Monthly Archives: May 2012

SPECIAL ISSUE AND CONTEST: SOUTHERN SIN

Posted on May 17, 2012 | Leave a comment

SPECIAL ISSUE AND CONTEST: SOUTHERN SIN
Deadline: July 31, 2012

From:  http://www.creativenonfiction.org/

Creative Nonfiction and the Oxford Creative Nonfiction Writers Conference & Workshop are looking for essays that capture the South in all its steamy sinfulness–whether you’re skipping church to watch football, coveting your neighbor’s Real Housewife of Atlanta, or just drinking an unholy amount of sweet tea. Confess your own wrongdoings, gossip about your neighbor’s depravity, or tell us about your personal connection to a famous Southerner headed down the broad road to Hell. Whether the sin you discuss is deadly or just something that would make your mama blush we want to hear about it in an essay that is at least partially narrative–employing scenes, descriptions, etc.

Your essay can channel William Faulkner or Flannery O’Connor, Alice Walker or Rick Bragg; it can be serious, humorous, or somewhere in between, but all essays must tell true stories, and must incorporate both sin and the South in some way.

Usually the wages of sin is death, but this time we’re making an exception. The selected essays will be published in Creative Nonfiction #47, and CNF and Oxford will be awarding $5000 for Best Essay.

There is a $20 reading fee (or send a reading fee of $25 to include a 4-issue CNF subscription–U.S. submitters only); multiple entries are welcome ($20/essay) as are entries from outside the U.S. (though due to shipping costs, the subscription deal is not valid).

Guidelines to submit by mail:
Essays must be unpublished, 4,000 words maximum, postmarked by May 28, 2012 July 31, 2012, and clearly marked “Southern Sin” on both the essay and the outside of the envelope. Please send manuscript, accompanied by a cover letter with complete contact information including the title of the essay, word count, SASE and payment to:

Creative Nonfiction
Attn: Southern Sin
5501 Walnut Street, Suite 202
Pittsburgh, PA 15232

Guidelines to submit electronically:
Essays must be unpublished, 4,000 words maximum, and uploaded by 11:59 PM EST, May 28, 2012 July 31, 2012. To submit, please click the appropriate link:

Reading fee only ($20)
Reading fee + 4-issue subscription ($25; U.S. submitters only)

SECTION QUERIES
accepted year-round

Have an idea for a literary timeline? An opinion on essential texts for readers and/or writers? An in-depth, working knowledge of a specific type of nonfiction? Pitch us your ideas; Creative Nonfiction is now accepting query letters for the following sections of the magazine:

UNDER THE UMBRELLA – explores one subset or type of writing that falls under the creative nonfiction umbrella–dad memoir, extreme travel writing, as well as lesser-known kinds of creative nonfiction–and the patterns that connect these types of writing. Past example: CNF’s Armchair Guide to Stunt Writing.

WRITER AT WORK – an analysis of or an in-depth look into a specific writer’s writing process. Past example: Gay Talese’s approach to composition.

BETWEEN THE LINES – focuses on the business of writing and the role of the editor, agent, publisher and nonfiction writer in the contemporary publishing landscape. This section is reserved for more serious, newsy (in a general way) topics. Past examples: The future of literary magazines in America, and a defense of navel-gazing.

REQUIRED READING – catalogues and explores essential texts for nonfiction readers and writers. Pieces can be as simple as a list or as complex as a lyric essay. Past examples: David Shields’ inspirations and recommendations, and the narrative forms of Norman Mailer as recounted by his biographer.

THEN AND NOW – literary timelines or comparisons of the genre’s past and present. Past example: a history of the genre (and the magazine) from 1993 to 2009.

AFTERWORDS – the final page of the magazine. We’re open to just about any ideas that can be presented completely in one page, though we are more inclined to pieces that take a lighter look at the genre, craft, and/or industry. Past examples: First sentences from first books, and the ever-expanding nonfiction subtitle.

[Note: Nothing increases your publishing chances more than a familiarity with the magazine; we recommend you become a subscriber, but a working knowledge of our recent issues is a great place to start, too. Once you're a student of the publication, query us via email, according to the guidelines below.]

Guidelines: All queries should be sent to “queries [at] creativenonfiction [dot] org”, and the subject line should include the section you’re querying about (e.g. “Between the Lines”). In the body of the email, please include the following:

Your name; your email address; your idea (250 words or less); your bio as it relates to your idea (250 words or less); and your plan for executing your idea (250 words or less).

