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This page contains links with
annotations by K. L. Cook. You can scroll down the page or click to any
of the sections below:
Writers' Associations
This set of links includes the major national and international associations
for writers, select regional associations (primarily in the Southwest),
and an on-line guide to literary agents.
- Arizona Commission on the
Arts. The most important arts organization
in Arizona.
- AWP. Associated
Writing Programs. The major association for writers and writing programs.
A great resource and advocate
for students,
teachers,
and writers interested in the serious discussion of craft,
process, and the practical and philosophical issues related to writers and
the teaching of writing. See
also The
Writers’ Chronicle. They also
sponsor the AWP literary awards for collections of fiction,
poetry,
and creative
nonfiction.
- Gemini Ink. Founded by
Nan Cuba in the early nineties, this small San Antonio
organization for writers has emerged
as one of the best independent
literary organizations in the nation, with outstanding
workshops, a reading series, and other resources for writers.
- Guide to Literary
Agents. This is a good, low-tech on-line
guide to literary agents, including
articles and links to agencies open
to new writers, guides for writing query letters and
preparing material for agents and editors.
- The Hassayampa
Institute for Creative Writing. Founded
by Susan Lang, this institute is the umbrella
nonprofit for the Hassayampa Writers’ Conference and the Southwest Writers’ Series,
among other services for writers.
- NEA. The National Endowment for the Arts. Subject to constant political
tug-of-war, the NEA is still one of the most
significant and benevolent organizations
for writers. The NEA still, for the time being
at least, offers annual individual fellowships for poets and fiction and
nonfiction
writers.
- Nebraska
Center for Writers. A great website with links to conferences, workshops,
artist colonies, reading series,
agents guidelines and agent organizations. Sponsored
by Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. Many of the key links in other sections
of this webpage
go to NCW.
- PEN. This is, arguably,
the most crucial organization for writers both nationally and internationally.
A sponsor of major awards—including
the PEN Faulkner and PEN Hemingway Awards—but
more importantly an international advocate for
free speech,
literacy, and the
liberation of writers working in
oppressed political or social conditions.
- Santa
Fe Writers Project. A
wonderful small writers’ resource
and advocate group, which sponsors an on-line
literary journal and one of the best, and most generous, award contests
for
fiction writers
(see
awards links
below).
- Southwest
Writers’ Series. Co-sponsored by Prescott College and
Yavapai
College, this long-running writing series
brings
ten to fifteen
nationally acclaimed
and emerging writers a year to Prescott, Arizona
for informal dialogues and readings.
Visitors have included Yann Martell, Adrian Nicole
LeBlanc, Melissa Pritchard, Grace Paley, Marge Piercy, Ron Carlson, Charles
Baxter, Sherman
Alexie, Al Young,
Heather McHugh, Grace Dane Mazur, Paula McLain,
Robert Boswell, Bret Lott, Kevin McIlvoy,
and Antonya Nelson.
- Texas Institute of Letters.
An important resource for Texas, Southern, and
Southwest writers. They
sponsor awards, publications, literacy
initiatives, presses, readings, and workshops.
- Virginia G.
Piper Center for Creative Writing.
This foundation gave approximately $100 million
to Arizona State University to help promote creative writing in the state. The
ASU Writers’ Conference,
a first-rate reading series, scholarships and
fellowships for the ASU creative writing program, and community outreach
initiatives
are
some of the benefits
for Arizona writers of this unprecedented endowment.
- The Writer’s Garret.
Another excellent Southwest writers’ resource, located in Dallas, and sponsoring
workshops, readings, and an interview series.
- Writers’ League
of Texas. Formerly the
Austin League of Writers, this program sponsors craft workshops, a reading
series, and
an award-winning radio program, “Writing
on the Air” (which
streams nationally on the internet).
