CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS!

CALL FOR

SUBMISSIONS! - Ellen Aponte

I am very happy and excited to announce that I am putting together an anthology to help Puerto Rico! But I need your help! Please share this post and read through the Call for Submissions I have posted below. If anyone has any questions, just send me a message or contact me at the email below.

Now accepting poetry, fiction, and short essays for Boricua en la Luna, an anthology of work by artists from Puerto Rico or of Puerto Rican descent.

Proceeds from this anthology will go to the Hispanic Federation to assist with Hurricane Maria and Irma recovery relief.

Work may be on any subject, but should reference or relate to Puerto Rican identity. Work may be in Spanish or English or both; we are open to work in translation, but require translated artist or estate permission. We will not consider work that is sexist, racist, or in other ways bigoted.

Submit .pdf or .doc/.docx attachment of 1-6 poems, 1-3 flash fiction or nonfiction, or short story or essay up to 3000 words to LunaBoricuas@gmail.com by September 30th. Please include a brief biographical note of up to 50 words. Please place title(s) of work in a list within the email, and include name and contact information on the first page of your submission.

Acceptance decisions will be made by December 31st, with release of anthology in mid-2019.

Previously published works considered. We acquire one-time print and electronic rights. Simultaneous submissions are accepted, but if a work is accepted elsewhere, please alert us at the above email.

All contributors will receive a copy of the anthology, which will be distributed in both print and electronic forms.

Happy Father's Day!

Today is June 17th, 2018 and today many of us celebrate that most noteworthy, yet also often dubious, of holidays... Father's Day.  Noteworthy because, despite what many mothers and/or wives think, being a father is a tough job.  And dubious for pretty much the same reason.

Long ago, when my son was expecting his first child, I explained to him that being a father is no easy task.  Let me explain... I told him that no matter how good a father he will think he is, his partner or even just other folks may always say that there is room for improvement.  His own kids will love him one minute and vilify him the next.  A father must always walk that thin line between sage advice and tough love... figuring that he knows best, but secretly afraid that he may make a mistake.  Often feeling like the odd man out, but always being willing and able to lend a hand physically, emotionally, spiritually, and financially.  A father must be the secret keeper, yet must sometimes violate that trust in order to safeguard his child.  A father must be the good guy, the bad guy, the strong, stoic guy, and the guy that cries when his child goes off to school or the military.  A father must be able to weather the storm of doubt or criticism that may come his way with good humor, quiet strength, a calm demeanor, and, hopefully, common sense.  He must exude confidence when his family is unsure, he must portray skill and know-how when his ability is needed.  He must be willing to graciously accept being ribbed about his attire, his singing voice, or even his hopes and dreams so that his family may benefit from the strength of his patience and love.  I told him that a father must also emanate a barely restrained ferociousness when it comes to the health, safety, and well-being of his family.  Bad guys must be able to sense that messing with his family would be a bad idea filled with dire consequences.

It's a lot to ask of someone, especially someone who is embarking on the path of fatherhood for the first time, but that's why I stated that being a father is no easy task.  And when a father makes it look like it is, that's proof that he's a great father.  I'm proud to say that my son is twice a father now, and everyone tells him (and me too sometimes) what a great father he is.  I like to think that maybe I had a little something to do with that.

And now, I'd like to mention some well-known fathers in literature that may have exhibited one or more of the traits that I mentioned above.  I know that I'll miss some, and for that I offer my humblest apologies.

 1. Mr. Bennett and Elizabeth Bennett, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.
 2. Atticus Finch and Scout Finch, To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee.
 3. Liesel and her adopted father, Hans Hubermann,The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.
 4. King Lear and Cordelia, King Lear by William Shakespeare.
 5. Jean Val Jean and Cosette, Les Miserables by Victor Hugo.
 6. Bob Cratchit and Tiny Tim, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.
 7. Xenophilius Lovegood and Luna Lovegood, The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling.
 8. The unnamed man and his son, The Road by Cormac McCarthy.
 9. Belgarath and Polgara, The Belgariad by David Eddings.
10. Tom Harry and Rusty, The Bartender's Tale by Ivan Doig.

I had to stop  at ten or else I'd still be writing.  There are a lot of books with great Father/child relationships, I just don't have the time or space to list them all.  If you know of one, please let me know via a comment.  Anyway, 'til next time.  Happy Father's Day!