Queries only. Please do not send completed pieces. Please do not send attachments. Please send brilliant ideas and a solid plan for turning said brilliant ideas into brilliant pieces of writing.

CONTEST: Tiny Truths: CNF’s Daily Twitter Contest
accepted year-round

Can you tell a true story in 130 characters (or fewer)? Think you could write one hundred CNF-worthy micro essays a day? Go for it. We dare you. There’s no limit. Simply follow Creative Nonfiction on Twitter and tag your tiny truths with the trending topic #cnftweet. That’s it.

We re-tweet winners daily and republish 10-12 winning tweets in every issue of Creative Nonfiction.

Not sure what we’re looking for? Check out all of our past “Favorites”.

GENERAL (UN-THEMED) SUBMISSIONS
accepted year-round

We try to respond to all submissions as soon as possible. We read general submissions year-round, but depending on the time of year, it is not uncommon for a response to take up to 6 months.

What we’re looking for:

  • Strong reportage
  • Well-written prose, rich with detail and a distinctive voice.
  • An informational quality or instructive element that offers the reader something to learn (an idea, concept or collection of facts, strengthened with insight, reflection and interpretation.)
  • A compelling, focused, sustained narrative that is well-structured, makes sense and conveys meaning.

Guidelines for Submission:

  • Submissions should be typed, double-spaced, 5,000 words maximum (with word count clearly marked).
  • Submissions to special issues should be clearly marked.
  • Please do not send multiple submissions.
  • Please do not send queries. We consider only complete essays.
  • Faxed or emailed submissions will not be accepted.
  • Please include a self-addressed, stamped envelope for response. We regret that we cannot return manuscripts.
  • We will reply to manuscripts sent from outside the United States by email, if an email address is provided.
  • We accept simultaneous submissions, but do ask to be kept informed of the status of your manuscript.
  • We typically pay $10 per printed page.
  • Please send unsolicited material to:

    Creative Nonfiction Foundation
    5501 Walnut Street, Suite 202
    Pittsburgh, PA 15232   



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THE PAZ PRIZE FOR POETRY

Posted on May 16, 2012 | Leave a comment

 

Para información en español, haga click aquí.

In celebration of 10 successful years of carrying out its mission of promoting reading, writing and theatre, the Center @ Miami Dade College partnered with The National Poetry Series to establish The Paz Prize for Poetry.

This annual award—named in the spirit of the late Nobel Prize-winning poet, Octavio Paz—will honor a previously unpublished book of poetry written originally in Spanish by an American resident. An open competition will be held each May, when an esteemed Spanish-speaking poet will select a winning manuscript. The book will be published in a bilingual edition by Akashic Press. The first winner will be published in October, 2013. The winning poet will also receive a $1000 cash prize.

Esteemed Puerto Rican American poet, Victor Hernández Cruz, will serve as the first judge of The Paz Prize for Poetry. The Advisory Board for the prize includes a number of notable authors, including Julia Alvarez, Sandra Cisneros, Cristina García, Campbell McGrath, Pablo Medina, Gary Soto, Ilan Stavans, and Luisa Valenzuela.

The 2012 submission period for The Paz Prize for Poetry will be May 1–June 15. Complete guidelines are available below and at www.nationalpoetryseries.org.

“We are very pleased to partner with the National Poetry Series to sponsor The Paz Prize for Poetry. In our increasingly diverse nation, poetry in translation is not just desired, but necessary. . . it allows for shared experience across cultures and greater understanding, and for even more beauty in our world.”
– Alina Interian, Executive Director, The Center@MDC

Download Guidelines

Download Press Release

The Paz Prize for Poetry

sponsored by THE CENTER @ MIAMI DADE COLLEGE and THE NATIONAL POETRY SERIES 


Guidelines: The Center @ Miami Dade College will award one prize annually for the publication of a previously unpublished book of poetry originally written in Spanish by an American resident. The prize will recognize book-length manuscripts of poetry written in Spanish. Translations, works of literary criticism and scholarly texts do not qualify. 

The winner will be selected by an esteemed Spanish-speaking poet. The chosen book will be translated into English by an experienced translator, and will be published in a bilingual edition. 

The Spanish Prize will be administered through The National Poetry Series. Entrants should submit the following from May 1 – June 15 to The National Poetry Series, The Paz Prize for Poetry, 57 Mountain Avenue, Princeton, NJ 08540: 

1) A single-spaced copy of the manuscript. All manuscripts must be previously unpublished, although some or all of the individual poems may have appeared in periodicals. Chapbooks, small groups of poems, and books previously self-published are not eligible. Manuscript length is not limited. However, a length of approximately 48 pages is suggested. All manuscripts should be paginated and typed on one side of the page only.

