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Meet the Review Crew: Christine Truong
Posted in Intern Highlights
Tagged a hundred visions and revision, Amy Tan, Anthem, Art Editor, Ayn Rand, Christine Truong, Critical Theory, Culinary Curiosities, Demian, English, English Romantics, Gymboree Play and Music, Herman Hesse, Modernists, Rhetoric, Russian Writers, State Press, T.S. Eliot, Tempe School District, The Joy Luck Club, Vietnam
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Frances Lefkowitz on Frances Lefkowitz
Frances Lefkowitz is the author of To Have Not, named one of five “Best Memoirs of 2010” by SheKnows.com. It’s the story of growing up poor in San Francisco in the ’70s, going to the Ivy League on scholarship, and discovering the downside of upward mobility. Her stories and articles are published The Sun, Tin House, Blip, Utne Reader, Good Housekeeping, Whole Living, Health, GlimmerTrain Stories, and more. She has received honorable mention twice for the Pushcart Prize and once for Best American Essays. Frances now lives, and surfs, in Northern California.
Frances
Let’s start with the obvious question. How can you call these things essays? They read more like prose poems or flash fiction.
Frances
I let other people decide what they are, where they should be shelved. I’m not trying to cause trouble or blur borders, but right now my writing is coming out in little blocks of text that tell a story and some of those stories are true and some are made up. The two pieces in this issue, “Mine Sounded Like an Earthquake” and “Thorns” are true stories, which, I guess is another way of saying “essay.” And since they’re about me, we could even call them “micro memoir” or “personal essaylettes” or . . . ?
Frances
Do you ever get accused of being a poet?
Frances
Occasionally, but I always deny it. Recently I read at an event with Ishmael Reed; he approached me afterward and asked if he could publish one of my “poems.” I was honored but confused. Part of the reason I don’t think I qualify as a poet is that I know so little about poetic forms, and the old-fashioned nitpicker in me feels that a real poet should be able to write a cinquain or villanelle—or at least be able to recognize them.
Frances
OK, enough about categories. Let’s talk about self-absorption. As the author of a memoir (To Have Not), numerous personal essays, these new micro-memoirs, and now an interview with yourself, how can you defend against this charge?
Frances
For the record, I would like to point out that at least my fiction is not thinly-veiled autobiography. When I make things up, they’re not about me. Otherwise, my defense is that I see myself as a sort of Everywoman. So it’s not that my hobbies or heartbreaks are more interesting or important than anyone else’s. It’s that they are in many ways representative. I never called my book a memoir (here we go again with categories) until the publisher labeled it so. But I still describe it as not so much about me as about my take on the world. I use myself as a guinea pig, to explore how money, say, or lust, or geology, or striving, or other facts of life play out on a person trying to make it in this world.
Frances
Sounds lofty.
Frances
Nah, it’s just telling stories.
Frances
So you don’t set out to write about a social or psychological issue? In “Thorns,” for example, did you start with the idea to write about how love fades, and how the fight against that fading leads some people to extremes?
Frances
Not at all. I don’t start with an idea at all. I start with the urge to tell a story. Sometimes I don’t even start with that much; I just have a voice that’s demanding to speak, and the story unfolds as I let her speak. Later I can switch brains and see a theme or statement, but at the time I’m just following urgency. But the urgency is there precisely because the feeling or situation is universal and compelling, is much larger than myself.
Frances
So, write the story, then see what it’s about.
Frances
I couldn’t have said it better myself.
A House For You to Build: A Look at Used Furniture Review by David Cotrone
A House For You to Build: A Look at Used Furniture Review by David Cotrone
The Short:
Used Furniture Review is an online literary magazine founded in November 2010. We are interested in all genres of writing, art and music; we are also interested in running interviews with authors and musicians, as well as chapbook or book reviews. We accept submissions on a rolling basis and update our site three days each week, so check back often to read fresh material.
The Long:
UFR is an online magazine that seeks to promote the voices of contemporary writers, established and emerging. We understand that though writing is done in solitude, writers are best served when they belong to a greater community — this community. We hope to both reach out and support you. We hope to provide a space for your words to take flight and sing. We hope to make you happy.
