The Abacot Journal is seeking submissions for its second issue, due out in April. Stories must be in the magic realism/urban fantasy/fabulist fiction genres, and under 2000 words. Please see the website for full guidelines. Deadline for submissions is March 10, 2008.

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. Deadline: February 1, 2008.

The Puritan, Ottawa’s Literary Prose Magazine, is accepting submissions for the Spring 2008 issue: fiction and creative non-fiction,500-7500 words. Deadline: March 17, 2008.

Congratulations to the winners of the Council of Editors of Learned Journals Prizes for 2007:

Parnassus Award for Significant Editorial Achievement
Winner: Margaret D. Bauer for North Carolina Literary Review
Runner Up: Richard Mathews for Tampa Review

Best New Journal
Winner: Borrowers and Lenders: The Journal of Shakespeare and Appropriation, Editors, Christy Desmet, Sujata Lyengar
Runner-Up: American Naturalism, Editors, Keith Newlin, Stephen C. Brennan

Best Special Issue
Winner: African American Review for “The Curse of Caste,” Editor Joycelyn Moody, guest editor Veta Smith Tucker
Runner Up: Eighteenth-Century Fiction, “War/La Guerre,” Editors, Peter Walmsley, Julie Park
Honorable Mention: Fashion Theory, Vol.11, Issue 2/3, Editors, Emma Tarlo, Annelies Moors

Best Journal Design
Not awarded

The Phoenix Award for Significant Editorial Achievement
Winner: Women’s Studies Quarterly, Editors, Cindi Katz and Nancy K. Miller

Distinguished Editor
Winners: George D. Greenia, La coronica and Holly Laird, Tulsa Studies in Women’s Literature
Honorable Mention: Rick Emmerson, Speculum

Big Think

Ex-Harvard President Meets a Former Student, and Intellectual Sparks Fly
By TIM ARANGO
Published: January 7, 2008
Excerpted from the New York Times

In June 2006, Peter Hopkins, a civic-minded and idealistic 2004 Harvard graduate, trekked up to his alma mater from New York for a meeting with Lawrence H. Summers, the economist and former Treasury secretary. Mr. Hopkins, who finagled the appointment through his friendship with Mr. Summers’s assistant, had a business idea: a Web site that could do for intellectuals what YouTube, the popular video-sharing site, did for bulldogs on skateboards.

The pitch — “a YouTube for ideas” — appealed to Mr. Summers. “Larry, to his credit, is open to new ideas,” Mr. Hopkins recalled recently. “He grilled me for two hours.” In the age of user-generated content, Mr. Summers did have one worry: “Let’s say someone puts up a porn video next to my macroeconomic speech?”

It took awhile, but a year after that meeting, Mr. Summers decided to invest (“a few tens of thousands of dollars,” he said, adding “not something I’m hoping to retire on”) in the site, called Big Think, which officially makes its debut today after being tested for several months.

Big Think (www.bigthink.com) mixes interviews with public intellectuals from a variety of fields, from politics, to law to business, and allows users to engage in debates on issues like global warming and the two-party system. It plans to add new features as it goes along, including a Facebook-like application for social networking, and Mr. Hopkins said he would like the site to become a popular place for college students looking for original sources.

complete conversations with my father:
unprovoked and about which i am still confused
by jody brooks
Published in SUB-LIT, Volume 1 Number 3

Dad: “You remember Uncle Snooze?”
Me: “No.”
Dad: “He lived over where I shot that deer in the ass. Had a great swimming pool.”

D: “You ever hear of Goat Man?”
M: “Not that I recall.”
D: “He used to live up in that cove. They called him Goat Man because he came down from the mountains once a month with his cart and his goats. I never knew what he was selling, but people always had to go see him about something.”

D: “You ever meet Bang Bang LaFarr? Guy that sold chicken diapers?”
M: “I don’t understand any part of that question.”
D: [read the rest]

The Association of Literary Scholars and Critics is accepting applications for the post of Special Liaison for Graduate Student Affairs.

Ideally, the successful candidate will be enrolled in a program of graduate study in literature, and will have been a member of the ALSC for at least one year. The post carries the following responsibilities:

Create and distribute outreach e-mailings to college and university humanities departments (English, Classics, Theater, Creative Writing, Comparative Literature, Foreign Language, etc.) to promote student membership in the Association

Organize periodic local meetings of graduate students at the Liaison’s home institution and encourage and assist other students to organize meetings on other campuses in the U.S. and abroad

Write a brief quarterly column on graduate-student affairs for publication on our Website and in the ALSC Newsletter

Host and moderate the ALSC’s Graduate Student Listserv on Google.

