present. Submissions should be the author’s original work. No reprints please. We are interested in: Creative Nonfiction(Especially Memoir/First Person Narratives), Historic Poetry, Journalistic Articles, Literary Articles/Essays, Color Photographs, Black and WhitePhotographs, Interviews. Writers whose work is selected will be asked to submit an electronic copy upon acceptance. Include a Self AddressedStamped Envelope for our reply. The reading period is from December 5, 2009 toMarch 1, 2010. Writers whose work is selected will receive a free issue. Please Mail submissions to: Wiley College / Attn: Delicia Daniels / Lone Star Legacy Issue / 711 Wiley Ave
Marshall, Texas 76570.

Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest
Ninth annual free contest. Fifteen cash prizes totaling $3,600. Top prize $1,500. New simplified online entry process. Submit one humor poem by April 1 deadline. No entry fee. Winning entries published online. Final judge: Jendi Reiter. Sponsored by Winning Writers, one of the "101 Best Websites for Writers" (Writer's Digest, 2005-2009). Guidelines and online submission here.

War Poetry Contest
Ninth year. Fifteen cash prizes totaling $5,000. Top prize $2,000. Submit 1-3 unpublished poems on the theme of war, up to 500 lines in all. Winning entries published online. Sponsored by Winning Writers, one of the "101 Best Websites for Writers" (Writer's Digest, 2005-2009). $15 entry fee, payable to Winning Writers. Postmark deadline: May 31. Final judge: Jendi Reiter. Include cover sheet with contact information. No name on poems. Submit online or mail to Winning Writers, Attn: War Poetry Contest, 351 Pleasant Street, PMB 222, Northampton, MA 01060. More information here.

The Haiti I Knew, The Haiti I know, The Haiti I want to Know
Edited by Women Writers of Haitian Descent, Inc. To be published in the United States through an independent press in English, French and Creole. Distribution: International. We are currently seeking short stories for an anthology of prose by women in Haiti, and women of Haitian descent living abroad, which will strengthen the voice of Haitian women in the world of literature. Through a sampling of various Haitian women's narratives, the literary legacy and unique history of the island will be highlighted in content and style. This collection will be unique yet use successful techniques from preceding anthologies. As in Lillian Castillo-Speed's anthologyLatina: Women's Voices from the Borderlands, the work will include both fiction and nonfiction. Like Edwidge Danticat's anthology The Butterfly's Way: Voices from the Haitian Dyaspora in the United States, the book will have a thematic structure according to the contributions received. More information here.

Residencies

Stadler Center for Poetry Philip Roth Residence: Application Guidelines
To be eligible, an applicant must be more than 21 years of age, must reside in the United States, and must not be enrolled as a student in a college or university. (Persons enrolled in a college or university at the time of application are eligible). Some record of publication is desirable. Please note that the 2010-11 Roth Residence will be awarded to a poet. The term of the Residence is late August through mid-December 2009. Prose writers (fiction and/or creative nonfiction) may apply in spring 2011 for the 2011-12 Residence. To apply, submit the following items by postal mail to the address shown below: 1. A letter of application. 2. A curriculum vitae. 3. Three letters of recommendation. 4. A writing sample of no more than 10 typed pages of poetry. No materials will be returned; please do not send originals. We strongly recommend that you include letters of recommendation with your other application materials. It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that letters of recommendation are sent by the postmark deadline. Applications for the 2010-2011 Philip Roth Residence in Creative Writing must be postmarked by Saturday, February 20, 2010. Notification will be in late spring 2010. Send application materials to: Philip Roth Residence in Creative Writing / The Stadler Center for Poetry / Bucknell Hall / Bucknell University / Lewisburg PA 17837. More here.

Writers’ Residency
Writers in The Heartland is now taking applications for its 2010 season. Writers in the Heartland is a writing colony for creative writers in all genres. The colony is located in Gilman, Illinois, approximately 90 miles south of Chicago. It is located on a beautiful 32-acre wooded site with lakes and walking paths. A limited number of one-week residencies are available for September 3-10 and October 1-8. All lodging and food is included. Writers must reside in the Midwest region or have some Midwest connection. Applications must be postmarked no later than March 31, 2010, to be considered. Decisions will be announced on or around July 1st. All submissions are peer reviewed by three person panel. For further information about applying to Writers in the Heartland, see our website www.writersintheheartland.org. or contact us at writersintheheartland(at)gmail.com (replace (at) with @)

