Opportunities in the Great Big Literary World- January 24, 2011

Song of the Day: Make it Happen by Selena Gomez
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPZ1tzmQNZ8

AWP Conference in Washington D.C. Feb 2-5, 2011

Here are some of the writers that will be in attendance:

Juhmpa Lahiri
Junot Diaz
Sandra Cisneros
Rita Dove
Jennifer Egan
Joshua Ferris
Mary Gaitskill
Amy Hempel
Rick Moody
Joyce Carol Oates (insert trumpets here)
Gregory Orr
Sapphire
Elizabeth Strout

      And many more! I almost fell over while reading the list. The list of workshops and presentations is also quite extensive. There’s so much to do, that it will be rather hard trying to decide which ones to attend. Here are some examples:

Short Story to Novel
Hired! Landing the Elusive Tenure-Track Job
CLMP Panel- So You’ve Made an E-book…Now What?
WAMfest and Fairleigh Dickinson University Present: Musicians Who Write More than Songs
A Sense of Where We Were: Nonfiction Writers on Setting
Beyond Print: Digital Directions in Literary Publishing
Examining the PhD in Creative Writing
Playwriting and Screenwriting: Their Business in the Academy
Writing: What to Teach, How to Teach It, and Why
Channeling Voices: The Persona Poem
What to Expect When You’re Expecting You’re First Book
Transformative Dialogues From Writers of Color
Pushing the Boundaries in Young Adult Fiction

     And that’s nothing. Those are less than a handful of the workshops/presentations that will take place. (Anyone notice my shameless plug for my school Fairleigh Dickinson?) The best part about the conference is its affordability, especially if you’re a student. They’ve closed pre-registration but there will not be a cap on the number of people that can attend the conference. On-site registration will be available everyday.

AWP Members          $175
Non-members            $245
Students                     $45
Spouse                       $90
One Day Pass             $110

      If you’re a student you can’t beat $45 for a four day conference. If you can attend, I would definitely recommed it. I checked and all the hotels in the area are booked, however I’m still hoping to make a miracle happen. If you’re in the D.C. area already, then don’t let the opportunity pass you by! 

    I do have one contest to announce. My lovely sisters Pam and Marquita are hosting a contest over at their blog now that they have reached 100 followers! They have several prize packs including books, gift cards and critiques! Enter by Jan. 28, 2011. Get over there NOW, if you haven’t already.

    As always, don’t forget about The Black Fox Fiction Contest going on now! We are also looking for flash fiction pieces and poetry to be featured weekly on our site. Happy Writing!