June 17, 2009
Robin Black won the Faulkner Wisdom Creative Writing competition’s Short Story prize in 2005. Her new collection, BARE ROOTS, is now due out in 2010 from Random House, as well as publishing deals in six other countries!
According to Robin, “All the deals were for 2 books, the stories and a novel to be completed. I am absolutely thrilled and honestly, I don’t think I would have
gotten here without the boost I had from you all!”
Our congrats and best wishes for continued success to Robin…
April 29, 2009
Congratulations to former runner-up in the 2007 short story category (and a finalist in the poetry category many times)! Maureen’s first short story collection, THE SLOW VANISHING, will be published by Main Street Rag Publishing Company in the fall.
THE SLOW VANISHING (ISBN 13: 978-1-59948-186-9) contains both flash fiction and longer stories. Some of the stories first appeared in literary journals, such as Stone Canoe, the North Carolina Literary Review, the Knoxville Writers’ Guild Anthology, Low Explosions: Writings on the Body, and the Sierra Nevada College Review.
To receive an advance order discount ($9.00), please order the book now online at the publisher’s website: http://www.mainstreetrag.com/store/ComingSoon.php
Advance order discounts only apply to online orders. The cover price will be $13.95 – so take advantage of the discount by ordering today.
Off-beat stories with unexpected endings. Life’s ordinary problems intruded on by the bizarre. The Slow Vanishing has a mesmerizing, magical effect.
— Joanna Catherine Scott, author of The Road From Chapel Hill
What a wonderful collection this is. Maureen Sherbondy’s The Slow Vanishing is remarkable for its abundance, its variety, its range, and its sheer imagination. There are long, serious stories… There are comic stories, very short stories (flash fictions), and in all of them Sherbondy’s gift for vivid, sharp imagery and telling detail shines forth. Everything seems to vanish–children, mothers, houses, comedians, body parts, husbands, even punctuation–and all this vanishing asks us to think about life without that which has vanished. And we do think. We laugh, we worry, we think, and we read on, because we want more.”
–– Anthony S. Abbott, author of The Three Great Secret Things
For more info, visit www.maureensherbondy.com
April 29, 2009
Last week we sent out the first notice for Juleps in June, 2009. We made a mistake in the flyer. The correct date is Friday, June 5, not Friday, June 7.
The party, the Faulkner Society’s annual overture to the summer season, will take place at the lovely residence of Judith “Jude” Swenson, at 426 Vincent Avenue in old Metairie starting at 7 p.m. The event will feature food, wine, music, and, of course,mint juleps served in silver cups.
Tickets are $125 per person and the ticket price includes one silver julep cup. Extra julep cups may be purchased for $35 if ordered in advance. Orders for extra cups must be placed by May 15.
Funds raised for the event will benefit the Faulkner Society’s projects for aspiring authors and literary programming for the general reading public. We hope to see all of you there.
Sincerely,
Rosemary James, Faulkner Society
April 29, 2009
Michael Malone, one of the wittiest writers in America, author of the southern classic, Handling Sin, will be the Faulkner Society’s guest of honor Sunday afternoon, May 17 at a reception, featuring food, wine, and music at The Cabildo at Jackson Square.
Michael will be signing his new novel, “Four Corners of the Sky.” Copies of other work also will be available. The time is 3 p. m. to 5 p. m.
The event is free and open to the public. Please RSVP, so we can plan for food and wine, to this e-mail address or by calling (504) 524-2940. Copies of Michael’s new book can be reserved at the same time with credit card information.
April 29, 2009
The deadline for the William Faulkner-William Wisdom Creative Writing
Competition has been extended from May 1 to June 1, 2009.
The Faulkner Society made the determination to extend the deadline at
the request of more than 60 writers who called to say they were having
problems meeting the deadline. As our goal is to help writers, we
decided that an extension is reasonable.
March 13, 2009
This just in from Words & Music 2007 faculty member Deborah LeBlanc:
Dear Friends,
I’m thrilled to announce the winners of the 2008–2009 Literacy Challenge and National Writing Challenge! We had a phenomenal number of participants this year, and out of the top quiz scores on the Literacy Challenge, the judges had a very difficult time scoring the essays because so many of them were spectacular! But the cream did rise to the top. Congratulations go to all the participants, however. Some of you may not have won a prize this year, but you stepped up and took the Challenge, and stepping up to any occasion and opportunity ALWAYS makes you a winner! 
)
Now, without further ado, I’d like to present the winners!!
2008-2009 LITERACY CHALLENGE WINNERS
GRAND PRIZE WINNER $5000:
Shane Papillion (17 yrs. Old)- Pittsburg Pa
2ND PLACE WINNER: (Desktop computer)
Louis Valmore– Tacoma, Wa
3rd PLACE WINNER: $175 Bookstore Gift Certificate
Linda Swofford (15 yrs old) Houston, Tx
4th PLACE WINNER: $100 Bookstore Gift Certificate
Jody Dabon- (18 yrs old) Detroit Michigan
5th PLACE WINNER: $50 Bookstore Gift Certficate
Carrey Hamil– Louisville, Ky
6th PLACE WINNER: $25 Bookstore Gift Certificate
Ruby Gustave –Baton Rouge, La
7th PLACE WINNER: $25 Bookstore Gift Certificate
Anne Hager– Pensacola Florida
8th PLACE WINNER: $25 Bookstore Gift Certificate
Evelyn Teshi Little Rock, Arkansas
9th PLACE WINNER: $25 Bookstore Gift Certificate
Jessie Franks– (14 yrs old) New Orleans, La
10th PLACE WINNER: $25 Bookstore Gift Certificate
Amador Savilas – Valdosta, Ga.
