Roxane Gay

http://www.roxanegay.com

Roxane Gay’s writing has appeared in Best American Short Stories 2012, Best Sex Writing 2012, Oxford American, American Short Fiction, Virginia Quarterly Review, NOON, The New York Times Book Review, The Rumpus, Salon, The Wall Street Journal’s Speakeasy culture blog, and many others. She is the co-editor of PANK and essays editor for The Rumpus. She teaches writing at Eastern Illinois University. Her novel, An Untamed State, will be published by Grove Atlantic and her essay collection, Bad Feminist, will be published by Harper Perennial, both in 2014.

The tenth National Black Writer’s Conference is taking place March 25-28. Tayari Jones, Colson Whitehead, and Edwidge Danticat, among others will be participating. If you’re in NYC you might want to check it out. The conference is open to all and the panels look really interesting. Every time I hear someone say there aren’t many black writers I think, what on earth are you talking about?

I’m pretty sure most of these people will not be attending AWP. That’s worth talking about at some point.

Pimpin’

I stumbled upon the St. John’s College Reading List and I find it fascinating. Readings cover the Greeks, the Bible, and much much more. A few universities do this sort of thing–a comprehensive reading program to serve as the foundation of a student’s education. I think it’s a wonderful approach but I agonize over how you decide which books to include. What would be on your reading list?

Mud Luscious Press is having a bookmark contest. Details here.

Another year, another Orange Prize  fracas.

Frequent, lively commenter Amber Sparks has assumed the position of Fiction Editor for Emprise Review. Send her some great writing, won’t you?

Come April, Letter Machine Editions is reading manuscripts.

Offered without commentary: Robert Swartwood vs. Narrative, Part II.

I read a couple of great books this weekend and you may want to check them out—Congratulations! There’s No Last Place If Everyone is Dead by Matthew DeBenedictis (sold out, sadly) and Non/Fiction by Dan Gutstein. The former came with an odd packet of instant coffee and Yo! MTV Raps trading cards. I now know that there are trading cards for everything.

Submishmash is a great alternative to the CLMP submission manager (which is a fine product albeit a bit pricey) and its run by fine people who are very responsive to their customers. If you’re looking for a submission management option, you should check them out.

Random / 92 Comments
March 22nd, 2010 / 4:54 pm

Corium Magazine

Corium Magazine, a quarterly online magazine, launches today.

Corium is edited by Lauren Becker, Greg Gerke and Heather Fowler.

The debut issue is pretty massive featuring writing from Stephen Elliott, Sean Lovelace, Alec Niedenthal, Adam Moorad, Donna Vitucci, Kathy Fish, Scott Garson, Beth Thomas, Kim Chinquee, Sheldon Compton, Ryan Ridge, Julie Babcock, Eric Beeny, Andrea Kneeland, Christina Murphy, Laura Ellen Scott,  Shaindel Beers, Corey Mesler, Sam Rasnake, Rusty Barnes and Cami Park and art from Ernest Williamson, Christopher Woods, and James Roninger.

Check it out.

Uncategorized / 26 Comments
March 22nd, 2010 / 10:34 am

The One Where I Talk About AWP, Star Trek, Revolutionary Road, and Publishing

At Bark, I read a post about magazines who try new things and how most lit mags all say the same thing about their mission. At the AWP Bookfair last year, a woman came to our table and asked what we’re looking for. I said, quite perkily, “We’re looking for great writing,” which was, clearly, the wrong answer but I had already answered that question approx. 1,311 times and wanted to be polite but also had nothing left to say on the matter. She pursed her lips and dropped the issue of our magazine like it was tainted. She said, “That’s what everyone says,” and then she flounced away.

READ MORE >

Behind the Scenes & Random / 46 Comments
March 18th, 2010 / 5:06 am

There are submission guidelines and then there are submission guidelines.

I Like Amy King A Lot

Amy King is the author of I’m the Man Who Loves You,  Antidotes for an Alibi, and Slaves to Do These Things (Blazevox Books), The People Instruments (Pavement Saw Press), Kiss Me With the Mouth of Your Country (Dusie Press), and  I Want to Make You Safe (forthcoming, Litmus Press).

She was kind enough to take some time to answer some question about her work in an epic interview that is, if I may say so, well worth the read.

READ MORE >

Author Spotlight & I Like __ A Lot / 154 Comments
March 10th, 2010 / 1:13 pm

NOON

GO HERE TO KNOW MORE.

Uncategorized / 32 Comments
March 9th, 2010 / 7:13 pm

Q & A #5

If you have questions about writing or publishing or whatever, leave them in the comments or e-mail them to roxane at roxanegay dot com and we will find you some answers.

Most places I am interested in submitting to ask for ‘no previously published material.’ But what constitutes previously published material? I understand why editors wouldn’t want a poem or story that is already available somewhere online or in a widely circulated journal. But what if your piece just shows up in your friend’s ‘zine, which he has only made 50 copies of and gives away for free? What if he has made 500 copies? What if he is selling them? What if they are only circulated in a single city? Ultimately my question is, where is the line drawn for previously published material? When is something considered published?

Nick Antosca

If it’s been in your friend’s zine and he only published 50 copies, feel free to submit it, unless you think there’s a realistic chance that one of those 50 copies got to the editor of that magazine.  There probably isn’t.  The line is arbitrary.
READ MORE >

Uncategorized / 45 Comments
March 9th, 2010 / 5:02 pm

Threadbare Von Barren by Nicolle Elizabeth

Nicolle Elizabeth’s chapbook of flash fiction from the perspective of a teenager diagnosed with infertility, Threadbare Von Barren, will be available Friday from Achilles Chapbook Series. Go here to order.

Author News / 92 Comments
March 2nd, 2010 / 8:39 pm