A black and white photo of Richard Shelton

Celebration for Richard Shelton


On Saturday, March 4th, from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm, the University of Arizona Poetry Center will be celebrating the life of Richard Shelton, renowned poet, memoirist, and activist. He wrote 11 books of poetry and established a writers workshop in the Arizona State Prison at Florence. He was also an emeritus Regents Professor of Creative Writing and a founding faculty member of the University of Arizona MFA Program in Creative Writing.

This event is free, open to the public, and available online. To learn more, go here.

An interview with Richard Shelton appeared in Issue 10 of Superstition Review.

#ArtLitPhx: 2019 CBAA’s Biennial Meeting

#artlitphx

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Event Description:

The 2019 College Book Art Association’s Biennial Meeting will be held January 4–5 at the University of Arizona in Tucson. Themed The Photographic Artist’s Book, this meeting is an interdisciplinary landmark for CBAA—keynote speaker Cristina de Middel will discuss the ways her work blends documentary and conceptual photographic practices, and discussion sessions will explore topics ranging from The Historical Photobook: Examples, Conventions, and Extensions to The Rise of the Risograph. In addition to these exciting features, CBAA is planning a large exhibit of photo-based artists’ books. Co-hosted by the Joseph Gross Gallery in the University of Arizona School of Art and the internationally known University of Arizona Poetry Center, the exhibit will include books by Massin, Michael Snow, Bern Porter, Alec Findlay, Paul Graham, Ken Ohara, Bill Burke, and many others.

More Info

Ford Foundation Poetry Grant

University of Arizona Poetry Center logoOur friends in the poetry center at University of Arizona will be benefitted by part of a $200,000 grant, thanks to the Ford Foundation. The grant will be administered by the Academy of American Poets and given over two years to the many members of the Poetry Coalition. U of A is one of the founding members of the Poetry Coalition, and provides literary access to many different audiences. The goal of the grant is to create a national program themed around social importance from leading contemporary poets. To find out more information about the grant, click here. And read more about the Poetry Coalition and it’s members here.

 

Contributor Update: Sarah Vap

Past contributor Sarah Vap was recently featured on the literary podcast, Commonplace: Conversations with Poets (and Other People). Sarah Vap bio pictureRachel Zucker interviews Sarah about upcoming manuscripts, her writing as craft, and her panel at this year’s AWP. You can listen to the conversation here.

Sarah was also featured on the Speedway and Swan podcast with guest host Susan Briante. You can listen to that conversation here, where they discuss the many forms that poetry can take.

Sarah’s interview with Superstition Review can be found in issue 13 here.

Intern Spotlights: Week 2, Wrap-Up

Where are they now?

We are so proud of our past and present staff here at Superstition Review, and we’ve decided to celebrate the accomplishments of our past interns throughout the month of April. Each day, we will feature an intern on social media and share what they’re up to now. Then, at the end of each week, we will share a wrap-up post of all our featured interns from that week. So, without further ado…

1. Elijah Tubbs: Poetry Editor, Issue 16 (Fall 2015) and Issue 17 (Spring 2016)

April 9: Twitter and Facebook announcements, find Elijah on LinkedIn

Elijah TubbsMore details: Eli shares, “After editing poetry for SR issues 16 & 17 and graduating from ASU I went on to my current job as an on-line content coordinator for BPG Technologies/Designs. Sister companies that specializes in Fiber Optics, telecommunication, GIS mapping, construction and design. Being able to write in some facet as a career path is wonderful and SR gave me some really essential skill sets for that. More importantly, Trish and SR showed me how to run a literary magazine well and now with my girlfriend, we too run a literary magazine: ELKE “a little journal”.”

