The Grind
Writers august 2019
IN MEMORIAM The much beloved Great Sequoia of Kerrisdale 1929–2019 90 years of being Kerrisdale’s lungs To find a new life as benches along the Arbutus Greenway
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James Barber’s ‘cookbook for a dystopian future’ Doesn’t one-pot cooking sound good? Loved James Barber, the famous BritishBritish Columbian cookbook writer and The Urban Peasant TV cooking show maestro. His gift to me was the food processor and his three-pulse method. James Barber was the antithesis of my school home ec teachers, who actually used to mark us of the quality of the crumb of our biscuits. We were twelve years old! My children would never have had muffins had it not been for James Barber. Some of his recipes came from his cooking on his boat. My solution to schooner cooking, with the prevalence then of canned food stowed below the waterline, was to add red wine to everything. Except the morning eggs. I remember seeing James Barber peddling down Commercial Drive with his books in his bicycle basket. And how one chef on the Drive told me, quite horrified, how Barber would come into his restaurant in bare feet. JB was an original, a delight; you can see the gleeful twinkle in his smiling eyes below.
One-Pot Wonders: James Barber’s Recipes for Land and Sea Madeira Park: Harbour Publishing, 2019 $14.95 / 9781550178715 and here it is reviewed by Derek von Essen in The Ormsby Review, courtesy of BC BookWorld:
“Cookbook for a dystopian future” Good to know about the Ormsby Review if you’re a BC writer
The Ormsby Review. More Books. More Reviews. More Often. Publisher and Editor: Richard Mackie The Ormsby Review is a journal service for serious coverage of B.C. books and authors, hosted by Simon Fraser University. The Advisory Board consists of Jean Barman, Robin Fisher, Cole Harris, Wade Davis, Hugh Johnston, Patricia Roy, David Stouck, and Graeme Wynn. Scholarly Patron: SFU Graduate Liberal Studies. Honorary Patron: Yosef Wosk. Provincial Government Patron since September 2018: Creative BC.
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Plenty of Fish in the Sea Dept.
Other writing groups The Grind Writers Group isn’t everybody’s cup of tea. But that’s okay: plenty of other groups are forming out there. Here’s a new one on Meetup (and there are oodles more on Vancouver Meetup):
Writers and Poets - 20s and 30s To all the starving artists out there, this group is for young writers and poets in Vancouver who wish to connect with and learn from likeminded individuals. We welcome artists from all genres and backgrounds. Participants will be encouraged to bring in copies of their work so as to receive constructive criticism from the group, but they will also be free to come to discuss literary works, to socialize,... Public Group: This group's content, including its members and event details, is visible to the public. --Organized by Aaron Barry
Our meeting dates - see page 9 Rutherford Press is George Opacic and Ben Nuttall-Smith: “We publish for those who appreciate a good read, whether it comes from experience or the creative sparks from one side or the other of the corpus callosum. We encourage that remarkable new force on this planet – writing. It is the fixing of memory for the ages, stirred with varying parts of wonder, mentoring, weirdness and, ultimately, love of life.”
Submission info: https://rutherfordpress.ca/submissions/
CacaNadaDada Press “Is a sovereign state and a publishing entity founded in 1986 by the founder of Sono Nis press (1967 and still stoking). 2008 is the renaissance of CacaNadaDada and a call to all Cacanadadadians (keep your certificates of citizenship handy).” CacaNadaDada publishes both English and Chinese books. They also provide English>Chinese and Chinese>Englsh translation services. Contact info:
meetup.com
The Great Sequoia of Kerrisdale from cover
W: CacaNadaDada.com T: 604-430-4077; 604-803-9606 E: hongyun3@gmail.com WeChat: redmelodyhy
UBC Press says, “Why publish with UBC Press?” and answers: Our award-winning list Location Editorial commitment Marketing Efficiency
“It’s believed the decadesold tree had been dead for about two years before its removal…”
International connections Size Production expertise E-books
Submission info: http://www.ubcpress.ca/ProspectiveAuthors
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yle
Don’t know anyone who’s ever used this service, but it might be the right thing for someone, some time.