Writer's Conferences

Tis the season for Writer's Conferences!  Every year about this time writers all over the world are gearing up to attend one or even a series of conferences dedicated to writers, writing, and the business of writing.  Some conferences are huge affairs featuring a grand multitude of speakers, booths, classes, vendors, and fellow writers.  These big conferences, usually located in cities like New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, etc., can be intimidating to attend for a first-time or beginning writer.  A big conference that attracts big crowds can seem like the superstore where you mostly just wander around trying to navigate on your own, or where you look around in frustration hoping to find someone to help you.  I've met quite a few new writers that attended a big writer's conference and came away feeling a little lost, and maybe even a little rejected.  A new writer that is used to working alone on a project with a little soft music playing in the background can be easily overwhelmed by the orgiastic literary event that a large writer's conference can become.  Does this mean that big writer's conferences are bad?  Oh, heck no!  I've personally gone to big writer's conferences where I left feeling re-energized, inspired, and where I even learned a thing or three.  I got to meet some of my literary heroes, hung out with like-minded, talented people, and was even able to pitch my work to an agent.  I had a great time and brought back ideas and goodies that I was able to use in my writing.

So why am I trying to dissuade you from attending a writer's conference?  No, what I'm trying to point out or suggest is that, for the beginning writer, maybe forgoing the larger, flashier writer's conferences for one of the smaller, cozier, less frenetic ones might be a good idea.  There are a lot of conferences that are quieter, more intimate, and much easier to handle.  These smaller conferences can be found in the big cities too, but are also often found in quaint small towns, charming villages, libraries, schools, or even historic old mansions.  Now, while these conferences may be smaller in terms of attendants, speakers, etc., they are no less energizing, inspiring, or helpful to your career as a writer.  In fact, many established writers actually prefer the smaller venues to the larger ones, enjoying the more laid back atmosphere and the opportunity to interact more closely with fellow writers.

Either way, there are some things to expect at most writer's conferences regardless of size.  Writer's conferences almost always have guest speakers that range from famous and wildly popular writers, to literary agents, publishers, and other people in the literary field.  The larger conferences often feature vendors that will sell you (or giveaway!) items from t-shirts to writing software.  Conferences may have classes about different aspects of writing, marketing, or business-tips geared specifically for writers.  There are also conferences that prepare you to, and arrange for you to, pitch a manuscript to an agent or publisher.  A harrowing but fun experience!

So, before you actually attend a writer's conference, I strongly suggest that you do your research and prepare yourself well beforehand so that you may have the best experience possible.  Here's what you need to do:

1. Visit their website.  Gather as much information as you can.
2. Make sure it's the right conference for you.  If you write romances, don't go to a horror writer's conference.
3. Download maps and directions.
4. Download and go over the conference itineraries, especially if you're going to one of the larger conferences.  This way you have a pretty good idea of where to go to see or experience the people and/or events that are the most meaningful for you.
5. Pack some business cards... hey, you never know!
6. Be sure to bring your phone and a charger.
7. Pack a bottle of water and some snacks.  All that walking around can make you thirsty.  Some conferences have vendors that will sell you (or giveaway!) bottled water, but it's better safe than sorry.
8. Bring a pen (make sure it works!)
9. Bring some extra money.  Some of your fellow writers may want to hang out after the conference and drinks are expensive!
10. Bring your "A" game!  Be polite, patient, respectful, positive, confident, and informed.  You don't want to turn off the very same people that may be able to help your career!

All that being said, you should attend at least one conference in your lifetime, if only to bask in the creative energy of so many talented and like-minded souls.  By the way, below you'll find a list of writer's conferences for 2018.  It's not a complete list, but maybe it will help to get you started.


14th Annual Eckerd College Writers' Conference: Writers in Paradise
Florida
January 13, 2018

14th annual Mayborn Literary Conference, July 20-22, 2018
Texas
July 20, 2018

2018 Agents & Editors Conference / Writers' League of Texas / Austin, TX
Texas
June 29, 2018

2018 BookBaby Independent Authors Conference
Pennsylvania
November 2, 2018

2018 Summer Writing Program :: The Capitalocene :: Naropa University
Colorado
June 10, 2018

2018 Writing By Writers Fall Manuscript Boot Camp
California
November 9, 2018

2018 Writing By Writers Tomales Bay Workshop
California
October 17, 2018

2019 ASLE Biennial Conference
California
June 25, 2019

26th Annual Winter Poetry & Prose Getaway
New Jersey
January 18, 2019

30th Summer Fishtrap Gathering of Writers
Oregon
July 10, 2017

Algonkian Writer Conferences
New York
Year Round

Antioch Writers' Workshop at University of Dayton--Summer Program
Ohio
July 14, 2018

