Submissions Page Updated May 24

Visit the NewPages Calls for Submissions page for new listings, updated May 24. Sponsor listings are at the top of the page; scroll down to see all others. Expired listings removed regularly. For listing consideration, please e-mail information and/or website link to: denisehill@newpages.com

New Online Issues Posted May 27

Stop by NewPages Magazine Stand to find publisher descriptions for new online issus from our sponsor magazines, and a list of new issues of other online literary magazines. If you'd like to be listed on this page, all you need to do is send me notice of your new issues online: denisehill-at-newpages.com. I'd certainly like to see more listings here to keep this feature going.

In Memoriam :: Nuala O'Faolain

In catching up on my RSS feeds, I just now learned of the passing of Nuala O'Faolain. I am saddened to hear of this loss to us all, most especially those closest to her. I only learned of her work a few years ago while listening to the Diane Rehm show on NPR. I was absolutely fascinated with O'Faolain's discussion of her memoir, Almost There: The Onward Journey of a Dublin Woman. As can happen with Rehm's interviews, their discussion went off onto many other topics, including O'Faolain's views on relationships and her lack of belief in any kind of afterlife. Her candid assuredness and openess in discussing these topic with Rehm led me to go out and gather as much of her writing as I could find. My respect of her grew through these as well as her staunch journalism work; and of her decision to travel during her last months of life, I find it in keeping with the fortitude of her character I will forever admire.

Nuala O'Faolain, 68; Irish journalist, wrote memoir 'Are You Somebody?'
By Mary Rourke, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
May 19, 2008

Nuala O'Faolain, the Irish journalist and author whose 1996 memoir, "Are You Somebody?," captured international attention for its soul-searching candor, died May 9 in a Dublin hospice of complications from lung cancer, according to news reports from Ireland. She was 68.

O'Faolain, a resident of Barrtra in County Clare, Ireland, with homes in Dublin and New York City, recently announced that she had inoperable lung cancer and she had turned down the option of chemotherapy, choosing instead to travel in Europe until she had to be hospitalized.

She wrote about everyday events in a way that touched on basic human realities. For one column she visited the intensive care unit of a maternity ward where the fragile newborns didn't cry. They couldn't, she wrote, because they were sedated.

She often covered political and social issues from her outspoken, feminist perspective. In general, however, she was known to be unpredictable in her views, with a gentle sense of humor.

O'Faolain's bestselling memoir began as an idea for a book-length collection of her columns. She started writing an introduction that grew into several hundred pages of intensely personal autobiography. The memoir's subtitle, "The Accidental Memoir of a Dublin Woman," suggests the change in direction.

"I had to answer the question nobody had asked: Where do my opinions come from?" O'Faolain said of her purpose for writing a memoir, in a 2001 New York Times interview. "The answer was simple. Ideology had nothing to do with it. My opinions come from my life."

[Read the rest on LA Times.]

Book Contests Updated

I've been working away at the book contests page. Those listed are sponsored by publications, publishers and universities listed elsewhere on the NewPages site. If you have a contest that is not listed, please let me know by sending a weblink to: denisehill-at-newpages.com.

New Lit on the WebBlock :: 5th Gear

Originally published in print from October 1993-April 2002 by Andy Fogle with the help of Chris Saywer (author of the zine Ingin the Ooh), 5th Gear dedicated itself to publishing a variety of poetic forms. When Saywer moved, the magazine took a hit in production quality and Fogle hung it up for four years. Now it's back with the help of Adam Parez and Mark Fitzgerald.

The publication now runs five-poem monthly installments. Fogle notes on the site that they started in January, but only March and April are currently archived online. "In this new format, in addition to poetry, we envision publishing reviews, essays, fiction, and artwork. However, at present, we are only accepting unsolicited poetry; for now, submissions for all other genres are by invitation only."

Although the publication is online, only paper submissions are accepted. The upshot is the response: "We reply in 3-12 weeks, and comment fairly often; if we like your work, don't be surprised if that commentary is pretty detailed/specific."

Additionally, Fogle puts this call out on the site: "I'd also like to reach out to any poets previously published in 5th Gear and old MFA pals. If you have fond memories (or even just decent ones; I fear there are also a few nightmares) of this magazine, just drop me a line at the Schenectady box; I'd love to see your work again."

For more information, swing by 5th Gear.

