- As a college student, what kind of writing have you had published? Did you have negative or positive feedback from readers? Did your experiences encourage you or discourage you to continue your writing efforts?
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Publishing Your Work-Your Experiences?
As a student writer in college, I know that it can be difficult trying to balance school work, a job, and any extracurricular activities while really focusing on long-term goals. I've had work published in the WCU student newspaper, but I've never submitted anything to a major publication or college journal. So, in this post, I'd like to find out from you, my readers, what your experiences have been like with trying to publish your work.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Quad Article: Martin Espada Visits WCU
Acclaimed Poet Visits WCU
By Jen James
10/6/09
On Thursday, Sept. 24, 2009, noted poet, author and essayist Martin Espada visited West Chester University as part of WCU's celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month.
Espada's visit was supported by The National Endowment for the Humanities and The National Endowment for the Arts and its "Big Read" program.
Dr. Michael Peich and the WCU Poetry Center, Dr. Linda Stevenson, Dr. Victoria Tischio, and Mame Purce also acted as key coordinators for Espada's short story workshop and his poetry reading.
Espada has published numerous collections of poetry both within the United States and around the world. However, two of his poetry books, "Imagine the Angels of Bread" (published in 1996) and "The Republic of Poetry" (published in 2006) received the most critical acclaim.
In 1996, "Imagine the Angels of Bread" won an American Book Award and was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. "The Republic of Poetry" won the Paterson Award for Sustained Literary Achievement and was nominated as a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 2006.
For the evening's poetry reading, Dr. Peich gave the introduction for Espada on behalf of the WCU Poetry Center. Along with recognizing the poet with his various publications and awards, Peich commented:
"In Martin Espada's work, one encounters poetry that describes suffering but is also filled with powerful statements against war, social unrest, and injustice."
Dr. Peich's introduction provided an appropriate segue into Espada's first reading from his poem "En La Calle San Sebastian" which emphasized his connection to his Puerto Rican heritage through a description of the musical influence of West African slaves in Old San Juan.
However, since the poet was raised in Brooklyn, he also described his struggles with recognizing both his American and Puerto Rican heritage.
Espada first visited Puerto Rico at age ten, and his shock at the country's "national inferiority complex," as he described it, led him to write a poem later in life about American influence on the island entitled "Coca-Cola & Coco Frío."
Espada also recalled in great detail the influence his father had in encouraging him to fight for social justice. The poet's father, Frank Espada, was a noted activist for Puerto Rican and other minority communities within New York City.
Espada's father was an early supporter of the Civil Rights movement after being jailed in Mississippi for refusing to sit in the back of a bus; he, along with other Civil Rights activists both famous and unknown, were honored in Espada's poem "Sleeping on the Bus."
Espada also mentioned how his father's work in social activist connected him with West Chester.
Frank Espada was a good friend of West Chester native and Civil Rights activist Bayard Rustin, and while working as a photojournalist, he featured the migrant farm workers in Kennett Square, many of whom were Puerto Rican, as subjects for a news spread.
Eventually, Espada decided to follow in his father's work in social activism and entered law school at Northeastern University in Boston.
While there, he worked as a legal aid for migrant farm workers, but he still gained inspiration for poetic works like "Federico's Ghost," which detailed the physical and mental anguish of a migrant laborer on a farm.
Espada's cultural background and familiarity with the social struggles of Latinos within the U.S. were prominent themes in some of the works he read.
Currently, Espada is a professor of Latino poetry at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. The poet stated that while teaching and giving readings, he makes a conscious effort to answer the questions of aspiring writers.
"I'll always remember the generosity of poets who answered my questions," he said. Espada even composed a poem entitled, "Advice to Young Poets," where he provided his own interpretation of the Shakespeare quote, "To thine own self be true."
The poet also took time to recognize the support and generosity of his mentor, Alexander "Sandy" Taylor, who not only helped him as an editor but also as what he described as a "second father."
Espada read one of his latest works, "The Day We Buried You in the Park," to commemorate the support of his friend and mentor.
In one of the final poems of the evening, Espada recalled his 2004 visit to Chile to honor the centennial of the country's most famous poet, Pablo Neruda. The final verse quoted Neruda's famous words to General Pinochet during Chile's 1973 coup:
"Look around-there's only one thing of danger for you here-poetry." Martin Espada and his prolific work will continue to act as representatives for social justice both within the United States and worldwide.
Jen James is a third-year student majoring in English. She can be reached at JJ655874@wcupa.edu.
By Jen James
10/6/09
On Thursday, Sept. 24, 2009, noted poet, author and essayist Martin Espada visited West Chester University as part of WCU's celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month.
Espada's visit was supported by The National Endowment for the Humanities and The National Endowment for the Arts and its "Big Read" program.
Dr. Michael Peich and the WCU Poetry Center, Dr. Linda Stevenson, Dr. Victoria Tischio, and Mame Purce also acted as key coordinators for Espada's short story workshop and his poetry reading.
Espada has published numerous collections of poetry both within the United States and around the world. However, two of his poetry books, "Imagine the Angels of Bread" (published in 1996) and "The Republic of Poetry" (published in 2006) received the most critical acclaim.
In 1996, "Imagine the Angels of Bread" won an American Book Award and was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. "The Republic of Poetry" won the Paterson Award for Sustained Literary Achievement and was nominated as a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 2006.
For the evening's poetry reading, Dr. Peich gave the introduction for Espada on behalf of the WCU Poetry Center. Along with recognizing the poet with his various publications and awards, Peich commented:
"In Martin Espada's work, one encounters poetry that describes suffering but is also filled with powerful statements against war, social unrest, and injustice."
