Creative Writing

#ArtLitPhx: Meet 2016 Pulitzer Prize Winner Viet Thanh Nguyen

Superstition Review

Co-presented by the Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing, Changing Hands Bookstore brings author of The Sympathizer 2016 Pulitzer Prize winner Viet Thanh Nguyen to Phoenix. Nguyen will talk about his new short story collection The Refugees at Changing Hands Bookstore’s Phoenix location (300 W. Camelback Rd, Phoenix, AZ 85013)  on Thursday, April 20th, 2017 at 7 p.m.

The Refugees is a captivating testament to the dreams and hardships of immigration. It is a collection of  stories written over a period of twenty years, exploring questions of immigration, identity, love, and family.

There will be a book signing following the talk. This is a free event. Please RSVP on the Facebook Event page.

For more details please visit Changing Hands Bookstore’s webpage.

#ArtLitPhx: Rain is the Hourglass of Memory by Jack Evans – A Four Chambers Publication

Superstition Review

Four Chambers Press presents poet Jack Evans for the release of their latest poetry collection, Rain is the Hourglass of Memory. The debut will take place at Practical Art (5070 N. Central Ave, Phoenix, AZ, 85012) on Saturday April 15th, at 5 p.m.

Evans was born on the banks of the Hudson. He is a music  enthusiast of all types and enjoys both reading and writing poetry. Evans works have appeared in numerous publications and he has also preformed all over Arizona as well as the rest of the country. Evans is a co-director of the Caffeine Corridor series in downtown Phoenix.

See the Facebook Event page for more details. To order digital and print editions of the book, visit Four Chambers Press website. Online PDF versions cost $5 and  and print editions are $18.

 

#ArtLitPhx: Caffeine Corridor Poetry feat. Jessica Standifird & Sally K. Lehman

Superstition Review

The Caffeine Corridor Poetry Series featuring poets Jessica Standifird and Sally K. Lehman, takes place on Friday, April 14th at 7 p.m., at {9} The Gallery. This event is hosted by Bill Campana, Jack Evans, and Shawnee Orion in partnership with Four Chambers Press. {9} The Gallery is located on 1229 Grand Ave. Phoenix AZ, 85007. The event is free and open to the public.

Open mic starts at 7 p.m. and sign-ups begin at 6:45 p.m.

Lehman will be promoting her novel, In The Fat, and Standifird will be reading from her upcoming memoir, A House Where Silence Is Failing. Both of these works cover topics in abuse, mental health, and teen pregnancy. Lehman’s  novel portrays these topics from a fictional standpoint whereas Standifird’’s in memoir point of view.

Lehman is the author of the Young Adult novel In The Fat as well as the books Small Minutes, The Unit – Room 154, and Living in the Second Tense. Her work can also be found in numerous literary magazines including Lunch Ticket and The Coachella Review. 

Standifird has performed her work across the country and her poetry and prose can be found in Perceptions: A Magazine Of The Arts, Microfiction Monday Magazine, and Bear The Pall: An Anthology On The Loss Of Parents. Standifird is also a musician, and plays with the Portland, Oregon band, Bright & Shiny.

Sally K. Lehman and Jessica Standifird both hail from Portland, Oregon will be touring the Southwest in April, 2017.

For more information visit the Facebook Events page.

Contributor Update: Patricia Clark

Superstition Review

Hello everybody! We here at Superstition Review are pleased to bring a bit of follow-up news regarding past contributor Patricia Clark (featured in the Poetry section of our  7th, 8th, and 17th issues) and her brilliant new book, titled “The Canopy.” Clark was interviewed by WYCE 88.1, a local radio station in Grand Rapids, as part of their Electric Poetry series, while “The Canopy” was recently reviewed by Cultured.GR, an art blog based in Grand Rapids.  The entire review can be read here, and while you’re at it, do yourself a big favor and listen to the interview here. Patricia Clark’s “The Canopy,” out now from Terrapin Books, can be purchased here. Do yourself a favor and check out “The Canopy” and see for yourself what all the hype is about!

Buy this book! Tell yr friends!
The beautifully rendered cover for The Canopy, out this year from Terrapin Books.

Contributor Update: Micah Dean Hicks

Superstition Review

Good afternoon, dear readers! Today we’re turning the spotlight to past contributor Micah Dean Hicks, who was recently interviewed by Abbie Lahmers over at Arts & Letters, a national literary journal housed over in Georgia College’s MFA program. The interview covers everything from Micah’s strategies for world-building within fiction to his influences and present reading recommendations: all of this and more can be found here! Micah’s story “The Man With Strange Luck” was featured in the Fiction section of our 13th issue, and can be read here. And if you’re hungry for more of Micah’s work, his collection of stories “Electricity and Other Dreams,” out from New American Press, is available for purchase here. Do yourself a favor and immerse yourself in the rich landscapes of Micah Dean Hicks, and stay posted for details about new work from him, and all of the other immensely talented folks that have contributed to Superstition Review.

Micah Dean Hicks, past contributor who was recently interviewed by Arts & Letters.
Micah Dean Hicks, past contributor who was recently interviewed by Arts & Letters.