The Brown International Writers Project is currently seeking nominations and applications for its one-year fellowship with residency. The Fellowship, supported by a grant from the William H. Donner Foundation, is designed to provide sanctuary and support for established creative writers - fiction writers, playwrights, and poets - who are persecuted in their home countries or are actively prevented from pursuing free expression in their literary art. The Fellow will be a member of a supportive community that includes faculty members and graduate students in Brown's Program in Literary Arts and the Watson Institute for International Studies, co-sponsors of the Project. The fellowship will be accompanied by a series of lectures, readings and other events that highlight the national artistic and political culture of the writer and address the global issues of human rights and free expression. It will include a stipend, relocation funds, and health benefits. Brown will aid the writer in the visa and relocation process and provide administrative support, office space on the Brown campus in Providence, Rhode Island, and equipment. To apply, send a letter, providing publishing history and explaining need, together with a resume, to Literary Arts, Box 1923, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, or by email to iwp(at)brown.edu (replace (at) with @). Supporting letters from others would be helpful. The application/nomination deadline for the next Fellowship is February 15, 2010. More here.

An Anonymous Reader on the Wonders of Nicholas Rombes' Serialized Story

Dear HFR Blog,

I enjoy reading the “News around the Net” section. I feel in the proverbial loop when I do. Someone, knowing I am a fan of Jane Austen, asked if I’d heard the new controversy over her untimely death. I said, “why, yes, yes I have.” (My source: the December 4th post.) It is a truth universally acknowledged that someone bringing up a famous author instead of last night’s episode of [insert mainstream hit television show of your choice here] must be in want of a conversation. After a gripping exchange on the true importance of investigations into the celebrity dead, I brought up another item I’d seen on that same blog post. And found another point of conversation: the luddite literature movement. Here is the item as it appeared on your blog: “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.”

I don’t like Twitter much. I like Rick Moody a lot. I like it when people use fencing terms to acknowledge a conversational point awarded. I followed both links in the post. Result: I still like Rick Moody. I still don’t like Twitter much. Reading the second link, I decided to subscribe to the Nicholas Rombes serial story Nightmare Trails at Knifepoint, a novella that’s mailed in bits, in individual pamphlets, over the course of the year. This chain of events actually caught me off-guard. But the siren-song of the unknown was too loud. So, through the wonder of technology (internet ordering) I nabbed an old-school snail-mail subscription to the Dickensian art form of the serial.

The novella is described as “a lightning-flashed noir, a haunted detective novel for our disordered age. Ephraim P. Noble is a new kind of hero who must face the incoherence of a vast underground tunnel system built at the same time as the interstate highway system in the 1950s, a clock that doesn't keep time but creates it, his doppelganger, a mad (as in sanatorium) hunchback, a shadowy woman with long fingers whom he just happens to love, and a dark mystery as complicated as life itself.” Who doesn’t want to read about shadowy woman with long fingers? Cue Jerry McGuire scene: “You had me at “doppelganger.”

There are also these bizarre “narrative cards” that are illustrations to the story and rock pretty hard on their own. Letters have come on old stationary harvested from various locations (Hotels? Navy Ships?), with cut-and-pasted bits from catalogues, and my name has been typed, scrawled, or sharpie-penned into various spots to make me feel that yes, indeed, the mystery is mine to uncover.

The unexpected bonus is the waiting. I like the stories well enough; they remind me a bit of my younger-years affection for Edgar Allen Poe. But it is the wondering when the next pamphlet will arrive that is really giving my instant-gratification instincts a run for their money. I know this was the basic premise for the Twitterature postings too. Maybe I just have a threshold that needs doses bigger than 140 characters to feel the effects. Because I can honestly say I am excited about the next installment of the NT. I’m becoming the kid in A Christmas Story: stalking the mailbox for my decoder ring. Perhaps disillusionment looms, perhaps I will be told to drink my Ovaltine. But who can argue with that when there’s an insane hunchback in the wings?

Thanks for spreading the news about such a wide-variety of ways to enjoy the worded-world.

Signed,
Reader of Austen, pamph-lit, and your blog

News Around the Net

Steven Poole has some problem with the writing of Cormac McCarthy's The Road. He goes off like some critic responding to some Dan Brown novel.

