The Online Literary Magazine at Arizona State University
Congratulations to Issue 7 Contributor George Estreich, whose book The Shape of the Eye: Down Syndrome, Family, and the Stories We Inherit won the 2012 Oregon Book Award for Creative Nonfiction. You can read more about the award here and read the judge’s comments here.
| ASU Polytechnic hosts TED2012 webcast Wednesday, February 29, 2012 9:30 a.m. – 7:45 p.m. Student Union, Cooley BallroomsASU’s Polytechnic campus will host a live webcast of TED2012 from 9:30 a.m. – 7:45 p.m., Feb 29. TEDx is hosted by Barrett, The Honors College at Polytechnic campus and will be held in the Cooley Ballrooms.Live speakers at ASU Polytechnic: Lee Gutkind: (11:15 a.m. – 12 p.m.) Dubbed by Vanity Fair as “the Godfather behind creative nonfiction,” Gutkind is an author and founder of Creative Nonfiction, the first and largest literary magazine to publish nonfiction exclusively. His latest book, “Almost Human: Making Robots Think” was featured on the Daily Show with John Stewart. Gutkind spent six years as a fly-on-the-wall researcher at the Robotics Institute at Carnegie Melon University in Pittsburgh where scientists and students are working to design, build and test robots so advanced that will work alongside humans. “Almost Human” is a portrait of robotic subculture. Gutkind is the Distinguished Writer-in-Residence in the Consortium for Science, Policy & Outcomes at ASU and a professor in the Hugh Downs School of Human Communication. Jennifer Gale: (1:45 – 3:15 p.m.) Gale is a local advocate for sustainability and co-founder of “Paper or Plastic? Neither One Please!” Her work addresses the volume of plastic disposables as a vital issue for the planet. Solutions Exhibition: (5 – 6 p.m.) Sponsored by Changemaker Central and the Programming and Activities Board, the Solutions Exhibition is a forum for students to showcase new ideas and learn how to transform ideas into reality. Attendees at TEDx may stay for the entire day’s schedule or drop by for a shorter time period throughout the day. Workstations will be set up, and attendees are welcome to work on laptops during the event. Admission is free; food will be served throughout the day. For more information, visit http://barrettpoly.asu.edu/2012/01/tedxbhcpoly/ or call (480) 727-5399. A list of speakers for TED event can be found here. |
Issue 7 contributor George Estreich recently published a new memoir, The Shape of the Eye, in which he describes the blessings and challenges of raising his daughter Laura, who was diagnosed with Down Syndrome. Estreich is known for his book of poems, Textbook Illustration of the Human Body, which won the Rhea and Seymour Gorsline Prize from Cloudbank Books.
While writing Shape of the Eye Estreich was faced with new challenges, both technically and personally. Having a strong background in poetry, Estreich found writing a memoir to be both a foreign and familiar experience: “When I wrote poems, I was mainly concerned with language, line by line and word by word […] In a way, I was still writing poetry, trying to get each sentence right, to find the right word and metaphor and form. At the same time, those formal choices became part of a larger goal.”
Creative nonfiction can have its own challenges, especially when the topic is so personal. Estreich commented on that intimate quality of Shape: “It’s odd to have written so much autobiographical work, in poetry and prose, because I think of myself as a private person. So there was a tension between necessary truth-telling and privacy. Also, if one is writing about people one cares about, and one acknowledges that true stories can do harm to relationships, then writing and family are in tension too. Storytelling is an ethical act. I don’t have a formula for resolving these tensions, and I don’t think there is one, but these issues were never far from mind.”
Despite the challenges creative nonfiction presents, Estriech found that, “in writing nonfiction prose about Laura, [he] wanted to be, in a small way, an agent of change.” Estreich goes on to say, “I wanted to raise questions about what “normal” meant, and to raise the question of who counts in our society. More specifically, I wanted to oppose a complex and singular portrait of Down Syndrome to the generic, medically ratified portrait that most people know.”
Estreich’s memoir has received attention from both the medical and literary fields. He has spoken and presented excerpts of the novel at the Willamette Valley Down Syndrome Association, the Spring Creek Conference on Nature and the Sacred, and the World Down Syndrome Conference in Vancouver. Estreich remarked: “I don’t know what effect Shape has had, but I hope it’s been positive. I do know that the responses to the book so far have been very gratifying, from other parents and from medical professionals. I’ve spoken to a number of medical audiences, and am always glad to have the chance to answer questions and have the necessary conversations. In general, I’ve found an extraordinary amount of goodwill, which reflects the goodwill Laura seems to inspire in person. This isn’t to say that attitudes don’t have a long way to go, about Down Syndrome or disability in general. But as a writer and a father, I’ve been very happy with the response to my book so far.”