2) Two cover sheets, both including the title of the manuscript, author's name, address, email, and phone number, along with a brief description of the work and biography of the author (200 words).

We regret that manuscripts cannot be returned. There will be no additions, deletions, or substitutions once a manuscript is submitted. Entrants should inform The National Poetry Series immediately if the manuscript is selected for publication elsewhere.

Finalists for the award will be notified in late July, and the winner will be announced in September. Information relating to the competition will be available atwww.nationalpoetryseries.com and www.thecenteratmdc.org. The winning poet will be given a chance to make final changes prior to publication.

For more information, please contact the Coordinator, The National Poetry Series, 57 Mountain Avenue, Princeton, NJ 08540. 
Phone:             609.430.0999      
Fax: 609.430.9933


									

	
			

					
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Label Me Latina/o


			

				Posted on May 16, 2012 | Leave a comment
			


				

				
Label Me Latina/o


CALL FOR SCHOLARLY ESSAYS AND CREATIVE WORKS FOR


Label Me Latina/o


Label Me Latina/o (www.labelmelatinao.com) is an online, refereed international e-journal that focuses on Latino Literary Production in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. The journal invites scholarly essays focusing on these writers for its biannual publication. Label Me Latina/o also publishes creative literary pieces whose authors self-define as Latina or Latino regardless of thematic content. Interviews of Latino authors will also be considered. The Co-Directors will publish creative works and interviews in English, Spanish or Spanglish whereas analytical essays should be written in English or Spanish.


Scholarly submissions should be between 12-30 pages in length and should follow the MLA Style Manual. Original, unpublished submissions in Microsoft Word (PC compatible format) should be sent electronically to both of the co-directors: Kathryn Quinn-Sánchez ksanchez@georgian.edu  and Michele Shaul shaulm@queens.edu


Creative poetry, essays and short fiction should not exceed 30 pages, 12 point font, double-spaced.


Deadline for the Spring 2013 issue: November 10, 2012.


Please include the following information in the body of the email:


 


·         Full name


·         Institutional Affiliation


·         Telephone number


·         Email address


·         Regular mail address


·         Title of the submission


·         A brief biography to be included with publication should your submission be selected.


 


Please make sure that the actual manuscript bears no reference to the author’s name or institution. Label Me Latina/o is indexed by the MLA International Bibliography and is listed in the MLA Directory of Periodicals.

									

	
			

					
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Getting a Taste of Little Italy in Taos


			

				Posted on May 12, 2012 | Leave a comment
			


				

				
Out the window


Photo: Tina Larkin


The concept


Jennifer DeBow, Mondo Italiano partner, knew exactly what she wanted to do when she conceived of the restaurant—she longed to capture the flavor of the East Coast Italian American food that she had enjoyed during her childhood inManhattan. “I put together the menu based on the dishes I used to eat inNew York City,” she said. “Each item has been taken from a specific restaurant.”


Next, she and partner Genaro Jimenez set out to find the chefs that would make her vision a reality. They found them—Craig Kennah and Alex Giordano, both with extensive culinary and Italian backgrounds.


“We are thrilled with the chefs,” said DeBow. “The linguini with clam sauce (linguini alla Vongole) that Craig makes tastes exactly like the one I used to eat as a girl when my father would take me to Umberto’s Clam House in Little Italy.  I taste Craig’s and go back to that place and time. Alex’s desserts are amazing too. Sometimes people order a cannoli di Ricotta as an appetizer, then an entree, and then cheesecake or vanilla bean ice cream with chocolate truffle for dessert.”


The chefs


Craig Kennah grew up in Queens, attended Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Orlando, Florida and did his chef’s stage (a kind of internship) inFrance.


Kennah is a passionate skier and an outdoors person. After skiing in Europe he moved to Taos because it was “the place that looked more like The Alps in the whole country,” he said. He came in December 2000 and has been here ever since.


He has worked as a chef, first in theSkiValleyand now at Mondo Italiano, and is a culinary arts educator with Taos Youth. He also raises bird dogs, purebred English setters.


“The most rewarding part of being a chef is the genuine thanks that one gets from the satisfied patrons,” he said. “It makes my day to know that someone is really pleased with the hard work I do behind the scenes.”


