As MFA Director, I’m reminded each February of the enormous potential in this world. February is the month when many of the current students are putting their thesis committees together or beginning to think about what exactly they want to propose for a thesis project. February is also the time when we’re making admissions and funding decisions for the next incoming cohort. It’s also the point when the new volume’s print issue of Tab Journal has reached readers. There’s a lot going on, and it makes me excited about the future of literary culture. And now March is upon us!
At the same time, as I write this opening, the news of Ukraine is grim, and it’s uncertain how this conflict will pan out in the coming days and years. Tonight, I’ve pulled my copy of Deaf Republic off the shelf. It’s a collection by Ukrainian poet Ilya Kaminsky, who visited Chapman University in 2015 as part of Tabula Poetica and who studied with Carolyn Forché. The book won the National Jewish Book Award for Poetry and was a finalist for the National Book award. In “The Map of Bone and Opened Valves,” Kaminsky writes, “Be courageous, we say, but no one / is courageous, as sound we do not hear / lifts the birds off the water.” I also recommend his earlier book, Dancing in Odessa.
We share the following news and opportunities in the spirit of the Roman poet Horace, who said something to the effect of stop asking what the future has in store and take the gift of whatever the day brings forth.
—Dr. Anna Leahy, Director of MFA in Creative Writing
Alumni Achievements
Cheryl Cayford
(MFA ’12)
Cheryl Cayford and her daughter Leah McNatt co-own Uppercase Bookshop in Snohomish, WA, and are now in their second decade as booksellers. Their store was recently featured in The Seattle Times, and anyone can shop online through the Uppercase Bookshop portal on Bookshop.org. It's a great way to support an alum and independent booksellers.
Tatiana Servin
(Dual MA/MFA ’14)
Tatiana Servin De Maio was accepted to the PhD program in English at Louisiana State University.
Jason Thornberry
(MFA '21)
Jason Thornberry’s poems were published in Poor Yorick. Thornberry’s poem "Yellow Moon" and his essay "The Alcove" were published in the print edition of In Parentheses Literary Magazine, Issue 3, Volume 7. His prose poem "Residue of Yesterday" appeared in OPEN: Journal of Arts & Letters. Also, his article “Unyielding Soil: On Stephen G. Bloom’s 'Blue Eyes, Brown Eyes: A Cautionary Tale of Race and Brutality” appeared in The Los Angeles Review of Books.
Student Achievements
Makena Metz
(Dual MA/MFA)
Makena Metz's poem "Arrivals" was published in the February issue of Brave Voices Magazine.
Hannah Montante (Dual MA/MFA)
Hannah Montante's creative nonfiction piece "Generations" was published in Sad Girls Club.
Upcoming Events
Wilkinson College is pleased to host Stephen S. Power’s Master Class “Build the Business of Your Book,” which walks through the elements of a book proposal as a business model for a book and the tool nonfiction writers use to find an agent and publisher. Power, a 30-year veteran of New York publishing, is currently an executive editor at Kevin Anderson & Associates, a top editorial services firm. He's also a novelist, short story writer and Pushcart-nominated poet.
Join us via Zoom on April 11th at 1:00 PM
SAVE THE DATE
The Conference on the American Short Story and the annual Pub(lishing) Crawl will take place on April 18th and 19th, 2022. This gathering brings together readers, scholars, teachers, editors, and writers—both established and emerging—for crucial conversations about how stories make sense of the world. All the public events will be free and are planned for in person. More information coming soon.
Special Opportunity for Chapman U MFA Students and Alums
Anna Leahy seeks additional staff for Tab Journal to serve as readers, book reviewers, and potentially other roles. If you have taken a graduate poetry class at Chapman or have published poems in editorially reviewed outlets, contact her at leahy@chapman.edu if you're interested in joining the staff or have questions. These are currently volunteer positions. Responses preferred by March 10. IS&T is in the process of updating the Submittable contract, and we hope to take advantage of that opportunity to add up to four additional team spots for current students and alums. That could be you!
Internship Opportunities
Anaphora Arts, a non-profit organization that advocates for writers and artists of color, is accepting applications for their internship programs. All internships are paid, and the bulk of the work will be done leading up to and during actual programming. A commitment of at least one semester minimum is required. Duties include administration work in the literary and publishing field, being involved in research and data collection, assisting with their climate survey, and providing additional support throughout their programs.
Opportunities
The Launch Pad Astronomy Workshop will be held from May 22-28, 2022. This workshop is especially good for science fiction writers but also for any writer interested in astronomy. Their primary goal is to teach writers, editors, and creative professionals about modern science, specifically astronomy, and in turn reach their large and diverse audiences.
Applications are being accepted until March 7 and will notify participants by the 15th.
The Emory University Creative Writing Program is seeking applicants for two-year Fellowship in Fiction at Emory University in Atlanta, GA, beginning Fall 2022. Load 2-1, all workshops; $45,000 salary, and health benefits. Fellow will give a public reading. Required: MFA or Ph.D. in last five years, with Creative Writing teaching experience; record of publication, with a first book published or underway. Desirable: interest in secondary genre, creative nonfiction and/or screenwriting.
Interfolio link to apply: http://apply.interfolio.com/102401
Application Deadline: March 9, 2022
Colorado Review will publish the story that wins the Nelligan Prize for Short Fiction, which comes with a monetary award of $2500. Stories must be 10-50 pages, the entry fee is $15, and the deadline is March 14, 2022.
The James Jones First Novel Fellowship for a novel-in-progress is intended to honor the spirit of unblinking honesty, determination, and insight into cultural and social issues exemplified by the late James Jones, author of From Here to Eternity. A prize of $10,000 is given annually for a novel-in-progress by a U.S. writer who has not published a novel. Runners-up will receive $1000.A two-page (maximum) outline or synopsis of the entire novel and the first 50 pages of the novel-in-progress are to be submitted. Deadline is March 15, 2022.
In conjunction with Prairie Schooner, the University of Nebraska Press will publish the poetry book manuscript and the short story collection manuscript that win the Raz-Shuamaker Book Prize. The deadline is March 15, 2022.
Fourth Genre will publish the essay wins the Steinberg Memorial Essay Prize, which comes with a monetary award of $1000. The maximum length is 6000 words, and the deadline is March 15, 2022.
The MSU Roadrunner Review is seeking submissions for its third edition. Deadline is April 12.
Lit Mag News is hiring for articles from working writers and editors.
Sweet publishes emerging and established writers for poetry and creative nonfiction. Rolling submissions.
Poets & Writers has an extensive list of literary journals with website links and reading periods included, and you can filter by genre. There is also a good list of contests that rolls according to impending deadlines and a list of book review outlets.
