Friday, October 31, 2008

Next meeting of the Athens campus Creative Writers Club

The Athens campus Creative Writing Club will meet in the Student Lounge of the Commons on Friday, November 14 at 2:00.

For additional information, e-mail Dr. Sian Griffiths at sgriffiths [at] piedmont [dot] edu.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Call for submissions of poetry and creative non-fiction


Fourth River Award for Poetry Fourth River Award for Creative Nonfiction http://fourthriver.chatham.edu/submit.cfm


We are looking for poetry and creative nonfiction that capture the places—natural, built and imagined, urban, rural or wild—where humans and nature converge and collide. First place winner in each category will be published in the Fourth River and will receive a $500 cash prize upon publication.


Our judges for the contest are Rick Campbell (Poetry) and Janisse Ray (Creative Nonfiction).


Contest GuidelinesSubmissions should be postmarked no later than November 15, 2008Previously published works and works accepted for publication elsewhere are not eligible. Students, faculty and employees of Chatham University are not eligible.Include a title page with your name, address, phone number and the title of your submission(s). Your name must not appear on the actual manuscript.


The reading fee is $5 for three poems or one essay (7,000 word maximum), and includes a copy of Issue 5. Please make checks payable to Chatham University. Multiple submissions are acceptable, but each submission must be accompanied by a reading fee. Manuscripts will not be returned.


Send your submission, your reading fee and a self-addressed stamped envelope to:

The Fourth River

Chatham University

Woodland Road

Pittsburgh, PA 15232

Attention: Fourth River Award for Poetry

or Fourth River Award for Creative Nonfiction.


Submit Your Work (Regular Submissions)

**NEW: Special20International Issue, Spring 2009In addition to our regular publication, The Fourth River is putting together a special issue for Spring 2009 with a specific focus on international writing.


We’re looking for poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, children’s and young adult writing by international authors, in translation, and by authors traveling abroad. We are interested in work that explores the diverse meanings of and the interaction between environment, landscape, culture, nature, and human nature around the world.


The submission guidelines for the International Issue are the same as for other issues, but please indicate on your cover letter that you are submitting to this particular issue. The postmark deadline for this issue is January 31, 2009.


Submission Guidelines (Issue 6)The Fourth River is accepting nonfiction, short fiction, poetry, and young adult/children’s writing (without illustration). Please send up to seven poems or up to 7,000 words of prose to the address below. Due to the volume of submissions, we will recycle all the manuscripts we receive. Please do not send us your only copy.Include cover letter with name, address, phone number, email contact, and titles of enclosed work.All manuscripts must include a SASE to be considered and returned.No e-mail submissions accepted.Kindly let us know if you are submitting simultaneously.


Reading Period (for standard issues): August 1, 2008 – February 15, 2009

Submission Address

The Fourth River

Chatham University

0A Woodland Road

Pittsburgh, PA 15232


Contact Us

For more information, contact The Fourth River at (replace (at) with @)

Monday, October 20, 2008

Upcoming Courses for Spring 2009


English 394: Fiction Writing

Pre-reqs: English 101 and 102
Note 1: students need not take a 200-level survey prior to this class.
Note 2: This class will NOT fulfill the Gen-Ed requirement for a 200-level English survey.

Description: Students will write stories and story fragments, which we will discuss in whole-class workshops. Students will gain deeper understanding of the craft of writing fiction through practice and critique. All genres of fiction welcome. (Riotous mayhem and laughter often ensue, but I find this aids rather than hampers learning.)

Who would benefit?
Creative Writing minors (this needs no elaboration, right?)
English and Secondary Education English majors gain an in-depth understanding of story-construction from a writer’s perspective as well as learning creative methods they can employ in teaching
Art majors tend to flourish in creative writing classes, which tap into another aspect of their creativity and offer multi-media opportunities (graphic novel, etc)
Graphics Design majors, especially those interested in video game development, gain a better knowledge of crafting the stories that add interest and relevance to video games and other narrative-driven formats
Mass Communications majors, by hearing the effect of their writing on an actual audience, better understand the power of their words to move their readers. Those interested in film and in writing narrative-based stories for newspapers and magazines learn elements of craft that translate well into their field
Business and Advertising majors learn how to hook an audience and keep them hooked as well as how to make points concisely and effectively. (Poet and Novelist James Dickey worked in advertising. Need I say more?)
Theatre Arts majors understand narrative craft techniques and reflect on which can transfer to dramatic media including play- and screen-writing
Anyone interested in exploring and developing their imagination is more than welcome



English 400: Creative Writing and Publishing Workshop

Pre-reqs: English 101 and 102
(Because this course is being offered for the first time, I’ll wave the creative writing requirement for interested and dedicated students this semester. Like all other creative writing classes, this one does not fulfill the Gen-Ed English 200-level survey requirement but will fill elective-requirements.)

Description: Students will investigate the world of on-line and print-based creative writing publication, including literary journals, zines, and blogs, to see what’s currently being done in the creative community. Students will work collaboratively to edit and produce Trillium, Piedmont’s own creative writing journal, deciding what criteria make a submission suitable for publication, selecting work for publication from among those submitted, designing the layout, researching production costs, etc. No prior experience necessary!

Who would benefit?
Creative Writing Minors (this is a required course)
Education majors who are interested in putting together class publications
Mass Communication majors who focus on print publications of all sorts
Art and/or Graphic Design majors who would like hands-on experience designing the lay-out of a print publication
Anyone interested in being a part of the Piedmont creative community

(Side note: I really want to see Trillium represent the diverse art forms of students at both campuses and I expect the students to be instrumental in its transformation.)