We're always scouring the maternal blogosphere for writing opportunities, announcements, links, and events that might interest our readers. Send your tips to lmblog (at) literarymama (dot) com
New York City-area writers and/or performers are needed to read their original essays on any aspect of motherhood for the NYC premiere of LISTEN TO YOUR MOTHER, to be held on Sunday, May 6, 2012.
Pieces must be between 3 and 5 minutes in length. Participants will be chosen through an audition process:
Audition Details
to be held at a West Side Midtown Manhattan studio
by appointment only
Sunday, February 26 11a.m. - 2 p.m.
Monday, February 27 6 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Tuesday, February 28 10 a.m. - 1 p.m.
To schedule an audition, email listentoyourmothernyc (at) gmail (dot) com. Please include your name and your availability during the time slots listed above. Exact location and other details will be sent with your confirmed appointment time.
Selected cast members must commit to two rehearsals, a pre-performance run-through at the Goldman-Sonnenfeldt Family Auditorium in Manhattan, and the 2 p.m. performance on May 6th, 2012.
Skirt!® is a nationally and locally branded Web site, magazine and book publishing company. The following list includes their monthly themes for the remainder of 2012. Submissions are due the first of the month prior to the one you are submitting.
MARCH - The Tick-Tock Issue
Losing time, making up for lost time, perfect timing, waiting, prime time, best and worst times, time off, time out, timelessness - all things time-related.
APRIL - The Wow! Issue
Inspiration, enlightenment, invention, daring, aha moments, being a muse, finding a muse, mind-blowing events, impossible dreams, big ideas.
MAY - The To-Go Issue
Travel - real and metaphorical, leaving, moving, pulling up roots, putting down roots for the first time, running away, adventure, spiritual journeys, escaping. No traditional travel pieces or photos, please.
JUNE - The Summer Issue
Anything related to summer (heat, time out, a summer state of mind, summer love, etc), but please no predictable "how I spent my summer vacation" essays.
JULY - The Independence Issue
Self-reliance, independence, rebellion, free spirits, what you wore to change the world, revolutionary moments, breaking free, letting go.
AUGUST - The Lessons Issue
Lessons learned, lessons never learned, difficult lessons, teaching moments, teachers, gurus, breaking or making rules.
SEPTEMBER - The Feel Good Issue
Getting out of a slump, recharging/changing your life, health, bodies, care of the soul, payoff/reward, growth, guilt-free decisions.
OCTOBER - The Make Issue
Art, creativity, building, creating something from scratch, making do, makeovers.
NOVEMBER - The Crave Issue
Food, desire, wanting, yearnings, appetite for life, temptation, guilty pleasures, sins, coveting.
DECEMBER - The Surprise Issue
Surprise us with an elegant, funny or insightful essay on the topic of suprises - for example, out-of-the-blue gifts, revelations, unexpected discoveries.
A personal essay is a narrative that emphasizes a personal, subjective view. All essays for consideration should be submitted in their entirety and be between 800 and 1,100 words. Essays must fit one of the monthly themes above. Please review the Contributor Guidelines carefully for format requirements. Submissions for a particular theme are due minimally by the 1st of the prior month.
Wanted: 51 amazing moms! Are you or do you know a mom who's made a real difference in her community's schools? We want to hear about it! We'll be selecting one outstanding mom from every state to receive an all-expense paid trip to Washington, DC to attend Parenting's 2012 Mom Congress on Education and Learning conference April 29-May 1, 2012. The 51 lucky winners will be celebrated at a three-day event where they'll connect with the nation's leading education experts and moms across the country to exchange ideas about the best ways to improve our nation's schools.
To enter, submit a photo and a 300-word essay telling us about what you or the mom you know has done to make a difference. The deadline for entries is February 15, 2012. Read the official rules here.
Do you keep a journal - or wish you could get one started? Literary Mama wants to help.
Three times a month, I'll post a writing prompt. Open a notebook and write for 10 minutes. Don't worry about grammar or punctuation - just write. Then let the writing simmer and your mind wander for awhile.
And who knows? Maybe you'll discover a character for your next short story or a theme for a narrative essay. Or maybe you'll use the idea to create a special holiday card or photo album for someone in your family. However you decide to use your journal entry, I know you'll enjoy re-reading it months--and years--down the road.
"Stuart rose from the ditch, climbed into his car, and started up the road that led toward the north . . . As he peered ahead into the great land that stretched before him, the way seemed long. But the sky was bright, and he somehow felt he was headed in the right direction."
In a letter to his readers, White had this to say about his stories: "And although my stories are imaginary, I like to think that there is some truth in them, too -- truth about the way people and animals feel and think and act."
