Literary World at a Glance: 11/18/20

By Hannah Paige

News:

The Authors League Fund is accepting applications for writers who have been impacted by Covid to receive grant funds.

“Since 1917, the Authors League Fund has helped professional authors, journalists, poets, and dramatists who find themselves in financial need because of medical or health-related problems, temporary loss of income, or other misfortune.

Most of those we help suffer severe health problems but have inadequate insurance; some face eviction; many are older writers whose income has ceased through no fault of their own.

The Fund exists to help professional writers continue their careers with dignity by providing no-strings-attached “loans” to pay for pressing expenses. Repayment of this emergency support is not required.”

https://authorsleaguefund.org/

#BoxedOut Campaign still going strong

The campaign against Amazon to support and strengthen independent booksellers was launched in October. For more information on how to participate in the campaign, you can visit the American Booksellers Association website.

The New York Times also published a piece on the relevancy of this movement and why it’s important to keep this effort moving.

WordTech Communications LLC is holding a reading period for full-length poetry manuscripts.

Dates: November 1–December 31 (e-mail submission). Recent authors: Arlene Biala, Judith Brice, Rhina Espaillat, Charles Brice, Lee Herrick, George Keithley, Lehua Taitano. Publication in 2022. Guidelines: www.wordtechcommunications.com/deadline-list.htm.

Meet Me at 5 a.m. (A rotating list of resources for the dedicated writers)

One of the most important lessons for writers to learn in their study of the craft and their path to becoming a published author is to trust the work. The terrible sentence had to be written in order for you to write the one that makes you sit back in your chair, sip your coffee and say to yourself, “Wow, so that’s what it is to write. This is the magic of words.” Anne Lamott’s famous essay “Shitty First Drafts” is widely read by writers everywhere for a reason; its message is imperative to embrace.

In this week’s segment of Meet Me at 5 a.m., we look to a fantastic article in Poets & Writers about trusting the work. It is especially relevant during these times, when those of us in the creative fields can feel discouraged and unproductive. The guilt surrounding the unproductivity of artists during stressful times is abounding in conversations. I encourage my fellow writers to turn to pieces such as these, to be reminded to trust the work, and to have faith in themselves as creative people.

Literary World at a Glance: 10/28/20

By Hannah Paige

News

The New England Review’s Vermont Reading Series was held on October 10th. It featured four new poets: Sarah Wolfson, Sara London, Rahat Huda, and Emily Arnason Casey. The NER hosts many different reading series throughout the year and is proud to showcase new and established writers alike. Portions of the readings can be seen on their YouTube channel.

NER Announces their 2020 Award Winners

https://www.nereview.com/best-american-pushcart-and-more/

The Sun Journal recently released this interview with one of their authors: https://thesunmagazine.org/news/best-thing-about-fiction-john-holman

It is a celebration of fiction.

They are also open to submissions, so send this New England journal your work for consideration!

Meet Me at 5 a.m. (A rotating list of resources for the dedicated writers)

This week we’re introducing a new section to The Literary World at a Glance just for writers. No, you do not have to write at 5 a.m. to read this section, but being a writer is about being disciplined. Anyone can say they want to write a (insert here your chosen genre i.e novel, chapbook, book of essays, the next great Blockbuster screenplay, etc.) but to be a writer takes dedication. It takes drive and a willingness to work, constantly, and to learn always. You must come to the page every day. You must always be aware of the world around you. You must be adapting to the creative industry, and that means developing the kinds of skills that will help you along in your career as a writer. This new section aims to guide you (yes, you, the 5 a.m. writer, the 9 p.m. while your children sleep writer, the I-have-twenty-minutes-between-clients-writer) in becoming the best writer you can be. There will be technical resources and creative resources, articles, videos, prompts; as is always the rule with creating—nothing is off limits.

https://www.writermag.com/improve-your-writing/fiction/front-lines-emotional-white-space/

This fantastic essay featured recently in Writer’s Magazine emphasizes an age-old lesson of writers: an oldie but a goodie. Just because you’ve heard the “show don’t tell” advice for writing better fiction doesn’t mean it’s not something writers should always be aware of working on their craft.