The Shape of the Eye is a finalist in the 2012 Oregon Book Award for creative nonfiction and has been nominated for a Reader’s Choice Award (you can vote online for the memoir here). You can read an excerpt from Shape of the Eye and find out more information on George Estreich’s webpage.
Jocelyn Cullity has published short fiction, creative nonfiction, documentary film and scholarship; she’s currently completing her first novel, set in 1857 India. Cullity teaches creative writing at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, and also in the low-residency BFA program at Goddard College in Vermont.
Superstition Review: Your piece “Mutiny” takes place in India, and you’ve also co-written an analytical essay on female representation in Indian popular culture, specifically as perpetuated in media such as MTV India. What about India would you say inspires your writing?
Jocelyn Cullity: My British family on my mother’s side lived in India for five generations. The stories told to me by my mother and my great-aunts were more about India than anywhere else.
One of the most violent events in Indian history began in 1857 when Indian citizens revolted against the variety of injustices occurring during British rule. My ancestor, Ellen Huxham, was one of the women held hostage during a five-month siege in Lucknow during the “mutiny,” and she kept a diary during that time. When I was about 12, I transcribed her diary, and this event in particular stayed with me.
SR: Have you travelled to India and if so, were you inspired to write about it afterwards, or did you travel there because it inspired you?
JC: I have had the opportunity to visit India several times. I love India and I have gone when I can. I’ve gone to write, for research, but also just to visit family and friends. It was sometime after my last trip that I wrote the short story “Mutiny” as a part of my dissertation collection at Florida State University, and after that I began working on the novel.
SR: “Mutiny” begins, “India. May 24th, 1857.” What do you think it does for a story to have a concrete setting?
JC: Janet Burroway (the writer, teacher, and one of my mentors) has written that setting means more to writers than anything else. I do think that setting is everything, and that to establish an immediate concrete image of location in the reader’s mind is useful and most often necessary. When one is writing about a different country and a different century it’s crucial to establish time and place in the reader’s mind as soon as one can.
SR: There is an element of the supernatural in “Mutiny” that contrasts with the almost sparse narration. How did you envision your narrator when you began writing “Mutiny” and was this contrast your intention from the beginning, or did it develop after the fact?
JC: I don’t think I thought about this sort of contrast. The dead husband suddenly appeared in the doorway, and I wrote him down. To his wife, he is as real as the siege around her. However, I’m fascinated by the existence of supernatural elements in the short story, over the form’s history, so, as I think about it now, it doesn’t surprise me that the ghost character showed up.
SR: “Mutiny” is an excerpt from your forthcoming novel of the same name. How does it feel to see your work and your efforts coming together into a tangible form?
JC: I started the story “Mutiny” very tentatively. I had the feeling I should explore the character of Eva before embarking on a larger project; she is one of several important characters I’d been thinking of for the novel. Now it feels utterly inevitable to be writing the book. I’m almost finished and it is gratifying to see what I hope is coming together.
I should say that the title that I used for the short story — “Mutiny” – is used with a good dose of irony. The “mutiny of 1857” is still a phrase used by some; some others call it “India’s First War of Independence.” I have used the word “Mutiny” as a working title for the novel but I’m not completely sure yet if that’s what it will be called. I hope to decide that in the next months.
Superstition Review is thrilled to announce our publication of Patrick Madden in our upcoming issue, set to launch this December. Madden is a wonderful essayist who curates his own website which features classical and renowned essays from the most esteemed authors in history and currently teaches at Brigham Young University. Check out his website at www.quotidiana.org.
Patrick Madden joined the BYU English Department in 2004 after completing his Ph.D. at Ohio University. He specializes in theory and practice of the personal essay and its sister genres (travel, aphorism, etc.) in literary nonfiction. He is also interested in Latin American Literature.
His first book, Quotidiana, a collection of personal essays, was published in early 2010 by the University of Nebraska Press. It was a finalist for the PEN Center USA Literary Award in Creative Nonfiction; it won a gold medal in the Independent Publisher Book of the Year Awards for Creative Nonfiction, a bronze medal in the ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year Awards for Essay, and the Association for Mormon Letters Award for the Personal Essay. He has published individual essays in The Iowa Review, Fourth Genre, Hotel Amerika, Portland Magazine, and many other journals, plus some of these essays have been anthologized in The Best American Spiritual Writing 2007 and The Best Creative Nonfiction vol. 2 or noted in the back of The Best American Essays.