Dr. Peich's introduction provided an appropriate segue into Espada's first reading from his poem "En La Calle San Sebastian" which emphasized his connection to his Puerto Rican heritage through a description of the musical influence of West African slaves in Old San Juan.
However, since the poet was raised in Brooklyn, he also described his struggles with recognizing both his American and Puerto Rican heritage.
Espada first visited Puerto Rico at age ten, and his shock at the country's "national inferiority complex," as he described it, led him to write a poem later in life about American influence on the island entitled "Coca-Cola & Coco Frío."
Espada also recalled in great detail the influence his father had in encouraging him to fight for social justice. The poet's father, Frank Espada, was a noted activist for Puerto Rican and other minority communities within New York City.
Espada's father was an early supporter of the Civil Rights movement after being jailed in Mississippi for refusing to sit in the back of a bus; he, along with other Civil Rights activists both famous and unknown, were honored in Espada's poem "Sleeping on the Bus."
Espada also mentioned how his father's work in social activist connected him with West Chester.
Frank Espada was a good friend of West Chester native and Civil Rights activist Bayard Rustin, and while working as a photojournalist, he featured the migrant farm workers in Kennett Square, many of whom were Puerto Rican, as subjects for a news spread.
Eventually, Espada decided to follow in his father's work in social activism and entered law school at Northeastern University in Boston.
While there, he worked as a legal aid for migrant farm workers, but he still gained inspiration for poetic works like "Federico's Ghost," which detailed the physical and mental anguish of a migrant laborer on a farm.
Espada's cultural background and familiarity with the social struggles of Latinos within the U.S. were prominent themes in some of the works he read.
Currently, Espada is a professor of Latino poetry at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. The poet stated that while teaching and giving readings, he makes a conscious effort to answer the questions of aspiring writers.
"I'll always remember the generosity of poets who answered my questions," he said. Espada even composed a poem entitled, "Advice to Young Poets," where he provided his own interpretation of the Shakespeare quote, "To thine own self be true."
The poet also took time to recognize the support and generosity of his mentor, Alexander "Sandy" Taylor, who not only helped him as an editor but also as what he described as a "second father."
Espada read one of his latest works, "The Day We Buried You in the Park," to commemorate the support of his friend and mentor.
In one of the final poems of the evening, Espada recalled his 2004 visit to Chile to honor the centennial of the country's most famous poet, Pablo Neruda. The final verse quoted Neruda's famous words to General Pinochet during Chile's 1973 coup:
"Look around-there's only one thing of danger for you here-poetry." Martin Espada and his prolific work will continue to act as representatives for social justice both within the United States and worldwide.
Jen James is a third-year student majoring in English. She can be reached at JJ655874@wcupa.edu.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Evernote: A Writer's Digital Post-It
I've recently discovered a very handy website called Evernote (http://www.evernote.com). Have you ever seen someone's desktop computer monitor covered in Post-Its with various reminders, like "Essay due Fri" or "Pick up dry-cleaning?" Thanks to Evernote, all of those reminders and to-do list items can be placed into one convenient web source.
With Evernote, you can clip portions of favorite websites, create reminders and to-do lists, upload PDF files and documents, and even attach mobile phone photos and voice recordings. Personally, I use Evernote for assignment deadline reminders for school and keeping an updated reading list. And perhaps the best aspect of this web tool? It's free, and for just $5, you can upgrade your account for additional memory.
Creating an account is simple. Just enter your name, e-mail address, and create a username and password. From there, you'll be taken to your main page. You can store everything into one large "notebook," or you can create separate notebooks to store everything in by category.
As you can see here, I have three notes placed into one notebook. This notebook is entitled "Internship Ideas," and I have notes about each internship, its application requirements, and application deadlines placed inside. I also have separate notebooks for "Books to Read" and "Assignment Details/Deadlines." In the future, I might also use Evernote to record different ideas I have for essays, fiction, and even future blog posts.
Overall, Evernote is a very usefull tool that can help writers, especially those in college with multiple projects to juggle.
With Evernote, you can clip portions of favorite websites, create reminders and to-do lists, upload PDF files and documents, and even attach mobile phone photos and voice recordings. Personally, I use Evernote for assignment deadline reminders for school and keeping an updated reading list. And perhaps the best aspect of this web tool? It's free, and for just $5, you can upgrade your account for additional memory.
Creating an account is simple. Just enter your name, e-mail address, and create a username and password. From there, you'll be taken to your main page. You can store everything into one large "notebook," or you can create separate notebooks to store everything in by category.
As you can see here, I have three notes placed into one notebook. This notebook is entitled "Internship Ideas," and I have notes about each internship, its application requirements, and application deadlines placed inside. I also have separate notebooks for "Books to Read" and "Assignment Details/Deadlines." In the future, I might also use Evernote to record different ideas I have for essays, fiction, and even future blog posts.Overall, Evernote is a very usefull tool that can help writers, especially those in college with multiple projects to juggle.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Call for Papers-LV College Humanities Review
Lebanon Valley College is looking for submissions from undergraduate students for their Spring 2010 issue. The deadline is December 15.
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The Valley Humanities Review is currently seeking essays in the humanities for publication in its Spring 2010 Issue. We seek essays of high quality, intellectual rigor and originality that challenge or contribute substantially to ongoing conversations in the humanities.
Topics may include but are not limited to: literature, history, religion, philosophy, art, art history and foreign languages.
VHR is committed to undergraduate research and scholarship in the field; therefore, we only accept submissions by current or recently graduated undergraduate students.
Our reading period runs from September 1 to December 15 of each year. All submissions received outside of these dates will be returned unread.
All submissions should adhere to the Chicago style in formatting, footnoting and bibliography. Essays should be between 3,000 and 6,000 words in length, be free of errors and have an original title.
Submissions may be sent to submissions-vhr@lvc.edu
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