Attend the ALSC conference each year (at the discretion of the ALSC Executive Council and subject to the budgetary capacity of the ALSC, a travel stipend may be available to defray some or all of the costs of this annual trip)

Produce a report on the annual conference for publication in the winter issue of the ALSC Newsletter

Maintain regular communications with the executive director regarding outreach activities and planning

Report to the Council and executive director on a quarterly basis (including in-person at the annual conference) with news of outreach activities, ideas for future projects, results of graduate student surveys, etc.

This is an unpaid position. Applicants should send a CV and a brief covering letter of interest to the attention of the executive director at alsc(at)bu.edu.

The application deadline is Friday, February 1.

C&R Press is now accepting submissions for Breathe: 101 Contemporary Odes (scheduled for Fall 2008 publication). Our intention is to bring together contemporary American poems that meditate, celebrate, and take stock of our world. We envision this anthology as a roadmap of (1) where we’ve been (our sense of history), (2) who we are (identity and character), and (3) where we’re headed (a re-envisioning of community, self, and the idea of America).

Feel free to challenge the thematic and stylistic limits of these guidelines (and of the ode form itself), and in doing so, help us best represent the range, depth, and veracity of America’s plural voice(s). Though this anthology will contain mostly new, original work by contemporary writers, we might also include select classic odes to show the richness of the tradition in giving poetic utterance to the hopes, dreams, and concerns of the American spirit in an accessible, classroom-friendly gathering.

Visit the C&R Press website for more details.

Rebuilding Labor’s Power
April 11-13, 2008 – Detroit, Michigan

Over 40 workshops will be offered including:
Labor History
Flyers and Newsletters
Assertive Grievance Handling
Internal Organizing: Key to a Strong Union
Getting Ahead of Globalization
Taking Control of the Workplace: A “Continuous Bargaining” Approach
Contract Campaigns
Fighting Blame the Worker Health and Safety Programs
Running for Local Union Office
Dealing with the Media
Strategic Planning: Building a Strong Local
Creative Tactics
Pension Crisis 101
Strike Strategy

From Editors Barbara Jacksha & Joan Kremer: Cezanne’s Carrot is now reading for its 2008 Spring Equinox edition and beyond. Deadline for the spring issue is midnight, February 20, 2008 (US Mountain time). Current needs: fiction (short stories and flash), creative nonfiction, and visual art. We’re especially interested in work with a metaphysical bent – work that pushes beyond the physical world as we know it. Full submission guidelines, including the email addresses for submitting work, are available at the website.

Cezanne’s Carrot publishes high-quality literary work that explores spiritual, transformational, visionary, or contemplative themes. We are most interested in the personal quest for evolution and understanding, whether that quest takes place within the context of a religious tradition, an inner temple of your own making, or a seemingly mundane neighborhood or backyard. Cezanne’s Carrot appears quarterly, each Equinox and Solstice, in alignment with the Earth’s rhythms.

“The Great American Poetry Show is a hardcover serial poetry anthology open year-round to submissions of poems in English on any subject and in any style, length and number. We have three editors who can handle a lot of submissions. So please send us a lot of poems. If we do not accept your poems, please send us another group to go through. Simultaneous submissions and previously published poems are welcome. Response time is usually 1-3 months. Each contributor receives one free copy of the volume in which his/her work appears. Volume 2 of the Great American Poetry Show is now taking submissions by email and by regular mail. Volume 2 is scheduled to appear in 2008 if we have enough good poems (about 120); if not, we will wait until we do. Please take a look at our website where you can preview Volume 1 of TGAPS and also purchase a copy.”

In addition to letting us here at NewPages know about your AWP events, if you are hosting any kind of event off-site in New York, meaning any event that is NOT taking place at the AWP Conference Hotels, AWP will help you promote this event. Please visit the Writers Circle on-line, and post your event on the discussion, and AWP will include it in a list of off-site events to be posted on their web pages. AWP hopes that those who are not able to register for the conference will still attend these off-site events, which are open to the public. The more word on the street, the better.

Submissions for the March 2008 issue of The Innisfree Poetry Journal are being accepted until February 1, 2008.

The English Department of Bowling Green State University seeks strong applicants for the College of Arts & Sciences Distinguished Visiting Writer. Dr. Kristine Blair, Chair. February 1, 2008.

Franklin Pierce University-the College at Rindge invites applications for an Assistant Professor position in English-Creative Writing/Composition to begin Fall 2008. Apply online. Interviews will be conducted at the 2008 AWP Conference on Thursday or Friday (January 31 or February 1, 2008).

The English Department at Illinois College is now accepting applications for the newly-established Claridge Writer-in-Residence, a one-semester teaching position in Creative Writing, for the fall semester 2008 (August 25-December 12) or spring semester 2009 (January 12-May 15). Professor Robert Koepp, English Department Chair. March 1, 2008.

The Department of English at Gettysburg College seeks an Emerging Writer Lecturer. Professor Fred Leebron. January 26, 2008.