He enjoys volleyball, basketball, web design, strategy games, singing, Rush, and Notre Dame football. He and his wife, Karina, have three sons and three daughters.
We are honored to have the opportunity to publish Madden’s work ourselves, and look forward to our readership enjoying his work as much as we have.
Below is a link to one of Madden’s essays, entitled, “On Laughter”
http://magazine.byu.edu/?act=view&a=2390
Or you can listen to him read the same essay by downloading the .mp3 from this link:
http://magazine.byu.edu/issues/121/2390/files/patrickmaddenonlaughter.mp3
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.
Superstition Review is now accepting applications for ASU undergraduate student interns for Fall 2010!
A Bit About the Internship:
Superstition Review is an online literary magazine that publishes fresh fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, artwork, photography, and interviews from both established and emerging writers across the United States. A teaching tool of the Literature, Writing, and Film program at ASU’s Polytechnic campus, Superstition Review is a three credit course that gives ASU undergraduate interns valuable hands-on experience in publishing a literary magazine. The interns do all the work themselves, from soliciting and selecting work for publication to designing and maintaining the Superstition Review website—meaning no intern’s time is wasted getting other people’s coffee. Plus, the hours are flexible, as all work is done online through a course Blackboard site.
To gain a better idea of what specific positions entail, explore the intern interviews and progress updates right here on our blog. For specific applicant guidelines, see the application below.
Fall 2010 Superstition Review Internship Application
If you’ve been following our blog and are dying to work with us, now’s your chance! Applications are being accepted until positions are filled, so apply soon! We can’t wait to work with you.
Dustin Diehl is a Senior at Arizona State University majoring in English Literature and minoring in Religious Studies. He is also pursuing a LGBT Certificate.
Superstition Review: What do you do for SR?
Dustin Diehl: I solicit work from nonfiction authors to be considered for publication. I then read through submissions (both solicited and submitted) and decide which ones I think should be included. Together, with Liz, we decide which ones to include, then send out rejection/acceptance e-mails.
SR: How did you hear about or get involved with Superstition Review?
DD: Trish is my Honors Thesis advisor and asked if I would like to participate…I said yes!
SR: What is your favorite section of SR? Why?
DD: I really enjoy fiction; however, I’ve been earning a deeper appreciation for nonfiction…seeing how people can take ordinary circumstances (or even not-so-ordinary circumstances) and convey them in a creative and readable form is fascinating to me.
SR: Who is your dream contributor to the journal? Talk about him/her.
DD: I would love for Michael Stackpole to contribute a short fiction story. I love his Star Wars novels and he’s a local writer!
SR: What job, other than your own, would you like to try out in the journal?
DD: I think it would be fun to be a part of the marketing team. I work for an online ad agency, so getting to apply my job skills to something fun like SR would be pretty cool.
SR: What are you most excited for in the upcoming issue?
DD: I’m really excited to read the submitted work…it’s always fun to read people’s work, especially when you find a diamond in the rough!
SR: What was the first book you remember falling in love with and what made it so special?
DD: The first book I fell in love with was The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare. I loved how it deftly juxtaposed religious history, political history and fiction into a very readable and timeless story. In high school, I adapted the book into a play script and would still love to produce a stage version of the book.
SR: What are you currently reading?
DD: Currently reading the Star Wars: X-Wing series by Michael Stackpole and Aaron Allston. Reading should be fun, and these books are fun!
SR: What are some of your favorite websites to waste time on or distract you from homework?
DD: I’m a huge movie buff, so I’m constantly on WorstPreviews.com, a movie news blog. I’m also an avid Star Wars fan, so I enjoy TheForce.net as well.
SR: Do you write? Tell us about a project you’re working on.
I do write; usually fiction, but I’ve found nonfiction to be very satisfying as well. I’m working on a collection of creative nonfiction essays for my Honors Thesis as well as a LGBT-themed modern fantasy novel.
Nicole Dunlap is a English Literature Senior at Arizona State University. She is currently the Photoshop Editor for Superstition Review.
Superstition Review: What do you do for SR?
Nicole Dunlap: So far I have been formatting headshots and designing various banners and logos for the website and advertisements. I plan to continue these activities throughout the semester and I also plan to do any miscellaneous tasks that will be given to a Photoshop editor.