Besides making a home for fiction, nonfiction, book reviews, poetry and art, we have (and continue) to run interviews with Pulitzer Prize Finalists, best-selling authors, prize-winning songwriters and others. We are also proud to host a range of columnists: a musician who combines cover songs and life stories, a bookseller who shares her adventures, a mother exploring the world of children’s literature, an Alabama native who chats with like-minded creative types and more. Really, we want whatever you can give us. We wouldn’t exist without you, after all. We’re a house for you to build.
And of course, a little about our name: there’s a certain air that goes with it, we hope, that evokes something idiosyncratic and bracing. A sort of wonder. This idea that writing is an investigation of where a certain antique came from, what it witnessed, how it outlived its owner. And there’s something (hopefully) to be said for the way something sounds. There are two ways of looking at writing: You can be obsessed with a word’s meaning — the philosophy behind things — or you can walk around singing and scatting and reciting lines and lyrics, all the while falling in love with the musicality of language. If that’s true then we like to think our name has both.
Other:
This interview and this interview with our Editor may answer any lingering questions.
Our contributors.
The above painting is our mascot; his name is Winston. He was created by Katie Eisenberg.
The Nitty-Gritty:
For queries and correspondences, please write to usedfurnituresubs@gmail.com. Also, feel free to inquire if you would like your book to be our “Feature Title of the Week.”
Find us on Facebook: Used Furniture Review
And follow us on twitter: http://twitter.com/UFReview_
Posted in Guest Posts
Tagged Katie Eisenberg, Literary Magazine, Online, Pulitzer Prize Finalists, UFR, Used Furniture Review, Winston
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Interview: Monica Aissa Martinez
SR conducted this interview with Issue 9 contributor Monica Aissa Martinez.
Monica Aissa Martinez
If you could give your past self any advice what would it be?
I would tell my past self to get out her comfort zone more readily and as often as possible where art is concerned.
How did you first get involved in your field?
I made the decision to attend college and headed right to art school. It was the only thing I thought I could really do. One thing lead to another and here I am. Continuing to make art is probably my greatest achievement continuing to exhibit follows. But I am also pleased that private and public collectors have purchased my work, as it continues to be seen and experienced. That means a lot to me. I want my work out in the world. And it is.
élan vital, my first solo was a hugely important experience for me. It was a beautiful space, with a professional organization. The brochure was well written. The show ran 6 months; many, including foreign visitors, saw it. I sold numerous works. It stands out as a turning point because I solicited them and they accepted my proposal. I had that wonderful experience as an initiation exhibit, which lead to many more opportunities. And solidified the idea that I could work as an artist.
Have you ever tried to work in other creative areas?
I have a knack for illustration but I’ve not thought of going into that area. I enjoy photography, and photograph people now and again. Not for exhibition, but yes, professionally. I did do stage design. I have been a teaching artist for a number of years now. I used to go into the schools around the valley and teach mask making, story telling through art making. Currently I am an adjunct at Phoenix College. I teach Drawing. I enjoy the work very much. And with all my years of experience it allows me to pass on what I have learned, and what I know.
Please give us some background biographical information.
Monica's Studio
I am originally from El Paso, Texas. I come from a large family. Education, arts and culture are a priority in my family.I am currently living in Phoenix with my husband and cat.
I received a BFA in Ceramics and Metals, at the University of Texas at El Paso.
I received my Masters of Fine Arts at New Mexico State University. Area of emphasis was Drawing and Printmaking. I covered 2D AND 3D both before I settled into my current areas of work: drawing, painting and printmaking. I also make masks. Though I don’t exhibit my masks.
I have been awarded solo exhibitions. That’s pretty valuable for development and growth as an artist.