2. Erin Regan: Student Editor-in-Chief, Issue 13 (Spring 2014)

April 10: Twitter and Facebook announcements, find Erin on LinkedIn

Erin ReganMore details: Erin is currently a Digital Production Specialist at Make-A-Wish America, a nonprofit that serves children with critical illnesses. She shares, “Since serving as the student editor-in-chief of Superstition Review in 2014 and graduating from ASU, I’ve been managing the email marketing program and supporting other digital campaigns at Make-A-Wish. Every day I’m doing something a little different – whether it’s planning content for an upcoming campaign, writing copy, or designing an email – which gives me so many opportunities to use the skills I gained in school and at Superstition Review. Plus, I’m learning a lot about the nonprofit world and direct response marketing! It’s exciting being able to apply my experience in school and from internships to serve a unique mission.”

3. Cara Pencak: Advertising Coordinator, Issue 15 (Spring 2015)

April 11: Twitter and Facebook announcements, find Cara on LinkedIn

Cara PencakMore details: Cara is currently the editorial assistant at Phoenix New Times. She shares, “I didn’t realize how much I enjoyed writing until I started at ASU. My academic advisor had mentioned the internship with Superstition Review and I’m so glad I took the opportunity! The work I did with the magazine gave me a chance to explore what it takes to put together a publication—the ins and outs, so to speak. In my current role as the editorial assistant at Phoenix New Times, I find myself applying that knowledge daily and I’m really enjoying it! I’m also interested in medicine, which led me to pursue a career in speech-language pathology. I’m excited to start as a grad student this fall at U of A!”

4. Jessica Fletcher: Fiction Editor, Issue 16 (Fall 2015) and Student Editor-in-Chief, Issue 17 (Spring 2016)

April 12: Twitter and Facebook announcements, find Jessica on LinkedIn

Jessica FletcherMore details: Jessica is currently a Counseling Graduate Student and Director of Events in ASU’s Graduate Professional Student Association. She shares, “I am currently studying in the Master of Counseling program at ASU. In addition, I serve as Director of Events in the Graduate Professional Student Association. Using the nifty skills I learned in s[r] roles (SEC, fiction editor, and blogger), I plan social events for graduate students as well as lead advocacy projects for state prisons. Even though I am working in mental health, I continue to use literature and art to reach others. I am volunteering in Florence State Prison as a creative writing teacher and I am also a fiction editor for Iron City Magazine, which is a print and online journal devoted entirely to writing and art from the prison world. The best part — I get to use all my experience to make a difference in the community and touch the lives of others.”

5. Michael Wise: Content Coordinator, Issue 14 (Fall 2014) and Social Networker, Issue 15 (Spring 2015)

April 13: Twitter and Facebook announcements, find Michael on LinkedIn

Michael WiseMore details: Michael Wise is a testing technician in the enrollment services at Chandler-Gilbert Community College. He shares, “I used to be one of the content coordinators for Superstition Review, and it was such a fun and invaluable experience! The work I did there helped me get through my BA of English at ASU and to land a job at Chandler-Gilbert Community College. My job is pretty straight-forward, I am the person who students dread seeing because I’m the one who hands out their midterms and finals. I decided to try and soften my image a bit and not be solely associated with stressful exams by becoming more engaged on campus. I am a club advisor for the Male Empowerment Network (M.E.N.) where I work with male minority students to help them complete their degrees and/or transfer onto a university. As the adviser I have utilized my work experience and writing background to hold scholarship writing and resume building workshops. I am also a member of CGCC’s Creative Writing & Arts Council where we are working to build a larger and stronger community of artists and writers on campus. As for my writing, I have been working on a few short stories to get accepted into a creative writing MFA program and for eventual publication.”

