Children's Book by Younger Poet Alumnus/J.D. Smith, 1985

Greetings to all.

It's been a long absence from the blog (I somehow got cut off for a while during the great Blogger migration), but I would like to take this opportunity to announce the publication of my first children's book, The Best Mariachi in the World/El Mejor Mariachi del Mundo, which is available in bilingual, Spanish and English editions in both hardcover and paperback.

Information on the book is available on the blog of illustrator Dani Jones at
http://mariachibook.blogspot.com/

Reviews have so far come out in two publications, Publishers Weekly affiliate Criticas at http://www.criticasmagazine.com/article/CA6584770.html and Washington Parent at http://www.washingtonparent.com/articles/0809/books.php. There has so far been one customer review on Amazon UK at http://www.amazon.co.uk/Best-Mariachi-World-Jd-Smith/dp/1887744991/ref=ed_oe_h.

In the meantime, I am in the home stretch of my NEA grant activities, trying to circulate a chapbook and figuring out whether my two collection manuscripts (one free verse and one formal verse) are really ready.

I am looking forward to talking to Writing Bison at AWP Chicago.

J.D. Smith

a poem by Greg Wrenn

click here to read Greg Wrenn's "At Keats' Grave Again" in Center.

a poem by Eric Kocher

Kudos to Eric Kocher, whose poem "My Poor Heart" appears in the current issue of DIAGRAM.

Click here to read the poem.

Where have y'all been published? Send news.

Kudos

Congratulations to Greg Wrenn, a 2000 Bucknell Younger Poet, on winning the Midwest Chapbook Series Award. Greg's chapbook, Off the Fire Road, will be published in 2009 by GreenTower Press. Full details here on John Gallaher's blog.

Contest for poems in a traditional form: Southwest Review

The Morton Marr Poetry Prize:

Thanks to Marilyn Klepak of Dallas, the Southwest Review gives an annual award of $1000 for a poem by a writer who has not yet published a first book of poetry. Owing to a generous supplemental donation by Mr. and Mrs. David T. Searls, Jr., we offer a second prize of $500.

Contestants may submit no more than six poems in a "traditional" form (e.g., sonnet, sestina, villanelle, rhymed stanzas, blank verse, et al.).

A cover letter with name, address, and other relevant information may accompany the pieces, which must be printed without any identifying information. Submissions will not be returned.

Entry fee is $5.00 per poem.

Postmarked entry deadline is September 30, 2008. The poems will be published in the Southwest Review.

Address:
Southwest Review
Southern Methodist University
P.O. Box 750374
Dallas TX 75275-0374

JULY 7 DL: 2008-2009 T&W Fellowship Applications

Teachers & Writers Collaborative (T&W) announces the second T&W Fellowships, which will be awarded for 2008–2009 to two early-career writers. The T&W Fellowships are made possible by the generous support of the EDWARD AND SALLY VAN LIER FUND in The New York Community Trust. Teachers & Writers Collaborative: T&W provides and advocates for literary arts education by supporting writers and teachers in developing and implementing strategies to enhance students’ interest in and love of literature and writing. Since 1967, more than 1,500 T&W writers have taught writing residencies in New York City public schools, working in partnership with teachers to implement innovative writing programs in the classroom. Approximately 700,000 students have participated in our programs, and T&W has collaborated with more than 25,000 teachers. T&W publishes books about the teaching of writing and the quarterly Teachers & Writers magazine. The Center for Imaginative Writing, housed in T&W’s office in Manhattan’s Garment District, offers a library of resources on teaching and writing and is the site of readings, workshops, and other educational and literary events.