Need some inspiration in hitting the page every day? Playing with writing prompts is a great way to flex those creative muscles. Poets & Writers posts new prompts regularly.

Here are their latest fiction and nonfiction prompts to get you back to the page:

Fiction

 “[Dad] pronounced the word ‘nudity’ as though a fruit fly had just flown into his mouth—he spat as he said it. The word mainly made me think of the potatoes whose jackets my mother peeled off every evening before she dropped them into the water,” writes Marieke Lucas Rijneveld in her debut novel, The Discomfort of Evening, translated from the Dutch by Michele Hutchison, which won the 2020 International Booker Prize.

The observations of the young narrator couple a unique perspective, one that actively accrues knowledge, with the power of setting the tone for and foreshadowing the novel’s eventual tragedy, threading through it a wire of tension and grief. As a character study, write a chapter through the eyes of a child. What is most urgent to this young mind, and how can the reader sense through the subtext what is to come?

—Poets & Writers

Nonfiction

In Ten Meter Tower, a short film by Maximilien Van Aertryck and Axel Danielson featured in the New York Times, participants climb a ladder to a ten-meter-high diving board at a public pool, calculating their risks and fears before they decide to jump into the water or head back down to safety. The tight shot of the diving board, the self-motivating monologues, and the slow-motion recordings of the jumps are captivating.

“Our objective in making this film was something of a psychology experiment: We sought to capture people facing a difficult situation, to make a portrait of humans in doubt,” say the filmmakers.

Write a poem that imagines what thoughts and feelings would run through your head (and body) before and after a leap from the board into the water.”

—Poets & Writers

Hit the Road (Literary Travel Spots)

What better way to celebrate the Halloween season than taking a literary road trip to a place of particular inspiration for one of literature’s favorite spooky authors?

Salem, MA is perhaps the best city in the United States to celebrate this season of falling leaves, crisp days and supernatural stories. Nathanial Hawthorne is a leading writer in all-things-spooky, championing the kind of literature that was made for this time of year. He lived and worked in Salem, MA. The House of the Seven Gables, though never a home for Hawthorne himself, was frequented by him when he came to the house to visit his cousin. The home would come to be the inspiration and backdrop for his acclaimed novel The House of the Seven Gables. The site is still in existence today and is appreciated by Halloween and literature enthusiasts alike.

The Gables, as it’s fondly referred to, was built in 1668. Over the years, it has been owned by several different families, operating as a home, varying businesses, a school, and a home for immigrant education, inspired by Jane Addams’s Hull House. Now, the Gables has been converted into a well-known museum and seaside gardens. Throughout the year, it hosts events, lectures, and school programs.

The Gables can be visited virtually or in-person, as long as you purchase your tickets in advance.

https://7gables.org/visit/plan-your-visit/

There are plenty of other literary sites in Salem to see while you’re there. The city is teeming with bookshops and history. Stop in at one of the historic independent bookstores while you’re there! This editorial assistant is a fan of Colum McCann, in case anyone was wondering.

Independent Bookstores of New England Are Facing the Pandemic Head-On

By Tori Merkle

The Covid-19 pandemic has affected our world in innumerable ways, and independent bookstores have not been spared. On one hand, more people are staying in and reading. But closing doors for a few months has not been easy for all independent bookstores, many of which were already struggling to compete with major retailers.

Unfortunately, some treasured bookstores in New England have joined the large sum of small businesses that haven’t made it through. Sherman’s of Camden is among them, though they are relieved to leave behind another thriving bookstore, Owl & Turtle, which we have featured on Brilliant Light Publishing.

“Some of the towns, if we close, we would feel really bad because we believe in how important those bookstores are to the downtowns, and to the towns generally.” - Jeff Curtis, owner of Sherman’s Books & Stationary, on Penobscot Bay Pilot

We have also lost I AM Books, an Italian bookstore in Boston; Nubble Books in Biddeford, Maine; Book Outlet in North Hampton, New Hampshire; Annie’s Book Stop in Plainville, Massachusetts; and That Book Store in Wethersfield, Connecticut.

