Black Lawrence Press is now accepting submissions for the 2010 St. Lawrence Book Award, an annual award that is given for an unpublished collection of short stories or poems. The St. Lawrence Book Award is open to any writer who has not yet published a full-length collection of short stories or poems. The winner of this contest will receive book publication, a $1,000 cash award, and ten copies of the book. Prizes are awarded on publication. The entry fee for the prize is $25 and the deadline is August 31, 2010.

However, Black Lawrence Press just sent out an e-mail with the following information:

Because we know that many writers have been hit especially hard by the economic downturn, we are offering a fantastic early bird special. If you submit your manuscript to The St. Lawrence Book Award before June 30, 2010, we will only charge you the price of one of our titles. The choice is yours. Most of our titles are priced between $14 and $18. (And we carry great chapbooks that are only $9!)

Here’s how it works:

1) Go to www.blacklawrencepress.com.
2) Click on the “Books” button on the left side of the page.
3) Order a title that interests you.
4) Shortly after placing your order, you will receive an email from Paypal with your receipt. Keep that for your records. Don’t worry about forwarding it to us; we can cross-check everything on our end.
5) Send your cover letter and manuscript to [email protected] before June 30, 2010. In your cover letter, note the title that you purchased.
6) That’s it!

Check out Kitintale Skateboarders, a series of photos by Yann Gross featured in Guernica‘s art section: “Faced with a lack of concrete, these Ugandan skateboarders took matters into their own hands and built what was likely the first skatepark in East Africa.”

Richard Gold from the Pongo Teen Writing Project wrote to announce he’s a finalist for the “All-Star Among Us” competition. Winning will give Richard a chance to promote Pongo’s mission and methods for healing through poetry. He’s asking us to please participate in the final vote and make him an All-Star. Voting ends June 20, and winning means a boost for Pongo with publicity at the All-Star Game in July.

Here’s what you do:

1. First forward this email to your friends and encourage them to vote a bunch.
2. Click on this link – http://mlb.mlb.com/peopleallstarsamongus/
3. Click on “Seattle Mariners.”
4. Vote for me.
5. Do it again and again. (You have to refresh the link each time you vote.)

And while you’re there – check out the other teams and finalists – if Seattle isn’t your team, you can go on and vote for your own state. There’s no limit on voting, no registering, no nonsense. Just a couple clicks is all it takes!

Jeffrey Skinner and Leslie McGrath at Sarabande Books are working on a project about the careers of poets and literary prose writers. How do poets and other literary writers move ahead in their careers (other than via their blazing talent?) This is your chance to share the anecdotes you’ve only told your closest friends. The editors are interested only in the stories, not in names and places. They offer anonymity and gratitude in exchange. And, if they use your anecdote, a free copy of the resulting book. Please email your anecdotes to mcgrath.leslie-at-gmail.com by July 1, 2010 under the heading “Book Anecdote.”

Registration is now open for the 33rd Annual International 3-Day Novel Contest.

“The goal: write a complete novel in only 72 hours. The reward: a heck of a creative experience and one coffee-stained, tear-tinged, rule-breaking first draft. And for the winning author, publication. (Cash prizes too.) It’s a Canadian born, now international, literary rite-of-passage.”

The contest takes place every Labor Day weekend – this year: September 4-6, 2010.

In mourning Leslie Scalapino’s death and in celebrating her multi-genre poetry, Laura Hinton, Professor of English at City College of New York, is coordinating a “Streaming/Reading Memorial” on her blog, Chant de la Sirene. Several pieces have thus far been posted, and she is looking forward to more. Contributions of short piecse about Leslie, on the topic of reading/re-reading her work can be sent to: laurahinton12-at-gmail.com

The 2011 Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Literature guidelines and application forms are now available. Deadline: July 30, 2010.

No entry fee.

The awards are for non-American-born writers of poetry, fiction or creative nonfiction who are living and working in the U.S., age 38 and under; one $25,000 prize, + four $5000 prizes.

There is also a $100,000 Vilcek Literature Prize for one non-American-born writer of poetry, fiction or creative nonfiction who is living and working in the U.S., no age restriction, but there is no application process for this prize.

Fence Books announced the winner of the 2011 Motherwell Prize for a first or second full-length collection of poems by a woman writing in English. Negro League Baseball, by Harmony Holiday, of New York, New York, will be published in 2011, and the author will receive a $5,000 prize.

Mad Hatter’s Review has put a call out for musicians who would be interested in creating tunes to accompany the works published in their literary/arts magazine. E-mail Carol Novack, Publisher/Editor-in-Chief at madhr.12-atgmail.com, subject line: AVAILABLE MUSICIAN.

Creative Nonfiction is currently looking for experimental nonfiction for the “Pushing the Boundaries” section of the Summer issue. (“Experimental,” “boundaries,” yes, these can be loaded terms; let’s not get bogged down.) We want new work that in some way, well, pushes the boundaries of the genre–in form, in content … really, in anything except nonfiction-ness (though we might even be open to that, depending on how it’s done).

