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.