Writeful

a weblog for readers and writers

Friday, January 30, 2009

Something to Cheer for this Sunday

You may have heard, there’s a big event coming this Sunday. No, I’m not talking about the Super Bowl, although there will be that, too.

This Sunday, February 1, Billy Collins will be reading from his poetry at the Weinberg Center in Frederick.

Collins is one of the nation’s best-selling poets, hailed as an American phenomenon who rivals Robert Frost in popularity and critical acclaim.

This is a can’t-miss event for the die-hard poetry fans out there. Learn more at the link below.

www.fcpl.org/information/programs/2009/billy_collins.html

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Goodman on the Tube

I was recently asked to be a guest on a literary-focused television show produced by Loyola College. In the interview, I was asked about Flightless Goose (my children’s story book), TRACKS (my novel-in-stories), and WOMB (my novel-in-progress).

We also talked about tips on writing, and the Baltimore literary scene. I even discuss what got me started writing in the first place.

The interview is split into three segments which, all together, run about 10 minutes.

You don't have to be a Loyola College student or faculty member to enjoy the show – you can view it now on YouTube at the link below.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=zj-GI78kCxE

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Goose Makes Agri Digest Once Again

In November, Agri Digest, the magazine dedicated to agricultural initiative and innovation, ran a story on Flightless Goose.

It must have been a big hit in the agricultural arena, because the story ran again in their December issue — and again in January!

If you missed it in November and December, take a look at the article now in the current issue of Agri Digest.

www.agridigest.com/bookGoose.html

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Lit and Art -- Yes We Can!

Help extend a bohemian welcome to the new Administration! On Sunday, January 25 at 2 p.m., the Watermark Gallery in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor continues its Lit and Art series. You’ll find that Lit and Art is a series you can believe in.

Returning writers include Caryn Coyle, Eric D. Goodman, and Angela Render. Making their Lit and Art debuts will be Sonia L. Linebaugh and Fernando Quijano III.

Red Tractor Factory, the Lit and Art house band, will provide live music.

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 wine and refreshments will be served, and audience members will have a chance to share their own work during the open mic session.

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

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

PEN IN HAND Features Flightless Goose

The most recent issue of PEN IN HAND features an interview about Flightless Goose. Writer and Editor Nancy O. Greene interviewed Nataliya and me about our new story book for children.

In the interview, featured both in print and online, we talk about everything from where we came up with the idea for the book to our creative process as we worked together to write and illustrate the story. The story also covers inspirations, aspirations, and advice. It even mentions our adventure getting time NBC’s TODAY show.

To read “The Flightless Goose: An Interview with Eric and Nataliya Goodman,” take a look at the online version of PEN IN HAND at the link below and go to page 6 and 7.

Also, note the shout-out for Flightless Goose in the “Recent Achievements” section on page 9.

And, while browsing the photos from the Baltimore Book Festival on the cover and inside, you may catch a glimpse of someone you know.

Enjoy the latest issue of PEN IN HAND online at the link below.

http://marylandwriters.org/PenInHand/2008-12.pdf

Wednesday, January 07, 2009

Two Literary Events in Baltimore

In the Baltimore area, it’s already an eventful year for lovers of literature. Here are two upcoming events sponsored by the Maryland Writers’ Association.

Filmmaker Talks About Picturing Words

Christpher Reed, filmmaker and Assistant Professor of Film, Video and Theatre at Stevenson University, discusses "Picturing Words: How to Write for and about the Cinema." The cinema is a visual art form, but it also uses sound (dialogue, music, effects). Movies begin as written scripts, but, once filmed, these scripts are reshaped in the editing process.

"I believe that filmmaking is a wonderful pastiche of different disciplines, from which emerges a unique art form. It is deeply collaborative. There is no one author, unless only one person has been involved, filming him- or herself, from start to finish," says Reed. "Still, at the start of every filming process, there needs to be a blueprint, and that blueprint is the script."

Using examples from his favorite films and film texts, Reed will address the ideas behind successful screenwriting. How does one write visually, so that the words appear as moving pictures before the eyes of the reader? And how does one write about films, so that a simple description can transport the reader into the world of the movie?

Picturing Words: How to Write for and about the Cinema takes place Wednesday, January 14 from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. in the annex building of the Chesapeake Arts Center, 194 Hammonds Lane, Brooklyn Park, Maryland 21225.

And …

Maryland Authors Share Their Work

The Maryland Writers’ Association’s Baltimore Chapter, co-sponsored by the CityLit Project and the Write Here, Write Now workshops, invites the public to help us kick off the new year right with another in the popular series of open mic readings in the relaxed coffee-house atmosphere of Baltimore Chop Books in downtown Baltimore.

For members, this is a chance to try out your latest writing in front of an audience of fellow writers -- no critiques, just claps! For guests and visitors, we invite you to come and enjoy this literary sampler.

Come early to shop the Chop's terrific collection of books (it's Baltimore City's only remaining independent general bookstore), and to get a nice hot mug of your favorite hot beverage and fresh desert before you read. (Browsing and caffeinating is also encouraged throughout the evening's festivities, of course.)

The event takes place at Baltimore Chop Bookstore and Espresso Bar, Baltimore City's only independent general bookstore, 625 Washington Blvd, in Baltimore.

To learn more about these events, visit the website of the Maryland Writers’ Association.

www.marylandwriters.org.