Though these closures are saddening, there have been some success stories. Frugal Bookstore, a black-owned bookstore in Boston, recovered from halted business thanks to a GoFundMe. Indie bookstores are also steadily fighting to stay in business, many of them now open with necessary adjustments and finding creative ways to operate in the era of Covid-19.

Many bookstores, for example, have created or amped up systems for remote orders. One such system is Bookshop, an online bookstore that supports indie bookstores by donating profits and enabling them to have their own online space. Along with increased online shopping comes increased online presence, and stores have taken that to heart, as well. They are becoming more active on social media and using newsletters like this one at Bartleby’s Wilmington and this one on at Bear Pond Books to provide regular updates and stay engaged with customers.

Author readings and book launches, too, have been altered to fit into our new reality. Independent bookstores are hosting these events online, and enabling online registration via Eventbrite, Crowdcast, Zoom, and other services. While these events won’t feel the same as seeing an author at your local bookstore, they do enable readers and fans to tune in from anywhere. Many virtual readings and talks are free to attend, and feature bestselling authors and exciting new indie books alike. These changes may actually boost event attendance, a win-win-win for authors, bookstores, and the readers that love them.  

Check out our Events page for some great options, or go to your favorite bookstore’s website and see what they have scheduled.

In addition to expanding their online presences, stores have instituted curbside pickup, shopping by appointment, and delivery to stay in business and help customers acquire much-needed quarantine reads. The upside to that? When you schedule a shopping appointment, you may have your favorite bookstore all to yourself for your allotted time. Even without appointments, limited store capacities offer a quiet, intimate atmosphere for you to browse and find your next read.

Stores have also recognized that the situation is a moving target: depending on how the pandemic evolves in their locale, stores have had to adjust their strategies. For example, Bear Pond Books in Montpelier, Vermont instituted backdoor pickup, local delivery, and free shipping as needed. For a time, pickup orders were the best tactic, but as case numbers increased, delivery became the safer alternative. Throughout the entire process, stores like Bear Pond have been excellent at remaining adaptive and figuring out how to serve their communities of booklovers.

See this post here.

Now, as many stores are opening again, bookstores have come up with innovative ways to engage with their visitors safely in person. For example, Brookline Booksmith in Boston, MA has put a lot of effort into making in-person shopping a safe and enjoyable experience. They have created a window for book pickups and reworked the layout of their store to provide more space for their flow of customers. Red arrows on the floor indicate which way shoppers should walk down each aisle, reducing cramped spaces and close passes. Like many stores, the bookshop has also added stickers to designate where customers should stand in the checkout line.

Photo by Tori Merkle

Photo by Tori Merkle

As a successful and beloved independent bookstore in the heart of Coolidge Corner, Brookline Booksmith was fortunate to be able to take these safety precautions further by expanding their space. They acquired the vacated storefront nearby, which used to hold a Verizon store, and set up another wing. The door, on the other side of the Dependable Cleaners, is exit-only, creating a one-way flow of foot traffic through the store. They have moved their registers to the new space to reduce crowding around the store entrance, where the registers used to be. The old registers are now an information desk, where staff members greet customers and tell them about the changes to the store.

Photo by Tori Merkle

Previously the checkout counter, this is now an information counter.

Photo by Tori Merkle

The new wing, including new shelves and registers protected by plexiglass.

Photo by Tori Merkle

Brookline Booksmith expansion, outside view. Original store to the right of the cleaners, new wing to the left.

Though not all independent bookstores have the resources to do as much as this Boston favorite has, it is heartening to see how so many stores have adapted to fit the needs of this new “normal.” Bookstores have really connected with their communities and worked out new ways to stay operational—means of functioning that are now tested, improved upon, and in their toolkit, should there be a second or third wave that demands readjusting.

Literary World at a Glance: 9/23/20

By Hannah Paige

News

The Independent Publishers of New England, together with Brilliant Light Publishing, L3C has concluded the jurying process for its Pandemic Grant. This grant is for writers who have at least one book published, and have financial needs / book services needs during these difficult times. We are happy to announce that the grant met with a very positive reception. Thank you to all across New England who contributed and got the word out to make this program a success.

