Sybil Baker's Blog, page 20
April 13, 2011
Conference on Southern Literature starts Tomorrow
The Conference on Southern Literature, held once every two years, starts on Thursday April 14 and goes through Saturday April 16. Chattanooga is lucky to host what is one of the top southern conferences--a cast of thousands will be here to discuss, well, yes, Southern Literature.
I've been teaching a course on contemporary southern lit this semester so that my students could more actively participate in the conference. We read The Known World (Edward P. Jones), Serena (Ron Rash), Lark and Termite (Jane Anne Phillips), In Country (Bobbie Ann Mason), Bastard out of Carolina (Dorothy Allison), Dream Boy (Jim Grimsley), as well as a bunch of short stories by other visiting writers.
It's going to be an amazing three days--if you're in the area, it's not too late--you can pay for one day or all three. Students get an amazing rate on this as well.
Here's the website for schedule and registration information
Hope to see you there!
I've been teaching a course on contemporary southern lit this semester so that my students could more actively participate in the conference. We read The Known World (Edward P. Jones), Serena (Ron Rash), Lark and Termite (Jane Anne Phillips), In Country (Bobbie Ann Mason), Bastard out of Carolina (Dorothy Allison), Dream Boy (Jim Grimsley), as well as a bunch of short stories by other visiting writers.
It's going to be an amazing three days--if you're in the area, it's not too late--you can pay for one day or all three. Students get an amazing rate on this as well.
Here's the website for schedule and registration information
Hope to see you there!
April 4, 2011
On writing and jealousy at The Rumpus
At The Rumpus, there's a great answer to a letter writer who at 31 (!) is jealous because some of his/her friends/colleagues/acquaintances have big book deals. Here's part of Sugar's answer regarding fame vs. writing:
"Your cause is to write a great book and then to write another great book and to keep writing them for as long as you can. That is your only cause."
Later, "Sugar" (of the column) does a great critique of the jealous person's sense of entitlement:"A large part of your jealousy probably rises out of your outsized sense of entitlement. Privilege has a way of fucking with our heads the same way a lack of it does. There are a lot of people who'd never dream they could be a writer, let alone land, at the age of 31, a six figure book deal. You are not one of them. And you are not one of them because you've been given a tremendous amount of things that you did not earn or deserve, but rather that you received for the sole reason that you happen to be born into a family who had the money and wherewithal to fund your education at two colleges to which you feel compelled to attach the word "prestigious.""
If you ever feel twinges of jealousy toward other's successes, this is a must read. I have to add, as Sugar does, that that twisting bitter jealousy is self-destructive for yourself, doesn't help your writing, and can harm your relationships. Read the whole Q&A post here:http://therumpus.net/2011/03/dear-sugar-the-rumpus-advice-column-69-we-are-all-savages-inside/
"Your cause is to write a great book and then to write another great book and to keep writing them for as long as you can. That is your only cause."
Later, "Sugar" (of the column) does a great critique of the jealous person's sense of entitlement:"A large part of your jealousy probably rises out of your outsized sense of entitlement. Privilege has a way of fucking with our heads the same way a lack of it does. There are a lot of people who'd never dream they could be a writer, let alone land, at the age of 31, a six figure book deal. You are not one of them. And you are not one of them because you've been given a tremendous amount of things that you did not earn or deserve, but rather that you received for the sole reason that you happen to be born into a family who had the money and wherewithal to fund your education at two colleges to which you feel compelled to attach the word "prestigious.""
If you ever feel twinges of jealousy toward other's successes, this is a must read. I have to add, as Sugar does, that that twisting bitter jealousy is self-destructive for yourself, doesn't help your writing, and can harm your relationships. Read the whole Q&A post here:http://therumpus.net/2011/03/dear-sugar-the-rumpus-advice-column-69-we-are-all-savages-inside/
March 29, 2011
Other Heartbreaks for pre-order
Patricia's Henley was one of my advisors at Vermont College and we've stayed in touch over the years. I wrote about her novel Hummingbird House in an essay on expat lit for The Writer's Chronicle in 2005. I'm excited that her new collection of short stories is available for pre-order. Here's what Patricia sent:
Engine Books is a hot, new, small press out of Indy with writer and editor Victoria Barrett at the helm. In October Engine Books will publish my 4th collection of short stories, OTHER HEARTBREAKS. Engine Books is accepting pre-orders beginning today, with a special deal for book clubs. Here's a link to the pre-order page on the Engine Books website. Please pass this on to anyone you think may be interested.
http://enginebooks.org/OtherHeartbreaks.html
I'll be ordering mine very soon!