Summer Conferences :: Colrain Poetry

The Colrain Poetry Manuscript Conference provides the faculty, connections, and method necessary to set poets with a completed manuscript or manuscript-in-process on a path towards publication. Faculty includes conference founder Joan Houlihan as well as Jeffrey Levine, editor, publisher and founder of Tupelo Press. Sessions in June, July, and August, Colrain, MA.

Residency & Fellowship :: Vermont Studio 6.16

Vermont Studio Center
Full Fellowships
Deadline: June 16

Year-round 2-12 week independent residencies for 50 artists and writers per month (24 painters/ mixed-media, 12 sculptors/mixed-media, 2 printmakers, 2 photographers, and 12 writers). Residents receive private studios, rooms and 3 meals daily, plus access to prominent visiting artists offering slide talks and studio visits. In addition to VSC Fellowships open to all artists and writers, Special Fellowships are also awarded as part of the upcoming June 16 deadline.

Awards :: PEN American Center

The 2008 PEN Literary Awards recipients were determined by distinguished panels of judges, all of whom are writers, editors, translators, poets, or playwrights themselves. This year’s program will see the conferral of a new award: the PEN/Jacqueline Bograd Weld Award for Biography.

PEN/Nabokov Award ($20,000)
To Cynthia Ozick

PEN/Robert Bingham Fellowship for Writers ($35,000)
To Dalia Sofer

PEN/Jacqueline Bograd Weld Award for Biography ($10,000)
To Janet Malcolm for Two Lives: Gertrude and Alice

Pels Foundation Awards for Drama ($7,500)
To Richard Nelson and Sarah Ruhl

PEN/Phyllis Naylor Working Writer Fellowship ($5,000)
To Theresa Nelson for Julia Delany: The American Version

PEN/Voelcker Award for Poetry ($5,000)
To Kimiko Hahn

PEN Award for Poetry in Translation ($3,000)
To Rosmarie Waldrop for Lingos I-IX

PEN Translation Prize ($3,000)
To Margaret Jull Costa for The Maias

NewPages Book Reviews :: Matt Bell Takes the Helm

Matt Bell reads (a lot). Matt Bell writes (a lot). Matt Bell drinks beer (no comment - but we'll take donations for Matt as well). This was enough to get Matt Bell started writing reviews with NewPages a year or so ago. But this wasn't enough for Matt. He wanted more, and as we weren't the least bit abashed in taking advantage of that energy, crowned him Book Review Editor.

As editor, Matt is large and in charge of the section: recruiting and screening prospective reviewers, managing content, and reading for first edit. He does this in addition to keeping up with his own writing, having published numerous short stories and now working on his first novel, as well as maintaining a bill-paying job and a personal life in there somewhere that includes his wife, Jessica.

I don't know how he does it, but given the immediate ramp-up of the book reviews, and the positive feedback we've received thus far, it is definitely working. I asked Matt to explain what he sees as the role of book reviews for NewPages readers, and his role as a reviewer as well as editor:

"When I write my own reviews, my goals are to promote good writing, to explain why I think a book is worth the reader's time, and to dive in critically to try and expose some of what makes the book work. In editing other people's reviews, the goals are similar: I want to bring out the strengths in each reviewer's own style and to help them write as strongly and as clearly as possible.

"Overall, I want the NewPages book review section to be a place that is unapologetically enthusiastic about books, especially the great work coming out of the smaller presses. Every day I read news stories about declining readerships, the death of the short story, the relegation of poetry to academia, and I can't help but disagree. I think this is a great time to be a reader. There are so many good writers out there, and it's our job to keep giving those people the critical attention their work deserves.

"I truly believe that fiction in general and the short story in particular is in as good a shape today as it has ever been. Perhaps its commercial potential has diminished, but its artistic potential is off the charts. I'm less personally knowledgeable about the state of poetry, but I think excellent writing is being done there as well, at least judging from some of the reviews we've published lately and the enthusiasm of those reviewers."

Matt Bell lives in Ann Arbor, MI. His fiction has appeared in magazines such as Barrelhouse, Juked, Caketrain, and McSweeney's Internet Tendency, and is upcoming in No Colony and Hobart. He can be found online at www.mdbell.com.

If you are a reader/writer interested in reviewing for NewPages, contact Matt Bell (newpages.matt-at-gmail.com) for book reviews and/or Denise Hill (denisehill-at-newpages.com) for literary magazine reviews.

If you want to know about having your book or lit mag reviewed on NewPages, please see our FAQ page.

