December 13th, 2010

Grub Street News

Welcome to the latest installment of the Grub Street Rag, a newsletter of the Boston literary scene sent out every Monday by our alter-egos, the chestnut roasters, at Grub Street's World Headquarters. As always, if you are receiving this e-mail in horror, please advance to the bottom of the page to unsubscribe yourself.

Give the Gift of Grub (Order by December 20th for Christmas Delivery)

Have a devoted writer in your life? Better yet, are YOU the devoted writer? Give the gift of Grub this holiday season.

Gift Certificates
Let your favorite writer choose the class or service that's right for them. Click here to purchase one for any amount you'd like. Some ideas, based on member rates:
$50 gets a one-night seminar
$65 an hour gets on-one-one consulting on your manuscript or career planning
$95 gets Saturday or Sunday workshop
$280 gets a 6-week workshop
$320 get a full-weekend registration to the Muse and the Marketplace literary conference
$430 gets a 10-week workshop

Gift Memberships
For $60, your loved one can enjoy the full perks of Grub Street for a solid year-- that means discounted classes, events, discounts at independent bookstores, discounts on Apple computers and software, and much, much more. Full details are here.

Cool Grub T-Shirt
You may have spotted this super hip T-shirt around town, worn by the most stylish writers on the East Coast. Be "on trend" with this object of fashion envy. "I have five in my closet already!" says Victoria Beckham. $15.00, in slate, white, and black. Purchase here.

Announcing Sometimes The Sang With Us, the Third Anthology of the Memoir Project

We're proud to announce that the latest anthology from The Memoir Project, Sometimes They Sang With Us, has arrived. Featuring wonderful stories from Hyde Park, Jamaica Plain and Mission Hill, the anthology is a beautiful and fascinating look into some of Boston's most interesting neighborhoods. Thanks to a generous grant, we have free copies of the book available for the Grub Street community. In-person pick-up only. Email chip@grubstreet.org to reserve your copy today.

Just Added! Featured Workshop of the Week: "Novel in Progress II"

Youre in the middle of your novel manuscript, and you have a fairly good idea where its going, but some sections just dont seem right.  This course is designed to help writers at this stage better understand what's working and what's not in their work, and to develop greater clarity and insight when returning to challenging passages.  We'll operate on the premise advocated by the late Andre Dubus, who was a proponent of reading work aloud to hear the poetry and to find the clunkers.  Pages will not be shared in advance; rather, we'll briefly re-look at various aspect of craft (opening pages, voice/tone, character development, setting, dialogue), after which students will read aloud 3-5 pages for the class to critique.  Workshop discussions will try to identify where the prose is alive and how to improve sections where its not.  One-on-one half-hour meetings with the instructor will be scheduled for the last class to share revised pages and to discuss the scope of the project as well as next steps. Please bring opening pages of your novel to the first class. Note that this class is designed for students whove taken fiction workshops in the past, are comfortable discussing manuscripts in process, and who have made some significant headway on their books. Instructor: Lara JK Wilson. (6 Sundays from 1:00 - 4:00 starting Jan. 9 at Yoga Mandala, 6 Mt. Vernon St, Winchester Center--steps from the Winchester Center stop. Learn more or register now!)

Cheers,
Whitney, Sonya, Chris, Chip, and Eve

The P.S.: The Rag will be on holiday hiatus next week, returning on Tuesday, December 28th. The Grub Street office will be closed December 24th - December 27th, reopening for business on the 28th. Festive holiday wishes to all!

Grub Events

In addition to our ongoing workshops, Grub Street offers numerous writing-related events around town. See our website for a long-term view of all we do.

SEMINAR: Wednesday, December 15th, 7:00-10:00pm, Keeping Fiction Wild
An expanded version of the very popular Muse and the Marketplace 2010 Conference Lecture. How do we recognize wildness in our fiction, how do we sustain it? We will try to answer these questions through examples drawn from Denis Johnson and Jorge Luis Borges.
Instructor: Pablo Medina
*Sorry, this class is sold out. Please click here to be put on a waiting list.*

SEMINAR: Wednesday, December 15th, 7:00-10:00pm, The Poem and the Idea
Poems that describe a heron or the moon can be nice, but what sets the one you remember apart from all the rest? Chances are it’s an interesting idea. This seminar will explore poetry as a manifestation of thought, examining the ways in which poems communicate complex ideas (be they overt ideas, diffuse ideas, or meta ideas through conceptualism), the overlapping territory of poetry and philosophy, and the difference between the poetic idea and other modes or tropes, such as imagery, description, narrative, and abstraction. Class time will be divided between lecture, discussion, and in-class reading, with an emphasis on discussion. A reading packet will be distributed, including poems by Rae Armantrout, Anne Carson, Maggie Nelson, Wallace Stevens, and Jon Woodward.
Instructor: Elisa Gabbert
*6 SPOTS LEFT* Register now! $65.00/$50.00 members, Grub Street headquarters.

