Writeful

This Holiday, Buy Baltimore!

edgewriter@gmail.com (Eric D. Goodman) — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 16:09:00 +0000

Still looking for a few last-minute gifts? Buy Baltimore! Not the city, but products produced by and in Charm City. To help you find some great Baltimorian gifts, Baltimore's own Eight Stone Press (known for it's nationally-recognized Smile Hon, You're In Baltimore zine) has published an online Baltimore Gift Guide! You can view it online at www.eightstonepress.com/shoppingguide.htm.

Under the "Words" section, you'll find the perfect gift for any children on your list -- the full-color, hardcover story book for children written and illustrated by Baltimorians: Flightless Goose.

Take a look at Eight Stone Press's Baltimore Shopping Guide now at the link below.

And Happy Holidays from the Goodmans and the Goose!

www.eightstonepress.com/shoppingguide.htm

Where in the World are the Goodmans and the Goose?

edgewriter@gmail.com (Eric D. Goodman) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 19:28:00 +0000

Fresh from a book event and television interview in York, I took a bit of a break from everyday life to go on a writing retreat.

This time, it was a trip to the town of Sainte-Adele in Quebec, Canada. While there in the mountains, the area got the heaviest snowfall of the year. Rushing riverside locale, steaming hot tubs and Finnish sauna, snow-topped evergreens blowing in the wind, a comfortable rocking chair next to a crackling fireplace … the perfect setting for writing a new childrens’ book set in a cold climate.

Nataliya is at work illustrating the new book, and a solid draft is completed. It may be a few years before the new book sees a book shelf, but in the meantime, there’s always our current book!

Flightless Goose is available for purchase now at www.RunGoose.com, Amazon.com, and at bookstores. Or, if you want it personally inscribed and autographed, feel free to shoot us an email at www.RunGoose.com.

Now … back to the work of writing in the real world.

Flightless Goose Stars at York Emporium

edgewriter@gmail.com (Eric D. Goodman) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 15:39:00 +0000

Fresh from his flight to the Ottawa Book Fair, Gilbert the Flightless Goose is going to the first capitol of the United States: York, Penn.

That’s because Flightless Goose is the star of a book signing event this Saturday, December 5 at the York Emporium located at 343 West Market Street in York, Penn., 17401. The event begins at 1 p.m.

Come on out and get your signed copy of Flightless Goose. While you’re there, be sure to browse the 250,000 books available at the York Emporium.

Visit the Emporium online at www.theyorkemporium.com/about/index.html.

Flightless Goose Featured at Ottawa Book Fair

edgewriter@gmail.com (Eric D. Goodman) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 18:40:00 +0000

If you’re planning to attend the Ottawa Small Press Book Fair on Saturday, November 28, you’re likely to run into a native goose. Flightless Goose is available all day at the fair!

The annual book fair features exhibitors with poetry books, novels, cookbooks, posters, t-shirts, graphic novels, comic books, magazines, gum-ball machines brimming with poems and, of course, children’s’ books!

The Tenth Muse Books will have copies of Flightless Goose available, as well as books from the popular “Mis-Adventures of Alyson Bell” series by Kristin Groulx, including the latest: The Oracle of the Missing Dryad.

The Ottawa Small Press Book Fair takes place Saturday, November 28 at the Jack Purcell Community Centre. The address is 320 Jack Purcell Lane, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

Fulfill your muse and get your goose!

Goose Goes to Formal Charity Ball

edgewriter@gmail.com (Eric D. Goodman) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:05:00 +0000

The Flightless Goose has been known to play ball, but on Thursday, November 19, he will sport a black tie and attend his first formal ball. That’s because Flightless Goose is one of the features of the Buddy Project’s Charity Ball: Underwater Fantasea.

The black tie event will be held at Ceresville Mansion in Frederick, Maryland, from 6:30 to 11:00 p.m. on November 19. The ball includes a cocktail hour, gourmet dinner, and live music by 23 Days Rewind — a band that plays a blend of 80’s and 90’s alternative and today’s electronica. The band has opened for Modern English, Violent Femmes, and members of Fuel.

The night’s agenda features an auction of collectables such as autographed jerseys, helmets, posters and footballs that boast the signatures of Baltimore Ravens and Washington Redskins football players like Chris Cooley, Clinton Portis, Joe Flacco, Santana Moss and others, as well as an autographed copy of Flightless Goose, a full-color, the hardcover story book for children.