My work has exhibited in the Phoenix Art Museum (Local’s Only), the Tucson Museum of Art (AZ biennial ’09), the ASU Art Museum (Here and Now), and Tempe Center for the Arts, Mesa Arts Center, and the Scottsdale Center for the Arts (solo). My work has been seen internationally, and is part of numerous private and public collections including: New Mexico State University, Mesa Arts Center, Phoenix Municipal Court House, Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary of Art, Arizona State University, and Brigham Young University.
My drawing, paintings and prints are featured in three publications through the Hispanic Research Center and Bilingual Press/Editorial Bilingue of Arizona State University. Both ASU and the University of Norte Dame have commissioned me to create limited edition prints. My alma mater, New Mexico State University has purchased 4 of my works, 3 of those purchases were more recent. They invited me to come back as a visiting artist and lecture. It was a bit out of body. I also exhibited and lectured at the University of Texas (my other alma mater).
My work has been published in a number of books put out by the Hispanic Research Center on the ASU campus a number of years ago. Since then I have received emails from students across the country, and including an MFA student in Monterrey Mexico connecting with me only to discuss my artwork. The latter included my work and commentary in her thesis. All of that means a lot to me.
Do you have any projects or pieces you’re currently working on?
Right now I am preparing for a 3-person exhibit scheduled to open January 25 and run thru May5, 2013, at the Mesa Center for the Arts. The artwork in your magazine will be featured.
What inspired you to create your piece for Issue 9 of Superstition Review?
That particular drawing is influenced by a book I am reading titled New Self – New World by Philip Shepherd. It deals with planet earth, man and animal, the connection between them. It also deals with the need for balance of the masculine and the feminine / matriarchy / patriarchy, in current times.
It’s my very my current direction, all new artwork. A new direction. I am working out new ideas. The one main piece is the largest I’ve ever work, and it took such a long time to complete. I am glad to have a photo for you. This image I am including with this text, is the second large work of the series.
Do you have a website or is your work linked to any other websites, blog posts, or news stories?
You can read more about Monica Aissa Martinez at http://monicaaissamartinez.com/ and http://monicaaissamartinez.wordpress.com/
Work in Progress, Detail
Posted in Contributor Updates, Interviews
Tagged El Paso, Monica Martinez, New Mexico State University, Phoenix College
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Poet Ray Gonzalez at ASU [Video]
Poet and Superstition Review contributor (Issue 3, Issue 7) visited Arizona State University this semester to read assorted selections from his poetry. You can see a video of the event below.
Ray Gonzalez is the author of ten books of poetry and three collections of essays. His poetry has appeared in the 1999, 2000, and 2003 editions of The Best American Poetry (Scribners) and The Pushcart Prize: Best of the Small Presses 2000 (Pushcart Press). He is a full-time Professor in the MFA Creative Writing Program at The University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.
Meet the Review Crew: Caitlin Demo
Each week we will be featuring one of our many talented interns here at Superstition Review.
Posted in Intern Highlights
Tagged Allen Ginsberg, Caitlin Demo, Creative Writing, Fiction, Fitzgerald, French, Hemingway, Highlight, Intern, Jane Austen, New York, Political Science, San Francisco, Travel
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Subtropics: literary fiction, essays, and poetry
Subtropics is published three times a year by the Department of English at the University of Florida. The editor is David Leavitt, managing editor is Mark Mitchell,
and poetry editor is Sidney Wade.
Fiction and poetry from Subtropics have been anthologized in the PEN/O. Henry Prize Stories; Best American Poetry; Best American Short Stories; New Stories from the South; and New Stories from the Midwest. In addition, some of our authors have received fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Subtropics seeks to publish the best literary fiction, essays, and poetry being written today, both by established and emerging authors. Visit their website at: http://www.english.ufl.edu/subtropics/
Posted in Literary Partners
Tagged Essays, Fiction, Poetry, Subtropics, University of Florida
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Give to Copper Canyon Press May 2
Here’s an excellent opportunity to support one of the nation’s most important publishers of poetry. We’re going to give tomorrow. We hope you will too.
| You can make a big impact on Copper Canyon Press tomorrow. |
| Thank you for considering a gift to Copper Canyon Press. Tomorrow’s Give BIG day is a great time to give, because: |
Your contribution to Copper Canyon Press will be stretched by the Seattle Foundation and then doubled by the Lannan Foundation.