It’s a great job, he admits, with only one drawback—the long hours that it requires. “As a working chef, I don’t have time for a social life,” he said. “It is difficult to meet women when you are ten hours in the kitchen. And the truth is, a good chef is always in the kitchen.”


Though Mondo Italiano offers a great selection of appetizers, pasta dishes, pizzas and salads, Kennah favors the simplicity of a three-course meal. “I like to celebrate both the earth and the sea in the appetizer and follow with a dish of organic meat and vegetables,” he said. “Finally, I can get crazy with fruit and chocolate; they make superb desserts.”


He confesses a weakness for a local product—chile. “Not only it is popular here, but it is great for the digestive system,” he said. “I like to use it to clean myself, mentally and physically. It tastes good and does good.”


However, Kennah wouldn’t use chile in a typical Mondo Italiano recipe “unless the costumer requests it.” he adds. He’d rather remain faithful to the tradition he represents—American-Italian food fromNew York.


He describes Mondo Italiano as a “red sauce restaurant.” They use lots of crushed tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, other natural oils, and basil. “Basil is our sweetener,” he said.


During spring and summer Mondo Italiano will support local farmers. “We already get plenty of greens and veggies from Lady Bugs Farms,” said Kennah. “They are always fresh and delivered right after picking.”


As for cookware, Kennah has a favorite—a heavy duty pot, 24 inches wide and 6 inches height, perfect for stir fry. “You can sauté anything in it,” he said. “On the lighter level, if you are planning to give a special present to a chef, you can’t go wrong with good knives and whisks. It is always fun to cook with a brand-new utensil.”


Julia Child said, “Have just a bite of cake, not the whole cake.” This is the best advice on life and food that was ever given to Kennah and he wants to pass it on to aspiring chefs. “That is a great way to be fulfilled; enjoy but not devour.”


After he stops working as a chef, Kennah plans to continue raising and selling English setters. “They are my retirement plan,” he said.


The other chef, Alex Giordano, is from Santa Barbara, California. He has been in Taos only since last October and feels that being here is “like being in the perfect vacation spot.”


A master baker, he says of one of his award winning creations —a cannoli filled with ricotta cheese and chocolate chips— that it is “the perfect final chord for any Italian diner.” He is right.


While Kennah takes care of the sauté meals, Giordano is the pizza aficionado. He makes traditional and specialty pizzas —shrimp, Margherita, eggplant, mushroom and many more.


“We work as a team,” he said. “We also train local kids who want to be good cooks. Our combined goal is to give people what they want, the best Italian American food in town.”


Right now, Kennah and Giordano are coming up with lite, cool entrees and salads for the summer. Giordano sums up their philosophy, “As chefs, we strive to give people the kind of experience that we would enjoy for ourselves.”


Three Italian Recipes


 

Ravioli Dough

10 Oz. unbleached all purpose flour

3 large eggs

Pulse flour in food processor fitted with a steel blade.  Add the eggs, pulse for 30 seconds until small pebbles form.  Add water 1/2 tsp. at a time until the dough sticks to side of bowl.  Pull out of bowl and roll into one tight ball.  Dust with flour and place in plastic wrap, chill in refrigerator 15 min.

Roll very thin with wooden rolling pin or use pasta machine (less than 1/8″ thick) into 3″ sheets.  Place filling in center and roll over end to end.  Using pastry brush, wet dough and press with fingers to seal seams.  Cut with sharp knife and boil in salted water for 3 min.  Toss in butter, olive oil, salt, and pepper.  Place raviolis on plate and spoon tomato sauce on top.  Serve with grated Romano cheese.


Parsley and Ricotta Filling

1 C. whole milk ricotta

1 1/2 oz. parmesan cheese- freshly grated

1 large egg yolk

1/2 C. minced fresh parsley leaves

1/2 tsp. salt

ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a bowl.  Use as a ravioli filling in 1/2 oz. portions


Pear Salad

2 C. romaine lettuce coarsely chopped

2 C. arugula

1/4 C. crushed walnuts

1/4 C. crisp cooked bacon or pancetta diced

1/4 C. crumbled bleu cheese or gorgonzola

Toss all ingredients together in:

1/2 C. balsamic vinegar

1/2 C. seedless raspberry jam  whisked together

Garnish the salad with slivers of red onion and thin sliced pear




 

									

	
			

					
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Creating art with our bodies –contemporary dance with CJ Bernal


			

				Posted on May 12, 2012 | Leave a comment
			


				

				
Defying gravity


Photo: Tina Larkin


“To watch us dance is to hear our hearts speak,” says a Hopi Indian proverb.


