Writers-in-Progress

Mary Gaitskill Reading in Rockville, April 4

Well R.E.M. was wrong - DO go back to Rockville because Mary Gaitskill is giving a reading there!

Mary Gaitskill Headlines Authors at Fitzgerald Spring Event

Renowned author Mary Gaitskill will read from her work at the Spring Event of the F. Scott Fitzgerald Literary Conference. The event takes place at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, April 4 at the Rockville Vis Arts Center.

Mary Gaitskill has been nominated for the National Book Award, National Book Critics' Circle Award and PEN/Faulkner Award. She is the author of Two Girls, Fat and Thin; Veronica; Bad Behavior; and Because They Wanted To. Her short story "Secretary" was made into a feature film.

Gaitskill will be joined by four local authors: Dave Housley (Ryan Seacrest is Famous), Nathan Leslie (Madre, Believers), Susan Muaddi-Darraj (The Inheritance of Exile), and Lalita Noronha (Where Monsoons Cry).

Don't miss this rare opportunity to see Gaitskill and other talented authors read from their work. The event is free to members of the F. Scott Fitzgerald Literary Conference, Inc. and their guests, and the cost is $10 for the general public. There will be a minimal charge for students. Parking at Town Center is free after 7 p.m., and refreshments will be served.

For directions to the Vis Arts Center, visit www.visartscenter.org

A Different Kind of Writers' Conference

Takes place April 5, 2008 in Washington, DC.

The Second Annual Conversations and Connections will help you get the connections and information you need to take your writing — and publishing — to the next level.

This year’s keynote speaker is Mary Gaitskill, author of the novels Veronica and Two Girls, Fat and Thin, and the story collections Because They Wanted To and Bad Behavior.

Panelists are experts in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, writing for children, making connections, using the web, marketing, and everything in between. Over 30 literary magazines will be represented. Get the real deal straight from the editor’s mouth: your $45 registration fee includes the Friday night reading, full day Saturday conference, plus face-to-face “speed dating” with literary magazine editors, a subscription to the lit mag of your choice, and a book by featured speakers.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER ONLINE.

Full schedule, with breakout sessions and panelist information, coming soon!

Conference site: Conversations and Connections

Teaching Artist Institute - Getting Artists into Our Schools

As promised a few posts ago, here is the link for the Teaching Artist Institute, which is a professional development program for professional artists who perform and conduct workshops in Maryland schools.

Teaching Artist Institute

Their goals: "The goal is to build the capacity of artists in our community to contribute to student learning in and through the arts. Each year, TAI provides over 50 hours of training and networking to 20 artists. Artists experience:

A three-day retreat in January, followed up by monthly one-day trainings in February, March and April.

One-on-one coaching from master teaching artists working within their discipline and a curriculum specialist.

Opportunities to meet in small affinity groups with other artists.

Opportunities to field-test their work in a classroom with institute staff, peer artists and teachers observing and providing feedback.

Opportunities to network with educators who are interested in bringing artists into their schools.

If you're not sure you fit into this catagory, get in touch with Young Audiences, Arts for Learning, Maryland, website is www.yamd.org, and see how you can become involved in their programs to gain experience before entering the Institute.

IF YOU DON'T LIVE IN MARYLAND: Great news! Young Audiences is a national organization so if there's an office where you live you, too, can be part of their programs.

Check out the map on their website: Young Audiences National Map

I can't stress enough how important it is, as artists (and writers are included in that category!) to offer our time, talent, and energy to children of all ages in our schools. Studies show that learning in the arts contributes to the development of academic skills, including reading, language development and mathematics. Arts learning experiences contribute to the development of fundamental thinking, social and motivational skills that are basic for success in school, life and work. These thinking or cognitive skills associated with studying the arts include reasoning ability, intuition, perception, imagination, inventiveness, creativity, problem-solving skills and expression. Other perks: raises self-esteem, self-respect, confidence, self-empowerment, respect for others, teamwork...I could go on.

It really is a good thing and I guarantee you will have the time of your life working with the kids!

My Freelance Gig at Web del Sol

Michael Neff, of Web del Sol and the Algonkian workshops has asked me to contribute regularly to the Web del Sol blog, The Writers' Edge. Happily accepted! First post here on book flaps and originality:

The Writers' Edge blog

Check back whenever you think of it, and check out Web del Sol's other numerous, varied, and informative offerings for writers:

WebdelSol

Maryland Poet Laureate Readings

Maryland Poets Laureate: Coming to a Library near You!

Three of Maryland’s nationally-celebrated past and present Poets Laureate will visit 10 Maryland public library systems this spring as part of The Maryland Center for the Book’s (MCFB) program Poetry’s Here @ Your Maryland Library. A program of the Maryland Humanities Council, MCFB promotes books, reading, libraries, Maryland writers, and the state’s literary heritage…

Two nearby ones:

A Reading and Conversation with Poet Linda Pastan
11:00 A.M. Wednesday March 26th
Maryland State Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped
415 Park Avenue Baltimore, MD 21201-3603
Catherine Rubin (410) 230-2424

A Reading and Conversation with Poet Michael Collier
6:30 P.M. Thursday April 3rd
Enoch Pratt Free Library
Light Street Branch 1251 Light Street Baltimore, MD 21230
Melanie Oliver (410) 396-1096 Judy Cooper, Publicist (410) 396-5494

Writing Workshops at Idyllwild (California)

Writing workshops begin in August, and they are accepting enrollment applications and scholarship requests NOW. Enrollment for each workshop is very small (10 students). This is for all ages.

Program website:

www.idyllwildarts.org

Email: summer@idyllwildarts.org

Phone: (951) 659-2171

L.A. Office Phone: (213) 622-0355

***SCHOLARSHIPS are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. There is no deadline, but they will run out. APPLY NOW, ASAP!***

2008 Million Writers Award

The 2008 Million Writers Award for best online short story is now open for nominations from editors and readers. Once again, the Edit Red Writing Community is sponsoring the contest, which means there is a $300 prize for the overall winner. For those who don't feel like wading through the rules, here's the award process in a nutshell:

Any story published during 2007 in an online magazine journal is eligible. The caveats are that said online mag or journal must have an editorial process--meaning no self-published stories--and the story must be at least a 1,000 words in length. Readers may nominate one story for the award. Editors of online publications may nominate up to three stories from their publication. All nominations are due by March 31.

A group of volunteer preliminary editors will go through the nominated stories--along with other stories that catch their interest--and select their favorites. These will become the Million Writers Award notable stories of the year. I will then go through all the notable stories and pick the top ten stories of the year. The general public will then vote on those ten stories, with the overall winner receiving the award and cash prize.

Complete information on all this, along with links to where people can nominate stories, is available on the award website HERE.

For the best writing from the new south, read storySouth at http://www.storysouth.com