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Artist Colonies
Artist colonies will save your literary
life. Open to both acclaimed and
emerging writers
and artists,
these
benevolent
organizations
provide two
week-two months
of uninterrupted time to complete
your creative work. Most artists are in
need of time, solitude,
a room
of one’s own, and an atmosphere
that honors making art. These colonies
provide room, meals (often first-class),
a private studio,
typically situated on beautiful land
ideal for walks, hikes, swimming,
and solitude. While some ask for
fees if
you can afford it, most don’t
require any kind of payment, and
a few even provide financial assistance
to help cover travel.
Below is a link to a directory of
artist
and writers’ colonies,
as well as direct links to some of
the best.
- Links
to Writers’ Colonies. A good master link page.
- Directory
of Writing Colonies. This is a fairly comprehensive guide to writer’s
colonies, as part of a good writers’ website called
PoeWar.com.
- Blue Mountain
Center.
Located on Eagle Lake in the Adirondacks, this
colony is unique in its commitment not only to artists,
writers, and musicians, but
also to environmental and social justice activists. They host four month-long
retreat sessions each summer
and fall
and also host
many week-long retreats for
activist
groups. Directed for many years by the incomparable Harriet Barlow
and Ben Stradler,
this place
is nothing
short of
magical.
- Hedgebrook. This
idyllic Pacific Northwest colony is exclusively for women writers.
- The MacDowell Colony.
The oldest and one of the most prestigious colonies, with
a long tradition of supporting both established writers, artists,
and musicians as well
as emerging talent. Peterborough, New Hampshire. 450 acres, private studios
for
each
resident, lunch
delivered
each
day
to the studio,
incubator
for great work.
- The Millay Colony. Housed on the Austerlitz, New York estate of the famous 20th-century poet and activist, Edna St. Vincent Millay (the first woman poet to win the Pulitzer), this more intimate colony hosts several month-long residencies a year for six artists and writers each residency.
- Ucross
Foundation. One of the few first-rate colonies
in the West, this
Wyoming center is the place for writers and artists yearning
for some Big Sky.
- Vermont
Studio Center. This colony is unique in
that it combines
a colony experience with short visits by master artists and
writers for craft
lectures and readings as well as one-on-one manuscript and artist critiques.
- Yaddo. Along with MacDowell, one of the oldest and most
prestigious. Located
in Saratoga Springs, in a mansion, this colony has been a great benefactor
of the arts for
almost a hundred years.
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Literary Journals, Magazines, and University Presses
This list doesn’t even make a dent in the number of literary journals
and ‘zines available. But it does provide details about journals, some
well known and others a relative secret, that consistently publish strong
work and have a mission of working with both established and new writers.
Beyond
this list, perhaps the best place to start is Poetry
Links at Drowingman,
which provides submission guidelines and links to a comprehensive list of
literary
journals published in North America. Also useful are the yearly anthologies—Best
American Short Stories, Best American Poetry, The O’Henry Awards (fiction),
and the Pushcart Prizes. They list the journals from which the contributors
were originally published, as well as finalist information that includes
place of publication, and the names and addresses of anthologies that are
considered
for these yearly prizes. This is the best way to keep up with the journals
and magazines publishing the most honored work each year. Not included here
are the major commercial magazines that publish fiction poetry, and creative
nonfiction, such as The New Yorker, Harpers, The Atlantic Monthly, Esquire,
etc.
- Association of American
University Presses.
On-line catalogue and links to all university presses. Many university
presses—for
example, University of Nebraska, University of Georgia, Southern Illinois,
Ohio State, Iowa—sponsor major literary awards for poetry, short
fiction, and creative nonfiction.
- Book Magazine. A
good magazine about books and issues related to authors and publishers—a
bridge between the commercial and literary worlds.
- Poetry Links. This is a comprehensive listing of literary journals, both
major and minor, with submission guidelines and
website links.
The emphasis is on poetry links, but equally good for fiction and
creative nonfiction writers.
- Poets & Writers. This journal
also comes out every two months and publishes articles about the craft of
and issues
related to writing
as
well as interviews, and comprehensive news about recent award
winners and upcoming deadlines.
- Publishers Weekly. The major trade magazines
for publishers, editors, and agents.
