Many of us learn fiction writing via short stories—and many of us fall in love with the form and stick with it. But how do we get our stories into the hands of readers, when agents aren’t interested in them? How do we know when a story is ready to send? And where to send it? What are realistic expectations with respect to response times, acceptance rates, payment, and editorial input? This class will go over the basic norms, procedures, and etiquette of being your own short story agent, review strategies for targeting markets and recordkeeping, and field questions. Your instructor has been finding readers via the slush pile for years—it can be done.

Rather than meet at the library, Cape Elizabeth’s Local Buzz Series has been moved onto Zoom. I’ll be reading with poet Jason Grundstrom-Whitney (bio below). The event will not be recorded.

In order to attend the event, you will need to pre-register in advance. Please use the following link to register for the Zoom meeting:

Register in advance for this meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0vduCtrTMjH9PL3lSfzAQLon05-JeMKU9C

After registering, you will receive a confirmation e-mail containing information about joining the meeting.

A Bear Clan member of the Passamaquoddy Tribe, Jason Grundstrom-Whitney’s poetry has appeared in 3 Nations Anthology: Native, Canadian and New England Writers and in the Underground Writers Association’s Anthology of Maine Poets. The band Osha Root recently produced a CD featuring Jason’s music and poetry. Jason has spent a lifetime working on Native American Rights, Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence survival, Hospice and end of life care, homeless and environmental issues, and alternative medicine practice. Jason studied with native teachers and many others while he hitch-hiked across America for two and a half years. Jason is a father, grandfather, and husband, and has been in recovery for 37 years. His first book of poetry entitled, Bear, Coyote, Raven was published by Resolute Bear Press in 2019.

Since the pandemic is keeping us home, L/A (Lewiston/Auburn) Art Walk has gone virtual! Pre-recorded conversation with Claire Guyton and Josh Gauthier of Local Writer’s Read.

The Hollihock Writer’s Conference will take place from October 23-25.

Agenda here.

I will teach a craft class on Sunday morning at 10:00 Eastern time. Like church! Description:

Elasticity of the Sentence
This interactive class will examine several perfect sentences from published fiction—and then we’ll have the audacity to recast them (playfully), to figure out what they are by considering what they could have been. The purpose is to slow down and strengthen our revision muscle at the sentence level, to pay attention to the hundreds of microdecisions within each line of prose. 

Local Buzz Readings

Thomas Memorial Library, Cape Elizabeth, ME

Postponed to Fall 2021 due to COVID-19. Maybe see you then!

Books in the Brook series
(With novelist/radical Agnes Bushell)

Walker Memorial Library
800 Main St., Westbrook, Maine

Postponed due to CV19 risk. Possible rain date in May.

Pete’s Candy Store
709 Lorimer St., Brooklyn

with Andi Vinciquerra and Lillian Patterson
Hosted by Danielle Sinay

Drunken! Careening! Writers!
KGB Bar
85 E. 4th Street
Thursday 11/21/2019 7PM
(With playwrights Chris Harcum and Caridad Svich, poet Maria Lisella)

Facebook event here

Print: A Bookstore
273 Congress Street
Thursday 10/17/2019 7PM

Maine launch of The Artstars
Reading, Q&A, and signing
(Please support Print! They are awesome!)

Lit Youngstown Fall Literary Festival
Kilcawley Center, Youngstown State University
Saturday 10/5/2019, 2PM (with Quincy Flowers)

Reading from The Artstars (Elliott) and
Canebreak: African-American Mythmaking (Flowers)