Engine Books is a hot, new, small press out of Indy with writer and editor Victoria Barrett at the helm. In October Engine Books will publish my 4th collection of short stories, OTHER HEARTBREAKS. Engine Books is accepting pre-orders beginning today, with a special deal for book clubs. Here's a link to the pre-order page on the Engine Books website. Please pass this on to anyone you think may be interested.
http://enginebooks.org/OtherHeartbreaks.html
I'll be ordering mine very soon!
March 28, 2011
New articles
I surprisingly enjoyed Jennifer Egan's A Visit From the Goon Squad a "novel" (because it's also like a linked collection) that recently won the National Book Award. It appeals to me much more than Freedom.One of the best reviews I've read of it is in the London Review of Books here:http://www.lrb.co.uk/v33/n07/pankaj-mishra/modernitys-undoing
Their reviews put the NYT Book Review to shame. And speaking of Anis Shivani takes on the NYTBR in a strong post here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/anis-shivani/death-new-york-times-book-review_b_840371.html
Their reviews put the NYT Book Review to shame. And speaking of Anis Shivani takes on the NYTBR in a strong post here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/anis-shivani/death-new-york-times-book-review_b_840371.html
March 23, 2011
MTSU and Meacham
I had a great time Monday reading with Kevin Wilson at MTSU. It was my first time on that campus, and I had no idea has the largest undergrad student body in Tennessee (I'd assumed it was was UTK).
I was impressed with the students and enjoyed talking with them (one had interviewed William Gay, who was at our last Meacham).
This is the third time I've heard Kevin Wilson read, and he's always great (and funny). His novel The Family Fang will be out by Ecco in Aug. 2011--I'm looking forward to reading it. His short story collection Tunneling Through The Center of The Earth is also availalbe from Ecco.
Gaylord Brewer, a professor at MTSU, organized the reading. His latest book of poetry is out from Red Hen Press--Give Over, Graymalkin. I'm reading it now and really enjoying it.
Gaylord and Kevin were both visiting writers at Meacham last spring. It's hard to believe that Meacham will be starting tomorrow. Lot's of great writers as always. You can check it out here:http://www.meachamwriters.org/schedule.htm
I was impressed with the students and enjoyed talking with them (one had interviewed William Gay, who was at our last Meacham).
This is the third time I've heard Kevin Wilson read, and he's always great (and funny). His novel The Family Fang will be out by Ecco in Aug. 2011--I'm looking forward to reading it. His short story collection Tunneling Through The Center of The Earth is also availalbe from Ecco.
Gaylord Brewer, a professor at MTSU, organized the reading. His latest book of poetry is out from Red Hen Press--Give Over, Graymalkin. I'm reading it now and really enjoying it.
Gaylord and Kevin were both visiting writers at Meacham last spring. It's hard to believe that Meacham will be starting tomorrow. Lot's of great writers as always. You can check it out here:http://www.meachamwriters.org/schedule.htm
March 19, 2011
Another review of Talismans
A great review for Talismans by Jodi Paloni is up at Contrary Magazine. The opening paragraph starts:
In Sybil Baker's linked story collection, Talismans, readers simultaneously experience the emotional and geographic territory of Elise's world as she navigates loss and pursues connection–from girl to woman and from small-town Virginia to Southeast Asia. While each story represents a key moment in Elise's life, the collection shows her evolution over two decades. Herein lies the beauty of the story cycle form.
You can read the rest here:
http://contrarymagazine.com/2011/03/talismans-sybil-baker/
In Sybil Baker's linked story collection, Talismans, readers simultaneously experience the emotional and geographic territory of Elise's world as she navigates loss and pursues connection–from girl to woman and from small-town Virginia to Southeast Asia. While each story represents a key moment in Elise's life, the collection shows her evolution over two decades. Herein lies the beauty of the story cycle form.
You can read the rest here:
http://contrarymagazine.com/2011/03/talismans-sybil-baker/
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