In addition to the copy donated for the auction, Nataliya (the illustrator) and I will be selling and signing copies of Flightless Goose at the ball from 6 to 8 p.m. and proceeds from the sales will benefit the Buddy Project.

The Buddy Project is a 501(c)3 that provides refurbished computers to help close the digital divide for people with disabilities.

Eric Zimmerman established The Buddy Project in October of 2007, soliciting used computers from colleges, universities, and high schools. To date he has put 125 refurbished computers in to service, and this year will expand to offer computer training with the help of grant funding from the Ausherman Family Foundation.

Flightless Goose is the perfect book to partner with The Buddy Project because it teaches important lessons about dealing with disability, focusing on positive strengths, and treating others with respect and dignity. The book is fun for children and it educates as it entertains.

Flightless Goose is available in book stores, at http://www.amazon.com/, and at http://www.rungoose.com/, where you can see some of the illustrations and read more about the exciting new book destined to become a classic.

But why not meet the author and artist in person and get your autographed copy inscribed to the children on your holiday gift list — and help The Buddy Project in their mission to make a difference at the same time.

The formal ball takes place on November 19 from 6:30 to 11 p.m. at the Ceresville Mansion in Frederick, Maryland. Individual tickets are $50 and full tables are $400. The Buddy Project’s goal is to raise $5,000 and to distribute 150 computers. Tickets can be purchased at: www.thebuddyproject.net/ball.

Visit the Ceresville Mansion online at http://www.ceresville.com/.

Two Ways to Get Your Goose (And Help Charities)

edgewriter@gmail.com (Eric D. Goodman) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:43:00 +0000

International Gallery Event and Formal Charity Ball Offer Two Ways to Help Charities and Get Your Goose

With the holidays approaching, many people are already making their gift purchases. If you have a child on your holiday gift list, or someone who is young-at-heart, why not give them something special: an autographed, personally inscribed copy of Flightless Goose?

Flightless Goose is a full-color, hardcover story book for children. The book teaches important lessons about dealing with challenges, focusing on positive strengths, and treating others with respect and dignity. It’s fun for children and educates as it entertains.

The book has been compared to Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and The Ugly Duckling in that it is a classic “underdog story” about a goose who is made fun of as a misfit, but who ends up gaining the respect of peers in the end. A portion of the proceeds will help provide warm sleepwear and nurturing books to children in need through a partnership with The Pajama Project, endorsed by Oprah and Parenting Magazine.

It has been featured on the front page of the Baltimore Messenger and Towson Times and also in such periodicals as the Baltimore Sun, Los Angeles Times, Abilities Magazine, Acreage Magazine, The Potomac, The Hearing Review, Agri Digest, Automotive Industry Magazine, Pen In Hand, and Diversity Rules. The book was also featured at last year’s Festival of Trees and this year’s BookExpo America.

Flightless Goose is available in book stores, at http://www.amazon.com/, and at http://www.rungoose.com/, where you can see some of the illustrations and read more about the book.

But there are more interesting ways to get your goose. Here are two:

Sunday, November 15 from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Watermark Gallery

Flightless Goose is featured as part of this multi-cultural art event at the Watermark Gallery. The event features original artwork of local, national, and international artists including the Watermark’s resident artist, Manzar, up-and-coming artists from MICA, and a sampling of international art from around the world — including paintings, sketches, jewelry, ceramics , wearable arts, fiber arts and, of course, childrens’ book art. Nataliya (the illustrator) and I will be selling and signing copies of Flightless Goose at this event. Stop by for a free sampling of international cuisine, wine, art, and a chance to get your goose. The event is free and open to the public.

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.

Thursday, November 19 from 6 to 11 p.m at Ceresville Mansion in Frederick, Maryland

The Flightless Goose has been known to play ball, but on Thursday, November 19, he will sport a black tie and attend his first formal ball. That’s because Flightless Goose is one of the features of the Buddy Project’s Charity Ball: Underwater Fantasea.

The black tie event features a cocktail hour, gourmet dinner, and live music by 23 Days Rewind — a band that plays a blend of 80’s and 90’s alternative and today’s electronica. The band has opened for Modern English, Violent Femmes, and members of Fuel.