Journal Entry: What "truth" do you find in this quote? Describe a time you watched your child dust himself off and take a step in a new direction.
Ginny Kaczmarek, Assistant Editor in Poetry: "My poem, Lament, was the featured Poem of the Day on the Louisiana Poetry Project website on January 4, the anniversary of my friend Helen's death. In it, I try to grapple with living in one of the most violent cities in America, especially when the violence becomes personal. I also have a multibook review, "Required Reading," a discussion of six excellent books of poetry by women poets, upcoming in the March/April issue of Women's Review of Books."
Nicole Stellon O'Donnell, Column Editor: "My novel-in-poems, Steam Laundry, is available this month from Boreal Books, an imprint of Red Hen Press. Based on archival research, it tells the story of Sarah Ellen Gibson, who followed her husband north in 1898. Gibson left her husband and fled to Fairbanks with another man in 1903. Two of the poems from Steam Laundry, "River Town" and "Raven," appear in the Winter Solstice issue of Cirque (pages 63 and 64)."
Creative Nonfiction is seeking essays by and about nurses for a new collection, Becoming a Nurse: Real Stories of Nurses, Their Lives and Their Patients.
Most Americans will be hospitalized at some point in their lives, and nurses will be their most consistent point of contact with the health care establishment. While doctors have long been the subjects of the more glamorous pop culture depictions of medicine, nurses provide the day-in, day-out care for patients and families.
But what motivates nurses to enter, and to stay in, this demanding profession, and how are their daily lives affected by ongoing changes in the healthcare system? Becoming a Nurse will present readers with the world of medicine from the perspective of nurses in hospitals, in-home care programs, long-term care facilities, hospices, and the armed forces as they tell stories that recall and recreate the most salient moments of their careers.
We are looking for writers who can write dramatically and vividly about this profession for a collection of essays, which will be published by Creative Nonfiction. Essays can be from 2,500-5,000 words but should be written in a narrative form, with scenes, description, vivid characters and a distinctive voice. To submit, please send your manuscript to:
Creative Nonfiction
Attn: Becoming a Nurse
5501 Walnut Street, Suite 202
Pittsburgh, PA 15232
Please include a word count on the first page of the essay, as well as your contact information and an SASE or email address for response. Any additional questions can be directed to information [at] creativenonfiction.org. Submissions must be postmarked by January 31, 2012.
Do you keep a journal - or wish you could get one started? Literary Mama wants to help.
Three times a month, I'll post a writing prompt. Open a notebook and write for 10 minutes. Don't worry about grammar or punctuation - just write. Then let the writing simmer and your mind wander for awhile.
And who knows? Maybe you'll discover a character for your next short story or a theme for a narrative essay. Or maybe you'll use the idea to create a special holiday card or photo album for someone in your family. However you decide to use your journal entry, I know you'll enjoy re-reading it months--and years--down the road.
My five-year-old daughter slammed the door and threw her backpack on the kitchen floor. Ignoring my greeting, she simply looked at me with tear-filled eyes. A few seconds later, the tears flowed and she choked out a recap of that afternoon's kindergarten recess:
"She said she wasn't my friend.
She said I couldn't swing with her.
She said my hair looked stupid."
And then: "Why was she so mean?"
Journal Entry: Write about a time your child was hurt by a friend. How did you respond and what specific actions did you take? Explore any feelings and memories the episode brought to mind of your childhood friendships.
It's not too early to start planning for World Read Aloud Day: March 7.
World Read Aloud Day is one way LitWorld uses the power of story to cultivate literacy skills in the world's most vulnerable children.
On March 3, 2010, the one-day effort reached 35 countries and 40,000 participants. On March 9, 2011, it reached 60 countries and all 50 states and 200,000 participants. This year, they're hoping for one million!
How will you participate on March 7th?
As an individual? With your school or organization? At the signature event in New York City? Register here to stay informed of the details.
The United States Breastfeeding Committee (USBC) has been contracted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women's Health to enhance the coordination and reach of effective messaging to mothers on the "Break Time for Nursing Mothers" provision of the Affordable Care Act. As part of this effort, the USBC is seeking an individual or organization with expertise in blogging to this audience, to promote the "Break Time" law through a series of posts to be published on identified target blogs. Individuals or organizations with related blogging experience are invited to respond to this request for proposals. Applicants may be located anywhere in the continental United States.
Download the complete announcement, including application instructions here.
If you have questions related to the content of this announcement or subcontract opportunity, please submit them on our FAQ page. We will respond to all questions on this link within 2 business days. This will ensure that all applicants have access to the same information.
RSS Feed