AWP Annual Conference & Bookfair
Florida
March 7, 2018

Boldface Conference for Emerging Writers
Texas
May 21, 2018

Chesapeake Writers' Conference at St. Mary's College of Maryland
Maryland
June 24, 2018

Dallas-Fort Worth Writers Conference (DFWCon)
Texas
June 9, 2018

David R. Collins Writers' Conference
Iowa
June 28, 2018

Elephant Rock Retreats for Writing & Yoga
Wisconsin
Year Round

Furious Flower Collegiate Summit: Poetry Without Boundaries
Virginia
March 22, 2018

Hampton Roads Writers Tenth Annual Writers' Conference
Virginia
Year Round

Highlights Foundation Workshops
Pennsylvania
Year Round

Indiana University Writers' Conference 2018
Indiana
June 2, 2018

Iota: Short Prose Conference
Maine
August 15, 2018

IWWG 41st Annual Summer Conference
Pennsylvania
July 6, 2018

Juniper Institute for Young Writers
Massachusetts
July 22, 2018

Juniper Summer Writing Institute
Massachusetts
June 17, 2018

Kachemak Bay Writers' Conference
Alaska
June 8, 2018

Kauai Writers Conference
Hawaii
November 5, 2018

Kentucky Women Writers Conference Inc.
Kentucky
September 13, 2018

Kenyon Review Writers' Workshops
Ohio
Year Round

Key West Literary Seminar and Writers' Workshop Program
Florida
January 10, 2019

Longleaf Writers' Conference @ Seaside, Florida (formerly Seaside WC)
Florida
May 13, 2018

Memoir in a Year-2017
Illinois
Year Round

Mendocino Coast Publishing Boot Camp
California
August 5, 2018

Mendocino Coast Writers' Conference (MCWC)
California
August 2, 2018

Midwest Fiction Writers Workshops
Minnesota
Year Round

Minnesota Northwoods Writers Conference
Minnesota
June 18, 2018

Napa Valley Writers' Conference
California
July 29, 2018

NCWN Squire Summer Writing Workshops
North Carolina
July 19, 2018

New York State Summer Writers Institute
New York
July 2, 2018

Nonfiction Authors Association Free Teleseminars
California
Year Round

North Carolina Writers' Network Fall Conference
North Carolina
November 3, 2017

North Words Writers Symposium
Alaska
May 30, 2018

Odyssey Writing Workshop
New Hampshire
June 4, 2018

Pacific MFA in Writing | Residency Writers Conference
Oregon
Year Round

Pennsylvania Writers Conference (PWC)
Pennsylvania
July 29, 2018

Postgraduate Writers' Conference
Vermont
August 13, 2018

Publishing Workshop
New Jersey
March 2, 2019

San Francisco Writers Conference & Pre/Post Classes
California
February 15, 2018

Sewanee Writers' Conference
Tennessee
July 17, 2018

Steel Pen Annual Writers' Conference
Indiana
October 27, 2018

Summer Retreat at Ragdale
Illinois
July 20, 2018

The Creativity Workshop in New York
New York
Year Round

The Frost Place Conference on Poetry
New Hampshire
July 8, 2018

The Frost Place Conference on Poetry and Teaching
New Hampshire
June 23, 2018

The Frost Place Poetry Seminar
New Hampshire
July 29, 2018

The Frost Place Writing Intensive
New Hampshire
June 27, 2018

The Loft's Pitch Conference
Minnesota
April 20, 2018

The Writer's Hotel 2018 NYC Writers Conference
New York
June 6, 2018

Tinker Mountain Writers
Virginia
June 10, 2018

University of New Mexico Rananim Online Writing Workshops
New Mexico
October 2, 2017

University of North Dakota Writers Conference
North Dakota
March 21, 2018

Unworkshops: Your Room to Create
Pennsylvania
Year Round

Washington Island Literary Festival
Wisconsin
September 13, 2018

Washington Writers Conference
Maryland
May 4, 2018

Wesleyan Writers Conference
Connecticut
June 13, 2018

Western Reserve Writers' Conference
Ohio
April 28, 2018

Willamette Writers 2018 Conference
Oregon
August 2, 2018

Writers at Work 2018 Writing Retreat
Utah
June 6, 2018

Writers at Work Annual Writing Competition
Utah
November 15, 2017

Writers Studio at UCLA Extension
California
February 8, 2018

Writers Week at Idyllwild Arts Summer Program
California
Year Round

Writing from the Inside Out: Getting to the Gut of Your Words with Laura Munson at Madeline Island School of the Arts (MISA)
Wisconsin
July 16, 2018

I know that the dates for some of these may have passed already, but if you're really interested in attending that particular conference, Google them and if they have a website they'll probably have information concerning the time and date of their next conference.  Good luck and enjoy!