SEMINAR: Wednesday, December 15th, 7:00-10:00pm, Epiphany and a Side Order of Meaning (or, “I’ll Have What She’s Having”)
If only it were that simple. Elevating our work from the personal to the universal—to some larger meaning that has your readers shaking their head in recognition and in amazement at your grand wisdom—can feel daunting. In this seminar geared toward writers of personal essay and memoir, we’ll examine the work of authors who do it well, such as Bernard Cooper, Joan Didion, Scott Russell Saunders and others.
Instructor: Amy Yelin
*Sorry, this class is sold out. Please click here to be put on a waiting list.*

SEMINAR: Monday, January 10th, 6:30-9:30pm, Everything a Writer Needs to Know about the Law
This course will provide writers at all stages in their career with a basic understanding of what they need to know about the law. Attorneys Jenny Milana and Mitchell Bragg will share their inside scoop and offer a fun and exciting look at the law as it applies to aspiring, emerging and established writers. Through an interactive activity and Q&A, attendees can expect to learn: the importance of registering the copyright in your work; what it means to be a "work for hire;" why a trademark for your business is a good idea; what tricks attorneys use in contracts that cause confusion; how to negotiate your own contract even if you have an agent or publisher; why it is important to plan for the future; how to create a business plan to house your projects; and so much more! This is an open forum workshop, so bring your notebook, a pen, and plenty of questions.
Instructor: Jenny Milana
Register now! $65.00/$50.00 members, Grub Street headquarters.

SEMINAR: Monday, January 10th, 6:30-9:30pm, Social Media for Writers
You know you should be Tweeting, but you don’t know where to start. You’re not even sure how Twitter – or the many other social networking sites out there – will help your writing career (let alone your craft). In this very practical and generative seminar, literary agent Lauren MacLeod will guide you through the world of social media and explain how and why it works for aspiring, emerging and established writers. If you don’t have a Twitter account yet, you’ll sign up for one this very night with Lauren’s help; by the end of the night, everyone will have Tweeted something and gained at least 12 followers. You will come away empowered with the “do’s and don’ts” of social media and gain some understanding not just of how to do it, but how to do it well.
Instructor: Lauren MacLeod
Register now! $65.00/$50.00 members, Grub Street headquarters.

SEMINAR: Monday, January 10th, 6:30-9:30pm, Considering Self-Publishing
With publishers cutting back severely on book acquisitions, technology leveling the playing field and a surge in recognition for independent authors, there’s never been a better time to self-publish. If you’re wondering whether it’s the right route for you and what the implications are, this seminar will give you the tools and information you need. After looking in-depth at the current context and the four basic cases for opting to self-publish, it will explore the pros and cons of each case to help you make a well-founded decision. A series of questions and exercises will also help you determine whether the work you’re considering self-publishing meets the highest possible standards of quality.
Instructor: Sharon Bially
Register now! $65.00/$50.00 members, Grub Street headquarters.

SEMINAR: Monday, January 10th, 6:30-9:30pm, Great Ideas: Selling and Writing the Science Nonfiction Book
There's a burgeoning market for science nonfiction books. Fortunately they're much easier to sell than fiction or memoirs. All you need is a great idea--and a great proposal. In this seminar, you'll learn everything you need to know to market your science or medicine book to a publisher. You'll learn about the state of the science nonfiction publishing industry, what editors are looking for, what readers are looking for, how to find the best agent for your project, and how to craft a winning proposal. We'll analyze both successful and failed science books published in the past few years, giving special attention to the different styles of Malcolm Gladwell (author of Outliers) and Steven Pinker (author of Blank Slate). You'll also learn what to expect when you do sell your book--and the challenges you'll face when you must actually get the research and writing done by a deadline. We might also address special topics such as e-books, Amazon, and endorsements.
Instructor: Ogi Ogas
Register now! $65.00/$50.00 members, Grub Street headquarters.

