by Robyn Parnell
Calling all non-award-winning writers (you know who you are)--it's time to add a trophy title to your nom de plume. It imparts that certain je ne sais quoi, literary cachet; besides, with all the opportunities out there, what's your excuse for not having one?
Continue reading "You Can Be--or Already Are--An Award-Winning Writer" »
by Liana Liu
Fiction writer Laura Owen is one of the funniest ladies I know, and this is reflected in her work. But the quirkiness of her characters--a magician who cuts off his own head, a suburban mom who wears grills--never overpowers the emotional impact of her work. Laura graduated from the University of Minnesota MFA program last May; here we talk about life after school, life during school, and the importance of commas.
Continue reading "The Post-MFA Life: Illusions, Delusions, and Beer " »
by Liana Liu
Brian Gebhart, like all the best superheroes, has multiple identities (please note: this is not the same as multiple personalities). He's a writer! He's an MFA student at the University of Minnesota! He's a molder of young minds (please note: I hear he has a student fan club)! He's a loving husband! He's great at trivia! He's from Oklahoma! He has a fluffy cat!
Continue reading "An Interview with Fiction Editor Brian Gebhart" »
by Libby Edelson
Last weekend a large contingent of dislocaters traveled from Minneapolis to Chicago to set up shop at this year's Associated Writer's Program (A.W.P.) conference. Over 8,000 people flooded the downtown Hilton, and from our shared hotel rooms to the book-fair, from the panels to the parties, there was hardly a moment of alone-time to be had. Funny, because the very thing we were all there to celebrate--writing--is a solitary act.
by Brian Gebhart
So everyone knows how bad things are right now, in just about every area of the economy. Writers and artists are no exception, though they aren't one of the politically kosher sectors that various leaders and commentators like to single out for their sympathies (i.e. money). One of the most universally ridiculed pieces of the current stimulus package was funding for the NEA, though there is actually a great case to be made for arts funding as effective stimulus.