#ArtLitPhx: Superstition Review Issue 18 Launch Party

SR image

 

Superstition Review will launch their 18th issue on Thursday, December 1, at 6 PM at the Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing.

Since its founding in 2008 by Patricia Murphy, ASU’s online literary magazine has made it their goal to publish engaging and innovative works of fiction, nonfiction, interviews, poetry, and art. They have published over 750 established and emerging authors from all over the world and are thrilled to announce the expansion of their family of contributors with their upcoming issue.

All staff members, contributors, members of the literary community, and friends and family are welcome to join Superstition Review  in the celebration of the issue’s launch. Please view more details about this event on our Facebook event.

#ArtLitPhx: Laurie Stone: My Life as an Animal: Stories

animal-cover-march-2016

Changing Hands Bookstore, ASU Master of Liberal Studies and Superstition Review present author and performer Laurie Stone. Stone will be presenting her new book My Life as an Animal: Stories on Tuesday, November 15 at 7 p.m. at Changing Hands Phoenix.  Patricia Colleen Murphy, founder of the literary journal, will be discussing autobiographical fiction with the author. For more information please visit the event website.

Laurie Stone is author of My Life as an Animal: Stories (TriQuarterly Books, Northwestern University Press), Starting with Serge, and Laughing in the Dark (Ecco). Former theater critic for The Nation, critic-at-large on Fresh Air, and decades-long writer for the Village Voice, she’s editor of and contributor to the memoir anthology Close to the Bone (Grove). She won the 1996 Nona Balakian Citation for Excellence in Reviewing from the National Book Critics Circle. Her memoir essays and stories have appeared in Fence, Open City, Anderbo, The Collagist, Nanofiction, The Los Angeles Review, New Letters, Ms.,TriQuarterly, Threepenny Review, Memorious, Creative Nonfiction, St Petersburg Review, and Four Way Review. Her short fiction and nonfiction’s been anthologized in They’re at It Again: Stories from Twenty Years of Open City, In the Fullness of Time, The Face in the Mirror, The Other Woman, Best New Writing of 2007, Full Frontal Fiction, and Money, Honey, among others. She lives in New York City.

#ArtLitPhx: MFA Reading Series – Sarah Vap, Dexter L. Booth, and Patricia Colleen Murphy

MFA Reading Series - ASUPoets Sarah Vap, Dexter L. Booth, and Patricia Colleen Murphy will read from their recent work at Hayden Library on the Tempe Campus as part of the MFA Alumni Reading Series, presented by ASU’s Creative Writing Program. The event takes place on Thursday, September 22nd. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the reading begins at 7:00 p.m. A book signing and reception with light refreshments will follow the reading.

Sarah Vap received her MFA from Arizona State University. Vap is the author of six collections of poetry. Her most recent book, Viability, was selected by Mary Jo Bang for the National Poetry Series, and was released by Penguin in 2016.

Dexter L. Booth earned an MFA in creative writing from Arizona State University. His collection Scratching the Ghost was selected by Major Jackson for the Cave Canem Poetry Prize.

Patricia Colleen Murphy, a graduate of ASU’s MFA Program in Creative Writing, founded Superstition Review at Arizona State University, where she teaches creative writing and magazine production. Her collection, Hemming Flames, was selected by Stephen Dunn for the May Swenson Poetry Award.

The event is free of charge and is open to the public. For more information please visit the ASU page and/or the Facebook event.

Hemming Flames Now Available

Patricia Colleen MurphyWe at Superstition Review are very pleased to announce that our founding editor, Patricia Colleen Murphy, recently had her first collection of poetry, Hemming Flames, published by Utah State University Press. Hemming Flames was chosen by Stephen Dunn as the winner of the 2016 May Swenson Poetry Award.

 

Hemming FlamesThroughout this haunting first collection, Patricia Colleen Murphy shows how familial mental illness, addiction, and grief can render even the most courageous person helpless. With depth of feeling, clarity of voice, and artful conflation of surrealist image and experience, she delivers vivid descriptions of soul-shaking events with objective narration, creating psychological portraits contained in sharp, bright language and image. With Plathian relentlessness, Hemming Flames explores the deepest reaches of family dysfunction through highly imaginative language and lines that carry even more emotional weight because they surprise and delight. In landscapes as varied as an Ohio back road, a Russian mental institution, a Korean national landmark, and the summit of Kilimanjaro, each poem sews a new stitch on the dark tapestry of a disturbed suburban family’s world.

 

Patricia has two upcoming readings:

Thursday September 1st at 7 pm she will be reading with Sarah Vap at Changing Hands Tempe.

Thursday September 22nd at 7 pm she will be reading with Sarah Vap and Dexter Booth at ASU’s Hayden Library.

 

On August 20th, Four Chambers Press held a book release for Hemming Flames. If you missed it, you can watch it here.

 

The book is available from Amazon. For more information about the book, please visit its website.

CGCC Poetry Reading: Allyson Boggess, Matthew Jolly, Patricia Murphy

Join us to celebrate National Poetry Month.

