Philip Gross wins the T.S. Eliot Prize!

Yes, folks, wordamour was thrilled to learn that UK writer Philip Gross has won the prestigious TS Eliot Prize in poetry, one of the grand dames of literary prizes.

Because it could not happen to a better writer, a writer’s writer, who Wordamour has had the pleasure of working with (he was my generous editor for the essay, “Storming the Garret,” which appeared in the issue of Writing in Education he guest edited), of attending conferences with (Great Writing 2007), of reading with her children (my oldest was a great fan of his book, Marginaliens; he is also a wonderful children’s writer) and who she looks forward to working with on the editorial board of Professional and Higher.

You can read about him and this wonderful news here.

Three Cheers for F Street Review!

F Street Review, a fine new blog I just discovered through Google Alerts, has published a great list of of top 100 Creative Writing Blogs. I’ve benefited from a lot of similar lists in the past, and there are some old favorites here, like Practicing Writing, one of the best online resources for writers out there. But there are a lot of new blogs too; I added about 7 to my google reader, including F Street itself. So don’t delay, check it out!

Accepted!

Reader, they accepted the book!

Now, before the real work begins, the work of actually finishing it by June 1 and making it the most articulate argument I can, a brief sigh of celebration.
I have been working on this book since 2006 and it is in many ways, the culmination of so much I have wanted to say, needed to say, that needs to be said, written, on creative writing in higher education. No more worrying that someone is going to beat me to it (well, maybe a little), the relief that this might have the potential to move things in a positive direction.

The end is in sight, I can see it. It’s going to happen.

Bye y’all.
SV

A Good Email Day**

Two great messages in the email Friday.  My response to Rosalie Morales Kearns has been accepted to appear in the Interchanges section of CCC, College Composition and Communication.  Morales Kearns published an article about teaching creative writing there last summer with several good points that also, unfortunately,  ignored the scholarship of oh, the last 15 years in creative writing pedagogy.  I’d say more but you’d be better off waiting till the response comes out.

I’m glad CCC’s was gracious enough to accept it, as opposed to other publications–not naming names, AWP, that “don’t accept responses to their articles.”  C’s Editor Kathleen Blake Yancey is wonderful to work with, by the way.

Also, an essay I wrote a few years ago, “The Girl in the Ivory Blouse,” has also finally found a home in anthology about women’s relationships forthcoming from Emerging Edge Publishing.   In it’s way, it’s a tribute to my late, great aunt so I’m glad it’s going to be published. It’s been ignored by a couple of magazines, Victoria among them, that don’t seem to think it’s necessary to put an SASE to good use.

Waiting to hear on two other essays that are out there floating around.  I hear on Monday whether my book proposal, Rethinking Creative Writing in Higher Education: Programs and Practices that Work, has made it to the next acceptance stage at a new publisher of a Creative Writing series in the UK, Professional And Higher.  After I made it through the last stage, the editor shared that I was the only writer who had made it to that point so far.  

A good email day, I’d say. I’ll keep you posted.

Bye y’all,

SV

Books Christmas 09: Giving and Receiving***

Wordamour tries to do her part each holiday season to serve as a one woman stimulus package for the publishing industry.  Here’s a peek at books I gave and books I received this Christmas

Received:

Everything I Needed to Know I Learned From Children’s Books by Anita Silvey A charmer. Lots of notables weigh in.

How to Do Biography Writing a biography is definitely in the “someday” category for me; after all, they are often my favorite reads.

Eat this, Not That
The skinny, pun intended, on what’s good to eat and what’s not.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society A wonderful book.

I also got a $50 Barnes and Noble card in November as part of an award and promptly “gave” myself some books, namely:

Handmade Home by Amanda Blake Soule (author of the SouleMama blog and of The Creative Family).

Blogging Bliss by Tara Frey Nice ideas, great eye candy.

Kneadlessly Simple by Nancy Baggett Can’t wait to try the foccacia.

The Last 100 Days by John Toland  Last 100 days of WWII in Europe. This is out of print, I’m currently knee deep in it, for my NaNoWriMo novel.

Given:

Everwood by Neil Schusterman–The sequel to Everlost my 13 year old was pining for.

Pop by Gordan Karman.  I even got it signed.  For the above 13 year old.

Odd And the Frost Giants-by Neil Gaiman  Upon finishing The Graveyard Book together, my nine year old wondered, “What else has Neil Gaiman written?” I know–out of the mouths of babes.

That Old Cape Magic by Richard Russo  For my husband, a big Russo fan. Signed.

Lydia Cassatt Reading the Morning Paper. Also for my husband, who blogged about it on his blog, here.

Mike Mulligan and His Steam Engine by Virginia Lee Burton  For a certain four year old who’s a big machinery–and Burton–fan. Gotta love a classic like this one.

The Big Book of Goldenbook Stories For the Burton fan’s sister, a certain  flaxen haired two-year- old who longs to be Ariel but looks more like Cinderella.

What I Talk About When I Talk About Running: Haruki Murakami For my marathoning husband.

**Yes, I’ve been MIA for a couple of months.  Long couple of months, long story, nothing serious, but I’m back and have many posts in the hopper. Thanks for your patience.