January Announcements
~ From My Writerly World ~
Happy New Year! Mine began with a bang: a bout of illness plus two publications and four rejections from literary journals in the first few days. More on the latter in a moment, but first let’s celebrate. Cagibi posted my flash piece “Jarndunmunha: Postcard from the Outback” and Toho Journal posted my lyric essay “Church Street Beat” for its inaugural online issue on the theme of Place.
Now for the rejections. Since April I have submitted three longform essays for publication. So far, each one has been declined at least a dozen times. There was encouraging news, however, from the Editor of Ruminate’s VanderMey Nonfiction Contest:
“Unfortunately, your entry “Fallen” was not selected as a winner, but it placed as one of our semi-finalists. We received over 250 entries, so this truly speaks to the quality of your words. Congratulations on this achievement.”
Let this be a lesson in perseverance. My essay "Wildish Woman: A Portrait," which was a prior VanderMey semi-finalist, also received as many rejections before finding its home at Origins Journal.
Meanwhile, you can preview an excerpt of “Love, Unconditional” or read the entire 2019 catalog for Discovered: Emerging Artists of Sonoma County.
Birdland Journal (Celebrating Northern California Voices) seeks work on the theme of Hope for their online publication. Submit previously unpublished poetry (no more than five) or prose (under 5,000 words) by January 31. Read more submission guidelines or check out my found-text poem “Firestorm” in the Fall 2018 issue on the theme of Change.
Thanks to those who have visited the Museum of Sonoma County with me (the exhibit runs until Feb. 2.) and to anyone who came to the Discovered Awards panel last month! We discussed the vulnerability of going public with controversial, personal, or uncomfortable topics—perfectly suited to my family memoir/essay collection in progress titled “Just Some Things We Can’t Talk About.”
Our moderator, Michael Shapiro, noted: “You can write what you can’t easily bring up in casual conversation.”
As a private (and shy) person, I agreed (although it’s often easier to imagine an audience of strangers seeing or hearing my words than sharing them with loved ones, particularly those I may be writing about.) To portray characters, including my own persona, in print is a more accessible way for me to share my perspective. It’s liberating to write in ways I do not speak.
Don’t miss the museum's upcoming writing workshop with Discovered poets, Ernesto Garay and Chelsea Kurnick. Responding to Visual Art in Poetry is a two-part workshop, open to writers of all experience levels. Participants are encouraged to attend both sessions: Saturdays, January 18 & 25, 10 AM–1 PM. Free with museum admission.
Get Lit reading series, hosted by Dani Burlison and Kara Vernor, will host a free book launch event featuring readers Nancy Au (Spider Love Song & Other Stories—longlisted for the 2020 PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize for Debut Short Story Collection), Melissa Matthewson (Tracing the Desire Line) and Tomas Moniz (Big Familia—longlisted for the 2020 PEN/Hemingway Prize for Debut Novel). Friday, January 17, 7–9 PM at Aqus Cafe in Petaluma.
A couple of friends and I recently spent an afternoon with Macy Chadwick of In Cahoots Residency for a letterpress workshop! Macy provides housing and studio space to artists-in-residence for 1-, 2-, or 4-week sessions with a focus on artists books, letterpress, printmaking, writing, and collaboration.
If you’re in Petaluma come to the first 2020 artist reception on Saturday, January 18, from 2–4 PM to see work by Alex Chappell, Fenneke Wolters-Sinke and Corrine Hatt.
If you’re a writer near the North Bay who wants to jumpstart your practice, check out the 4th Annual Writing Retreat by Moxie Road Productions on Saturday, January 25. Meet at The Hivery, a women-only co-working space in downtown Mill Valley, for a day of writing and reflection plus strategies to complete your next writing project. Hosted by Moxie Road mavens Tarja Parssinen and Janine Kovac—author of the memoir SPINNING: Choreography for Coming Home. Refreshments, dinner, wine, and gift bag included!
Shut Up & Write!™
Drop in for an hour of writing on Tuesdays at 9:30 AM at JavAmore Cafe in Penngrove. Instead of just thinking about it, come and get some real writing done! RSVP at Meetup. It’s free! Please arrive 15 minutes early.
Questions? Contact me at https://www.nicolerzimmerman.com/