NCF Tuesday: Memoir, Bullying and Inexpensive Travel; Writing Contests; Author-On-Author Insults


News

Grieving Loss Through Memoir

The past week I spent in Roanoke, VA learning, reading and critiquing memoir and other non-fiction forms made me stop and take a longer look at Meghan O’Rourke’s blog post at Huffington Post. She interviewed her father about the grieving process after his wife and her mother passed away to mark the publication of Meghan’s book, The Long Goodbye: A Memoir.

What memoirs have you read that helped you understand the world better?

   
blackcelebkids.com
Bullying Novel from 50 Cent

Julie Bosman of The New York Times tells readers about rap artist Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson’s novel about bullying, Playground, due out in January of next year. He used his life growing up to inspire and provide material for the novel and hopes it will not only help his teenage son, but many young adults.  
  
Do you think 50 Cent’s explicit lyrics will affect the public response to his novel?

Literary Traveling

NPR helps you save money this summer by providing a reading list of novels sure to whisk you away to an exotic place without moving from your favorite reading spot.

Where have you traveled, so far, this summer (literally & literary)?



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
-       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-       Unpublished, all poetic forms and genres, except translations.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 



Fun
Check out the top 30 author-on-author insults.  Enjoy!

Here’s are two of my favorites:

“15. William Faulkner on Ernest Hemingway
“He has never been known to use a word that might send a reader to the dictionary.”
14. Ernest Hemingway on William Faulkner
“Poor Faulkner. Does he really think big emotions come from big words?””

Ooooh, buuuuurrrrrnnnn!



Comments

Anna said…
This month, I've gone to Dallas twice, New Orleans, and San Antonio. After going east and west on I-10, and north and south on 45, I'm ready to stay home and let a book take me where I need to go.

I loved the 30 insults. Thanks for posting the link!
June 21, 2011 at 3:55 PM
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