The New Hampshire Writer’s Project has announced a new grant for struggling writers/independent bookstores affected by Covid. Apply through the link below. https://www.nhwritersproject.org/2020/07/28/a-potential-resource-for-writers-affected-by-covid-19/

The New England Independent Booksellers Association has announced their 2020 Book Award Finalists! Check out their website for the finalists in each category. Those interested can attend the Book Award Final event at the Fall Conference held this week. The annual Fall Conference will be held over Zoom September 21-25, where they will announced the winners.

https://newenglandbooks.org/page/book-awards

In sadder literary news…

I AM BOOKS, a bookstore in Boston’s North End is going out of business due to the pandemic. The toll of the Covid-19 pandemic has been too great for the North End’s Italian bookstore I AM BOOKS. While the bookstore’s website will remain open for ordering, the North End location will be closing its doors. On September 12, the store hosted a “goodbye event” for bibliophiles to pay their respects.

In these difficult times, independent bookstores need your help more than ever! This weekend, take a trip to a local New England bookstore and stock up on some books to enjoy in the fall weather! Support those booksellers so that we can keep reading and writing!

It’s Not Just Stephen King (Latest Releases You Might Not Know About)

Lands End, Gail Mazer

(August 5)

“In this comprehensive volume, Mazur (Forbidden City) demonstrates a remarkable mastery of poetic technique as she depicts human relationships in all of their ambiguities. These poems highlight both the arc of a career and the seamless unity within Mazur’s distinguished body of work.”

—Publishers Weekly

The Caretaker, Doon Arbus

(September 15, New Directions)

“Arbus’s sly debut novel (after Diane Arbus: A Chronology, a coauthored collection of her mother’s diary entries) explores the insular world of the late Dr. Charles Alexander Morgan—collector, chemist, philosopher, philanthropist, and all-around eccentric—whose legacy, consisting of hundreds of items ranging from seashells and coat hangers to a portrait by Albrecht Dürer and Morgan’s seminal masterpiece entitled simply Stuff, is overseen by a devoted and unnamed caretaker. . . Taking cues from tales by Kafka and Robert Walser, Arbus pulls off an unnerving feat of contemporary postmodernism.”

—Publishers Weekly

“Doon Arbus’s debut novel is a kind of mystery—about who we become, what the absent leave us with, and why. Dense, visual, and true, this short book speaks volumes about the theater of the mind, and how the ensuing comedic drama we call life unfolds inside and outside our control. A marvelous new voice.

—Hilton Als

Catch the author event this week! https://www.ndbooks.com/event/doon-arbus-in-conversation-with-hilton-als/#/

Also recently released from New Directions, a new essay collection Angels and Saints from Eliot Weinberger, who The New York Times calls “one of the world’s greatest essayists.”

Hit the Road (Literary Travel Spots)

In Haverhill, MA those interested in learning about the history of the books they have come to so cherish should seek out the Museum of Printing.

“The Museum of Printing is dedicated to preserving the rich history of the graphic arts, printing and typesetting technology, and printing craftsmanship.

In addition to many special collections and small exhibits, the Museum contains hundreds of antique printing, typesetting, and bindery machines, as well as a library of books and printing-related documents.”

(From the MoP website)

When reading, it’s easy to get lost in a good book’s story rather than think about what it took to get that book into your hands. The history of printing and book-making is one with a long lineage, stretching back to long before New England could boast of a rich reading community. Many might attribute the history of book-making to begin with Johansen Gutenberg and his invention of adjustable type mold that fit into the precursor to the modern printing press in the 15th century. But actually, people have been eager to find ways of documenting the world around them long before Gutenberg’s revolutionary change. People had been experimenting with paper making and printing techniques in China, Spain, and Ireland for centuries already. Slowly, word spread of this new technology and other countries began to utilize it. Most of what was printed in these early years of the printing press pertained to religious material, but eventually as the printing revolution progressed, more literature was widely produced.

When the Puritans landed in the New World, they brought with them the first printing press in the United States, introducing the Western idea of what we might consider a book to what would eventually become New England. It wasn’t until the 19th century that the mass paperback was born in England. Called “penny dreadfuls,” these short stories of the Gothic and Crime nature cost a penny and were immensely popular, coming over to the United States with time as what we would call “dime novels.” In comparison, these bear hardly any resemblance to the novels New England readers take pleasure in today, but that doesn’t discount their importance in the history of books and printing.