The finalists for the 2009 Story Prize for short fiction have been announced. All three finalists are debut collections, including Daniyal Mueenuddin's In Other Rooms, Other Wonders, which seems like it's been a finalist for everything.

Various literary agents are opening up on Twitter about their daily workings. Now aspiring writers can see just what they do with their time. Absent from the list of Twitter-ers is Nathan Bransford, who probably does enough of opening up to the public with his great blog.

True, the publishing industry might be slowly getting taken over by the internet, but who are the real enemies of books?

Do you like stories? Riddles? Well, here's something for you. Don't worry, it's not a crappy action thriller, I promise. It's cooler than that.

Want to know how to not be a terrible writer? Tired of writers writing about writing? About musicians? You're not alone. Here are some rules to follow if you want to not suck.

To celebrate its 75th birthday, Penguin has chosen five books from each of the 50's, 60's, 70's and 80's and will reissue them with new introductions and such.

The death of the slush pile.

It's Time for the Poe Show

The Poe Show is a birthday party for Edgar Allen Poe, one that has become the largest west of the Mississippi. This year, the show's on Saturday, January 16th, at 7:30PM at the MADCAP Theaters in Downtown Tempe.

Come and listen to original interpretations of Poe's work, music and skits based on Poe's themes. Whether it's the hilarity of Klute and Steve's "show and tell" recitals, the tremendous wonder of a Johnathan Standifird performance, or a homemade movie by the Nelsonettes, the show will have something for everyone.

The Poe Show is a benefit for Anthology, a 501(c)3 non-profit dedicated to bringing poetry to the Valley for over 15 years. More information here.

For Those of You Anywhere Near Albany, NY

The First-Ever CAPITAL LIT: CLMP’S Albany Lit Mag & Small Press Fair
February 20, 12–6 pm, Saint Joseph Auditorium, 940 Madison Avenue, Albany, NY

Attention Albany Lit Lovers: Start 2010 off right with all the literary magazines and books you can carry off from CAPITAL LIT, CLMP’s first-ever Albany Lit Mag & Small Press Fair. Hundreds of regional and national independent literary publishers will converge to sell their journals for only $2 an issue and books for $4 each. Many publishers will attend in person to meet Albany’s eager readers, so don’t miss this opportunity to discover literature you are unlikely to find in a single store, and meet the publishers and editors who do the real work of keeping American Literature vibrant and vital. The all-day festival also includes a panel discussion on publishing, readings by some of the “region's most notable authors,” capped off by the Albany debut of Karaoke + Poetry = Fun!

Congratulations to Tara L. Masih!

Tara's story, "Turtle Hunting," which appeared in HFR back in 1990, is making a new debut in her first story collection, Where the Dog Star Never Glows from Press53.

From the publisher: In this impressive debut collection, Tara Masih shows an intimate sense of understanding her characters’
innermost feelings, creating a memorable map of diverse characters that span the globe and several eras. Ghosts dance, butterflies swarm, men crystallize, the sun disappears, and water plays a role in both destruction and repair of the soul. With an
unflinching eye, a mythical awareness of the natural world, and poetic, crafted prose, Masih examines the dark recesses of the mind and heart, which often leads to a small or great triumph or illumination that will resonate long after the last page is turned.

Laura van den Berg, author of What the World Will Look Like When All the Water Leaves Us, says, “The characters in Tara Masih’s Where The Dog Star Never Glows are bright and daring, her prose vivid and full of poetry, her landscapes rendered with astonishing beauty. These stories will captivate readers of all stripes—a highly absorbing and original debut.”

Call to Poets and Artists: 7th Avenue Streetscape

City Of Phoenix Office Of Arts And Culture. Received-by Deadline For Poetry January 8, 2010. Received-by Deadline For Visual Art January 15, 2010. For more information please call Kevin Vaughan-Brubaker, Public Art Project Manager, at (602) 495-0191 or visit their website.

The Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture is looking for Arizona artists and poets to feature as part of the annual 7th Avenue Streetscape exhibition. This is open only to Arizona artists and poets who have not received a City of Phoenix public art commission. Two-dimensional artwork from up to three artists will be selected for display in the art panels at 7th Avenue and Glenrosa Street. Poems from up to three Arizona poets will also be selected for display as part of this popular outdoor gallery. The artwork and poems will be on display for approximately one year.

News Around the Net

Remember when I said e-books outsold real books on Christmas? Now, I'm not an on the economy or anything (or as that guy on Jerry Springer this morning called it, the "ecomony"), but this seems like a valid reason for e-books to outsell real books. Start the revolution!