Lit Mag Mailbag May 20

Stop by NewPages Magazine Stand to find publisher descriptions and cover art from our sponsor magazines, and a list of all new issues of print literary magazines received here at NewPages World Headquarters. If you'd like to be listed, as well as considered for review, be sure we get a copy of your publication (see our FAQ page for more information).

Tupelo/Crazyhorse Publishing Institute - Deadline Extended

*Application Deadline Extended to June 3, 2008*

The Crazyhorse/Tupelo Press Publishing Institute
College of Charleston
June 3–30, 2008

The College of Charleston and the literary journal Crazyhorse have partnered with Tupelo Press, an independent literary press, to form the Crazyhorse/Tupelo Press Publishing Institute. The institute offers:

• training in the theory and practice of literary publishing and editing.
• preparation for successful careers as publishers and editors.
• a supplement to the curricula of MFA and Ph.D. programs that focus primarily on craft.

The Crazyhorse/Tupelo Press Publishing Institute brings together two important literary institutions: an internationally distinguished, award-winning publisher and a literary journal with nearly 50 years of continuous publication. The institute is open to graduate students and emerging writers. The program of study is unique in combining the opportunity for a practical internship at Crazyhorse with important lessons on the first book through an intensive, four-week course chronicling the selection of a winner in the annual Tupelo Press First Book Prize.

The "Obscure" Summer Reading List

Posted last week on the Village Voice, this article includes a list of famous writers' favorite obscure books, each with a brief comment. Check out a few mentions here:

Our Favorite Writers Pick Their Favorite Obscure Books
by Alexander Nazaryan
From the Village Voice Summer Guide
May 13th, 2008

Jennifer Egan
You Can't Live Forever, by Harold Q. Masur

John Banville
Some People, by Harold Nicolson

Donna Tartt
Blood in the Parlor, by Dorothy Dunbar

Rick Moody
Frank Zappa: The Negative Dialectics of Poodle Play, by Ben Watson

Jonathan Ames
The Lunatic at Large, by J. Storer Clouston

Read the rest of the list complete with comments on Village Voice online.

Lit Radio :: Bibliocracy

Bibliocracy Radio is hosted by Santa Monica Review editor Andrew Tonkovich, Bibliocracy is a weekly literary arts program featuring readings and discussions with writers. Recent guests include: Al Young, Judith Freeman, Daniel Olivas, Reyna Grande, Michael Jaime-Becerra, Toni Mirosevich, Terese Svoboda, Katha Pollitt, Diane Lefer.

John Lithgow + Cheerios = Books

First Book has teamed up with Cheerios and John Lithgow to present this year’s Cheerios Book Donation Challenge, which gives readers the chance to determine where Cheerios will donate 100,000 new books by Lithgow to children across the country. For every question answered correctly, readers can vote for the state they'd like to receive new books for children in need. The top 5 vote-getting states will each receive 20,000 new books for local children! Votes can be cast from now until Sunday, June 15!

I tried the "quiz" - questions are taken from books promoted through Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories program (with Simon & Schuster). For each question I got correct, I was able to pick which state I wanted to receive the books. I went through about 15 questions and, not having read the books, got 11 questions correct. It would be good encouragement for kids to have them read at least some of the books in advance and see if they could answer the questions for those books. I don't know if there's a cap on the number of questions - but wrong answers don't stop you from continuing.

Organizations that want to be considered to receive free books can sign up on the First Book website.

Georgia Review Receives Awards

The University of Georgia’s Georgia Review Wins General Excellence Award and Six Others in 2008 GAMMA Awards Competition

The Georgia Review, the University of Georgia’s nationally renowned quarterly journal of arts and letters, earned seven honors, including four golds, at the Magazine Association of the Southeast’s 2008 GAMMA Awards. Chief among the wins was the General Excellence award for publications with less than one million dollars in revenue.

Other gold awards for UGA’s standout publication were as follows: Best Feature, for “‘The Commerce Between Us’: Correspondence from the Archives, 1977-2000 (Spring 2007 issue); Best Profile, for “Annabel Before the War: Only What I See” by Joy Passanante (Summer 2007); and Best Photography, for “3-D” by Thomas Allen (Spring 2007). “Pursuing the Great Bad Novelist” (Fall 2007), the first-ever publication by Laura Sewell Matter, earned a silver award in the Essays category.

Read the full press release here.