4,645

Up until a few weeks ago, that number, 4,645, didn't really mean anything... except to maybe the people on the ground in Puerto Rico who knew that the government's estimate of 64 dead in the wake of Hurricane Maria wasn't right.  On a sub-tropical island populated by millions of people, 64 dead after the devastating effects of such a powerful hurricane would seem like some sort of miracle.  Even if it were "only" 64 dead, I'm sure that the families and friends of those dead consider their loss to be incalculable.  How much more so then when that number balloons to almost 5,000 souls lost?  One must understand the enormous amount of damage that can cause the collective psyche of the people on the island.  A people that are as close-knit and proud as the denizens of any small-town on the mainland U.S.A.  A people connected and made sturdy by the sharing of many decades of neglect, pain, and often outright abuse at the hands of their federal and local governments.  Such is the case of the "Cenizas", the ashes that were being dumped all over the island and whose dumping was being vehemently protested against by environmentalists and island residents.

 "Environmental pollutants increase the risk of developing cancer, which by the way, is the leading cause of death in our country. Exposure to environmental carcinogens is one of the main factors that leads to the development of multiple types of cancer, and one of those toxic wastes that dangerously contaminates our environment and that today is in public discussion, is the ashes product of the burning of coal. These ashes are deposited in Peñuelas, but it is known that they affect many towns and sooner or later it will be to the whole island.
The Guayama AES coal plant generates between 600 and 800 tons of ash daily. These ashes contain extremely toxic metals such as arsenic, mercury and lead, among others. The scientific evidence on the damage of these metals, the radioactivity and the particulate itself that produce the ashes is serious and forceful.

Ashes increase the risk, not only of certain types of cancer such as lung cancer, but also respiratory problems. It is no coincidence that Puerto Rico leads the list of respiratory diseases when compared to other countries. And although there may be genetic predispositions, it is known that environmental factors are largely what make these and other diseases manifest. But, in addition to cancer and respiratory conditions, the ashes also increase the risks of other problems such as spontaneous abortions, malformations, reduced cognitive capacity, severe allergies and other diseases."
 - by Vilma Calderon, writing in El Nuevo Dia newspaper

So should it really come as a surprise that in the midst of the worst natural disaster to hit American soil in decades that the people of Puerto Rico would once again be victimized by their own government?  It's a damn shame that the vulture capitalists, the equivalent of modern-day carpetbaggers, arrived faster and stayed longer than the Army Corps of engineers, FEMA, the Red Cross, or the USNS Hospital Ship Comfort; which only admitted 6 patients a day before leaving long before the job was finished, and whose early and ignoble departure certainly contributed to the deaths of so many. 

Arelis R. Hernández and Laurie McGinley, in writing for the
Washington Post, wrote:

"At least 4,645 people died as a result of Hurricane Maria and its devastation across Puerto Rico last year, according to a new Harvard study released Tuesday, an estimate that far exceeds the official government death toll, which stands at 64.

The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, found that health-care disruption for the elderly and the loss of basic utility services for the chronically ill had significant impacts across the U.S. territory, which was thrown into chaos after the September hurricane wiped out the electrical grid and had widespread impacts on infrastructure. Some communities were entirely cut off for weeks amid road closures and communications failures.

Researchers in the United States and Puerto Rico, led by scientists at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, calculated the number of deaths by surveying nearly 3,300 randomly chosen households across the island and comparing the estimated post-hurricane death rate to the mortality rate for the year before. Their surveys indicated that the mortality rate was 14.3 deaths per 1,000 residents from Sept. 20 through Dec. 31, 2017, a 62 percent increase in the mortality rate compared to 2016, or 4,645 "excess deaths."

"Our results indicate that the official death count of 64 is a substantial underestimate of the true burden of mortality after Hurricane Maria," the authors wrote.

"The true burden of mortality."  An eloquent way to phrase the deaths of so many.  Puerto Rico is, right now, suffering through something akin to death throes.  Although far from dying, the island and it's people are still reeling from the effects of the storm and the laissez faire attitude of those with the power, resources, and obligation to help.  But one thing that the people of Puerto Rico have learned over the years is how to survive.  This is undeniably their toughest test yet, but Puerto Ricans are nothing if not resilient, resourceful, smart, inventive, gracious, and possessed of an infectious can-do spirit and an ancient music in their soul that is irrepressible.  We as a people will survive this, as we have survived so many other things, and we will be the stronger for it.