The night’s agenda features an auction of collectables such as autographed jerseys, helmets, posters and footballs that boast the signatures of Baltimore Ravens and Washington Redskins football players like Chris Cooley, Clinton Portis, Joe Flacco, Santana Moss and others, as well as an autographed copy of Flightless Goose.

In addition to the copy donated for the auction, Nataliya and I will be selling and signing copies of Flightless Goose at the ball from 6 to 8 p.m. and proceeds from the sales will benefit the Buddy Project, a charity that provides refurbished computers to help close the digital divide for people with disabilities. Tickets to the formal charity ball can be purchased at: www.thebuddyproject.net/ball.

Visit the Ceresville Mansion online at http://www.ceresville.com/.

In addition to these two affairs, the coming months will see “goose events” at book stores, galleries, and other exciting places.

Of Geese and Galleries

edgewriter@gmail.com (Eric D. Goodman) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:47:00 +0000

Want to catch an autographed goose for Thanksgiving? You can do just that — and sample some impressive, original artwork from local, national, and international artists — while enjoying free refreshments on Sunday, November 15 from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Watermark Gallery in Baltimore’s inner harbor. The event is free and open to the public.

In addition to featuring the author and artist of Flightless Goose, the event is a multi-cultural affair featuring the original artwork of local, national, and international artists including the Watermark’s resident artist, Manzar, up-and-coming artists from MICA, and a sampling of international art from around the world — including paintings, sketches, jewelry, ceramics , wearable arts, fiber arts and more.

You’ll also enjoy a taste of international food, refreshments, and music. As with all events at the Watermark Gallery, the mission is to “Embrace Diversity, Create Peace, and Celebrate Life.”

My wife and I will be signing copies of Flightless Goose, our full-color, hardcover story book for children,. This is the perfect opportunity to get your autographed copies inscribed to the children on your holiday wish list.

Flightless Goose teaches important lessons about dealing with challenges, focusing on positive strengths, and treating others with respect and dignity. The book is fun for children and it educates as it entertains.

The book has been compared to Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and The Ugly Duckling in that it is a classic “underdog story” about a goose who is made fun of as a misfit, but who ends up gaining the respect of peers in the end. A portion of the proceeds will help provide warm sleepwear and nurturing books to children in need through a partnership with The Pajama Project, endorsed by Oprah and Parenting Magazine.

Flightless Goose is available in book stores, at www.Amazon.com, and at www.RunGoose.com, where you can see some of the illustrations and read more about it.

But why not meet us in person and get your autographed copy inscribed to the children on your holiday gift list. Enjoy the gallery exhibit, a glass of wine, and international cuisine and music as you do. This is an affair to put you in the Thanksgiving mood.

The event takes place on Sunday, November 15 from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Watermark Gallery. 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.

Black Hawk Down at Baltimore Writers' Conference

edgewriter@gmail.com (Eric D. Goodman) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:01:00 +0000

The Baltimore Writers' Conference is coming up November 14 at Towson University.

Keynote address will be delivered by Mark Bowden of Black Hawk Down fame. It's been 10 years since the book was published. Bowden has gone on to write books about Pablo Escobar, the Iran hostage crisis, and the Greatest Game Ever Played. He is currently a contributing editor at Vanity Fair, and has written for the Atlantic Monthly, Sports Illustrated, and Rolling Stone. He teaches at his alma mater: Loyola University.

Poetry, screenwriting, freelancing, fiction, and getting published serve simply a sampling of the sixteen sessions available to attendees. Writers can also get "quick critiques" in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry by such experts as literary agent Jeff Kleinman, Baltimore Review editor Susan Muaddi-Darraj, novelists Elise Levine and James Magruder, and Washington Post Magazine editor Lynda Robinson.

Registration includes lunch and closing reception. Presented by Towson University, Johns Hopkins University, and CityLit Project, BWC is the area's premiere craft, business, and networking opportunity for writers. Learn more (and register) at the link below.

www.towson.edu/writersconference

Visit Poe's Grave on His 200th Halloween

edgewriter@gmail.com (Eric D. Goodman) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:22:00 +0000

Looking for a frightful way to spend Halloween night? Or a way to commemorate Edgar Allen Poe’s 200th year? Why not do both at once?

Visit Westminster burying grounds and catacombs at the corner of Fayette and Green streets in downtown Baltimore for more than a glimpse of Poe’s final resting place. The address is 519 W. Fayette St, Baltimore, Maryland.