From Authors Publish emag: 20 Literary Journals Always Open to Submissions Free Book: 182 Short Fiction Publishers 7 Exciting New Literary Journals 19 Publishers that Accept Science Fiction or Fantasy Novels Dear Subscribers, I'm writing to make sure you get your copy of 182 Short Fiction Publishers. The book is free for just one more week. The book shows you how to publish short stories and gives you dozens of markets seeking stories in a wide variety of genres. Download Your Copy Here: 182 Short Fiction Publishers The book is available free until August 11th, 2019.
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Eric Maisel’s Deep Writing workshop comes to Vancouver Sept 30 – Oct 4, 2019 April says we won’t want to miss this. Eric says: “This is my first “west coast” deep writing workshop in several years. This workshop is ideal for writers of every level of experience, from published authors to writers who have yet to begin writing. It is likewise ideal for writers who want to discover what they want to write, who are hoping to get back to a beloved project, or who are immersed in a current project.
April Bosshard’s Online Writing Retreats
Characteristically we have one (always wonderfully memorable) group dinner and many mini-group gatherings as participants get to know one another, eat and drink together, visit sights together, and make friendships that last a lifetime. There is much more to a deep writing workshop than just the workshop hours.”
August 17, 2019 and again September 14, 2019 9:30 am to 3:30 pm PT Online from almost anywhere Devote a day to writing together in community.
RSVP please. Space limited to 8 writers.
More workshop info here. About Eric Maisel here. Dr. Maisel writes the “Rethinking Mental Health” blog for Psychology Today and is a regular contributor to Mad in America. Author of 50+ books, the most recent books include:
Unleashing the Artist Within (Dover, 2019),
Helping Parents of Diagnosed, Distressed and Different Children (Routledge, 2019),
A Writer’s Paris (Dover reprint, 2019),
Helping Survivors of Authoritarian Parents, Siblings and Partners (Routledge, 2018),
Ten Zen Seconds (Dover reprint, 2018),
60 Innovative Cognitive Strategies for the Bright, The Sensitive and the Creative (Routledge, 2018) and
More often than not, writers work alone. Every so often we must break the pattern of solitude and come together in creative community. For this one day retreat, we will meet for 3 live group calls at the beginning, middle, and end of the day. Between calls we will focus on our own writing projects. We will start the day with a warm up exercise and the setting of intentions. At midday we will check in about our progress. At the end of the day we will wrap up by honoring our work and planning our next steps. You can participate in this one day retreat from the comfort of your own home. Stay in your pajamas if you like! More info on Retreat here. Fee: by donation (suggested US $30 to $130)
The Magic of Sleep Thinking (Dover reprint, 2018)
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Email to RSVP: deepstorydesign@gmail.com
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More online teachings Experience Level: This course is appropriate for fiction writers who have moved well beyond the basics and are looking for constructive critical feedback as well as publishing tips and advice.
Twice a year I offer intensive fiction workshops. You can take this workshop from anywhere in the world!
For those who are new to short fiction, I suggest my four-week self-paced online course Introduction to Short Fiction ($50) or Five Days of Short Fiction (free)
Please pass along to anyone you think might be interested.
Length: 4 weeks
Kathryn Dates: Sun Oct 6 to Sun Nov 3, 2019
……..
ADVANCED SHORT FICTION WORKSHOP
(No class on October 13)
Enrolment: Limited spaces available, so secure your spot today!
Description
The Advanced Short Fiction Workshop will help you take your fiction writing to the next level in a supportive and engaging environment.
Day/Time: Sundays mornings 11:00 am to 2:00 pm (ET) Price: $500 (CAD)
Details
Format: This course is live and takes place online through video conferencing (Zoom).
How to register: Email Kathryn Mockler here to register. Payment in full secures your spot in the course.
This is a workshop-based course where you will share your short story with the class and receive constructive feedback from the instructor and the workshop participants. Each writer will receive a critique on a 2000 to 3500word short story and a flash fiction piece.
You can pay by PayPal or e-transfer.
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Email Kathryn here if you are interested in signing up. There are limited spots available. Contact Kathryn first to ensure there is space available and that the experience level is right for you.
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events From Bonnie Nish, Pandora’s Collective Executive Director Every Monday 10am to noon
Every Wednesday 7 to 9:30pm except stat holidays
Heritage Writers At the Heritage Grill, New Westminster Writing Group facilitated by Ruth Kozak. $5 drop-in. Genres: memoir, fiction, nonfiction, poetry. Readings and workshops.