Contributor Update: Meghan McClure and Michael Schmeltzer

Superstition Review

Greetings, dear readers! We here at Superstition Review are pleased to provide a double dose of good news: two of our past contributors, Meghan McClure and Michael Schmeltzer, have collaborated on a new book coming this June from Black Lawrence Press, titled A Single Throat Opens. Schmeltzer’s work was featured in the Poetry sections of both our 6th and 10th issues, while McClure’s work was featured in the Poetry section of our 6th issue and the Nonfiction section of our 18th issue. Preorder the book here, and check out both of these fine writers’ work out in our Archives (links here, here, here, and here)! Let us know what you think in the comments section below.

Pre-order this book!
The cover art for “A Single Throat Opens,” by past contributors Meghan McClure and Michael Schmeltzer.

Contributor Update: Roy Guzman

Superstition Review

Good afternoon, everybody! Today brings exciting developments from the field: past contributor Roy Guzman, featured in the Poetry section of our 18th issue, has been selected to have his poetry included in the brand new anthology from Tia Chucha Press, titled The Wandering Song: Central American Writing in the United States. The anthology is scheduled for release this month, and was edited by Leticia Hernández Linares, Rubén Martínez, and Héctor Tobar, with a foreword by Juan José Dalton. Go pre-order this brilliant collection of work here, and do yourself a favor (if you haven’t already) and go read Guzman’s poem in our 18th issue here. Let us know what you think in the comments section below!

Pre-order now!
The cover for The Wandering Song, featuring the work of past contributor Roy Guzman.

 

Contributor Update: Come Together With Mary Sojourner

Superstition Review

Good afternoon, everybody! Today, we are excited to announce that past contributor Mary Sojourner, featured in the Fiction section of both our 3rd and 10th issue, will be teaching a women’s writing circle at Changing Hands Bookstore in Tempe this Sunday, April 2, from 1:30 pm to 3:00 pm. Details can be found here. This wonderful opportunity coincides with a reading/book signing of Mary’s new book “The Talker,” out now from Torrey House Press. The price of admission is just purchasing a copy of “The Talker,” so if you’re at the reading and want your copy signed, joining the writing circle is a breeze! Come through, hear selections from “The Talker,” and come together as part of our wonderful writing community!

Go to this reading, buy this book!
The cover of Mary Sojourner’s new book “The Talker.”

#ArtLitPhx: Piper Writers Studio April 2017 Courses

Superstition Review

The Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing at Arizona State University is proud to offer five creative writing classes through the Piper Writers Studio. Classes are taught by acclaimed and award-winning writers from the community, and cover topics such as first-draft novel writing, novel revisions, persona poetry, and creative non-fiction.

The faculty and courses for the April 2017 sessions of the Piper Writers Studio are:

  • The Story Behind the Poem with Jim Sallis on Wednesdays April 5th – 26th, 2017 from 6:30 to 8:30 pm.
  • Another Voice: Creating Memorable Poetic Personas with Lois Roma-Deeley on Saturday April 22nd, 2017 from 9 am to 1 pm.
  • The Facts of Life… and Death: Writing Crime Accurately with Deborah Ledford on Saturdays April 8th – 29th, 2017 from 12 pm to 2 pm.
  • Having a Blast: The Art of Comedy and Writing with Rebecca Byrkit on Wednesdays April 5th – 26th, 2017 from 6:30pm – 8:30 pm.
  • Your Podcast is a Story: Finding and Telling Strong Narratives with Tracey Wahl and Daniel Zwerdling on Saturday March 25th, 2017 from 9 am to 4 pm.

Classes are open to individuals of all backgrounds, skill levels, and experiences, and are designed to fit around the schedules of working adults (taking place weekday evenings or weekends). Most classes are held at the Piper Writers House, the historic President’s Cottage on the ASU Tempe Campus. 
Class sizes are small in order to ensure an intimate, individualized educational experience, so be sure to register early to secure your seat. Students can register on the Piper Center’s website.

Classes start at $75 (with discounts for individuals who are members of the Piper Circle of Friends). Classes can also qualify for professional development credit with the Arizona Department of Education.

Sessions are held every October, January, and April. Topics and instructors vary from semester to semester, so check out The Piper Center’s website  for news about the courses and for FAQ’s.

Contributor Update: Barbara Crooker

Superstition Review

Hey there, readers! In the most recent bit of good news that’s floated by Superstition Review’s open windowsill, we are immensely pleased to announce that past contributor Barbara Crooker has a new book out called “Les Fauves,” which has been published by C&R Press. “Les Fauves” is a collection of ekphrastic poems that utilize the works of the Fauve and Post-Impressionist in order to move through the world, both as it is given and as it is withheld. Crooker’s poetry was featured in the Poetry section of our second issue, and can be viewed here. Go check out some reviews and order yourself a copy of “Les Fauves” here. A hearty congratulations to Barbara Crooker, and as always, feel free to let us know what you all liked about “Les Fauves,” as well as the rest of Crooker’s poetry, in the comments section down below.

Buy this book!
The cover for Barbara Crooker’s new book of poems, “Les Fauves.”