2008-2009 TOP THREE WINNERS COMMENTS
“Dear Ms. Leblanc,
I can’t thank you enough for the opportunity you gave me with the challenge. I still can’t believe I WON!! WOOHOO!!! Thank you so much! This money will sooo help with school!!! Thank you thank you thank you!!”
(Shane Papillion (17 yrs. Old)- Pittsburg Pa
“Deborah,
Your call was just what I needed on an otherwise dreadful Friday morning. You have no idea the ray of sunlight you’ve brought into my life. Thank you for that, and thank you for giving so many people hope with your literacy challenge. May God richly bless you.”
Louis Valmore -Tacoma, Wa.
“Wow!! I can’t believe I won third place! You’re the best Ms. Leblanc, thank you!! I can’t wait to use my gift certificate and order more books! $175–WOW!!!!”
Linda Swofford (15 yrs old) Houston, Tx.
2008-2009 NATIONAL WRITING CHALLENGE WINNERS
Literacy Inc.’s National Writing Challenge is designed to encourage students between the ages of 13 and 19 to practice and develop their writing skills. According to the National Endowment for the Arts Executive Summary, To Read or Not to Read: A Question of National Consequence, 81% of employers rate job entrants as deficient in written communication. Our Writing Challenge is designed to encourage students to write by merging excitement with writing through concrete, valuable incentives. The prizes in the Writing Challenge include:
$1000 in cash for first place; $250 book store gift certificate for second place; $200 book store gift certificate for third place; $150 book store gift certificate for fourth place; $100 book store gift certificate to fifth place
And the winners of the 2008-2009 National Writing Challenge are:
1st Place – Thomas Gifford -(14 yrs old) Shreveport, La.
2nd Place–Marissa Newfounder (16 yrs old) Wichita, Ks.
3rd Place–Kyle Useman – Salt Lake City, Ut.
4th Place– Kevin Mathews–Kansas City, Mo.
5th Place– Alicia Rhodes – Atlanta, Georgia
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE WINNERS!
News about the new Literacy Challenge and National Writing Challenge for 2009-2010 will be coming soon, so keep an eye on the website at www.theleblancchallenge.com! Congratulations again to all!! — Deborah
February 13, 2009
The Modern Language Association of America, headquartered in NewYork, recently announced its 16th annual Aldo and JeanneScaglione Prize for French and Francophone Literary Studies to longtime Faulkner Society patron Dr. Adelaide M. Russo of Louisiana State University.
The award was presented to Dr. Russo in recognition of her her book, Le Peintre Comme Modeledu Surrealisme, published by Presses Universitaires due Septentrion.
The prize is awarded annually for an outstanding book in its field: a literary or linguistic study, a critical edition of an important work, or a critical biography written by a member of the association.
Russo was awarded a cash prize of $2,000, along with the Association’s certificate of recognition for the prize.
November 26, 2008
Hot on the heels of the hit film Australia comes an award-winning novel of loss, Aboriginal lives and suspense set in today’s Australian outback.
In 2002 and 2001, the novel Message Stick was a finalist in the Faulkner-Wisdom competition. The book also won the James Jones Literary Society Award and the Hackney Literary Award. Creation of the novel was supported by two grants from the Jerome Foundation and residencies at the New York Mills Cultural Center and the Cornucopia Arts Center.
Message Stick is a modern tale of brothers lost and found. Movie fans who enjoy the Aboriginal touches in Australia will find similar elements in Message Stick. Since the main characters were both products of the government’s assimilation policy, a program that removed biracial and light-skinned Aboriginal children from their biological families, the wrenching exploitation of each man is front and center. The mystical elements of the shamans’ knowledge are woven throughout the book along with traditional Dreamtime tales.
For more on this book, visit www.LaineCunningham.com. Author Laine Cunningham spent six months camping alone in the Australian outback. She hiked the rugged terrain, cooked over an open fire, and learned to play the didgeridoo. The spirits of the land spoke to her as she met Australians from every walk of life. Each of her novels weaves the beliefs and cultural norms of different peoples into modern plotlines. Her next book, due out in February of 2009, details the ancient lessons Dreamtime tales offer modern people from every nation.
November 25, 2008
A few parting shots from an enjoyable four days in the Big Easy. Click on any photo to see full size… “So long, ooh long, How long ya gonna be gone?”
See y’all next year!
November 25, 2008
The final day of Words & Music featured several more agent/editor critiques, and another full day of programming, including an appearance by the legendary Michael Lang, creator of Woodstock! Fun TRUE fact: Michael wanted the closing act of Woodstock to be Roy Rogers singing “Happy Trails” – When the Roy Rogers group turned down the offer, Jimi Hendrix instead closed with, as we all know, a memorable version of the Star Bangled Banner that has lived on in the hearts and minds of a generation of music lovers…
The day closed with another successful Tall Tales competition at the Herman Grima House. Three time champ Ken Wells, despite a rousing rap version of the Five Minute Gatsby, was finally unseated from his Tall Tale throne by author Julia Glass, whose delightful tale of multiple Roy Blount Jrs had the gathered crowd in stitches.
Enjoy photos of the final day (click on any to enlarge).