- The
Writer’s Chronicle.
This journal,
which comes out every two months from AWP, publishes
articles and interviews on the craft of writing and issues related to the teaching
of
writing. It also
contains valuable news about recent awards, upcoming deadlines,
colonies,
and conferences. Most new and established MFA programs frequently
advertise as well as independent
and university press publishers with literary titles.
- Agni.
Edited by the venerable Sven Birketts with
managing editor William Pierce, this old standard is undergoing
a renaissance.
- Alligator
Juniper. This literary journal, out of Prescott College, has
won the AWP Content Award twice in the last four years and been a finalist
another
year. Publishing
fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, and photography, this
journal also offers
contests
in each genre with sizable cash awards. Founded by Melanie Bishop,
Miles Waggener is now the managing editor.
- Amarillo Bay.
A strong on-line journal, founded and run by Jerry Craven in Amarillo and
another editor in the San Francisco Bay
area—hence
the name.
- Colorado
Review. One of several excellent journals in Colorado, CR is a particularly
strong poetry venue.
- Crab Orchard
Review. Southern
Illinois
University’s
excellent journal that also features good, in-depth
interviews with writers. The review also sponsors one of the best book
prizes for poetry.
- Crazyhorse.
Resurrected by Bret Lot, Paul Allen, and the College
of Charleston a few years ago, this
venerable journal has jumped
back into the front ranks of literary journals. High
production values and a strong commitment to literary excellence.
- Denver Quarterly.
One of several very strong literary
journals in Colorado, perhaps best
know for its poetry.
- Gettysburg
Review.
One of the most beautiful journals published today.
- Glimmer Train. One of the best journals committed to fiction. They also
sponsor contests for unpublished writers.
- Harvard
Review. An impressive journal title, but actually this journal
is a bit of an underground phenomenon—quirky, experimental, consistently
interesting.
- Hayden’s Ferry Review.
Arizona State University’s handsome and consistently
strong literary journal.
- Missouri Review.
Overseen by Speer Morgan, this is one of the most
established and consistently
excellent journals in the country,
sparked by fascinating theme issues.
- Narrative Magazine.
A new—and first-rate—journal
for fiction and narrative nonfiction writers, featuring
the best contemporary as well emerging writers. They sponsor
a $4000 prize of new and emerging
writers and accept manuscripts only online, except
during their open reading periods
in February and March. Downside is that, except
for open periods, they charge $20 for each submission.
- One Story. Unique
new journal that sends subscribers one story approximately every three weeks
in a minature chapbook. Quality
is excellent. This is definitely a journal on the rise, and one of the few
journals devoted exclusively to the art of fiction. Edited by Hannah
Tinti,
author of Animal Crackers.
- Paris Review.
Brainchild of the late George Plimpton.
Always strong poetry, fiction, and essays, but
still most noteworthy for the outstanding interviews with the best writers
in the world, which are periodically
anthologized as The Writers at Work series—the
most sustained commitment to literary interviews
ever.
- Post Road. Founded
by Bennington MFA graduates, including David
Ryan, this new journal is one of the freshest,
most innovative journals, featuring
many of the best young contemporary writers.
- Prairie
Schooner. One of the oldest
and most consistently excellent strong journals,
which has published, over the years, many of the best poets, fiction writers,
and nonfiction writers
of this century. In 2003 it launched the Prairie
Schooner Book Prizes in
both fiction and poetry, which includes generous
cash awards and contracts with the University of Nebraska Press.
- Puerto
del Sol.
A consistently strong literary
journal out of New Mexico State University that’s
been around for a long time and edited for
twenty years now by the great Kevin McIlvoy.
- Shenandoah.
One of the oldest and the best
literary journals. Regularly publishes the
best writers, pays for accepted material,
and offers awards for the best writing that
appears in its pages each year.
- Southern
Review.
Bret Lott has recently joined Louisiana State University
and taken over the editorship of the oldest and most famous literary journal
published south of the Mason-Dixon
Line.
