Topic: May 2005
Margin poet Hermine Meinhard is leading a week-long poetry retreat at Il Chiostro in Tuscany, Italy from Sat June 11 through Sat June 18. "Each day, either in the morning or afternoon, we will meet for a workshop of improvisational exercises to help you draw deeply on interior landscapes as well as the sights, sounds and smells of the countryside. … A new vista, and such a sensuously rich one, is a wonderful opportunity to reach out and into new sources of material from which the writing can flow. We will make excursions, for example, to the lovely medieval town of Siena and the local Dievole winery (maker of fine Chianti and just across the road) and I will leave you time for exploring on your own the beautiful hills, valleys and towns. … Meals will be a highlight of the day with traditional Tuscan recipes, local wine and fresh seasonal produce... So, in addition to making beautiful poems, we will live well." Details and registration
Ozzie Nogg, whose short story, "Blue Plate Special," we both published and nominated for a Pushcart prize, recently earned a new distinction for her work on a beautiful handmade book of creative nonfictions we reviewed in the last edition of Margin: Joseph's Bones won first prize in the Life Stories category of The Writer's Digest International Self-Published Book Awards. She won $500 cash, promotion in Writer's Digest, and a guaranteed review in Midwest Book Review. Way to go, Oz!
Trickster Tales author John Briggs was recently featured by Pat Cahill for the masslive.com edition of The Republican of Springfield, MA. In "The world is a strange place" (March 24, 2005), Cahill discusses not only Briggs' new story collection, but his recent photography exhibition and the creative drives that fuel his life. "Creativity is essential for our survival. If we're not creative, we die," Cahill quoted Briggs. His book is descibed as having a "Franz Kafka-meets-Salvador Dali flavor." (For the full text, click here then select the article title, "The World is a Strange Place." You will need to register to read the entire text)
It's nice to know there's such a rich Spanish-language literary scene in our nation's capital. Translater CM Mayo recently published a literary resources article focusing on the DC area for Viva La Vida Literaria. Her article covers books, readings, and lectures; resources for translators; calls for submissions specifically tailored to Spanish-language authors and translators; and a brief interview with Robert Giron of Gival Press.