This is but an abbreviated history and has been condensed almost to sweet-milk status (baking season must be upon us soon.) If you’re interested in learning more about the lineage of printing, go check out the newly re-opened Museum of Printing in MA. More information about touring can be found on their website.

https://www.museumofprinting.org

Literary World at a Glance

By Hannah Paige

Welcome to BLP’s new bi-weekly blog featuring the latest noteworthy books, author news, occasional articles, and/or short published work of interest, literary travel suggestions, and perhaps more. Anything that could be of interest for those who delight in creation, who believe ardently in the written word, and who choose to spend their time learning more about the world they are a part of, can be found here.

If you’ve found your way to this site, you are part of the literary landscape. Perhaps you too are a coffee or tea connoisseur. Perhaps you spend hours reading when you should be doing laundry or cleaning out that closet you’ve allowed to metastasize . . . perhaps you worry it will overtake you one night when you tell yourself “just one more chapter.” Don’t worry, it won’t. Your faithful books will protect you from jealous sweaters, neglected pants and dresses you have been meaning to donate to Goodwill for months but haven’t because your favorite author just came out with a new book that, of course, you had to have. Perhaps you are a budding young writer, a budding old writer, age matters less than what you create with what you have lived. Perhaps you just want to know more about this “literary hub,” this world that seems out of reach for someone working as a nurse or a mechanic or a flight attendant. This isn’t true though. The literary world is not an elitist club, but a conglomeration of observations, a space for people to gather, write, and think about what their lives are in relation to what their world truly is. For lovers of words, this is the only way we know how to understand the world around us. If you are a lover of words, you belong here too.

Claudia Rankine wrote, “Not everything remembered is useful, but it all comes from the world to be stored in you.” Let us store things of substance, words themselves, knowledge of those that create, observations about the world, within ourselves. Let’s keep learning. Let’s create and learn more about those that create alongside us.

Hit the Road (Literary Travel Spots)

Let’s take our bibliophilic passions on the road. This week is featuring a virtual literary road trip. Virtually tour the Emily Dickinson museum/home and immerse yourself in the world of the famous poet herself. The museum is offering various workshops and activities on their website. It hosts events, resources, even a Spotify playlist inspired by Emily Dickinson. You can attend a virtual audio tour as well, while you wait for the museum to resume in-person tours. 

https://www.emilydickinsonmuseum.org/events-news/virtual-programming/

News

In the latest issue of The New Yorker, Ruth Franklin reviewed Maria Dahvana Headley’s new translation of Beowulf which “infuses the Old English poem with feminism and social-media slang.” The article is a consideration for the applicability of what some readers might consider “outdated” language, restoring a kind of faith in the study of classic works of literature. If Beowulf can be reimagined into a 2018 novel, then there are no bounds to the connections left to be made between contemporary life and the literature of the past. Is there a novel on the brink of existence which imagines Jane Austen’s social critiques as tweets? 

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/08/31/a-beowulf-for-our-moment

Vanity Fair released a special issue with guest editor Ta-Nehisi Coates, author of The Beautiful Struggle, We Were Eight Years in Power, and Between the World and Me, as well as, The Water Dancer, a novel. The issue surrounds itself with the current Black Lives Matter movement, racism, and police brutality, uniting some of our time’s most provocative and emphatic writers of color on the subjects. It is a wealth of insight.

 “I have not yet watched George Floyd’s murder in its entirety, but I have seen enough of the genre to know the belief in black people as disaster, as calamity, as a Great Fire upon the city, has not yet waned.”  The issue also includes work from Kiese Laymon, author of the acclaimed memoir Heavy, and Jacqueline Woodson, author of the New York Times Notable Book of the Year, Red at the Bone.

https://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2020/08/september-2020-issue-the-great-fire

Brown Bookshelf announced a call to action to publishers and readers alike to prioritize the work of Black authors. This included several suggestions to broaden the literary community and engage in an active push to end the biases against black writers. More information, as well as the Brown Bookshelf’s latest cover reveal for the book Unspeakable, which will debut in February.