West End Writers Group At the Barclay Manor in the West End, 1447 Barclay St. We welcome writers of all ages and all levels of writing. We also welcome writers of all genres, including short stories, novels, poetry, non-fiction, technical and business writing. Contact:
Contact: Ruth Kozak at ruthaki1@shaw.ca for more info.
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Second Wednesdays from Sept to June – 7 to 9 pm (doors open at 6:45pm)
Every Monday of the month 7pm signup; show starts at 8pm Vancouver Poetry Slam Featured readers, poetry open mic and poetry slam At Café Deux Soleils on Commercial Drive
Canadian Authors Association At the Alliance for Arts and Culture, 938 Howe Street Open to the general public. Meetings include Vancouver Branch announcements and guest speakers (or events) – and time for socializing (and book signing) at the end of the evening. We charge a nominal fee to non-members.
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2nd Tuesday of every month – 8 pm Vancouver Story Slam At 29Hood, 4468 Main Street In this short-story-telling show, ten talented wordsmiths share their original wise, witty, or weird writings. Audience members vote on their favourites. Top monthly storytellers are invited to participate in the annual championship finals in December.
Organized and hosted by Susan Cormier and Bryant Ross. $5 cover includes a ballot to vote for your favorite stories! At least $150 in cash prizes are given away each month. Facebook link here.
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westendwriters28@gmail. com More info at http://westendwriters.com
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More info: www.canauthorsvancouver.org/meetings.htm _____________________________
Every Thursday – 2 to 4 pm Downtown Eastside Writers Collective At the 3rd floor of Carnegie's location downtown. All new writers are welcome. They’ll publish at least one chapbook put out by the group in the 2019. More info: : d.n. simmers - dnsimmers@yahoo.ca
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Wow, a whopping $34.95 to submit, though it includes a subscription. However, that high fee might also limit the submitting pool and up your odds. 8
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Grind Writers Dates 2019
Submit. you know you want t o.
Sun July 07
Sun Oct 06
Sun July 21
Sun Oct 20
Sun Aug 11
Sun Nov 03 DST ends
Sun Aug 25
Sun Nov 17
Sun Sept 08
Sun Dec 01
Sun Sept 22
Sun Dec 15
Caveat emptor. Read the submission guidelines thoroughly and carefully. Especially regarding what rights you are handing over if they publish your piece. Do your due diligence. Read about rights and copyrights in Canada and the other markets. Manuscript publishers that accept direct submissions (with geographic restrictions) “All of the presses on this list meet all but one of our guiding principles. All of these presses only accept work from writers with a specific geographic region or nationality.” Check it out here. 17 Literary Journals that Read Submissions “Blind” "A “blind” submission is submitted to the literary journal in a way that the readers and editors can read all the submissions without knowing the name or anything else about the author who submitted to the journal. The idea is that it takes any bias someone might have against or for a particular ethnic heritage, or any other number of things." Check them out here. 24 Publishers of Literary Fiction that Accept Submissions Without an Agent “No agent or previous publishing experience required. These publishers accept submissions of books directly from writers, and offer traditional publishing contracts.” Check them out here.
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25 Publishers with Excellent Distribution That Accept Unsolicited Submissions “All of the publishers on this list sell thousands of copies of physical books. All of them have books that are available not just at stores near you, but at libraries as well, because they have good distributors.” Check them out here. 15 Literary magazines for new and unpublished writers (2016) Check them out here. 17 Themed Calls for Submissions “These markets accept themed submissions for fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and audio drama. Some of the themes are voyages, grumpy old gods, work matters, Christianthemed speculative fiction, hidden histories, solarpunk winters, birth, future sex, epistolary horror, celebrating science, shifter stories, and animal-themed apocalypse. All of these pay writers, from token to pro rates.” Check them out here.
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SIWC – Surrey International Writers Conference Writing Contest. DL September sometime “Our annual writing contest, judged by our own Diana Gabaldon and Jack Whyte, is now open. Contest rules and details are here. You have until September to polish that short story you've been working on, but you're welcome to enter now and with as many more stories as you can write between now and the deadline. Every penny of the $15 entry fee goes to support the contest and the not-for-profit SiWC. First prize is $1000 and publication. Get those entries in!
Places to look for calls and contests: The Grind Writers Group Facebook page. Federation of BC Writers website – “Write On” newsletter. bcwriters.ca The Writers Union of Canada (TWUC) website Canadian Authors Association website
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