The easiest way to give: Please Bookmark our Seattle Foundation profile and donate there tomorrow.
All gifts will be matched 100% by the Lannan Foundation in support of the W.S. Merwin Legacy Fund. Your gift will help us fund W.S. Merwin’s next six books and keep his life’s work in print.
With Gratitude,
Michael Wiegers
Executive Editor
Copper Canyon Press
The Blogging Survival Guide: 10 Helpful Hints and Tips
1. Just write anything. This isn’t to say that you should start pouring your heart out for all of the Internet to see, but the best way to overcome writer’s block is just to start writing. Getting something, anything, written down is better than staring at a blank screen and a blinking cursor, even if you think what you’ve written is absolute rubbish. What you write doesn’t have to be good (at least not right away). That’s why they call it a draft.
2. When you’re on a roll, don’t stop. I’ll have some great days where I feel I could write 10,000 words on every subject, and there are other days when I feel I would have difficulty writing my name. Understanding that I have that flexibility to think and creatively write ahead of time gives me a little wiggle room for those days when I am feeling compositionally-challenged. When creativity strikes, keep writing. You can always stockpile posts for another day.
3. Interact with other bloggers. The blogosphere is a great place to create new friends, talk about the things you love, and become inspired. Do you love grilled cheese? Well, there’s probably a blog about that. Commenting on other blogs can not only increase traffic to your blog, but can also lead to some interesting topics. Just don’t forget to be polite. No one likes an Internet troll.
4. Be authentic. Without passion and authenticity, your blog is going to fall flat. Write about something that interests you. Ask yourself if it is something you would want to read, because if you wouldn’t want to read it, neither will your audience.
5. Know your audience. There has been some debate as to whether or not analytic tools are an invasion of privacy. Even here at Superstition Review, we try to keep our readers updated with our latest stats through Google Analytics. Analytic tools do not store personal information. They do, however, allow bloggers to take a closer look at who is frequenting the site, what they’re looking at, how long they linger, and where they’re coming from. These tools are vital in understanding who you’re writing for. With this information, you can tailor your post to better meet the interests of your readership, and scrap ideas that aren’t working.
6. Don’t be afraid to fail. Your blog probably won’t become an overnight success. The best part about blogging is that you can experiment to see what works and what doesn’t. As blogger Scott McNulty advised, “It’s not going to happen overnight. It’s the same as everything else: If you work hard and stick to it, eventually you’ll grow your audience. Of course, if you are interested as I am in a particular subject, you’ll just do it for the love of the subject, and success will usually follow.”
7. Grow a thick skin. Not everyone is going to agree with everything you say and that is okay. What you write, what you think, and what you say will be under constant criticism. Because the Internet is a fairly anonymous platform, commenters will say things that they would never openly say to your face. It is important that you not take these comments personally. Be polite and never go on the defensive. Acknowledge their views and try to take a neutral ground. The chances that you’re going to convince someone they’re wrong is slim to none.
8. Post consistently. Once you build your readership, it is important that you keep them coming back. If you leave your blog dormant for a month or even a few weeks, interest is going to wane quickly. There are thousands of blogs that have been abandoned by their bloggers (can’t you hear their lonely sobbing?). If you don’t post consistently, your readers will think your blog is one of them. Try to make a schedule for yourself. Set goals and stick to them.
9. Cite your sources. Stealing ideas and images is just as bad as running out of Best Buy with a cart of electronics you didn’t pay for. It is okay to draw from other sources as long as you give them credit where it is due.
10. Have fun. Blogging can be a great learning opportunity and a lot of fun. It has opened doors for a lot of people over the past decade and has given voices to writers from every walk of life. Don’t let it overwhelm you.
I highly recommend you check out Blogging Heroes and Blogging For Dummies for more tips and tricks. Their guides have been invaluable to me and a wonderful resource to fall back on when I’m in need of some advice.