Thursday, April 5, 2012
7 p.m. until 8:30 p.m.
Library First Floor
Chandler-Gilbert Community College
2626 E. Pecos Rd., Chandler, AZ 85225-2499

 

Allyson BoggessAllyson Boggess is a graduate of the MFA program at Arizona State University, where she was a poetry editor at Hayden’s Ferry Review. She teaches poetry at CGCC and writing at ASU and the Harvard Extension School. Her work was recently published in [PANK]. She lives in Phoenix.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Matthew JollyMatthew Jolly is a member of the English faculty at GateWay Community College where he teaches classes in English composition and literature. He grew up outside Cleveland, Ohio, but now lives in Southeast Phoenix with his wife Lauren, his son Benjamin, three devious dogs, and a cat named Ebbilah. He received his MFA in poetry from Arizona State University where he was the recipient of a graduate fellowship and winner of the Glendon and Kathryn Swarthout Award in poetry. His work has appeared in Phoebe: A Journal of Literature and Art; The New Delta Review; and as part of NCTE’s online celebration of National Poetry Month. His “Elegy, Autopsy, and Archeological Excavation: An Interview with David Wojahn” (Hayden’s Ferry Review, 2003) was nominated for a Pushcart Prize.

 

 

Patricia Murphy

Patricia Murphy is a Senior Lecturer at ASU where she teaches creative writing and is the founding editor of Superstition Review. In Spring 2009 she won the Provost’s Faculty Achievement Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Student Mentoring. Murphy earned her B.A. in English and French from Miami University and her M.F.A. in Poetry from ASU. Her poems have appeared in many literary magazines including The Massachusetts Review, Clackamas Literary Review, New Orleans Review, Seattle Review, Cimarron Review, Kalliope, Quarterly West, American Poetry Review, Green Mountains Review, Indiana Review, and The Iowa Review. Her poems have received awards from the Cream City Review, The GSU Review, Glimmer Train Press, the Ann Stanford Poetry Prize, and Gulf Coast among others. She is the recipient of an Artist’s Project Grant from the Arizona Commission on the Arts and she has been awarded residencies at Mesa Refuge, Atlantic Center for the Arts, and Vermont Studio Center.

Note from the Editor

Founding Editor Trish Murphy and Poetry Editor Emily Beckley  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As most of you know, I started Superstition Review because I wanted my writing students to gain practical experience with a literary magazine before going off into the working world or on to graduate school. I wanted to teach students to correspond with authors, meet deadlines, make editorial decisions, design websites, organize events, and advertise through email, Facebook, Twitter and blogs.

This week marks the launch of Issue 7 of Superstition Review, which gives me occasion to look back on those goals I had when I first started the magazine. In seven semesters I have mentored 95 students, many of whom have gone on to jobs in publishing, or spots in grad school, or teaching careers.

Recently I had the opportunity to do one of my favorite things: act as a reference for a former intern. “Oh I’m going to make your job easy,” I said to the hiring manager. “Throw away all the other applications because you need to hire my student.” I backed that recommendation up with a story about a task the student accomplished despite my complete inability to tell her how to do it. My interns work hard. They earn their 3 credit hours. And they earn their glowing recommendations from me as well.

I have now had seven semesters of managing students as we put together each issue in only 14 weeks, and it occurs to me that while I was training my students to run a magazine I was getting a crash course in mentoring. Trust me when I say for certain that putting together Issue 7 was 95% easier than putting together Issue 1. We’ve passed a learning curve. And I think you’ll agree that it shows in what we do.

I hope you enjoy the new work of 48 artists and authors in our Issue 7. And please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have a job waiting for one of my student interns.

ASU Lecturer Patricia Murphy Poetry Reading @ Urban Beans

Urban Beans, a coffee shop located in Midtown Phoenix, is a great place to grab an exceptional cup of locally roasted coffee, smoothies, tea, pastries or a tasty lunch. It’s also a great place to hang out and listen to local poets. This Friday night, that’s tomorrow, Urban Beans is hosting a poetry reading and ASU Lecturer and alum Particia Murphy will be reading.

Patricia Murphy earned her MFA in Poetry from Arizona State University where she has been teaching writing for 18 years. Her work has received awards from the Associated Writing Programs and the Academy of American Poets, Glimmer Train PressThe GSU Review, and The Southern California Review. She teaches several writing classes including Poetry, Blogging, Travel Writing and Publishing in Literary Magazines.

Her reading will be this Friday, April 15 at 7 p.m. Stop by, get a delicious coffee with a little heart in it, and stay for the reading. Map here.

The Mercury Building
3508 N. 7th Street
Suite 100
Phoenix, AZ 85014
602.595.2244

Issue 6 Launch: A Note from the Managing Editor

One of my favorite Simpsons Episodes involves Bart, Homer and Lisa watching a TV program called “When Buildings Collapse.” The entire point of the program is to see building after building fall down, but during the show Homer comments “I didn’t think it was going to fall over.”