Have you worked as an odor tester? Chimney sweeper? Chicken sexer? Well then maybe you have a novel in you and some good book jacket fodder. What your publisher probably won't tell people is what else you've done with your time. Like your real jobs.

The Millions breaks down New Yorker fiction by gender and nationality. Here's to being an American male. We totally rock out all over the New Yorker.

Joyce Carol Oates has had her first book of 2010 released. Who wants to guess when the second will be? I'm going to guess tomorrow.

Stephen King releases books nearly as often as Joyce Carol Oates and he's still finding time to move into music (albeit slightly, actually not really at all). Also see - picture of King in cutoff t-shirt. Fantastic.

What's that? Want more publishing doom speech? I can accommodate you.

Website of the Week - Wordnik

Wordnik calls itself "the most comprehensive dictionary in the known universe," and while that sounds like it might teach you a lot (it can) it doesn't quite give an indication of how much fun it is. The site aims to give you as much information as possible about any given word. Which means it doesn't limit itself to definitions. It gives you example sentences, related words, images, statistics related to usage and associated punctuation, reader-provided information, and even a list of tweets (from Twitter) that include your word. Type in "butt." Type in "existential." Type in your own name! The example sentences that appear might come from sources related to business, the arts, pop culture, even your favorite literary journals. The site is still in its formative stages, so not every word is there yet, but I'm looking forward to watching the site flesh (a fun word to Wordnik) itself out.

Submit Your Work to Scottsdale Public Library's Read Local Collection

The "Eat Local" movement encourages people to buy and eat food that is harvested within the community. This gives consumers an opportunity to discover unique items and re-establishes the connection between eater and grower.

In that same spirit, the Scottsdale Public Library is piloting a new READ Local - Arizona Author Collection in order to showcase the emerging literary efforts of our community, introduce readers to unique homegrown talent that is not yet nationally known, and give local authors a tangible way to connect with Arizona readers. This special circulating collection will launch this spring and be housed at the Civic Center Library. It will feature youth, teen and adult fiction and nonfiction materials.

Arizona authors of all ages are encouraged to submit their publications for consideration. Program information and submission guidelines are available on their website.

Jobs!

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH - EMERGING WRITER LECTURER
One-year appointment, beginning August 2010, for a creative writer who plans a career that involves college-level teaching, to teach three courses per semester, including Introduction to Creative Writing and an advanced course in the writer's genre, as well as to assist with departmental writing activities. Mentorship for teaching and assistance in professional development provided. M.A., with a concentration in creative writing, M.F.A., or Ph.D. with creative dissertation, required. Teaching experience and literary magazine publications are essential. Competitive salary. To apply, send letter of application, curriculum vitae, names of three references, and a 5-10 page writing sample to: Emerging Writer Lectureship, Department of English, Campus Box 397, Gettysburg College, 300 N. Washington St., Gettysburg, PA 17325, postmarked by January 29, 2010. Electronic applications will not be accepted. Do not send entire monographs, books, etc.

Carroll College. The English program at Carroll College is accepting applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professorship in creative writing with emphasis in fiction. The position will entail the teaching of multi-genre creative writing courses from the introductory to the advanced undergraduate level, so experience in teaching poetry is also required. The successful applicant will have the MFA or PhD in hand along with a substantial record of publication. Teaching experience in areas such as non-fiction prose, screenwriting, world literature, or first-year seminar is welcomed but not required. All members of our department teach literature courses & one section of freshman composition per year; the course load is 4/3. The search committee will contact selected candidates sometime in January for phone interviews. Please send a letter of application, CV, & writing sample of 20-30 pages by January 10 to: Renee McMahon, Director of Human Resources, Carroll College, Helena,
MT 59625. Carroll College is a Catholic undergraduate college in the liberal arts tradition. AA/EOE.

