Sheryl Monks

The Crazyhorse Fiction Prize and the Lynda Hull Memorial Poetry Prize have extended postmark deadlines from Dec. 15 to Dec. 20, 2008. Winners receive $2000 each and publication.

Recent fiction prize judges have included Ha Jin, Antonya Nelson, Dan Chaon, T. M. McNally, Diana Abu-Jaber, Michael Martone, and Charles Baxter.

Recent poetry prize judges have included Billy Collins, Marvin Bell, Dean Young, Albert Goldbarth, Nance Van Winckel, Dara Wier, and Mary Ruefle.

http://crazyhorse.cofc.edu

Shakespeare & Co. has finally moved in. The new location is in the Factory Building of Historic Downtown Kernersville at 210 North Main Street. They're in the basement, next to Trend Setters Hair Salon.

Lots of deals on coffee and an expanded inventory of books. I can't wait to get a look at it.

Shakespeare and Company Bookshop
Le Select Cafe
210 North Main Street
Kernersville, N.C. 27284
336.993.1050 Shop
336.993.1070 Fax
www.shakespeareinkernersville.com

Even though I am no longer doing publicity at Press 53, I'd like to tell you about author Denzil Strickland's quest to increase his Amazon ranking before Christmas. The book is doing well, but it should be in more hands. If you haven't yet found the right gift, please consider giving great literature this year, and take a look specifically at Swimmers in the Sea by Denzil Strickland.

Two writers whose work placed in the Salem College National Literary Awards have recently inked deals with NC publisher Algonquin Books and NY-based Simon & Schuster.

Heidi Durrow's book Light-skinned-ed Girl will be published by the former in 2009. Zoe Carter's book Imperfect Endings has been acquired by S&S.

Durrow placed twice, in 2004 and 2006, as a finalist in the Salem College Reynolds Price Short Fiction Award. More recently, she won Barbara Kingsolover's 2008 Bellweather Prize for Literature of Social Change.

Carter's work earned an honorable mention in the Salem College Penelope Niven Creative Nonfiction category earlier this year.

Congratulations to both writers! One more reason to enter.

Salem College has recently posted guidelines for its newly expanded International Literary Awards. John McNally will judge the Reynolds Price Short Fiction Award, Molly Peacock will judge the Rita Dove Poetry Award, and Jennifer Niven will judge the Penelope Niven Creative Nonfiction Award. The winner of each genre will receive $1,200. Two honorable mentions in each genre will receive $150. Big money. Go check it out at www.salem.edu/go/cww or email Ginger Hendricks, Center for Women Writers Director, at cww@salem.edu.

Have a peep at Ravi Mangla's story "Let it Snow" over at decomP, headed up by the good Jason Jordan.

Also, don't miss Matthew Simmons' interview with Michael Kimball, author of Dear Everybody. Over at Hobart.

Oh, and also, I love what the folks at flatmanCROOKED Publishing are doing. Check out "Her Name is Always Junko" by David Galef.

I'll be leading a writing workshop at Cornerstone Church in Wilkesboro in late January '09. If you live in the Wilkes/Watauga/Surry/Yadkin area, join us for a 4-6 week course aimed at beginning to intermediate writers of all genres. I'll post details as they develop.