The Creative Writing Program at Arizona State University is seeking a fiction writer of national/international reputation.

The Creative Writing Program at Oberlin College is looking for a fiction writer to fill a temporary full-time faculty position in the College of Arts & Sciences. Sylvia Watanabe, Co-Director, Creative Writing. February 15, 2008.

Youngstown State University invites applicants to apply for the position of Instructor/Assistant Professor in Creative Writing & Fiction. Dr. Gary Salvner, Chairperson. February 2, 2008.

The Columbia College Chicago – Elma Stuckey Liberal Arts and Sciences Emerging Poet-in-Residence. Annual, one-year nonrenewable position: starts August 2008. Tony Trigilio, Director, Creative Writing – Poetry. March 1, 2008.

A note from Guy LeCharles Gonzalez, Editor & Publisher Spindle Magazine:

Spindle Magazine is an online literary magazine with a twist, featuring creative non-fiction, poetry and short fiction by, for and about New Yorkers – literal and spiritual. Showcasing emerging writers, artists, musicians and other notable New Yorkers, it offers a multi-faceted look at New York City and the world beyond through the eyes of both those who love it and hate it, and in many cases, a peek inside the minds of the people themselves.

Like New York City, Spindle Magazine is best experienced with an open mind and a healthy dose of intellectual curiosity. There are no tour guides here, so readers are encouraged to take their time and casually explore the site, whether a section at a time, via the “related article” links, or by doing a keyword search.

Log on now for new poetry and fiction from Larry Jaffe, Kevin MacDonald, Marie-Elizabeth Mali and Skip Shea, plus the debut of our newest column, Stephanie Myers’ “Myers Music Experience”.

NOTE: We’ll be updating weekly in January, so be sure to sign up for our RSS feed and our mailing list to keep abreast of the latest content, features and announcements.

The Luci Shaw Fellowship at Image

“The purpose of the Luci Shaw Fellowship is to expose a promising undergraduate or graduate student to the world of literary publishing and the nonprofit arts organization, and to introduce fellows to the contemporary dialogue about art and faith that surrounds Image, its programs, its contributors, and its peer organizations. In short, we’re looking for summer fellows who share our vision for the place art has in the life of faith, and who are also diligent, meticulous, and responsible about the daily details.”

Eligibility: Any person currently enrolled in a four-year undergraduate institution or graduate school.

Applications are due February 1, and applicants will be notified by February 15.

More information and an application can be found on Image’s website.

Borders has created an online presence for poets – Open Door – and features an upcoming poetry contest judged by Mark Strand (my guess would be that he’s the “final” judge). The site also includes the opportunity to submit poetry questions, some of which will be selected and answered onsite by Paul Muldoon, and a “Gather and Write” space lead by Anthony Tedesco. There’s also the “Poetry Show,” Episode 1 of which includes videos of the following poets reading their works: Donald Hall, Taylor Mali, Oveous Maximus, Valzhyna Mort, Paul Muldoon, Patricia Smith, Mark Strand, Buddy Wakefield.

Beyond the Country Doctor
Published by Kent State University Press and Hiram College Center for Literature, Medicine and Biomedical Humanities

It is more than Marcus Welby or the country doctor taking care of the farmers/ranchers. Today a diverse group of clinicians, have added cell phones and PDAs to their black bags and minister to a multi-colored patchwork quilt of patients.

This anthology means to show the breadth of rural medicine in the United States today. Seeking poems, essays, and short stories (fiction and creative nonfiction, max 5000 words) written by health professionals (doctors, nurses, midwives, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, social workers, mental health providers and students of all of the above) that address the following:

–Who you are (exploring diverse providers)
–Who you serve (exploring the variety of patients)
–Where you are (sense of place)
–The resources you have and the challenges you face (i.e. tele-medicine, electronic health record, part of larger health systems, limited services, insurance, etc.)

There is no pay for contributions. The book will be published in Fall, 2009. Already published work considered with permission to reprint. Work should not include the identifying information of patients unless permission is granted. Authors with contributions published in the collection will receive a free copy of the anthology.

Submission due by February 1, 2008 by email attachment to:
zink0003(at)umn.edu or mail CD to UMN address.

For further information:

Therese Zink, MD, MPH
zink0003(at)umn.edu (replace (at) with @)
Dept. of Family and Community Medicine
University of Minnesota
MMC 81
420 Delaware Street SE
Minneapolis MN 55455
612 625 9197 phone
612 624 2613 fax

The editors of Poemeleon: A Journal of Poetry are now reading persona poems for Volume III Issue 1, slated for release in early June. They are also interested in relevant essays, book reviews and interviews.

Also, the first Mystery Box Contest winner has been announced, and a new box is up for viewing. There is no deadline. There is no entry fee. There are no rules. The only requirement is that the poem must somehow respond to the box. The most stunning poem will be featured in an upcoming issue.