The event includes eerie music, performed on the restored 1882 Johnson pipe organ, a haunting performance of The Usher Waltz by guitarist Andy Mitchell, words on the War of 1812 from General John Stricker (also buried in the graveyard), ghost hunting tips with a paranormal investigator, a loving tribute to Edgar Allan Poe by his wife, Virginia, a nerve-tingling performance by Frank the Body Snatcher, a stroll through the catacombs and graveyard, and to top it all off … a reading of Edgar Allen Poe’s The Tell-Tale Heart and The Raven over the author’s grave.

Is that a heart I hear beating below?

Halloween night only there will be continuous tours from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. No reservations are required. Tickets available at the door: $5.00 for adults and $3.00 for children (12 & under) & seniors (60 & over).

Once Halloween is over the event is, quoth the raven, nevermore.

Goose Goes Back to Elementary School

edgewriter@gmail.com (Eric D. Goodman) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 13:50:00 +0000

Flightless Goose has another elementary school appearance — today! That’s right. I’ll be presenting Flightless Goose and leading discussions about the book and the lessons it teaches to students at Warren Elementary School in Cockysville, Maryland today from 1 to 3 p.m.

There will be four mini-event as part of the Warren Elementary’s Special Awareness Day. Each event will start with an introduction and reading of the book, move into a discussion, then close with book sales and a signing.

If you’re a student at Warren Elementary, look for the goose there! If you go to another school, ask your teacher to get in touch with Eric & Nataliya at www.RunGoose.com to have an event at your school.

Lit and Art Turns Two

edgewriter@gmail.com (Eric D. Goodman) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 13:50:00 +0000

Since October 2007, the Lit and Art series at the Watermark Gallery has provided a unique opportunity to sample a variety of artistic sensibilities. Fresh off its Baltimore Book Festival success, the Watermark Gallery will hold the next Lit and Art event on Sunday, October 25 at 2 p.m. Come help this series enter its Terrible Twos!

Returning writers include Lauren Beth Eisenberg and Nitin Jagdish. Making their Lit and Art debuts will be Sherry Audette Morrow, Elizabeth Moser, and Blanche Cohen Sachs.

Manzar Rassouli-Taylorr will present some of her artwork.

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

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

Fitzgerald Conference Offers Unique Opportunity for Writers

edgewriter@gmail.com (Eric D. Goodman) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 19:31:00 +0000

According to F. Scott Fitzgerald, “Action is Character.”

Now, 113 years after the great American author’s birth, many writers will put their character in action by registering for 14th annual F. Scott Fitzgerald Literary Conference in Rockville, Maryland. You can too.

The conference takes place on Saturday, October 17.

The Fitzgerald conference offers the unique opportunity for writers to hone their craft in top-notch workshops, and then listen to the masters who already have.

Julia Alvarez is this year’s honoree. Alvarez excels in multiple fields of writing: storybooks for children, young adult books, nonfiction, poetry — and most notably, novels. She is best known for her critically acclaimed novels How the García Girls Lost Their Accents and In the Time of the Butterflies. More recent fiction includes Return to Sender and Saving the World.

Alvarez joins a diverse and prestigious list of honorees, including John Updike, Norman Mailer, E.L. Doctorow, Joyce Carol Oates, Ernest J. Gaines, Edward Albee, William Styron, John Barth, Grace Paley, Pat Conroy, Jane Smiley, William J. Kennedy, and most recently, Elmore Leonard.

Azar Nafisi, best known for her national bestseller Reading Lolita in Tehran: a memoir in books, will share her experiences teaching The Great Gatsby in Tehran.

Pulitzer-prize winner Henry Allen will moderate a panel discussion on Literary Border Crossings. The panel will include authors H.G. Carillo (Loosing my Espanish) and Olga Grushin (The Dream Life of Sukhanov).

In addition to talks from these masters, writers attending the conference will participate in writing workshops lead by top-notch professionals, including editors of literary journals, authors of books, writing instructors, publishers, and others involved with the art and industry of writing.

Workshop topics include short story, novel, poetry, screenplay adaptation, voice, writing for children, and more.

Adding flavor to this year’s international theme, coffee from Julia Alvarez’s own coffee farm in Dominican Republic has been generously donated by Vermont Coffee Company, and the lunch menu features a selection of international cuisine.