- Threepenny Review.
One of the liveliest and most intellectually interesting journals. Founded
and still edited by Wendy Lesser, it provides
a fascinating mix of theatre, film, and
dance reviews as well as fiction, essays, memoir, and poetry by some of the
best
national and
international writers.
- Tin House.
A relatively young journal, but it’s
already made its mark on the literary landscape. Pieces from this journal regularly
find their way into the “best
of…” anthologies.
- Witness.
Although housed at Oakland Community
College
in Michigan, this journal, edited by Peter Stine, is top-notch with regular issues
rotating with one of the best series
issues that includes “Animals
in America,” “Crime in
a America,” and “Aging
in America.”
- Zoetrope.
Francis Ford Coppola’s literary
magazine that, upon acceptance, includes
film
options. They pay well, but the most surprising thing is how much the journal
is committed to literary excellence. These stories
are not just “treatments.” With
the deaths of Story and American
Short Fiction, this journal,
along with Glimmer Train,
is one of the only journals committed
exclusively to the short story form.
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Awards for Fiction Writers
This set of links is very select and
represents those awards that K.
L. Cook has either
won or is very
familiar with.
Perhaps most
helpful,
for
those
wanting more comprehensive lists,
is to go to The Writers’ Chronicle,
Poets & Writers,
and the Links
to Awards for Fiction Writers.
- Links
to Awards for Fiction Writers. A good starting place for
writers with books.
- Short
Story Contest Deadlines.
A good site that lists upcoming deadlines
for short story contests, both individual and for collections.
- Alligator
Juniper. Annual
contest in all genres. Contest
fee includes subscription to the journal.
- PEN Awards. Various
regional branches of PEN sponsor major national awards in all genres,
including the PEN/Hemingway Award for best first work
of fiction (novel or stories)
and the PEN/Faulkner Award for best work of fiction.
- Poets & Writers. Along with AWP’s The
Writer’s
Chronicle, this is the best
and most comprehensive resource to find out who has recently
won what and to
see which award deadlines are
on the horizon.
- Prairie
Schooner Book Prize in Fiction and Poetry. Excellent book series
for both poetry and fiction. Cash awards are high. University
of Nebraska Press
does an
outstanding
job of
publishing and
promoting
the winners.
- Santa Fe Writers
Project Literary Art Series.
This is one of the better
contests. The grand prize is almost $3000,
with cash awards
for
a large number of finalists
as well. The page limitations are generous. To read K. L. Cook’s paragraph
about the merits of this contest, click
here.
- Texas Institute of Letters. Annual awards for
both short and best book-length
poetry, fiction, and nonfiction for writers from Texas or writing about
Texas.
- The Writer’s Chronicle. Along with Poets & Writers,
this is the best and most
comprehensive resource to find out who has recently won what and to see what
award deadlines are on the horizon.
- Best American
Short Stories, O. Henry, and Pushcart Prizes.
There are no direct websites for these yearly anthologies, but they
are the most prestigious
awards
given to individual
stories. Most magazines and journals that publish serious fiction submit
their issues
to these anthologies for consideration.
Back to the top
Writing
Conferences & Book
Festivals
This list of conferences
and book festivals
is also select
with a
special emphasis
on Arizona and the
Southwest. There are
also major
book festivals
in almost
every state, with particularly
huge festivals in Miami
and Los Angeles.
- Writers’ Conferences
Guide.
Nebraska Center for
Writers’ great
website with links to conferences
and workshops.
- Guide
to Writers’ Conferences
and Workshops. Another
good general resource.
- Arizona Book Festival.
Annual book festival
in Phoenix in April.
- ASU
Writers’ Conference.
Conference sponsored
by the Arizona State University creative writing program every March.
- AWP
National Conference. Annual Associated
Writing
Programs conference each year in late March-early April. Book fair,
readings, panels, about 4,000
participants.
2005
conference is in Vancouver.
- Hassayampa
Writers’ Conference.