The Fellowship: The T&W Fellowship period is October 1, 2008, to May 31, 2009. During that time, T&W Fellows will receive:
~ a $10,000 stipend
~ Office space and resources (e.g., computer, supplies) at T&W
~ Opportunities to meet with experienced professionals from publishing, literary arts, theater, or other fields related to the Fellow’s work
~ Exposure to all aspects of T&W’s work, including writing residencies, publications, and the 2020 Visions reading series
~ The 2008–2009 Fellows will work together to plan the calendar year 2009 2020 Visions reading series. Events in this series pair an established poet, fiction writer, or other author with an emerging writer working in the same genre. In addition, each Fellow will focus on one of the two following projects:

T&W Curricular Materials: T&W’s catalog of more than eighty books and four decades of periodicals offer a wealth of valuable curricular materials related to teaching creative writing. Working within a framework provided by T&W staff, one of the Fellows will focus on reviewing existing resources to select those that will be included in a curricular resources section on the T&W website. This work will involve updating materials as needed to ensure their relevance to current educational standards. In addition, this Fellow will provide material for the online T&W Discussion Group.

T&W Communications: One of the Fellows will focus on developing and editing material for Teachers & Writers magazine and the T&W website. Such materials could include, but are not limited to, interviews with noted authors, articles about T&W’s residency programs, how-to materials for teachers and for writers working in K–12 classrooms, and analytical pieces about issues in the creative writing field and classroom.In addition to the above projects, Fellows are expected to make progress on their own writing projects during the Fellowship period. Each Fellow must spend a minimum of 15 hours per week at T&W during regular business hours (8 AM–6 PM, Monday–Friday) , in addition to participating in evening events such as 2020 Visions readings. Fellows will have access to the T&W office at all times for use in working on their own writing, as well as their T&W assignments.

Eligibility and Application: Applicants for T&W Fellowships must:

~ Be age 30 or younger at the beginning of the Fellowship period
~ Live in New York City or be able to plan an extended stay in the area (T&W cannot assist with finding housing for individuals who do not currently live in New York.)
~ Show exceptional artistic promise and a commitment to a writing career
~ Demonstrate financial need

Applications for the 2008–2009 T&W Fellowships must be RECEIVED by 5:00 PM (Eastern), Monday, July 7. The completed application form, a résumé/CV, and a writing sample of 10-25 pages may be mailed to:

T&W Fellowship
Teachers & Writers Collaborative
520 Eighth Ave., Ste. 2020
New York, NY 10018

The application, résumé/CV, and writing sample may be sent via e-mail to: fellowship@twc. org Applications will not be accepted via fax.

Please note: Applicants may be asked for a face-to-face or phone interview with T&W staff prior to selection of the 2008–2009 Fellows.

Questions: If you have questions about the T&W Fellowships, please call 212-691-6590 or e-mail fellowship@twc. org .

The Bat City Review seeks the insightful, feisty, sincere, and snarky.

The Bat City Review, edited by graduate creative writing students at the University of Texas, is a nationally distributed annual literary journal that seeks to publish striking and distinctive work.

The Bat City review is quickly becoming recognized as one of the leading periodicals in the country? Of us, NewPages.com says "With work this good, Bat City Review is certainly on the cusp of a wider recognition. While some new magazines are ones to watch Bat City Review is one to subscribe to, immediately and without delay."

Over the past four years we've published nonfiction by the Irish writer Colm Toibin, fiction by Patrick McGrath and Ander Monson, translations of the preeminent Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish, as well as poetry by Dean Young, Marilyn Hacker, C.K. Williams, Clay Matthews, and many emerging writers.

We're currently in search of fresh and fascinating fiction and poetry: well-honed writing of all genres and styles.

Email submissions are encouraged, and simultaneous submissions are happily accepted (with the usual request that you let us know if your work is taken elsewhere). We read submissions from May 1 to November 15, and responses are sent primarily in late fall. Work submitted after this reading period will be held for consideration in the next year's publication.

Please visit Bat City Review's website to submit online, or to find out more about us!

Little help?

Hey everyone. I'm Zach, a 2007 June poet, and I was hoping you guys could help me out. Does anyone know of journals that will accept work that has been previously published in an undergraduate literary magazine that only has campus-wide distribution? Crab Orchard Review is the only journal I've found thus far that will accept this work as part of its editorial policy. Does anyone know of any others?

Thank you!