So what does this have to do with writing you may ask?  The answer, dear reader, is everything.  Everything.

 

In Memoriam

Memorial Day has come and gone.  The somber and celebratory rites honoring our fallen heroes have taken place in towns and cities across the U.S. in the forms of prayers, parades, bar-be-cues, wreath laying and flag waving.  Fitting, and yet somehow inadequate, tributes to the brave men and women in uniform that died in faraway lands fighting for ideals, or people, that didn't always understand or appreciate their sacrifices.  Three of my favorite uncles were veterans, Duhamel Lopez, Pablo Rosario, and Esmeraldo "Cuquito" Lopez (I'm sure there are more), and while at one time I was too young to fully appreciate  the substance of their military service, I still saw them all as heroes, and I still do.

And while we honored, and continue to honor, our fallen in uniform, there is another group of fallen that I'd like to pay homage to as well.  I'm talking about our fellow writers that passed away in 2018.  Now, before you start getting up in arms about me paying tribute to writers in this way, please Google how many writers (usually reporters) sacrificed their lives in the theater of war doing what they believed in... 26 since 2001 in the war in Afghanistan alone.

But it's not just being a War Correspondent, most writers die far away from any military battlefront.  Yet, the weight and poignancy of a writer's words have sometimes even turned the courses of battles, or started or ended a revolution, or contributed to the making or changing of laws that have improved people's lives.  Books like 1984, Animal Farm, The Good Earth, or Fahrenheit 451 have all served to open the eyes of those being unfairly governed, and have all helped lead to change.  Remember those famous words, "The pen is mightier than the sword" by English novelist and playwright Edward Bulwer-Lytton?  Well, the same is true today.

"Handle them carefully, for words have more power than atom bombs." -Pearl Strachan Hurd

And so with the power of the written word in mind, I'd like to include in this blogpost the names of those writers that have passed away this year.  Whether prose or poetry, no matter the genre, no matter if their sacrifices were great or small, they were a part of our greater brother and sisterhood.  They were writers.

Richard Peck, (1934 - 2018)
prize-winning children's author, died Wednesday, May 23, 2018, at his home in New York City, after a battle with cancer, according to the Associated Press. He was 84.

Philip Roth, (1933 - 2018)
the prize-winning novelist and fearless narrator of sex, death, assimilation and fate, from the comic madness of "Portnoy's Complaint" to the elegiac lyricism of "American Pastoral," died Tuesday night, He was 85.

Tom Wolfe, (1930 - 2018)
the white-suited wizard of "New Journalism" who exuberantly chronicled American culture from the Merry Pranksters through the space race before turning his satiric wit to such novels as "The Bonfire of the Vanities" and "A Man in Full," has died. He was 88.

Sergio Pitol, (1933 - 2018)
the celebrated Mexican author, essayist and translator and winner of the most prestigious award for literature in the Spanish-speaking world, died Thursday. He was 85.

Anita Shreve, (2018)
the best-selling novelist who explored how women responded to crises past and present in her native New England in favorites such as "The Pilot's Wife," ''Testimony" and "The Weight of Water," has died, she was 71.

Emily Nasrallah, (2018)
Lebanese author and feminist Emily Nasrallah has died following a struggle with cancer. She was 87.

Penny Vincenzi, (1939 - 2018)
British writer Penny Vincenzi, whose stories of romance, rivalry and family secrets topped best-seller lists, has died. She was 78.

Jack Ketchum, (1946 - 2018)
a prize-winning horror and screenplay writer known for such fiction as "The Box" and the controversial "Off Season" and once labeled by Stephen King as likely the scariest writer in America, has died. He was 71.

Ursula K. Le Guin, (1929 - 2018)
the award-winning and best-selling science fiction writer who explored feminist themes and was best known for her Earthsea books, has died at 88.

Walter Skold, (2018)
the founder of the Dead Poets Society of America, who visited the final resting places of more than 600 poets, died Saturday, Jan. 20, 2018, of a heart attack, he was 57.

Peter Mayle, (1939 - 2018)
the British author known for his books set in Provence, France, has died, he was 78.

Julius Lester, (1939 - 2018)
an author, musician, civil rights activist and university professor who made a late-life conversion to Judaism, has died, he was 78.

Well, that's about it for now.  There's no doubt that unfortunately, the list will grow as the year plays out.  I apologize for any writers that I may have missed, especially those who may not have been quite as famous or mainstream as the ones mentioned above.  May they Rest in Peace.  And as for the rest of you, get back to writing.