SR: How did you hear about or get involved with Superstition Review?
ND: I first heard about Superstition Review through an advertisement for needed interns.
SR: What is your favorite section of SR? Why?
ND: I like the nonfiction section, just because I tend towards the creative nonfiction genre.
SR: Who is your dream contributor to the journal?
ND: I would love if my friend Kara would contribute some of her artwork. She does mostly performance art, but her paintings and prints are amazing; I would love to help publish some of her art.
SR: What job, other than your own, would you like to try out in the journal?
ND: I would love to be a nonfiction editor. I would love to read submissions and get a feel for the behind-the-scenes operations of the publication process.
SR: What are you most excited for in the upcoming issue?
ND: I’m excited to read the submissions, of course. But I’m mostly excited to see how the redesigning of the website will look.
SR: What was the first book you remember falling in love with and what made it so special?
ND: I’ve had several favorite books but the earliest one that I can remember is a book called Sirena. It was a young adult novel about the Siren mermaids–the author wrote a series of novels that reworked common stories or fairy tales. She put her own twist on them, added in a bit of drama and made them all great for teenagers to read.
SR: What are some of your favorite websites to waste time on or distract you from homework?
ND: www.stumbleupon.com (if you don’t have an account here, you need to make one), www.etsy.com, www.flickr.com.
SR: What are your feelings on digital medium?
ND: I’m hoping that being involved with Superstition Review will help rid of me this opinion, but it’s hard for me to take digital literary pieces seriously. Blogs have to be especially entertaining or humorous for me to like them. And similarly, literature needs to be especially engaging to hold my attention. I’m also a person who prefers a photo to a digital file, a printed page over a PDF. I just like tangible things better.
Do you create art? Tell us about a project you’re working on.
I’m always tweeking my own photographs, trying to decide on a series to shoot, a series to put together. Currently, I’m working on putting together a poetry/photography book. I’ve printed out a sentence or two on a transparency so I can bring it into the darkroom with me to make it a part of the printing process.
Jenny Brundage, a senior at Arizona State University majoring in Creative Writing and minoring in Communications, is currently one of the Superstition Review Art Editors.
Superstition Review: What do you do for SR? Please list job activities/explanation.
Jenny Brundage: Art Editor–solicit art, help decide both what’s chosen and how it’s displayed, do artist interviews, acquire and edit artists’ bios, acquire artist pics for their bios.
SR: How did you hear about or get involved with Superstition Review?
JB: I don’t recall. I do remember Trish being one of my favorite teachers I’ve had at ASU–although we’ve never met in real life.
SR: What is your favorite section of SR? Why?
JB: Art, because it truly suits the digital medium.
SR: Who is your dream contributor to the journal?
JB: Dorothea Tanning. She’s somewhere near the century mark, but still alive and working. She was associated with the Surrealist and Dadaist movements, as an artist, but really did her own thing. She’s a legendary painter, a skilled poet, and an excellent creative nonfiction author.
SR: What job, other than your own, would you like to try out in the journal?
JB: One of the managerial or PR types of positions.
SR: What are you most excited for in the upcoming issue?
JB: I’m most excited to see the completed issue, all new and shiny.
SR: What was the first book you remember falling in love with and what made it so special?
JB: No Flying in the House in Kindergarten was my first big book, and so it was an achievement as well as a fun book.
SR: What are you currently reading?
JB: I recently finished volume 5 of Ross Campbell’s Wet Moon, which was amazing and ended on a huge cliffhanger.
SR: What are some of your favorite literary links?
JB: My favorite writing site is Ralan.com, and most of my other favorites (Submitting to the Black Hole, Preditors and Editors, etc…) link from there. It’s where I check market listings and hear information. Plus, it’s free! I also subscribe to the free mini-version of Publishers Weekly.
SR: Have you ever submitted to or been published in a literary/art magazine? How was that process? What was it like, waiting?
JB: Yes, I have had a story in The Pedestal Magazine, which you can still find in their archives (“The Jig”). They were quick to reply with a “yes”–I think it was under two months. It was standard process: sign the contract and get the check. It was nice having my story discussed in that issue’s intro, not just seeing the story itself appear.
I’ve never had my art in any literary magazines (might’ve modeled for, but not created). I’ve had paintings and photography in larger shows (subject-specific, not my work featured) at Alwun House in the past. I’ve sold a commission before, but don’t really focus on art because I’m not that great at it.