Quinnipiac University invites applications for an Assistant Professor position beginning in Fall 2010. This is a full-time, non-tenure track renewable term appointment. Applicants must have an MFA or appropriate terminal degree in hand by August 2010, with a specialization in creative writing, fiction writing preferred. We seek candidates with a demonstrated commitment to undergraduate teaching and an established publishing history. We have a growing interest in creative arts at Quinnipiac University, and the successful candidate will take a leadership role in developing this interest, including contributing to curriculum development within the department, advising our undergraduate literary magazine, organizing readings on campus, and advising departmental and college arts and creativity organizations. Expected teaching load is the equivalent of 3/3. Qualified applicants should apply online. Online application materials should include a letter of application and a current curriculum vita. In addition, three letters of recommendation, at least one of which directly addresses the candidate's teaching, should be sent to Creative Writing Search, c/o Danielle Pomponi, English Department Secretary, CL-AC1, Quinnipiac University, 275 Mount Carmel Avenue, Hamden, CT 06518. Applications must be received by February 28, 2010.

Kent State University. The Department of English will hire a tenure-track Assistant Professor in Poetry Writing, beginning August 2010. We seek a published poet, who is qualified to teach in our undergraduate program & in the Consortial Northeast Ohio Universities Master of Fine Arts (NEOMFA) in Creative Writing program. Candidates should have a strong publication record & teaching experience in creative writing. Northeast Ohio supports a flourishing writing community, including Kent State’s Wick Poetry Center which promotes opportunities for emerging & established poets & poetry audiences locally, regionally, & nationally. Competitive salary & benefits & opportunities for full semester & summer research appointments & pre-tenure workload releases. Teaching will include undergraduate poetry-writing courses & portfolio direction for students in our Writing Minor, as well as graduate courses in poetry-writing & thesis direction in the MFA program. An MFA or PhD in Creative Writing is required by time of appointment in August 2010. For a complete description of this position & to apply online, visit our jobsite at: http://jobs.kent.edu for position number 991014 & complete an academic data form. In addition, please submit by January 15 a cover letter, vita, names of three (3) references, & a sample of published work letters of recommendation to: Professor Ron Corthell, Chair, Department of English, Kent State University, P.O. Box 5190, Kent, OH 44242-0001. Attn: Creative Writing Search Committee. AA/EOE.

English: English, Assistant Professor: Seton Hill University seeks published genre novelist (priority for popular mystery/crime/suspense writer; will also consider fantasy or romance author) for tenure-track position in our low-residency MFA program in Writing Popular Fiction, starting June 2010. Commitment to genre fiction essential. Composition, online and graduate teaching experience highly desirable. MFA required (Ph.D. preferred). 4/4 teaching responsibilities; half of course load will serve undergraduate English and Composition instruction. Seton Hill University is a Catholic, liberal arts University, serving undergraduate, adult and graduate students. Seton Hill is located 35 miles east of Pittsburgh. Visit http://www.setonhill.edu for more information. Immediately send a letter, curriculum vitae, official transcripts, statement of teaching philosophy, sample publications, and three letters of reference to Michael Arnzen (arnzen(at)setonhill.edu), Ph.D., Seton Hill Uni
versity, Greensburg, Pennsylvania 15601. Deadline: February 3rd, 2010. Seton Hill University is committed to a faculty, staff and student body that reflect the diversity of our global population. AA/EOE.

Unusual Calls for Submissions

BenuPress Editors Steve Fellner and Phil Young are in the process of creating an anthology about social justice. These are the requirements for the poems: 1.) The poem deals with social justice, not simply a social issue. In other words there has to be some action or suggestion of resistance or dealing with a social issue, not justhaving a social issue somewhere in the background. 2.) The poem offers an element of hope. This hope can be somewhat ambiguous, but atleast some level of hope has to be detectable to the average reader. Think “Daybreak in Alabama” by Langston Hughes. 3.) The poem is an “accessible narrative or lyric that contains elements of genuinedrama or comedy.” 4.) If the poem were a movie, it would have to receive somewhere between a G and PG-13 rating. They would really like to include a poem of yours in Love Rise Up. If interested, please send them a poem(s) for them to look at as a Word document. They would like it emailed it to sfellner(at)brockport.edu or pyoung(at)brockport.edu (replace (at) with @). They would happily look at new work or previously published. They are responsible for paying all fees, so they would appreciate a waiver. Contributors will include D.A. Powell, Martin Espada, Denise Duhamel, Rigoberto Gonzalez,David Kirby, Sean Thomas Dougherty, Barbara Hamby, Cheryl Dumesnil, FadyJoudah, Rebecca Livingston, Alison Joseph, Laura Kasischke, Idra Novey, EliotKhalil Wilson, Martha Collins, David Baker, Jason Schneiderman, Minnie BrucePratt, among others. When the anthology appears (inFall 2010, tentatively), all contributors will receive one copy. Please call 585-637-4607 or e-mail if you have any questions. Thedeadline is January 15.

