Lit and Art in Baltimore's Inner Harbor

June is not just about Bloomsday anymore.

On Sunday, June 29 at 2 p.m., the Watermark Gallery in Baltimore's Inner Harbor will continue its Lit and Art series. Five local authors will present their fiction and poetry and an original collection of art by local artist Manzar Rassouli-Taylorr will be on display.

Returning writers include Lauren Beth Eisenberg, Eric D. Goodman, Nitin Jagdish, and Cliff Lynn. Making his Lit and Art debut will be Irwin Greenstein.

A collection of surreal artwork by Manzar Rassouli-Taylorr will be on display.

Started in October 2007, the Lit and Art series provides a unique opportunity to sample a variety of artistic sensibilities. Like previous events in this series, it is free and open to the public. Complimentary refreshments will be served.

Bring your own work for a chance to share it aloud with the crowd after the scheduled readers.

The Watermark Gallery is located in the Bank of America Center Skywalk Level, right across from the Inner Harbor, at 100 S. Charles Street, Baltimore, Maryland. The phone number is (410) 547-0452.

Learn more about the Watermark at their online gallery.

www.manzar.net

Gluckman's Characters Find Themselves in Deadly Exchange

Think you’ve had an identity crisis at one time or another? Ever feel like your boss or coworkers are a little too intrusive? Think again.

The two main characters in Geoffrey Gluckman’s novel, Deadly Exchange, go against all odds to find one another—but first they have to tackle the struggle of finding themselves.

It’s hard to fit Deadly Exchange into one neat category, other than to describe it as a fast-paced thriller. Part conspiracy theory mystery, part spy action-adventure, garnished with philosophy, self-help, espionage, and romance, Gluckman weaves his characters, themes, plots and subplots together as they travel from coast to coast.

Frank Revere, a former federal agent who has lost his wife and never been himself since, doesn’t know who Jennifer Chance is when he meets her. But then, neither does Jennifer Chance.

As one of the world’s most successful motivational speakers, she’s at the top of her game—and yet unsatisfied. Together, they rediscover not only themselves and one another—they discover what true motivation really is.

To write the thriller, Gluckman drew on his experience as a federal agent and recruitment by the CIA, as well as his experience as an exercise physiologist and international lecturer.

Learn more about Geoffrey Gluckman’s novel, Deadly Exchange, by visiting his website. You can even read the first chapter while you’re there.

http://geoffreygluckman.com/

The Flightless Goose Goes to 30 Rock

The Flightless Goose is flying high … figuratively speaking.

Watch The Today Show on NBC early next week and keep an eye out for the goose!

To promote our childrens’ book, The Flightless Goose, my wife Nataliya (the illustrator) and I (the author) are attempting to get onto The Today Show—America’s number one morning show. We'll go to Rockefeller Plaza during the taping of the show with a handmade poster board announcing the publication of The Flightless Goose and launching the brand-new website.

We'll be in New York City all next week and hope to score a few seconds of air time for The Flightless Goose on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday.

So stay tuned to the tube and watch for geese! And stay tuned to the online pond at the link below.

www.FlightlessGoose.blogspot.com.

McDermott on Stumbling Along

When it comes to writing fiction, Alice McDermott believes the best way to write a novel is in the dark—figuratively speaking, that is.


“There’s a danger in loosing enthusiasm if you know the plot before you start writing. It’s best, for literary fiction, to begin without knowing exactly where it’s going.”


That’s in direct conflict with what many other successful authors suggest—that you should begin with the ending in mind, plot ahead to know where you’re going.


But it’s not like Alice—New York Times Bestseller, National Book Award winner, Pulitzer nominee—doesn’t know what she’s talking about.


“Novels open up—one thing leads to another, unexpected and unplanned. The puzzle of putting it all together.”


One such puzzle, for Alice, was That Night.


“Writing That Night was a slow process, lots of rewriting, following the language, letting characters show what to write next. It’s a process, stumbling along. A lot of hard work.”


But when done right, it’s a lot of hard work that pays off.


“Don’t be afraid of what’s next. The novel will fill in from behind. It won’t peter out if you’re interested in the story.”

F. Scott Fitzgerald Wants Your Stories

Do you have a great short story that you're dying to share with the world? Now is the time. The F. Scott Fitzgerald Literary Conference, Inc. is sponsoring its 13th annual short story competition. The F. Scott Fitzgerald Short Story Contest is open to residents of Maryland, Washington D. C. and Virginia.

Send in your polished and unpublished stories of no more than 3,000 words. First prize includes $1,000, an invitation to speak at the 13th Annual F. Scott Fitzgerald Literary Conference, and publication in The Potomac Review. Three runner-ups will receive $200 each. There is a $25 entry fee, and the deadline to enter is July 18, 2008.

In addition to the larger contest, the F. Scott Fitzgerald Literary Conference, Inc. also sponsors a student short story contest. There is no entry fee, and the competition is open to all high school students who reside or attend school in Montgomery County.

The F. Scott Fitzgerald Literary Conference, Inc. promotes appreciation for the literary arts and appreciation for the literature of F. Scott Fitzgerald, one of America's most celebrated writers.

The literary conference is held every year in Rockville, Maryland, the resting place of F. Scott Fitzgerald. The conference includes workshops and panels for writers of all skill levels. The organization's supporters include the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County, the Rockville Cultural Arts Commission and the F. Scott Fitzgerald Society.

Visit the F. Scott Fitzgerald Literary Conference website at www.montgomerycollege.edu/PotomacReview/fscott/index.htm for complete contest guidelines and more information, or call (301) 309-9461.

And be sure to make plans to attend the next F. Scott Fitzgerald Literary Conference on October 25, 2008. You can learn more by visiting the conference website above.

Elmore Leonard Announced as Next F. Scott Fitzgerald Honoree

Popular novelist Elmore Leonard has been announced as the most recent honoree for the F. Scott Fitzgerald Literary Award.

Elmore “Dutch” Leonard is the author of 42 novels and countless short stories, many of them household names: 3:10 to Yuma, Get Shorty, Rum Punch (upon which Quentin Tarantino's film Jackie Brown was based), The Big Bounce, The Hot Kid, and 52 Pickup. Currently he is at work on his 43rd novel, Road Dogs, due out in 2009.

In being selected as an F. Scott Fitzgerald Honoree, Dutch Leonard joins an impressive group of talented authors. Previous award winners to accept the award at the annual F. Scott Fitzgerald Literary Conference in Rockville Maryland, include Norman Mailer, John Updike, E.L. Doctorow, Joyce Carol Oates, Ernest J. Gaines, Edward Albee , William Styron, John Barth, Grace Paley, Pat Conroy, William J. Kennedy, and Jane Smiley.

Learn more about Dutch Leonard and his acceptance of the F. Scott Fitzgerald Literary Award by reading the recent profile in The Washington Post.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/26/AR2008052602219.html


Visit Dutch Leonard at his website.
http://www.elmoreleonard.com/


And be sure to make plans to see Dutch Leonard in person at the next F. Scott Fitzgerald Literary Conference on October 25, 2008. Stay tuned to the conference website for details as they come.

www.montgomerycollege.edu/potomacreview/fscott/