In This Edition...
Upcoming Deadlines
Noteworthy Events
Summer Residency News
Calls for Submissions
Writer's Resources
Faculty & Student News
To include your news, send your articles to: swells@ashland.edu.
Spring Registration
Registration for the spring semester opened November 1 and will close December 15. Register by logging in to http://webadvisor.ashland.edu. Questions about registering can be directed to Sarah Wells (swells@ashland.edu). You may also call (330)703-2265 if you find yourself in a jam down to the 11th hour.
Student Evaluation Forms
Faculty mentors will complete a student evaluation along with a grade S/U by noon December 18. These forms will also be available on the website. A copy of the student's evaluation form will be sent to students prior to the start of the spring semester.
First Day of Classes
All students are required to log-in to WebCT the first day of classes, January 14 and respond to the faculty mentor's first post of the semester as a "roll-call". Classes will be titled differently this semester; look for the faculty mentor's name rather than the course and section number (ex. "Joe Mackall's Workshop").
Noteworthy Events
MFA Informational Session: Monday, February 25 at 7:00 PM. Any current students interested in coming for a Q&A with prospective students, please contact Sarah Wells. Session will include conversation with the Director and Administrative Director about the unique nature of our growing program and its course work, discussion with current students, information about funding, and opportunities for prospective students to ask questions. Light refreshments and drinks will be provided. If I don't get volunteers, I will need to recruit victims!
AWP Writer's Conference '08-- New York City: This year's AWP Conference is in New York City. Representatives of the Ashland MFA will be in attendance (see "Faculty and Student News" below). The AWP Conference is the largest formal gathering of writers and writing programs in the country. More than 400 presses, publishers, and journals will be represented in the Bookfair. There are over 300 scheduled events to choose from over the course of the conference. If you are interested in attending or would like more information on this year's conference, visit http://www.awpwriter.org/conference/2008awpconf.php
The MFA at Ashland welcomes new student Joy Gaines-Friedler into the program this semester! She will be joining the poets registered in Kathy Winograd's workshop this spring.
Dates for 2008 Residency: July 13 through July 26
Student Activities Committee: Students interested in organizing social activities and readings during the residency should email Sarah Wells swells@ashland.edu.
Marilyn Chin Awarded USA Fellowship: Marilyn Chin, one of our visiting writers for the 2008 residency, has been awarded a United States Artists Fellowship. Chin is one of 50 recipients from a pool of 344 nominated applicants. The recipients of the award each received a $50,000 unrestricted grant in recognition of the caliber and impact of their work. Nine of the 50 recipients are artists in literature; Henri Cole, Charles d'Ambrosio, William Gay, John Haines, Mat Johnson, Cherrie Moraga, Luis Valdez, and Helena Maria Viramontes also received the award. This is the second year of the USA Fellows program. For more information, contact http://www.unitedstatesartists.org.
Pre-Residency Retreat: Students interested in a pre-residency retreat to Holmes County and Amish country should contact Sarah Wells or Joanne Lehman.
Poets and Writers Submission Calendar
Check out P&W's submission calendar for information on upcoming contests and deadlines.
http://www.pw.org/mag/0711/submissioncalendar.htm
CutBank is pleased to announce the Montana Prize in Fiction, the Montana Prize in Creative Nonfiction, and the Patricia Goedicke Prize in Poetry. We are honored to have three talented judges participating in the inaugural year of these contests. The Patricia Goedicke Prize in Poetry will be judged by Michele Glazer. Aimee Bender will select the winner of the Montana Prize in Fiction. The winner of the Montana Prize in Creative Nonfiction will be selected by Suzanne Paola. See bios for each of our judges at http://www.cutbankonline.org/contests_new/index.html. Submissions are accepted December 1 through February 29. Winners receive $500 and publication in CutBank 69. All submissions will be considered for publication in CutBank. The contests' $13 entry fee includes a one-year, two-issue subscription to CutBank, beginning with the prize issue, CutBank 69. Please send only your best work. With all three of these awards, we are seeking to highlight work that showcases an authentic voice, a boldness of form, and a rejection of functional fixedness. Full guidelines available at www.cutbankonline.org.
American Association of University Women Educational Foundation Accepting Applications for Career Development Grants
Deadline: December 15, 2007
One of the world's largest sources of funding exclusively for
graduate women, the American Association of University Women
Educational Foundation ( http://www.aauw.org/ ) supports aspiring scholars around the globe, teachers and activists in local
communities, women at critical stages of their careers, and
those pursuing professions where women are underrepresented. The foundation's Career Development Grants support women who
hold a bachelor's degree and are preparing to advance their
careers, change careers, or reenter the work force. Special
consideration is given to AAUW members, women of color, and
women pursuing their first advanced degree or credentials in
non-traditional fields. Grants provide support for course work beyond a bachelor's
degree, including a master's degree, second bachelor's degree,
or specialized training in technical or professional fields.
Funds also are available for distance learning. Course work
must be taken at an accredited two- or four-year college or
university, or at a technical school that is fully licensed
or accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department
of Education. Funds are not available for doctoral-level work. For complete program information, visit the AAUW Web site.
RFP Link:
http://fconline.foundationcenter.org/pnd/10009451/aauw
For additional RFPs in Women, visit:
http://foundationcenter.org/pnd/rfp/cat_women.jhtml
Applications Available for Puffin Foundation Artist Grant
Awards
Deadline: December 30, 2007
The Puffin Foundation (http://www.puffinfoundation.org/) makes grants to emerging artists in the fields of art, music, theater, dance, photography, and literature whose works due to their genre
and/or social philosophy might have difficulty being aired. Grants from the Puffin Foundation can only be awarded to permanent residents and citizens of the United States. U.S. citizens
whose projects encompass work in other countries are still eligible to apply. The foundation does not have the means to fund
large film/documentary proposals, grants for travel, continuing
education, or the writing or publishing of books. Average grant awards are $1,000 to $2,500 each.
Visit the foundation's Web site for information on requesting
an application and for descriptions of funded projects. RFP Link: http://fconline.foundationcenter.org/pnd/10009213/puffinfound
For additional RFPs in Arts and Culture, visit: http://foundationcenter.org/pnd/rfp/cat_arts.jhtml
Faculty, Staff, and Student News
Send in your relevant news to post here. Your news will help your fellow writers find out where you're getting published and broaden the opportunities to get work out there. I'll be glad to include your recent publications, appointments, and happenings here each month. Email swells@ashland.edu with your news.
Ruth Schwartz, Joe Mackall, Steve Haven, and Sarah Wells will be attending the Association of Writer's Programs (AWP) Conference in New York City January 30 through February 2. Ruth Schwartz is participating in a panel discussion on "Poetry and the Atom Bomb."
Joe Mackall's latest book, Plain Secrets: An Outsider Among the Amish, is now in its third hardback printing. It was recently picked up by Book of the Month Club, and it will be out in paperback this June.
New poetry student Joy Gaines-Friedler's poem “Assisted Living” was picked up by RATTLE and will be in its winter magazine.