Support comes from the City of Rockville, Montgomery College, Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County, Gazette Newspapers, the Rockville Cultural Arts Commission, Peerless Rockville Historic Preservation, Ltd., Legacy Hotel and Meeting Center, Vermont Coffee Company, Roundhouse Theater and the F. Scott Fitzgerald Society.

The conference runs from 7:30 a.m. until 6:15 p.m. with events for everyone. Visit www.peerlessrockville.org/FSF for a complete schedule.

Learn more about Julia Alvarez and her work at her website.
www.juliaalvarez.com

Lit Lights Up the Region this Weekend

edgewriter@gmail.com (Eric D. Goodman) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 20:53:00 +0000

If you love literature, this weekend is made for you. The National Book Festival runs all day on Saturday, October 26 on the National Mall in Washington, DC and features some of the nation’s best and most popular writers from John Irving to John Grisham, Julia Alvarez to TimO’Brien. They’ll be talking about books, reading their work, and signing their books.

And, lest your glass be half empty, let the Baltimore Book Festival make it overflow. The Mid-Atlantic region’s largest celebration of the literary arts begins Friday, September 25 and runs through Sunday, September 27. The festival includes writers of all sorts and is a great way to get to know the local literary scene. Be sure to visit the tents of the Maryland Writers Association, CityLit Project, and Creative Café.

I’ll be joining some friends for the Lit and Art at the Watermark reading at the Baltimore Book Festival’s Creative Café on Sunday afternoon from 5 to 6 p.m. The event will include fiction, poetry, nonfiction, memoir, music, and art.

Learn more about the National Book Festival at their website.
www.loc.gov/bookfest

Drop in on the Baltimore Book Festival online.
http://www.baltimorebookfestival.com/

And visit the Lit and Art page on the Baltimore Book Festival’s website.
www.baltimorebookfestival.com/index.cfm?page=schedules&id=477

National Book Festival Lives

edgewriter@gmail.com (Eric D. Goodman) — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 15:16:00 +0000

Washington may have changed, but the National Book Festival lives on.

The ninth annual National Book Festival, organized and sponsored by the Library of Congress, will be held this Saturday, September 26, on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., between 7th and 14th streets from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The festival is free and open to the public.

Authors will talk about their work, read from it, and conduct book signings. The list of featured authors is long, but some of the headliners include Tim O’Brien, John Irving, James Patterson, John Grisham, Michael Connelly, David Baldacci, Julia Glass, Julia Alvarez, Judy Blume, Jeff Kinney, Jodi Picoult, Nicholas Sparks, Junot Diaz, Sue Monk Kidd, Ken Burns, Walter Mosley, George Pelecanos, Azar Nafisi, and Lisa Scottoline.

Learn more about the event at the National Book Festival’s official website.

www.loc.gov/bookfest

Coffee and Cuisine Add Flavor to Fitzgerald

edgewriter@gmail.com (Eric D. Goodman) — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 13:50:00 +0000

Every year, the F. Scott Fitzgerald Literary Conference offers workshops, readings, and the chance to meet with other writers—from novice to pro—for a full day of literary activities. An international theme dominates this year’s F. Scott Fitzgerald Literary Conference. The 14th annual conference is scheduled for October 17, 2009 in Rockville Maryland.

Popular novelist Julia Alvarez is the 2009 honoree for the prestigious F. Scott Fitzgerald Literary Award. She will accept the award and give a reading from her work at the conference. And she wants to give back to those in attendance — so she has graciously donated the coffee to be served at the event, grown on her own farm.

Her farm the Dominican Republic, Finca Alta Gracia, is named after the country’s spiritual protector, La Altagracia. Since purchasing
the farm, Julia Alvarez and her husband, Bill Eichner, have been restoring and improving the land. Beyond growing coffee, they work for the social, environmental, spiritual, and political issues that comprise sustainability.

“I like to think of Alta Gracia, named after our national Virgencita de la Altagracia (The Virgin of High Grace), as not just a place high in the mountains of the Cordillera Central that we hope will spread grace,” said Alvarez. “I also like to think of it as a state of mind, accessible to all of us through stories, in which we come together and sustain each other through community and the magic of song."

The coffee, roasted and packaged by Vermont Coffee Company, will be served throughout the day at the conference, which runs from 7:30 a.m. until 6:15 p.m. at Montgomery College’s Rockville campus.