“We, Black creators of books for young readers, urge the children’s literature community to imagine a new way of doing business, and abandon anti-Black and racist practices that perpetuate a system that marginalizes our work.”

https://thebrownbookshelf.com/2020/08/24/call-to-action/

It’s Not Just Stephen King (Latest Releases You Might Not Know About)

Nonfiction:

Original Politics: Making America Sacred Again, Glenn Aparicio Parry (June 16)

“From Parry’s perspective, Native American politics represent a sacred America, or a politics of the heart, syncing human needs with those of nature. . . There’s much to digest within this book, which links the ideals of early Native Americans to movements within American history, pinpointing Native peoples’ stamp of influence from the outset. Breaking with past tendencies, Original Politics revises approaches to history to center Native American traditions within it.” (So so so relevant now!!)

-Foreword Reviews

Poetry:

My Name is Immigrant, Wang Ping

Fiction:

Cuttle, Chelsea Britain (Sep 1)

"Poetic, captivating...a romance steeped in a vibrant personality's introspective genius" 

-Midwest Book Review

The Parasol Flower, Karen Quevillon (Aug 14)

The Runaways, Fatima Bhutto (Aug 18)

NEW Featured Poet and Independent Bookstore

We hope everyone is continuing to stay safe and well!

We’re happy to be sharing a new “Featured Poet” and “Featured Independent Bookstore.”

The beautiful coastal town of Camden, Maine is home to poet/naturalist Kristen Lindquist. Her poems are filled with images of the natural world and her community. Three collections of her poetry have been published, and she continues to write daily haiku poems, shared on her blog site — Book of Days.

Her most recent book, Tourists in the Known World: New and Selected Poems is available from Owl & Turtle Bookshop Cafe, also located in Camden, Maine.

Despite the current pandemic and social distancing challenges, Owl & Turtle are safely continuing to offer their friendly customer service and great selection of books. Sadly, you’ll have to provide your own coffee and baked goods — the cafe and bookstore doors are currently closed (look to their Facebook page for updates) but you can call or email to place your book order today!

Help Save Independent Bookstores

© The American Booksellers Association

© The American Booksellers Association

© The Book Industry Charitable Foundation

Online donations are now being accepted

#SaveIndieBookstores

Best Poetry Book for 2019/2020

Love Poems from Vermont by Jon Meyer (Brilliant Light Publishing) has recently been awarded First Place in Poetry 2019/2020 by Readers Reviews Readers Choice Awards, and a Second Place Award in the Travel/Nature category. Also, Best Regional Book and Best North East Book for 2019/2020. (awards images)

The National Readers Choice Awards Reader Views is highly rated among top awards globally, and for this first collection of poems (soon to be followed by a second volume, Can Love Save the Planet?) we’re pleased to see such a positive reception.

Susan Violante, the Director of Contests had this to say:

“I knew I wanted to read Love Poems From Vermont by Jon Meyer as soon as I saw the book. It is a beautiful collection of pictures and poetry presented to readers in the perfect package.”

“The author did an amazing job expressing an array of different ways we can experience love through short poems, visuals, and insight and inspires readers to reflect their own love experiences while enjoying the beautiful pictures as the words linger within.”

Love Poems from Vermont serves as a treasure map to locate the visual and poetic delights that give Vermont its reputation as a haven for the soul. Like the intensity of fresh love where the lover thinks of the beloved night and day, each short poem will last long after you close the book, and prompt you to pick it up again.

With over 60 poignant poems in all, each is embedded in a color photo image of a beautiful place in Vermont. Jon receives each poem and then begins his search for the perfect photo image, to pair with the words. Love Poems from Vermont is the result of 16 years of attentive and dedicated writing, and much traveling.

Embark on an inspired Vermont road trip and discover a love of your own, either online at the author’s website, Indiebound.org, or at your local independent bookstore.

For a More Rewarding Children's Storytime, Read Aloud From a Physical Book

A new study, recently published in the journal Pediatrics, suggests that children engage with their parents more often when being read to from a physical children’s book, rather than when being read to from an electronic tablet. Although ebooks sell well, are less expensive, and take up less shelf space, the child’s overall experience is different from the physically page-turned, hand-held storybook.

