EMU Creative Writing Blog

Drunken Boat, an online journal of art and literature, is looking for short shorts, very short or flash fiction pieces that meditate on the often paradoxical relationship between freedom and belonging for Issue 12. Writers might, for example, consider how consumer culture, dislocation or displacement, migration, interpersonal relationships, familial pulls, cultural and ethnic identification limits or expands ones notions of belonging and home.

1000 word maximum.  Deadline is May 15, 2010.

To submit, go to the submissions page on the web site.

Questions?  E-mail: editor @ drunkenboat dot com

Also, check out current Issue 11, which features a folio, Life in a Time of Contraction, a socially-conscious collection of nonfiction and visual arts, as well as a folio of sound art.

The Academy of American Poets seeks an editor to coordinate all content (editorial and advertising) of the Academy’s journal, American Poet, and oversee the production of each issue. The editor thinks broadly about how to best stimulate and serve public interest in poetry and ensures that new material representing the full range of American poetics is presented in the journal and online – actively soliciting contributions from poets and critics outside the organization, editing content from fellow staff members, mining the historic resources of the Academy, and writing original pieces.

The editor is also responsible for the Academy’s house style sheet, ensuring consistency of material, and proofreading all external Academy communications.

Qualifications:

• B.F.A./B.A. degree, master’s preferred, with strong study in literature and/or journalism.
• Extensive knowledge of contemporary poetry is a necessity, as is excellent business, journalistic, and/or critical writing ability.
• Background in editing or publishing.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office & FileMaker; HTML a plus.
• Excellent oral and interpersonal skills.
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, able to prioritize and multi-task.

To apply, send a resume and cover letter to:

Beth Harrison, Associate Director
Academy of American Poets
584 Broadway, Suite 604
New York, NY 10012
or
bharrison@poets.org

No phone calls, please.
 
 
About the Academy:
 
The Academy of American Poets is a non-profit organization founded in 1934 to foster appreciation for contemporary poetry and also to support American poets at all stages of their careers. The Academy is the founder of National Poetry Month; home of Poets.org, the preeminent site about poetry on the web; the publisher of American Poet magazine; and the presenter of numerous annual awards, prizes, readings, and events.

The Muslim Student Association is sponsoring a visit by def jam poet Amir Sulaiman here on campus today (Friday, February 5). The event will be from 6:00-9:00pm in room 310 of the Student Center.

Catch an example of his work here.

Flyway: Journal of Writing & Environment has announced the 2010 Hazel Lipa Chapbook Contest.  Here’s what you need to know:
 
Seeking: 20-30 page poetry manuscripts with particular investment in human/place/environment relationships!
Winner: Will receive $250, plus publication in a special section of the upcoming Flyway, a Flyway T-shirt, and a subscription for self or a friend
Runner Up: Will receive $50, publication of selected poems from chapbook, and a subscription for self or a friend
Entry Fee: $10, or $24 for entry fee and a 1-year subscription to Flyway (the normal subscription cost is $24/year!)
Deadline: March 10, 2010
 
Mail to:
Hazel Lipa “Environmental” Poetry Chapbook Contest
Flyway
206 Ross Hall
Iowa State University
Ames, IA 50011

The Capstone Project is a graduation requirement for all Creative Writing undergrad majors.  If you’re on of those folks, you’ll want to read through the following brief guide to completing your Capstone Project:

The Capstone should be a complete and polished creative work, a demonstration of your abilities as they have developed during your time in the Creative Writing program.  The Capstone can take many forms: a single written work, a collection of shorter works, or a recording or other multimedia presentation.  Keep in mind that the purpose of the Capstone is to generate a new, final project, not to recycle a previous creative writing project.  Previously written works must be substantially altered, edited, or expanded in order to qualify.

The completed project should be 20-35 pages in length.  In the case of multimedia projects, an advisor will work with you to dtermine specific requirements based on your chosen media, and you will be required to include a short written preface contextualizing and conceptualizing the work.

You must complete a contract for the Capstone Project which can be found at:
http://www.emich.edu/english/creative-writing/undergrad.php

The Capstone also includes a performance component fulfilled by giving a reading of your work at the on-campus Creative Writing showcase on April 9, 2010.

If you are graduating this semester, it is vital that you make an appointment with an advisor ASAP to plan your project.  April graduates should have their projects approved no later than February.  If you plan to graduate next semester, it is not too early to begin thinking about your project or to begin discussing your ideas with an advisor.

Contacts:

For general information regarding Capstone Project requirements, questions, and concerns, contact Noelle Havens (nhavens1@emich.edu).

For advising and approval of your Capstone Project contract, contact Carla Harryman (charryman@emich.edu) or Christine Hume (chume@emich.edu).

CRTW Grad Students: remember to contact Christine Hume (chume[at symbol]emich.edu) to let her know if you will be attending the formal presentations by visiting academics (Feb.4 at 2:00 pm and Feb. 9 at 2:00 pm, both in 320 Halle Library, and both followed by informal conversation at Starbucks at the Student Center, 4:00-5:30 pm).

See the message in your e-mail for more details.

Important deadlines to be aware of (graduating students take special note):

All programs now have Project contracts that need to be signed in order to begin working on the thesis. (forms are available through the Grad Handbook, Christine Neufeld or Pat Healy).

The deadline for thesis/project submission for students intending to graduate in APRIL is early: Mar. 1st to Christine Neufeld (English grad program director); Mar. 15th to the Grad School.

To graduate in JUNE the deadline is: May 15th to Christine Neufeld (English grad program director); June 1st to the Grad School.

You’ll want to arrange deadlines for approval with the advisor of your final grad project independently.

Keith Stanger, Assistant Professor, Halle Library will conduct training sessions for graduate students on the use of RefWorks. RefWorks is a web-based citation management service, available through a subscription funded by the library and the Graduate School. RefWorks lets you store and organize your references, and you can also format bibliographies using many different style rules.  Sessions are:

• Tuesday, January 26, 2010 - 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
• Wednesday, February 3, 2010 - 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
• Saturday, February 6, 2010 - 10:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.

All sessions are in room 111 in Halle Library. The sessions include an overview, setting up an account, and some hands-on practice using the citation management tool.

Seating is limited, so pre-registration for one session is mandatory.  Call the Graduate School Office at 734.487.0042 to register.

CRTW graduate Barry Graham has been named a finalist for the Next Generation Indie (NGI) Book Awards for Short Story / Fiction for his short story collection, The National Virginity Pledge.  Congratulations Barry!

Mark your calendar for upcoming BathHouse events:

Tuesday, February 16, 12:30 p.m., Student Center Auditorium
STEPHANIE ROWDEN and STEPHEN BENSON

Monday, March 15 , 6:30 p.m., Student Center Auditorium
GAIL SCOTT

Get background info about the readers at:
http://www.emich.edu/english/creative-writing/readingseries.php

Also, check out photos and video from last semester’s BathHouse readings at:
http://www.emich.edu/english/creative-writing/photosvideo.php