In keeping with the international theme of the conference, lunch will consist of international selections, including Hispanic, Asian, Italian, and American dishes. Lunch will be catered by Rock Terrace School of Rockville, where they have a training program for students going into the culinary arts.

Even more filling than the breakfast, lunch, afternoon refreshments, and coffee (all included in the registration fee) will be the conference sessions — on such topics as Teaching The Great Gatsby in Tehran, Literary Border Crossings and a number of workshops on craft and style. Julia Alvarez will read from her work after she accepts the 14th Annual Fitzgerald Award.

Support comes from the City of Rockville, Montgomery College, Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County, Gazette Newspapers, the Rockville Cultural Arts Commission, Peerless Rockville Historic Preservation, Ltd., Legacy Hotel and Meeting Center, Vermont Coffee Company, Roundhouse Theater and the F. Scott Fitzgerald Society.

Learn more about Julia Alvarez and her work at her website.
http://www.juliaalvarez.com/

For a taste of Julia’s coffee, visit http://www.vermontcoffeecompany.com/.

Make plans to participate in the international literary celebration at the next F. Scott Fitzgerald Literary Conference on October 17, 2009. Visit the conference website, where you can find an brochure, schedule, registration form, and more details on the big event.www.peerlessrockville.org/FSF

Lit & Art at the Baltimore Book Festival

edgewriter@gmail.com (Eric D. Goodman) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 12:33:00 +0000

What many people in the local literary community refer to as our “literary new year” will be here before you know it: The Baltimore Book Festival takes place on the weekend of September 25, 26 and 27, and offers a little bit of lit for everyone. The event is free and fun!

As a part of the festival, the “Lit & Art at the Watermark” series will bring fiction, poetry, non-fiction, live music and original artwork to the Creative Café on Sunday, September 27 from 5 to 6 p.m.

Started in October 2007, the Lit and Art series provides a unique opportunity to sample a wide variety of artistic sensibilities in one sitting. The program will feature series regulars Eric D. Goodman, Nitin Jagdish, Deanna Nikaido, Angela Render, Fernando Quijano III, music by Red Tractor Factory and original artwork by Manzar.

Come experience what has been called “the best excuse to get lit in Baltimore on a Sunday afternoon.”

Learn more about the Baltimore Book Festival and all it has to offer at the festival’s official website.
www.baltimorebookfestival.com

Learn more about the Lit & Art event at the BBF website too.
http://www.baltimorebookfestival.com/index.cfm?page=schedules&id=477

Visit the Watermark’s online gallery.

www.manzar.net

Signaling the Future

edgewriter@gmail.com (Eric D. Goodman) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 18:53:00 +0000

This Friday, I’ll be reading an abridged version of my story “Futures” on WYPR’s popular radio program, The Signal. Listen for it on Baltimore’s NPR station, 88.1 FM.

“Futures” is the story of a woman who must consider two possible destinations: the comfort of home in Baltimore, or the challenge of a new career in Chicago. It’s an excerpt from TRACKS, a novel in stories. “Futures” was originally published in JMWW’s annual print anthology.

The Signal takes listeners on a tour of Baltimore’s cultural landscape and airs every Friday at noon and again at 7 p.m.

Listen for my reading of “Futures” this Friday, September 11, at noon and at 7 p.m. on 88.1 FM.

Live out of range? You can listen to the program live at www.wypr.org.

Visit The Signal online at www.signalradio.org.

Read more about TRACKS at www.Train-Tracks.blogspot.com.

Write There, Write Now

edgewriter@gmail.com (Eric D. Goodman) — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 21:39:00 +0000

Since beginning in an upstairs art room in the historic Patterson Theater back in 2005 (I know, I was there!), the Write Here, Write Now workshops have expanded to meet the needs of the growing Baltimore literary community.

Co-sponsored by the CityLit Project and with sessions at Creative Alliance in Baltimore, Howard County Center for the Arts, and Towson Arts Collective, WHWN is the area’s only on-going series of workshops for writers.

Now it’s back to school time — and there are several WHWN courses to consider. Whether you want to learn about marketing your work, tempt your writing palate with some poetry, get the ins and outs of self-publishing and do-it-yourself ethics, learn the basics of blogging, or enjoy a writing workout with personal trainer Jessica Anya Blau, WHWN has something for you.