I now use that phrase when it seems like something is never ever going to happen: a car making a slow left turn, a waiter taking too long bringing food. “I didn’t think it was going to fall over.”

And I have to admit that phrase has applied to each of our six issues of Superstition Review.

Every semester I gather 15-20 undergraduate student interns with varying levels of experience. I put them through “lit mag boot camp,” and within a few weeks they are corresponding with authors, reading and rating submissions, designing advertisements, creating blog posts, gathering bios and headshots, editing endless web pages, organizing readings on and off campus. And maybe most importantly, they are learning how REAL deadlines work in the field of publishing. Like, if your building doesn’t fall over NOW the next building can’t go up.

Oh, and I forgot to mention that I do this all online. Our work is done through Blackboard, Google Docs and Submishmash.

We take about 14 weeks to put together each of the issues, which we publish in December and May. By the time the end of the semester rolls around, I’m never quite sure that the building is going to fall over.

But thanks to the support of my Dean Fred Corey, my Department Head Ian Moulton, my faculty advisors Claire Lauer, Kristin Lacroix, Judith Van, Mark Haunschild, Rebecca Byrkit, and Sherry Rankins-Robertson; and also to my endlessly brave and diligent and kind students, we now have six pretty impressive buildings under our belts.

After each issue is published and I get a good deep breath, I get to enjoy what my students have accomplished. In this Issue alone we feature work from (and interviews with) 66 artists, poets and writers from all over the nation. I hope you will make a cup of tea, grab your laptop or iPad, and enjoy the hard work of my talented students and our esteemed contributors.

Sincerely,

Patricia Colleen Murphy

Managing Editor, Superstition Review

Melissa Pritchard reads from “Echorché, Flayed Man”

On November 8 the Superstition Review reading series was pleased to feature Melissa Pritchard. The intimate atmosphere of the reading allowed for a personal view of her story Echorché, Flayed Man. Music from an Italian composer, the pungent scent of incense and a few words from Patricia Murphy and Reading Series Coordinator Mary Richardson provided the perfect introduction. While a large group of friends, colleagues and admirers filled the Pima Auditorium in the Memorial Union at ASU, her voice was quiet and seemed to engage us individually as she read. As Melissa stood against a backdrop lit with magenta bulbs, the audience silently absorbed each emotion-filled sentence.

After the applause from eager listeners Melissa answered several questions. She touched on working with A Public Space and the technicalities of writing a story that is both fiction, and also the true story of certain individuals from La Specula, the museum in Italy upon which the story takes place. Echorché, Flayed Man has been published in Issue 11 of A Public Space and will also appear in her latest book The Odditorium, to be released in January 2011.

 

Meet The Interns: Madeline Beach

Madeline Beach is currently completing her final semester hours to earn the designation of a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature. At this time, Madeline is professionally working as a technical writer and enjoys seeing the worlds of technology and literacy work together in tandem, in both professional and academic settings. This is Madeline’s second semester with Superstition Review as she enjoys being closely involved with the ever-growing revolution of online publishing.

Superstition Review: What is your position with Superstition Review and what are your responsibilities?

Madeline Beach: Currently I hold the position of Content Coordinator. My responsibilities include receiving and tracking all submissions received as a part of our open submission period.

SR: Why did you decide to get involved with Superstition Review?

MB: I first learned about Superstition Review when I took a course led by the journal’s Managing Editor Trish Murphy. The course involved researching and studying Literary Magazines, so I felt the best next step was to become familiar with the publication process. After having interned last semester, I felt that continuing to gain experience in online publishing would prove invaluable to my future career endeavors.

SR: Besides interning for Superstition Review, how do you spend your time?

MB: Currently, I work full-time as a Project Administrator at a large financial company. After my workday ends, I rush home to begin my schoolwork. In the spare time I have, I write short essays for practice, perfecting my skills as a writer.

SR: What other position(s) for Superstition Review would you like to try out?

MB: I think it would great to gain experience in the actual web design process of online publishing.

SR: Describe one of your favorite literary works.

MB: My favorite literary work, which as written by Tammy Delatorre, is titled Gifts from my Mother. The piece is a cynical coming of age tales that describes the “gifts” a young girl receives from her mother. At night the narrator’s mother leaves her young daughter in the car while she frequents the local bar. The mother brings her daughter the parasols and olives from her drinks at the bar, which the daughter sarcastically remarks as being so thoughtful. I like the feel of the story because it is dark and poignant, telling the short story of a young girl’s experience of her mother.

SR: What are you currently reading?

MB: I have recently begun to re-read 1984, by George Orwell. A co-worker and I were discussing the film and I felt the urge to read the book again to better familiarize with the details.

SR: Creatively, what are you currently working on?

MB: I am currently finishing a piece of creative non-fiction, detailing my experience of my father’s untimely death and how I felt caring for him at a young age.

SR: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

MB: I see myself as a leader within my employer’s brand management services division, editing work that is submitted for approval, prior to publication.