Essays must be: unpublished, 3,000 words or less, postmarked by June 4 , 2010, and clearly marked “Pushing the Boundaries ” on both the essay and the outside of the envelope. Please send manuscript, accompanied by a cover letter with complete contact information (address, phone, and email) and SASE:

Creative Nonfiction
Attn: Pushing the Boundaries
5501 Walnut Street, Suite 202
Pittsburgh, PA 15232

Harvard Review Online has a new monthly online literary journal designed to complement the print edition of the Harvard Review. Included are a book reviews, and expanded poetry section, and other special features, such as an interview with Chris Wallace-Crabbe, conducted by Ronald A. Sharp, and a link to the new online submission site, Tell It Slant. Harvard Review Online will continue to feature new poetry and book reviews, plus occasional interviews, short fiction, and literary essays.

Poets for Living Waters is a poetry action in response to the Gulf Oil Disaster of April 20, 2010, one of the most profound man-made ecological catastrophes in history.

The first law of ecology states that everything is connected to everything else. An appreciation of this systemic connectivity suggests a wide range of poetry will offer a meaningful response to the current crisis, including work that harkens back to Hurricane Katrina and the ongoing regional effects.

Please submit 1-3 poems, a short bio, and credits for any previously published submissions to: poetsforlivingwaters-atyahoo.com

DePaul University Summer Writing Conference
July 16-18
Chicago, Loop Campus

Submit 3 poems, 1 creative nonfiction piece (10 pages or less), or 1 short story (10 pages or less) for the chance to win a scholarship to DePaul’s Summer Writing Conference, July 16-18, and the opportunity to read your work at the conference. No entry fee. A winner from each of the three genres will be chosen.

Please email submissions to Chris Green: cgreen1-at-depaul.edu by June 4. Everyone who submits work will be notified by email of contest results in early June.

“The internet, Facebook, Twitter, blogs, websites, iPad, iPod, podcasts, digital video and who knows what else. What do they all mean for the poet? For Poetry?” Nic Sabastian, on her blog Very Like a Whale, has started a new series of Ten Questions on Poets & Technology, with responses so far from Amy King (5/13) and Collin Kelley (5/19).

Filmmakers, screenwriters, festival organizers will want to check out this IMDB/Amazon affiliate website – Withoutabox:

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For Film Festivals & Screenplay Competitions: An innovative online submissions system

— Market to 300,000 filmmakers & writers in 200 countries
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— Accept entry fees in one of five currencies, or not at all

Buffalo Carp – suspended all operations in 2009.

Carve Magazine – “currently taking a hiatus, but we plan to return before the year’s end.”

Perigee – “will be suspending publication indefinitely. The April 2010 issue will be Perigee’s last for the foreseeable future.”

Interested in teaching and learning about writing? College & HS educators (full- time, adjunct, TA) are invited to submit both individual and panel proposals addressing any aspect of student success in writing at high school or college level for the Student Success in Writing Conference, Georgia Southern University’s 13th annual student writing conference, Feb. 4, 2011 in Savannah, Georgia.

The Spring 2010 issue of Main Street Rag features an interview with Leslie McGrath (managing editor of Drunken Boat), winner of the 2009 Main Street Rag Poetry Book Award in which she discusses advice for entering poetry contests, submitting works via paper vs. electronic, and some of the influences for her winning manuscript, Opulent Hunger, Opulent Rage.

Wendy S. Delmater, editor of Abyss & Apex Magazine of Speculative Fiction, gives an editorial response to the seemingly repeat requests she receives from authors about whether or not A&A will accept previously published works. Her response, understandably a bit terse, provides sound reasoning through examples of what has become of some of her own works published electronically.

New Lit Mag reviews have been posted, including reviews of CALYX, Creative Nonfiction, Eclipse, Fact-Simile, The Greensboro Review, Gulf Coast, Harvard Review, The Hudson Review, New Madrid, Saltgrass, Saranac Review, The Southern Review, Subtropics, and Witness.

Henry Tonn, who regularly reviews online magazines, has also written a special feature review of the Million Writers Award.

The NewPages Magazine Stand is frequently updated, including short blurbs and cover images of new lit mags. It’s a virtual newsstand, better than any bookstore or library selection I know! Stop by and check it out to get an inside (and outside) look at the latest issues.

Starcherone and Dzanc Books have agreed to partner beginning in 2011, with Dzanc providing production and distribution support to Starcherone, and Starcherone editors maintaining editorial control. The first titles under their new arrangement will be Stacey Levine’s long-awaited new collection, The Girl with Brown Fur, and the anthology 30 Under 30, Blake Butler and Lily Hoang, eds.

Monica & David, a film exploring the marriage of two adults with Down syndrome, wins Best Documentary Feature at the Tribeca Film Festival.