If the saying is true, there was a meeting of happy hearts on Saturday March 17th at Taos Academy of Dance. In CJ Bernal’s contemporary dance class, students and instructor slid around the wood floor with rhythmic movements.


“Classes like this one allow people to get more joyful energy into their lives,” said Adair Landborn, co-director of the Academy. “And CJ is great; a hip improvisational instructor.”


Bernal said he uses dance to create a personal “presence of movement” within the students. “I want people to discover what really interests them, to find their passion and communicate it through the dance,” he said.


This fusion class mixes elements from seemingly dissimilar styles like ballet and hip-hop. “I borrow exercises from different lineages of dance and use them in choreographies where dancers express themselves and their emotions,” Bernal said.


The lesson starts with a vigorous warm-up routine. “Though I focus on core strengthening, we also pay attention to specific body parts like the hamstrings,” Bernal said. “Flexibility and balance are big issues here, but the most important thing is the way people react to the dance and interpret it. I encourage my students to try different movements and techniques until they become their own.”


The warm-up section is followed by choreography, when the creative process of improvisation takes place. “You can dance for pleasure, for health and as a way of freeing the body, and that’s where improv plays a key role,” said Bernal. “My students interpret the music and add their own touches, their personal styles.”


Bernal is originally from British Columbia, Canada, but his connection to Taos is in his blood—his father was born in Taos Pueblo. Bernal, who is 23 years old, lived in New York and Colorado after leaving his country.


He was part of an ensemble of dance at Neropa University in Boulder, Colorado, for three years. “I danced full time, several hours a day,” he said. “I did lots of shows there until I decided to move toNew Mexico.”


He credits Cara Reeser, his mentor, with helping him find the rhythm and vitality of dance inside his own body. Reeser, the owner of two Pilates studios and a dance company in Colorado, currently teaches courses in dance and movement studies at Naropa University.


“She had a huge influence in my life by teaching me how to bring myself into my body,” Bernal said. “She taught me to identify my strong points and my limitations because a dancer needs to be well aware of both. With Reeser, I also learned to allow my body to guide me while I moved. Now I try to transmit all that knowledge to my students.”


The dancers talk


“I went to CJ’s performance at theHarwoodMuseuma few weeks ago and I immediately knew that I was going to attend this class and learn from him,” said Elizabeth Sanchez, from Arroyo Seco. “I love coming here and dancing every Saturday.”


Sanchez said that she enjoys being in a relaxed environment, in the company of other dancers. “And I get to use all my muscles,” she said. “It is good exercise, too.”


“I have been raising kids for thirteen years,” said Charly Carasso, “and I was looking forward to taking a class like this. It helps me drop into my body and move from an authentic place inside. Here, when you are dancing, you experience a connection with yourself.”


Fitness for all


Bernal has had students from fifteen to fifty years old. “No requirements are needed,” he said. “I am happy to guide the young and the old through the process of strengthening themselves and getting more comfortable with their bodies.”


Movement can help people not only physically, but emotionally as well, said Bernal. “Several students have told me that they felt happier and more relaxed after taking my class. I believe it is because we work with both muscles and minds.”


Dancing itself is an artistic pursuit, Bernal said. “I don’t dance because it is athletic, I dance because movement is art,” he said. “This has been my motto for a long time.”


Bernal believes in the therapeutic value of dance.


“People often experience a release when they dance,” he said. “I want to make them aware of the physicality of their nature. In our culture, we lack connection with our bodies and tend to live too much in our minds.”


Bernal admits that this is an active class, with a lot of sweating involved. But not all sweats are created equal. “Players sweat when they are playing football,” he said. “But that is a competition that will end up with winners and losers. Here, we are creating art with our own bodies. We all win.”


Bernal has worked with different dance companies in the past but he prefers more intimate settings now, he said. “I am very grateful to TaDa! for giving us the space and the encouragement to go on with the classes. I want to share my passion for dance with the community and this is a great place to do that.”


CJ Bernal’s Contemporary Dance class takes place on Saturdays from 10:30 am to 12 noon.


Taos Academy of Dance Arts is located at 2 Upper Las Colonias Rd.

El Prado, NM 87529

Phone: 575-758-7303


To find out about other classes and their schedule visit


http://www.dancetaos.com/


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 Picture taken from http://www.dancetaos.com/id65.html

									

	
			

					
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