This Week in Words – June 9
by Treehouse Editors
compiled by Rachel Bondurant
News
Ray Bradbury died this week at the ripe old age of 91, as Jean wrote about on Wednesday. The New Yorker
featured a sci-fi issue this week (a lot of great work in this issue,
both regular features and within the sci-fi theme). Bradbury was of
course included, and he discussed his inspiration for “The Fire Balloons.” Also, in honor of Bradbury, The Huffington Post gathered a collection of 11 of Bradbury’s best quotes.
Interview of the Week
The Review Review recently interviewed Stephen Corey, editor of The Georgia Review.
Corey rose through the ranks over 25 years from his starting position
as assistant editor to his current position as editor, which he has held
since 2008. In the interview, he talks about how he got to where he is,
what he likes to see in writing, and how a writer’s work is treated
when it’s submitted to The Georgia Review (for example, he
forbids use of the phrase “slush pile”). He also offers advice to
students or writers who want to start their own literary journal:
mainly, “Be ready to work for love rather than money. Publish only the
writing and never the writer.”
Lit Mags that Aren’t Us
Electric Literature has started a new project called Recommended Reading, in which they publish both previously published and unpublished work chosen by writers or editors. The editors told The L Magazine
the project’s purpose is to “distinguish extraordinary pieces of
fiction through personal recommendations.” The stories are all long-form
fiction pieces published on a weekly basis. This week, they’re
featuring “North Of” by friend and contributor to Treehouse, Marie-Helene Bertino. With three different formats to choose from (online, ePub, Kindle), there’s no excuse not to read it.
Southeast Missouri State University Press is hosting two contests for their publication Big Muddy. The Mighty River Short Story Contest offers a $500 prize with publication in Big Muddy. Stories should be no more than 30 pages, previously unpublished, and accompanied by a $15 reading fee (which also pays for a copy of the issue in which the winning story will appear). For those who favor flash fiction, the Wilda Hearne Flash Fiction Contest is accepting submissions of short-short stories no more than 500 words apiece, with a $10 reading fee. The winner receives $300 and publication in Big Muddy. The deadline for both contests is October 1, 2012, and winners will be announced in January 2013.
Novella Month
Because someone had to do it, The Emerging Writers Network has
designated June as Novella Month. They have a number of features
honoring the novella, including a list of 100 novellas to read compiled by Treehouse contributor Kyle Minor. Thanks to his suggestions, my own list of books to read is 80 items heavier and the better for it.
If for some reason you find Minor’s list leaves something to be desired, Nouvella Books offers their own “starter list” of novellas to read. Some of the titles overlap, but there’s bound to be something for everyone on one of these lists.