Learn more at the CityLit Project website.

www.citylitproject.org/index.cfm?page=writeherewritenow

Get Ready for the Festivities

edgewriter@gmail.com (Eric D. Goodman) — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 17:47:00 +0000

What many people in the local literary community refer to as our “literary new year” will be here before you know it: The Baltimore Book Festival takes place on the weekend of September 25, 26 and 27 and offers a little bit of lit for everyone. The event is free and fun!

Tens of thousands of people visit the Baltimore Book Festival each year—it’s the largest celebration of the literary arts in the mid-Atlantic region. All of the regulars will be there: Maryland Writers’ Association, CityLit Project, Creative Café, Literary Salon, Children’s Bookstore Stage, and more!

This year's authors include Buzz Aldrin, Gwen Ifill, Ralph Nader, Chris Gardner, Amiri Baraka, Ingrid Hoffmann, Farai Chideya, Maureen McCormick, Dale DeGroff, Lourdes Castro, Adam Ried, Mordicai Gerstein and James Warhola.

The regular “Lit & Art at the Watermark” reading series will bring fiction, poetry, non-fiction, live music, original artwork, and refreshments to the Creative Café on Sunday. And you’ll find copies of Flightless Goose for sale at the tent of the Maryland Writer’s Association.

Learn more about the Baltimore Book Festival and all it has to offer at their official website.
http://www.baltimorebookfestival.com/

Learn more about the Lit & Art event at their website too.
http://www.baltimorebookfestival.com/index.cfm?page=schedules&id=477

International Celebration at Fitzgerald Conference

edgewriter@gmail.com (Eric D. Goodman) — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 22:49:00 +0000

An international theme dominates this year’s F. Scott Fitzgerald Literary Conference. The 14th annual conference is scheduled for October 17, 2009 in Rockville Maryland.

Popular novelist Julia Alvarez is the 2009 honoree for the prestigious F. Scott Fitzgerald Literary Award. She will accept the award and give a reading from her work at the conference.

The keynote address, Teaching The Great Gatsby in Tehran, will be presented by Azar Nafisi. Literary Border Crossings is the subject of a panel discussion moderated by Pulitzer Prize winner Henry Allen and featuring H.G. Carillo, Olga Grushin, and another panelist to be announced.

Workshops on subjects such as creative nonfiction, short story style, screenplay adaptation, voice, and novel writing are offered in the morning and afternoon.

Registration includes an international lunch representing three national food types and coffee throughout the day provided by Vermont Coffee Company — Julia Alvarez’s favorite coffee.

In being selected as an F. Scott Fitzgerald Honoree, Julia Alvarez Leonard joins an impressive group of talented authors. Previous award winners to accept the Fitzgerald award at the annual conference in Rockville include John Updike, Norman Mailer, 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. Last year’s honoree was Elmore “Dutch” Leonard.

Support comes from the City of Rockville, Montgomery College, Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County, Gazette Newspapers, the Rockville Cultural Arts Commission, Peerless Rockville Historic Preservation, Ltd., Vermont Coffee Company, Roundhouse Theater, The Legacy Hotel & Meeting Center of Rockville, and the F. Scott Fitzgerald Society.

Learn more about Julia Alvarez and her work at her website.
www.juliaalvarez.com

Make plans to participate in the international literary celebration at the next F. Scott Fitzgerald Literary Conference on October 17, 2009. Stay tuned to the conference website for details as they become available.

www.peerlessrockville.org/FSF

Goose Review in The Potomac

edgewriter@gmail.com (Eric D. Goodman) — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 21:55:00 +0000

Flightless Goose got a glowing review in the most recent issue of The Potomac.

The Potomac is a popular literary journal of “poetry and politics” that regularly features short fiction and book reviews. The summer 2009 issue features a positive review from YA author Paul Lagasse.

The review says, “… Flightless Goose is appropriately simple without being simplistic, and its lessons -- that challenges can be overcome, that being different doesn’t mean being less of a person, and that everyone has something they are good at -- are important ones for the intended audience of children 4 to 8 years old. The story is told in a way that is likely to be appealing and exciting to younger children without being condescending to older ones.”

Paul Lagasse and The Potomac have good things to say about Nataliya’s artwork …

“Natalya's watercolors of the lightly anthropomorphized geese (they play ball, skip rope, and wear clothes and shoes) are vibrant and detailed, and her style evokes the illustrations from the classic editions of fairy tales and nursery rhymes that many parents will remember from when they were children.”