Outstanding
small conference every July in Prescott, Arizona that attracts
writers such as Martin Espada,
Marge Piercy,
Ira Wood, John Nichols,
Antonya Nelson,
Ron Carlson, Brady Udall, T. M. McNally, Mary Soujourner and Norton
editor Carol
Houk Smith.
Readings and workshops. K. L. Cook was a featured author at the 2004
conference.
- Northern
Arizona Book Festival.
Major 3-day festival
in Flagstaff every April that attracts writers of national prominence.
2005 conference
will
feature Pulitzer Prize-winner Annie Proulx, among other writers.
- Prescott
Book Festival. Delightful small-town
book festival
in Prescott, Arizona every September.
- Sewanee Writers’ Conference. One of the preeminent writers’ conference
in the
country. Attracts major writers. Offers
fellowships
and scholarships for emerging writers.
Also, because
it’s
partially
funded by the estate of
Tennessee
Williams, it is the only
major writers’ conference
that offers
playwriting
workshops.
Every July
for about
thirteen days.
- Texas
Book Festival. One of the
major book
festivals in the country, offered late October. K. L. Cook will be a featured
author
at the 2004
festival.
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Colleges & Universities
The list below
features colleges
and universities
where Cook
earned degrees
or currently
works. Also
included on this list
are links
to several
graduate programs in writing
as well as
links to websites
that
give more
comprehensive
links
to programs
in creative
writing.
- List
of English Department Home Pages.
This
site links to the home pages of most English Departments both in
the U.S. and internationally.
- Creative
Writing Programs. This website
page links to most graduate programs in creative writing.
- Prescott College.
K. L. Cook teaches creative writing and literature at Prescott
College,
nationally know for its environmental, social justice,
and experiential education mission. It also
has one
of the best undergraduate
creative
writing programs with a 10:1 student/faculty ratio, strong field
curriculum
(including
sense of place writing classes in Alaska and Mexico), a vibrant
reading series,
an
AWP-award winning literary
journal,
Alligator Juniper,
and award-winning
school newspaper, The Raven Review.
- Spalding University. Cook is a member of the graduate faculty of Spalding University’s MFA Program for Writers, located in Louisville, Kentucky—a brief-residency program that emphasizes one-on-one mentoring, cross-genre enrichment, and a rigorous and nurturing community for writers. The faculty consists of published writers from all over the country, and writing concentrations include fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, screenwriting and playwriting, and writing for children.
- Warren
Wilson College.
The oldest low-residency MFA program in creative
writing in the country. Cook’s
alma mater.
- Southern
Illinois University. Cook
received
his MA in English (literature) and also worked in the theatre department.
Home to a strong and relatively young MFA program and the
award-winning
journal, The Crab
Orchard
Review, as well as annual poetry collection awards.
- West Texas A&M University.
Cook earned
his BA in English and Theatre from this university when it was called
West Texas State University.
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Favorite Independent Booksellers
A few of the great
independents
still left, this select
list,
other than Strand’s,
features some of the best
independent
bookstores in the
West and Southwest.
- Book Sense. Great online resource for finding your nearest local
independent bookstores and buying online from them.
- BookPeople.
The largest
independent bookstore in Texas,
this is one of Austin’s glories.
- Booked
Up. Larry McMurtry’s great used and rare bookstore
in Archer City, Texas (not far from Wichita Falls). Contains about
a million
books—a great
legacy to the West. There is no website for this bookstore, but
this link will take
you
to a long article in Book Magazine about McMurtry’s
bookstore.
- Brazos Bookstore. Karl Killian’s great Houston
store.
Killian’s reading series is
the
best in Houston.
- Changing Hands.
The best independent bookstore in the
Phoenix area.
- City Lights Bookstore. The wonderful progressive
bookstore in San Francisco, co-founded by poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti.
- Powell’s City
of Books. The greatest bookstore in
the Northwest, and one of the best in the country, this Portland-based
bookseller
is must.
- The Strand Bookstore.
They boast 8 miles of books.
The great used bookstore in New York City.
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