6. Megan Kizer: Social Networker, Issue 14 (Fall 2014)

April 14: Twitter and Facebook announcements, find Megan on LinkedIn

Megan KizerMore details: Megan currently works at a global integrated marketing agency called PMX Agency as their very first in-house SEO Content Writer. She shares, “This essentially means that I have the fun opportunity to write page optimization copy, net-new copy, blog posts, and eBooks for leading clients across several industries. Along with actively contributing to my own company’s blog, I’m also beginning to take on more of an editorial role as our team expands. Overall, my job is to tell the client’s story in a way their customers will understand and appreciate, whether that means cranking out retail-specific verbiage, explaining the careful behind-the-scenes details of a national cleaning company, or even helping adults find a college program that they’re passionate about. I love that I get to wear a different hat every day and practice my writing skills in vastly diverse fields. My absolute favorite part of my job is to go onto a major client’s website or blog and think, ‘Hey! I wrote that!’ I also love that I’m able to communicate with coworkers across the nation to implement new ideas and processes that will help move our company forward. We’re all about improving ourselves, our teams, and our company, and it’s truly an incredible experience to feel that support in my career. I’m so grateful to sit across such intelligent people and learn about everything it takes to build a brand and keep it growing, from content to social media to email marketing, and everything in between!”

7. Amanda Strusienski: Social Networker, Issue 11 (Spring 2013)

April 15: Twitter and Facebook announcements, find Amanda on LinkedIn

Amanda StrusienskiMore details: Amanda is currently a Curriculum Coordinator for University of Phoenix. She shares, “Since graduating from ASU in 2013 with my BA in English I have found my passion in education. My first career job was a school librarian where I instructed grades K-6th. That was an amazing experience where I had the opportunity to impact student lives, and hopefully give them a deeper understanding of literature. Presently, I am entering my third year with the University of Phoenix as a Curriculum Coordinator for the College of Education. I like to say my job is 2% administration and 98% all other duties as assigned. I get the opportunity to research, support, design, and revise college courses and programs for adult learners. It is a challenging and rewarding position.  I love knowing that I’m part of a process that helps adult learners find new careers or seek advancement in their field. I am also two classes away from completing my masters in Adult Education and Training. My hope is to move into a career as an instructional designer for higher education programs or work as a facilitator for adult education (maybe even both).”

Thank you so much to these interns for their service with us; you are all doing such amazing things, and we’re so proud!

#ArtLitPhx: U of A Poetry Center Presents Forrest Gander

Forrest GanderForrest Gander will read poetry at the Phoenix Art Museum 1625 N. Central Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85004 on March 3rd from 7pm to 9pm.

Local poet Giancarlo Huapaya will open.

After the reading there will be a short Q&A and a book signing.

Superstition Review is proud to co-sponsor this event with The Poetry Center at The University of Arizona.

See The Poetry Center’s website for more information.

Forrest Gander is a poet, translator, essayist, and editor of several anthologies of writing from Spain and Mexico. His 2011 poetry collection Core Samples from the World was a finalist for both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award and his works include novels and poetry. His essay collection Faithful Existence: Reading, Memory & Transcendence have appeared in The Nation, The Boston Review, and the New York Times Book Review, among others. He is the recipient of fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Guggenheim, Howard, and Whiting Foundations, and he has received two Gertrude Stein Awards for Innovative Poetry.

#ArtLitPhx: Reading by Oregon Poets Scot Siegel and Kristin Berger in Tucson

ScotSiegelandKristin

 

Scot Siegel and Kristin Berger will be reading at the University of Arizona’s Institute of the Environment, Department of English, and the Arts, Environment, and Humanities Network. The event is hosted by Terrain.org and takes place on Friday, October 28 at 5:30 p.m. Environment and Natural Resources 2 Building, S225, The University of Arizona, 1064 E. Lowell St., Tucson, AZ. For more information, please visit the Facebook event.

Kristin Berger is the author of the poetry collection How Light Reaches Us (Aldrich Press, 2016), and a poetry chapbook, For the Willing (Finishing Line Press, 2008), and was co-editor of VoiceCatcher 6: Portland/Vancouver Area Women Writers and Artists (2011). Her long prose-poem, Changing Woman & Changing Man: A High Desert Myth, was a finalist for the 2016 Newfound Prose Prize. Kristin is the recipient of writer residencies from Playa and OSU’s Spring Creek Project, and her poetry and essays have appeared in Cirque, Facing the Change: Personal Encounters with Global Warming, Terrain.org, You Are Here, and in the forthcoming anthology, Drought, from Tiger’s Eye Press. A Detroit-native, Kristin has lived in Portland for 22 years, and is co-host of a poetry series at the Lents International Farmer’s Market. For more information visit the website.