Editions Bibliotekos, a small book publisher, is now calling for short, creative work on the themes of Immigration or International Adoption to fill its anticipated second collection, COMMON BOUNDARY. The first book on medical humanities, (PAIN AND MEMORY: Reflections on the Strength of the Human Spirit in Suffering) has been published and includes many accomplished authors. The Deadline for submitting immigration or international adoption work to COMMON BOUDARY is 30 March 2010. See www.ebibliotekos.blogspot.com for guidelines and details. Queries - General Editor, Gregory F. Tague, EBibliotekos(at)gmail.com (replace (at) with @).

Divine Truth Press is currently accepting submissions for its Cancer Anthology with an anticipated release date of October 2010 (Cancer Awareness Month). We want your true stories about your journey, the journey of a loved one or your secondhand experience as caregiver or medical professional. We want the anger, the despair, the "why me, God?" and the moment you realized, that despite the ravages to your body, the body of the loved one or the person in your professional care... you gained strength from the experience. Tell us about it, keep it real, nothing is taboo. The aim is to strengthen those who've just begun the journey, form a sort of mentorship for those desiring it, devotionals, coping strategies for the pain, recipes that tempt the appetite and anything else that you wish to share. More here.

Terrain.org: A Journal of the Built & Natural Environments, a twice-yearly international journal at www.terrain.org, seeks submissions of poetry, essays, fiction, and articles for Issue No. 25, with the theme of "Virtually There." As society and communications become more and more digitized, our ecosystems and landscapes change, too. Or at least our perceptions of them do. What does virtual reality mean for the real places around us, those natural and human-made, and those within? How do science and technology help and hinder efforts to enhance our environments? What, in fact, does environment mean now that technology enables us to experience our world in so many different ways? This issue of Terrain.org traces the boundaries of our circuit-driven world in the pursuit of real places, lasting culture, and essential art—or maybe we can only be virtually there. Submissions due by February 1, 2010. Online March 15, 2010. Notification usually within 4 weeks. More here.

Spirit First announces its first annual poetry contest (no cost to enter). Poetry submissions may be of any length and any style but must have a theme of meditation, mindfulness, stillness, or silence. Poems must be previously unpublished. Submit your poem with a cover note listing the poem title and author's name, address, telephone number, and email address. The winner will be announced no later than March 31, 2010, on the Spirit First website (more information at SpiritFirst.org). Winning poems will be published on the Spirit First website and in the Spirit First newsletter. Poems will be considered for possible inclusion in a book project (with author approval and author retaining full rights). More here.

SLOPE is currently requesting submissions for Issue 47—works loosely or strictly related to and investigating the intersection of film and poetry—either loosely or strictly, in the form of film and video, poetry, essays, interviews, hybrids, ( ), ( ), and ( ). Think of Cocteau's Orpheus Trilogy. Cocteau as Poet. Michel Gondry’s The Science of Sleep. Marianne Moore. Charlie Kaufman's Synecdoche, NY. Kurosawa’s Dreams. Blake’s The Tyger. Guilherme Marcondes' The Tyger. William Carlos Williams. Rabbit Light Movies. Leger's Ballet Mecanique. Zukofsky. Elizabeth Willis' Turneresque. Bergman's Wild Strawberries. Linh Dinh's What's Showing?Anne Carson's TV Men. HD the film critic. HD the actress. HD the Imagist. Alain Resnais' Hiroshima Mon Amour. Frank O'Hara. FRANK O'HARA! Godard's Alphaville and Breathless. Stretch each connection to its most magnanimous. More here.

Printing = Keeping People From Reading Good Writing?

There's an interesting post and conversation going on over at the Identity Theory blog entitled, "The End of the Small Print Journal. Please."

The author says, "The mission of journals, as I now see it, is to contribute to and nurture conversation around good writing. To be experts without excluding. To offer literary context without condescension. To carve out space for literature. At heart that mission isn't any different than it was eighty years ago. But in the digital era, that means making good writing easily, more freely available.

To do that, small journals don't need to--and shouldn't--print a bound volume..."

I completely understand the author's call for a more substantial and active presence online for small journals, though I'm not sure why he sees a print edition of these journals as opposing that. Check out his whole argument and reader reactions here.