NCF Tuesday: The Bad and The Good; Writing Contests; Hamster Ball


News

Book Burning

Ian Crouch discusses the heated debate over Canadian writer Lawrence Hill’s novel, The Book of Negroes. Dutchman Roy Groenberg plans to express his outrage towards the use of the word “negroes” in the title by burning the book.

Should racist and prejudicial words be eliminated from our language, or is the fear of the word give it more power?



Defending “Darkness Too Visible”

Meghan Cox Gurdon responds to the black lash of her essay, “Darkness Too Visible,” that discussed the dark topic and themes in today’s YA literature.

Are we opening a door to more darkness by allowing our children to read  dark and painful novels?

   
arabicfiction.org
Spreading Your Literary Horizons

Many say that if you want to travel, just pick up a book. With all the media coverage of the Egyptian uprising earlier this year, you would think we would know more about this culture. Unfortunately, most bookstore shelves are light on quality Egyptian writing. Thank Pauls Tontonghi for listing six Egyptian writers you should know, like Mansoura Ez Eldin seen pictured here.


Homosexuality and Literature

In celebration of the legalization of gay marriage in New York, I bring you Guardian Books podcast with three gay writers, Stella Duffy, Paul Burston and Neil Bartlett, discussing their sexuality, their writing and their readers.

Do you believe gay novels can make a difference in our society?

Neil Gaiman Sings! 

Reading Rainbow Flash Mob!
Take a look inside a book. It's the Reading Rainbow. 

Contests

FICTION
Glimmer Train Literary Journal
-       Open Fiction; Word Count: 2,000-20,000
-       First Place Prize: $2,000, publication in Glimmer Train Stories, and 20 copies of that issue
-       Deadline: June 30, 2011
-       Details here 

Narrative Magazine
-       Spring 2011 Story Contest: Fiction and Nonfiction of 15,000 words or less
-       First Place Prize: $3,250, considered for publication
-       Deadline: July 31, 2011
-       Details here 

Writer’s Digest Magazine
-       Short Short Writing Competition
o   Fiction: 1,500 words or less
o   First Place Prize: $3,000 and a trip to the Writer’s Digest Conference
o   Deadline: November 15, 2011
o   Details here 
-       5-Minute Memoir, “Tales From the Writing Life”
o   Personal Essay (600 words or less)
o   Prize: Publication in Writer’s Digest magazine
o   Deadline: Rolling submissions
o   Details here 
POETRY
Narrative Magazine
-       Third Annual Poetry Contest
-       Unpublished, all poetic forms and genres, except translations.
-       First Place Prize: $1,500 and publication
-       Deadline: July 16, 2011
-       Details here 

Writer’s Digest Magazine
-       7th Annual Poetry Awards Competition
o   Poetry: 32 lines or less
o   First Place Prize: $1,500 and a trip to the Writer’s Digest Conference
o   Deadline: December 1, 2011
o   Details here 

Fun
XKCD Webcomic made me giggle, again. Enjoy!

Hamster Ball 


Comments

Michael Offutt, Phantom Reader said…
I believe gay literature can and will make a difference in our society. It's just a matter of time but there is already more and more mainstream acceptance. Maybe in the next twenty years we will see a gay novel on the New York Times.
June 28, 2011 at 2:45 PM
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