Positive interactions, such as discussing images and content, and pointing to the characters in the story were observed between parents and their children during storytime with a real book. Non-verbal signs of bonding were also observed to have occurred more often than the electronic experience. Distractions that accompany ebook reading such as screen swiping, touching/clicking, and in some instances, sound effects, replaced opportunities where a parent and child might interact directly with each other and the book’s content, during the reading period observed.

According to Dr. Tiffany Munzer, a fellow in development behavioral pediatrics at the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, “The print book is a really beautiful object in that each parent and child interacts differently over a print book. Parents know their children well and have to make it come alive for their child to create that magic.”

— from ABC News online: March 25, 2019

Find an engaging and entertaining real, physical children’s book by a New England author. Click on RECOMMENDED POETS/WRITERS: CHILDREN.

Support For Vermont Public Radio

… comes from www.brilliantlightpublishing.com.

Brilliant Light Publishing receives a mention on Vermont Public Radio, along with our “Featured Independent Bookstore” — The Norwich Bookstore located in Norwich, Vermont. Thank you for supporting local independent booksellers.

Vermont Public Radio, independent bookstores, featured bookstore, Brilliant Light Publishing

Brilliant Light Publishing Website Launched Nearly One Year Ago

We’re pleased to be adding a new area to the site: Featured Independent Bookstore

It’s been nearly one year since the Brilliant Light Publishing website launched and we’ve gathered together a list of some of the finest in New England writing talent. What began as a list of Recommended Vermont Poets and their books quickly branched out to include Recommended Fiction and Nonfiction writers, as well as poets from the New England writing community, and covering a variety of topics, including Nature, Travel, and Children’s books.

The Norwich Bookstore is located in Norwich, Vermont

We continue to promote the best of New England’s poets and writers, and we’re pleased to be adding a new area to the site: Featured Independent Bookstore. As with our Featured Poet/Writer page, from time-to-time we’ll showcase an exceptional independent bookstore and share some of their staff’s recommended titles by New England authors. Our first offering is The Norwich Bookstore, located in Norwich, Vermont.

We hope that you continue to find our author and book suggestions helpful this summer season, and seek them out at your favorite independent bookstore. We’ll also continue to update our site with author and bookstore events.

We’d be happy to hear about New England writers you’ve been reading lately. One of our favorites is Vermont poet, James Crews.

James Crews reading from his book, Telling My Father

Visit our Featured Poet/Writer page to learn more, and thanks for visiting www.brilliantlightpublishing.com.

— Scott Lesniewski, Contributing Editor, Brilliant Light Publishing

League of Vermont Writers fall program

The recent League of Vermont Writers fall program, held on October 6th, was a great success! Each of the three keynote speakers -- Sonja Hakala, Ed Vincent, and Bill Schubart, gave excellent and informative presentations. It was clear from the very positive audience response that each presenter delivered vital information.

Ed spoke from his great experience as a publisher of mystery novels, and demonstrated his expertise, with many stories of how his publishing company works. Sonja detailed the various author choices currently available, from traditional publishing, to self-publishing, to ebooks. She outlined the steps to take, and paths to avoid, drawing on her experience and research used to author her book, Your Book, Your Way. Also, she reviewed publishing vocabulary and which companies could help with the various choices.

Bill Schubart also spoke from decades of personal experience that included numbers to make his point. For example, after outlining the steps to publish, he suggested that for an author to develop a book, pricing could run as much as $2,800 to $3,200. This included the necessary costs to pay critical readers, a copy editor, a literary editor, etc. He also mentioned professional ways to approach bookstores, outlined steps preliminary to printing and promoting a book, and covered royalties from traditional publishers.

The program also included genre break out sessions to help members get to know each other while working on writing as creative groups. The group overall agreed the day was very successful.

On October 8th, Vermont Poet Laureate, Chard DeNiord, conducted a workshop sponsored by Sundog Poetry. His command of the history of poetry was inspiring as he responded to questions. In his critiques of attendees’ poems, he gave examples of specific poets’ solutions to similar issues, along with his own suggestions. It is very apparent that he is an outstanding teacher, and after the session, he read from his own poems.