… and my writing …

“Eric’s words are well-chosen and presented in a friendly font that frequently undulates and trickles in time with the ups and downs of the story. The word choice and presentation will encourage younger readers to expand their vocabularies without missing the key meanings, and will also satisfy older and more skilled readers.”

See the full review in the current issue of The Potomac at the link below.

http://thepotomacjournal.com/issue9/eric_goodman.html

Lit & Art is Made in the Shade

edgewriter@gmail.com (Eric D. Goodman) — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 12:40:00 +0000

Need a unique way to observe Sir Mick Jagger’s 66th birthday? On Sunday, July 26 at 2 p.m., the Watermark Gallery in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor continues its Lit and Art series. Lit and Art is a series that will start you up and leave you shattered.

Returning writers include Caryn Coyle, Eric D. Goodman, Deanna Nikaido, and Fernando Quijano III. Making her Lit and Art debut will be Christine Stewart.

Fresh off her successful German exhibition, Manzar Rassouli-Taylorr will present some of her artwork.

Red Tractor Factory, the Lit and Art house band, will provide live music. An open mic session will follow, and an intermission and wrap-up social will include refreshments. That's right, free wine.

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

When Research Finds the Writer

edgewriter@gmail.com (Eric D. Goodman) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 18:41:00 +0000

As novelist E.L. Doctorow will tell you, sometimes the best kind of research is the kind that comes to you without effort. I experienced that sort of research recently.

I was out for a walk with my son in our neighborhood, full of large, old trees. One of them had a sign posted on it. “Scheduled for elimination by Division of Forestry.” The reasons checked off were “Dying” and “Diseased.”

Just days earlier, I happened to pull out a story I wrote a couple years ago and was putting some polish on it. The story, “Leaving,” is about a woman infatuated with her yard. In the end, the government tends to her dying tree when she refuses to.

Some readers asked me, can this really happen? I told them that I knew of a person whose tree had been felled by the government. But their questions planted a seed of doubt.

Seeing the sign nailed to a tree was more than just validation — it was the perfect detail to add to my story. I copied the sign verbatim and have added it to "Leaving."

It reminds me of the method of research Doctorow shared when he spoke at the National Book Festival. He explained that he once bumped a library shelf, a book fell out, and the open page led him to write Ragtime.

Not to say that “Leaving” is my Ragtime, but at least I seem to have the “stumble upon research” bit down.

New Lines at The Writer's Center

edgewriter@gmail.com (Eric D. Goodman) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 15:31:00 +0000

You’re invited to a reading event this Sunday at The Writer’s Center. Authors published in New Lines from the Old Line State: An Anthology of Maryland Writers will read from their published work.

I’ve been invited to read an excerpt from my own story, which opens up the anthology. “Cicadas” has been featured in the past on NPR’s The Signal, at the Baltimore Book Festival, Patterson Theater, libraries, book stores, art galleries, and more.

The Writer’s Center is America's premier independent literary center, founded in 1976. It is also the publisher of Poet Lore, the oldest continuously published poetry magazine in the United States, having started in 1889.

The New Lines anthology reading at The Writer’s Center runs from 2 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, July 12. The Writer’s Center is located at 4508 Walsh Street, Bethesda, MD 20815. Parking is free. You can find directions and more information at their website, http://www.writer.org/.

Can’t make it or want a preview? Listen to a reading of “Cicadas” from NPR’s The Signal at the link below — music and sound effects included!

http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/national/local-national-754738.mp3

WHATEVER Has Chemistry

edgewriter@gmail.com (Eric D. Goodman) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 16:32:00 +0000

My story, “Chemistry,” has been published in WHATEVER Literary Journal.

WHATEVER Literary Journal is described as “a collection of the Northeast's finest writers and poets with a few international names to round it out.”

“Chemistry” is a story from Tracks, my novel in stories set on a train traveling from Baltimore to Chicago. “Chemistry” is a story of teenage angst, about a young man hungry for attention from parents and peers who don’t seem to notice him. It’s about how a person can end up speeding down the wrong track and not realize it until it’s too late to slam on the brakes.

Learn more about WHATEVER at their online store.

http://stores.lulu.com/WhateverLiteraryJournal.