Know Any Blacksburg Writers?

Jenny Gardiner has passed along a request from Blacksburg's new-writer-guy-in-town, Jonathan Schramm. Schramm, who works in the VA Tech undergrad admissions office, would like to tap into the writing community in Blacksburg. (There's a joke to be made here about reading all those undergrad admissions essays, but someone else will have to come up with it.)

So, if you can put Schramm in touch with Blacksburgers who write, email him at: jschramm at vt.edu.

Nuts & Bolts of Publishing and Promotion

Jenny Gardiner has helpful information to pass along (and, as the Sultan of Self-Promotion, Jenny knows what she's talking about):

A writer friend forwarded this to a loop I'm on. This is an agent's blog, and his piece about self-promotion is worth reading for anyone hoping to break into the industry in this grueling market. www.NathanBransford.blogspot.com
-Jen
American Title III winner, Sleeping with Ward Cleaver, (Dorchester/Feb. 2008)
JennyGardiner.net & www.thedebutanteball.com

[At Bransford's blog, scroll down to August 23rd for the self-promotion post. But don't confine yourself that post -- Branford has lots of good advice regarding other aspects of getting that manuscript published. How to write a synopsis is another good one. A good blog to bookmark, IMHO. --Janis]

Download Leslie Middleton's Radio Show

Leslie Middleton writes:

My weekly radio show, "The Rivanna Rambler," which airs at 11:55 a.m. every Thursday on 91.1. FM WTJU, is now available by podcast at my new blog:

http://rivannarambler.blogspot.com/

You can catch it live at 91.1 FM (or audio streaming at wtju.net) or at your leisure on the blog which also includes the written narrative and links of interest. (The actual podcast is hosted at the Charlottesville Podcast Network: cvillpodcast.com.)

I've been producing this show, which is an exploration of the cultural and natural history of the Rivanna watershed, since April 2006. Also, I have a new email address: lmiddleton@embarqmail.com

I welcome your comments and feedback! --- Leslie

National Exposure for Your Writing

Jenny Gardiner passes along this innovative approach to the world of medicine. (Caveat: I could find no mention of payment on the journal's website.)

Dear Jenny,

I am writing to ask your help spreading the word re: Hospital Drive, a new on-line journal of written and visual work concerned with health and illness. Our first issue was posted July 30, 2007. The website is HospitalDrive.Med.Virginia.edu . We plan to publish two issues a year, summer and winter. Each winter issue will have a theme—for 2008 the experience of pain.

In addition to placing ads in various magazines and journals and telling friends, patients, colleagues and relatives, we hope to find influential bloggers (positive influence of course), established writers and artists, publishers, and new friends and supporters who will tell others about Hospital Drive.

While many schools of medicine publish student work, there are only a handful of medical school journals that match emerging writers and artists with a national audience.

Hospital Drive is supported by the Dean’s Office and the Center for Biomedical Ethics and Humanities, UVA School of Medicine. We appreciate your interest and support.

Respectfully,
Sharon


Sharon L. Hostler, MD
Interim Vice President and Dean
McLemore Birdsong Professor of Pediatrics
School of Medicine
University of Virginia
P.O. Box 800793
Charlottesville, VA 22908

C'ville Grant-Writing Gig

Grant Writer Needed Part Time in CVille - Contract (Comp: Hourly, based on experience) (Charlottesville, VA)
job-395810348@craigslist.org : http://charlottesville.craigslist.org/wri/395810348.html

Seeking talented grant writer to assist with national project. Leads and grant templates will be provided. However, candidate should be familiar with the Foundation Center and related resources, and be willing to research potential grant-making organizations.

Must attend meetings in the CVille area on occasion. Please respond with a resume' and brief letter of introduction. Thank you!

New Dance Partners

From Literary Lady/Debutante Jenny Gardiner:

I'd like to invite you all to come on over to a grog (group blog) that I am thrilled to be a part of, The Debutante Ball.

The Debutante Ball was founded last year by Kristy Kiernan along with five other authors who were launching debut novels in 2007. It was a wonderful chance to bond with authors at similar points in their careers, and provide an opportunity for readers to become acquainted with books they might find enjoyable.

Last year's authors--Kristy Kiernan, Mia King, Tish Cohen, Jennifer McMahon, Eileen Cook and Anna David--turn over the reins this week, with Eileen Cook being the one carry-over author, as her debut date has been pushed back.

This year's authors, whose books will debut in 2008, are:

• Danielle Younge-Ullman (FALLING UNDER)
• Jess Riley (RIDING WITH LARRY RESNICK), Lisa Daily (FIFTEEN MINUTES OF SHAME)
• Jenny Gardiner (SLEEPING WITH WARD CLEAVER)
• Gail Konop Baker (CANCER IS A BITCH: Reflections on Midlife, Mortality, Motherhood and Marriage)
• Eileen Cook (UNPREDICTABLE).

We hope you'll drop by to visit the Ball, bookmark the site if you like it, and check out the happenings as the year progresses!

Charlottesville Editing Gig

This opportunity from craigslist was passed along to me today:
---
Part-Time Editing Job Available (Comp: Hourly, no benefits, based on experience) (Charlottesville, VA)
job-390765237@craigslist.org : http://charlottesville.craigslist.org/wri/390765237.html
Person with editing experience in fiction writing or with good background in English needed for Fridays and Saturdays. Work involves taking dictation, assisting with editorial choices, and working on dialogue in novel in progress by experienced writer.
---
Bein' as how it's someone in C'ville, I can't help but wonder who it is!

Writing Gig at UVa

Silvia Sanides has a hot tip:

Gwen Ottinger, a UVA professor in the Engineering Department (science and society), needs help with writing a book about community organizing and pollution from a refinery in Louisiana. (Sounds like a great project, unfortunately I'm totally booked this fall). Gwen can be reached at 295 1257 or ottinger [at] virginia [dot] edu.

Hm... Louisiana, eh? This might call for a field trip to the French Quarter. Son of a gun, gonna have big fun, on the bayou. (You will now have "Jambalaya" stuck in your head for the rest of the day. You're welcome.)

Mollie Bryan: NPR's "Contessa of Country Cooking"?

Well, hey, Ketzel Levine is NPR's "Doyenne of Dirt." Keep reading Mollie's blackberry adventure at NPR.org, and you'll also get her recipe for Mrs. Rowe's Blackberry Cobbler.

Kitchen Window
By Mollie Cox Bryan

Hunt for Wild Blackberries Leads to Friendship

NPR.org, August 1, 2007 · The wild blackberry, my favorite summer treat, was the key that opened the door to Mildred Rowe. I wanted to write a biography of the 88-year-old owner of Mrs. Rowe's Restaurant and Bakery in Staunton, Va., but she had deflected my efforts to get to know her — until the subject of blackberries came up.

CLICK HERE to read the rest of Mollie's tale at NPR.org.

[Mollie Cox Bryan is a freelance writer and the author of MRS. ROWE'S RESTAURANT COOKBOOK: A LIFETIME OF RECIPES FROM THE SHENANDOAH VALLEY (Ten Speed Press, 2006), a narrative cookbook about the life of the amazing Mrs. Rowe and the history of her 60-year-old restaurant in Staunton, Va., including 175 family and restaurant recipes.]