Graduate Writers Association

Raymond Carver Piece

Mon, 26 Sep 2005 19:59:23 -0500

Hi, everyone,

I just found a cool piece by Raymond Carver that's just been
republished ... a 1981 essay about why he writes short
stories. Here's the URL: http://www.prospect-magazine.co.uk/article_details.php?id=7001&AuthKey=b6b862ce388f6e04e96ff65b9802f970&issue=509">Raymond Carver Essay

Greg Weatherford

Hurricane Help

Sat, 10 Sep 2005 16:52:42 -0500

I'm wondering if anyone has any ideas about what the GWA might do to help with Hurricane relief. I know as a literature organization we don't have a lot of practical resources available to us, but I thought I'd throw the idea out there. If anyone has any thoughts, feel free to comment on this post. The presidency is going to a budget meeting next week to ask for a lot of money for the GWA, and spending some time thinking about what we can do to help others seems like the right thing to do now. If you're totally unaware about what's happening in New Orleans and elsewhere on the Gulf Coast right now, check out any news website. It's grim.

Steve

Upcoming Literary Events

Fri, 09 Sep 2005 12:38:08 -0500

James River Writers is hosting several events over the coming months as part of their Festival: Come out and support local writing, network, and learn!

Thursday, Sept. 22:
Event: The Writing Show: New Format! � 6:30 p.m.
Location: C3, 1801 E. Cary St., Third Floor
Price: $10
Details: The Writing Show: Flogging the Muse. Got a great idea for a poem, short story, novel or screenplay but don�t know how to get started? Is the juice just not flowing? Stop by the new format of The Writing Show to pick up helpful tips on generating ideas and bringing your imagination out of the cage. New variety format features musical guests, entertaining segments and complimentary refreshments.
Register online at http://www.jamesriverwriters.com or call (804) 474-3575 for more info.

Monday, Sept. 26
Event: Grand Slam � 8 p.m.
Location: VCU�s Singleton Center
Price: $5
Details: Who will be the winner of the Grand Slam? Twelve poets from the year-long Just Poetry Slam series compete to win the title of Grand Slam Poetry Champion and the $500 grand prize.

Friday, Sept. 30
Event: James River Writers Conference -- 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Location: Library of Virginia
Price: $150 for both days, includes box lunch
Details: Writers, editors and agents teach panels on writing and publishing. Register online at www.jamesriverwriters.com or call (804) 474-3575

Event: Film Night: Screening of �The Wire� � 6:30 p.m.
Location: VCU�s Singleton Center
Price: Tickets $9 in advance, $12 at the door, $5 for students
Details: What�s it like for a successful novelist and screenwriter to guest-write for TV? Catch a special screening of the critically acclaimed HBO series �The Wire,� followed by a Q&A with Richard Price, a writer for the show, and special guests. Register online at www.jamesriverwriters.com or call (804) 474-3575.

Saturday, October 1
Event: James River Writers Conference -- 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Location: Library of Virginia
Price: $150 for both days, includes box lunch
Details: Writers, editors and agents teach panels on writing and publishing. Register online at www.jamesriverwriters.com or call (804) 474-3575

Monday, October 10
Event: Virginia Arts & Letters Live � 8 p.m.
Location: Barksdale Theatre
Price: $25
Details: Pat Carroll hosts an unforgettable evening where Virginia actors read short stories by Virginia authors. Described by Times-Dispatch theatre critic Susan Haubenstock as "Theatre Magic!," this year�s VALL features short stories by Edward P. Jones, Pinckney Benedict, R.T. Smith and Mike Albo. With musical guests The Glass Brothers. Tickets available from the Barksdale box office at (804) 282-2620.

Saturday, October 15
Event: Library of Virginia Literary Awards including the People�s Choice
Awards � 7 p.m.
Location: Library of Virginia
Price: $75
Details: Join Virginia�s brightest literary lights by celebrating the nominees and winners of the Library of Virginia Awards. For ticket information, please call (804) 371-4795.

Local Sponsors

Sat, 03 Sep 2005 10:49:09 -0500

I want to acknowledge Courtney Fenner and her hard work in speaking with different restaurants in the area who have agreed to provide food for our Moveable Feast Readings. We're grateful to Courtney for her initiative in this, and we're especially grateful to Stuffy's (September), Babe's of Carytown (November), and Mainly Pasta (December).

We are also recognizing their help on the calendar pages of the site and will acknowledge them again at each of the readings.

Steve

Young Whippersnappers

Tue, 23 Aug 2005 10:33:13 -0500

Hey, y'all. As a founding member and the first coordinator of the GWA, I just wanted to wish you luck with the changes and let you know I'll be happy to help out as I can. The re-structuring idea sounds good, and it appears that you remain committed to the original raison detre, to both professionalize and socialize creative writing at VCU and keep alive the rich tradition of which we're all proud. Carry on.

John Hoppenthaler

Anna's Big Hair Contest

Mon, 22 Aug 2005 21:22:35 -0500

Hey all. Check out my compilation of the most infamous "Big Hair" poets. (We've been joking about it for so long--especially after reading Brock-Broido's latest book--that I decided to gather them together for our amusement. (And yes, I did have too much time on my hands today.) We should rank them--who should make the top, say three? I vote for Pound, B.B. and Ai...Download file

Anna

Pictures from Last Year

Mon, 15 Aug 2005 15:01:52 -0500

Here are some pictures from last year, mostly from Wojahn's workshop:

Here are some more from a potluck and from the Blackbird table at AWP in Vancouver:

Peter and Greg look especially intellectual.

Levis Prize nominee in the news

Sun, 14 Aug 2005 21:35:44 -0500

Diane Gilliam Fisher's Kettle Bottom--which I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend--has been selected as the book all first-year students at Smith College must read this summer. I've attached a pdf of an article from the Aug. 12 Chronicle of Higher Education describing Kettle Bottom and how unusual it is for a volume of poetry to be selected as a first-year must-read.

Catherine MacDonald

Download file

Congratulations

Fri, 12 Aug 2005 15:17:08 -0500

Great Blog! Thanks to all of you for your time & energy in creating this.
Mary Jean

First Entry--National Poetry Slam

Wed, 10 Aug 2005 07:49:56 -0500

Hey, folks, this is the first entry in the new blog. I thought about making it a long explanation of what you could do with this thing, but I figured we already had enough of that on the site as it is. I also thought about manufacturing some really controversial statement that would get all of you involved. Something like "All MFA programs would be better off if they were under the direction of Republicans," but a) I don't really believe that and b) I think I would fear for my life after a post like that.

However to give you a feel for what kinds of things you can do here, I'm just going to post a news story from the Salt Lake Tribune I read this morning about the National Poetry Slam: Competitive Poets. Check out the article.

I don't know if that's just amateur, mainstream poets or if literary people go as well, but either way, it was nice to see poetry on the front page of a major newspaper for once. Do any of you poets out there recognize any of the names mentioned? Feel free to comment below. You don't even have to login to do that.

Enjoy the blog! Jen, post some of those pictures when you get them. --Steve