Past contributors include Jimmy Santiago Baca, Tony Barnstone, Catherine Daly, Ann Fisher-Wirth, Richard Garcia, Eloise Klein Healy, Bob Hicok, Roy Jacobstein, Christina Lovin, Shin Yu Pai, William Reichard, Dana Sonnenschein, Kathrine Varnes, Cecilia Woloch, and lots more.

All submissions must come through our new online submissions process. Please visit the website for full guidelines.

Deadline for this issue: February 28, 2008.

Switched-on Gutenberg is looking for poems that explore scientific puzzles, use wonderfully obscure terminology, formulae or other forms of discourse usually foreign to the ‘hazy’ world of poets. They don’t mind if you want to take on the issues of the day (global warming, genetic engineering, etc), but make it marvelous.

Poems on the theme: Science and Technology.
Submissions for the next issue: December 1, 2007 to March 1, 2008.
ONE POEM ONLY, not to exceed 48 lines, original and not simultaneously submitted (previously published work is okay if credits are included).

The Festival of Faith & Writing
April 17-19, 2008
Calvin College
Grand Rapids, Michigan

The goal of the festival is to provide a vibrant community where readers and writers come together to discuss, celebrate, and explore the ways in which faith is represented in literature and how it plays out in our world today. Speakers include Elizabeth Berg, Michael Chabon, Gail Godwin, Mary Gordon, Edward P. Jones, Yann Martel, Kathleen Norris, Katherine Paterson, Luci Shaw, Krista Tippett, Franz Wright and many others.

Poetry Midwest, a downloadable online literary journal, seeks poetry, micro-fiction, and creative non-fiction brief (prose limit is 350 words) for the Winter 2008 and other future issues. Poetry Midwest is published three times per year as a downloadable Adobe Acrobat PDF document. Deadline for the Winter 2008 issue is February 16, 2008, or thereabouts.

NewPages had the honor of attending Modern Language Association convention in Chicago this past weekend (December 27-30). I love Chicago – even in the dead middle of winter. It is a friendly, easy-to-get-around-in city. Anytime we found ourselves a bit lost, we only needed to stop and ask anyone for directions. People are, as my brother says, “Midwesterners,” and that is enough explanation for why they are so curteous and helpful.

I attended MLA in Chicago eight years ago, and it was a flashback to be walking the Hyatt halls again, surrounded by English folk (you know who you are). The conference is one of the best organized and tightly run events I have attended. There isn’t a hall or corner without a person there to help attendees, which is essential for a convention spread across the river in two hotels.

The exhibitor floor was spacious and well organized. There were no major gaps from absent participants and plenty of room to enter in bookseller areas or stand in the aisleway without getting bumped. There was very little representation of small presses. I don’t dare say “independent” presses, because as I was corrected by one publisher, many university presses are “independent.” I’m still thinking about that one. I’m sure some non-univeristy affliated independents would be better posistioned to call these U presses brethren or not.

It’s evident that larger presses, as we’ve known for some time, are delving more into the market of alternative titles, translations and speciality publications. Given as they have the money to enter such ventures with less of a loss to their overall budget should the return be moderate to even negative, this is not surprising to see. Nor is it cheap for them to attend the MLA – with exhibiting costs in the thousands, they really are hoping for several academic sales from this conference. I can see how it would make it difficult for small presses/publications to be well represented here, if at all. This is something NewPages is talking about being able to provide for next year’s MLA, so interested presses/publications, contact Casey (new.pages-at-live.com).

There was also the individual sale aspect happening in this area, as writers pitched their book ideas to publishers, and publishers had signs on their tables with “calls for proposals.” Another area the small presses might want to consider, given the type of acadmic authors in attendance.

Of the sessions we attended, while interesting, they really are geared toward their specific academic areas of interest and research. I was disappointed to sit through several more “paper lectures” than actual talks or discussions. I realize presenters need to present, but given the repeated cut-offs for Q&As, there is more conversation that begs for time. And that’s really what this kind of convention is mostly about: like-minded and interested people being able to gather and have critcally thoughtful conversations that they might otherwise never have the opportunity to enjoy. I mean, how many people in one college department are interested in really talking about Wolfgan Iser or Margaret Fuller? It takes joining cross-national panelists who then gather a cross-national group of interested attendees to create exactly the kind of community necessary for these engagements.

The sessions were all extremely well attended – though we weren’t there the last day to see the usual gotta-catch-a-plane drop off. For a conference that begins two days after a major holiday and in some pretty crappy weather for travel, numbers were great, and the experience enjoyable overall. Next year, though, MLA 2008 will be in San Francisco. I won’t be complaining about the time of year to travel west for a little bit of sun and warmth!