SEMINAR: Monday, January 10th, 6:30-9:30pm, What's Your Tense?
You know the characters and you have an inkling about the plot, so you sit yourself in front of the computer and prepare for brilliance to emerge. You’re reasonably sure of the setting and point of view, but which tense should you choose – present or past? It may sound like a small decision, but each tense brings implications and limitations beyond basic verb conjugations, and the wrong decision could set you back. In this class, we will investigate the pros and cons of past and present through in-class exercises and discussion. Bring a page of fiction or nonfiction to find out how a fresh approach to its tense could open up new possibilities and make an already good story great.
Instructor: Jenn Scheck-Kahn
Register now! $65.00/$50.00 members, Grub Street headquarters.

Be sure to check out our website for a comprehensive view of upcoming events.

Spreading the Love

Grub Street wants to promote YOU! Please send events for consideration to whitney@grubstreet.org. Bonus points and undying gratitude for submitting your event info in the same format as the events below. Our apologies in advance if we cannot fit you in. Please note that we do the best we can to evaluate requests, and do privilege requests from members, but cannot be held responsible for the quality of these events and programs or the legitimacy of contests. We expect that readers will do their own due diligence before sending their work or their money to any individual or organization.

--READING: Tuesday, December 14th, 6:30-8pm, ArtMorpheus Creative Interactivity
A special event featuring a conversation about influences at work in the creative process and developed disciplines, interspersed with readings. The event features Chris Adrian, author of two novels, Gob's Grief and The Children's Hospital and a collection of short stories, A Better Angel; Edith Pearlman, author of Binocular Vision, How to Fall, Love Among the Greats and Vaquita; and Grub's own Christopher Castellani, author of A Kiss from Maddalena, and The Saint of Lost Things.
FREE, Mills Gallery at the Boston Center for the Arts, 551 Tremont St., Boston 02116. RSVP at artmorpheuscreativeinteractivity.eventbrite.com.

--READING: Tuesday, December 14th, 7pm, Lauren Grodstein reads from A Friend of the Family
In her wonderful second novel, Grodstein (Reproduction Is the Flaw of Love) traces a suburban crisis and gives especially perceptive attention to the father-son bond. Pete Dizinoff has it pretty good—an internist with a successful practice, loving wife, nice house in a safe New Jersey suburb and his best friend living close by—but there's some nasty muck beneath the surface. Some years back, Laura, the daughter of Pete's best friend, Joe, was suspected of murdering her baby upon birth. Now in her early 30s, Laura's returned to town after several years of leisurely work and travel and is seducing Pete's college dropout son, Alec, who is also back in town, pursuing the life of a painter in his parents' garage. Laura does not fit into Pete's idea of what's best for his son, but when Pete intervenes, things spin wildly out of control. Add to this a malpractice case, and Pete senses his life is falling apart. An astute dissector of male aspiration, Grodstein brings great insight into a father's protective urge for his son in this gripping portrait of an American family in crisis.
FREE, Newtonville Books.

--READING(S): Solstice MFA in Creative Writing Program of Pine Manor January Reading Series  
The Solstice MFA Program announces its winter Reading Series, taking place January 17 in the Founders Room of Pine Manor College, located at 400 Heath Street in Chestnut Hill. *All readings are at 7:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted; special guests include memoirist Mimi Schwartz, poet Marilyn Kallet, breakout fiction writer Jacob Paul, and 2010 National Book Award winning poet, Terrance Hayes. Authors books will be available for sale; a cash-bar reception will follow the reading on Thursday, January 6. Plenty of free parking! Directions to Pine Manor College, complete bios of our authors, and more information about the Solstice MFA in Creative Writing Program can be found at www.pmc.edu/mfa.

--FELLOWSHIPS: Writers’ Room Fellowships Offer Free Workspace (deadline is Dec. 31st!)
The Writers’ Room of Boston, Inc., a nonprofit organization that provides affordable, quiet, and secure workspace in downtown Boston for area writers, is now accepting applications for four fellowships for 2011. The fellowships award use of the Writers’ Room to Boston-area residents at no cost for one year. The submission deadline for applications is December 31, 2010. Residencies will begin in February 2011. There is a $15 Application fee. To apply, visit www.writersroomofboston.org.