Scot Siegel was born in Oakland, California, and grew up near Lake Tahoe where he was a nationally ranked junior ski racer. He has lived in the Pacific Northwest since 1987 and resides in Lake Oswego, Oregon. Siegel is the author of five books of poetry, most recently The Constellation of Extinct Stars and Other Poems (Salmon Poetry, 2016) and Thousands Flee California Wildflowers (Salmon Poetry, 2012). He has received awards and commendations from the Oregon Poetry Association, Nimrod International, Aesthetica (UK), Poetry Northwest, and the Oregon State Library. Siegel is the recipient of writer residencies with Playa at Summer Lake and Oregon State University’s Spring Creek Project. His poetry is part of the permanent art installation along the Portland-to-Milwaukie Light Rail ‘Orange Line’. For more information, visit Siegel’s website.

#ArtLitPhx: Kim Kyung Ju at Valley Bar

2016-02-02 Author Photo Kim Kyung JuFour Chambers is extremely excited to announce the English-speaking debut of internationally acclaimed South Korean poet Kim Kyung Ju with his best-selling collection, I am A Season that Does Not Exist in the World  (with translator and poet Jake Levine).

Tuesday, February 2nd at 6:30 pm
Valley Bar (130 N Central Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85004)
21+ | Free

“Both a blessing and a curse to Korean Literature,” Kim Kyung Ju is considered to be one of the strongest voices of his generation, and I am A Season that Does Not Exist in the World  is his hallmark work. In haunting, anti-lyrical verse, Kim explores the transcendental homelessness borne from the apocalyptic narrative of impending ecological extinction while, at the same time, celebrating it’s banal, messianic ecstasies. I am A Season that Does Not Exist in the World  perfectly capures the emotional sensibility of a generation born into an age where emotional sensibility was said to not eixst. While the futures of the past may already have failed, Kim carries them into the present and offers them redemption. When the seasons of the world become so unpredictable that the only predictable thing left is their increasing unpredictability, a season that does not exist in the world might be anyother way to say utopia. It might be another way to say hope.

2016-02-02 Author Photo Jake Levine (1)Reading with Kim is poet and translator Jake Levine, who received his MFA from the University of Arizona, serves as Poetry Editor for Spork Press, and is currently completing his PhD in Comparative Literature at Seoul National University.

I am A Season that Does Not Exist in the World  will be available as general volume from Black Ocean Press and a special, handbound edition from Spork Press.

For more information please visit http://fourchamberspress.com/kkj

Reading: Patrick Michael Finn

On Friday, November 4, Phoenix College is presenting a free reading and book signing by award-winning author Patrick Michael Finn.

The reading and book signing will begin at 7:30 p.m. at Phoenix College, 1202 Thomas Rd, in room H102.

Patrick Michael Finn is the author of the novella A Martyr for Suzy Kashasovich, which won the 2006 Ruthanne Wiley Memorial Novella Competition. His collection of short stories, The Darkness Under Our Feet, is the 2009 Hudson Prize winner.

Patrick’s short stories have appeared in Ploughshares, TriQuarterly, Third Coast, Quarterly West, The Clackamas Literary Review, and Houghton Mifflin’s The Best American Mystery Stories 2004. Awards for his fiction include the Third Coast Fiction Prize 2004, AWP Intro Award, citations in the 2005 Pushcart Prize, and The Best American Short Stories 2008.

Patrick has taught at the University of Arizona, Western Nebraska Community College, and the University of North Carolina, Asheville, and founded the Chandler-Gilbert Community College writing program in 2007, which he currently directs. He lives in Arizona with his wife and son.

For more information about the reading, contact Lisa Miller at 602-285-7348 or lisa.miller.@pcmail.maricopa.edu.