Turning 40 Again

My reflections on turning 40 years old (which I’m doing again this week) were published in 2011 on the popular website, Turning 40.

Two years later, my story remains one of the most popular they’ve published. It is still one of the “featured” stories at the top of the page and has been read by nearly 10,000 people.

In the article, “Turning 40 as a Sounding Board,” I meditate on how turning 40 seemed, to me, to be more of a sounding board than a milestone. It includes quotes, words of inspirations, poetry, even a little bit of alternate history. You’ll laugh (if you’re 20). You’ll cry (if you’re turning 40). Hop on over now to read my reflections. (On second thought, walk slowly and carefully—you don’t want to put out your back).

www.Turning40.net

You can read my thoughts on turning 40, or watch Heidi Klum talk to Ellen about turning 40. But which do you think will be more interesting?

www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlkarRWBYEM

Go directly to my article—a lot of people have turned 40 since Monday!

http://turning40.net/turning-40-as-a-sounding-board-by-eric/

Glass Mountain Supports Tracks

Glass Mountain is a print literary magazine published by the University of Houston Creative Writing Program. With a circulation of 2,500, it launched nationally in 2006 and has featured such notable literary figures as Mark Doty, Nick Flynn, Mat Johnson, and Tony Hoagland.

The most recent issue, hot off the press, includes my story “Idle Chatter” from Tracks: A Novel in Stories.

To find out more, visit the Glass Mountain Wikipedia page at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glass_Mountain_(journal).

Or, visit them directly at http://www.glassmountainmag.com.

Michael Kimball Joins Lit and Art on May 26

Join us on May 26 and discover “the best excuse to get lit on a Sunday afternoon in Baltimore.”


Well into its fifth year, the Lit & Art reading series showcases local, national, and international talent—fiction, poetry, non-fiction, memoir, original art, live music—all topped off with wine, refreshments, and conversation.

Featured readers on May 26 include Michael Kimball, Holly Morse-Ellington, Sid Gold, Caryn Coyle, Nik Karpon, and Shirley Brewer. Live music, original art by Manzar, wine and refreshments will fill out the program.

Hosted by Baltimore authors Nitin Jagdish and Eric D. Goodman, the event takes place at The Watermark Gallery at 100 S. Charles Street, across from Baltimore’s Inner Harbor in the BOA building and takes place from 2 to 5 p.m. Bring a bit of your own work to share at open mic!

George Saunders Celebrates 10 years of CityLit Fest

The annual CityLit Festival, a favorite spring event in Baltimore, is celebrating 10 years this Saturday. From its very inception, ringmaster Gregg Wilhelm has brought in top names to headline the festival: the likes of Edward P. Jones and Junot Diaz.

This year, the fiction headliner is George Saunders, author the bestselling Pastoralia, set against a warped, hilarious, and terrifyingly recognizable American landscape; CivilWarLand in Bad Decline, a finalist for the PEN/Hemingway Award; and In Persuasion Nation, one of three finalists for the 2006 STORY Prize for best short story collection of the year. The New York Times Magazine called Saunders's latest collection, Tenth of December, "the best book you'll read this year."

Headlining poets are poets laureate Stanley Plumly of Maryland and Dick Allen of Connecticut read their latest work. Plumly is the author of Orphan Hours and is recipient of the 2010 John William Corrington Award for Lifetime Achievement in Literature). Allen is the author of Present Vanishing and recipient of the 2013 New Criterion Poetry Prize, one of the country's most prominent prizes for a book-length collection of poems that pays close attention to form.

Other featured authors include Jen Michalski, Elisabeth Dahl, Nathan Leslie, Tim Wendle, Nik Korpon, and CL Bledsoe. I’ll be on hand as well in the Literary Marketplace.

Join us on April 13, 2013, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Enoch Pratt Free Library in downtown Baltimore, and discover (again) why Baltimore magazine called CityLit Festival "a can't miss event on the city's social scene."

www.citylitproject.org/index.cfm?page=news&newsid=130

Live Cargo on WYPR's The Signal Today

If you’re in the Baltimore-DC area, tune in to The Signal on WYPR, 88.1 FM at 7 tonight or 1 p.m. Saturday (tomorrow) afternoon. If you’re elsewhere, listen to the program live at www.wypr.org.

I’ll be reading an abridged version of “Live Cargo” from Tracks: A Novel in Stories. After my reading, stay tuned for details about the upcoming Lit & Art at the Watermark this Sunday.

The Signal is a weekly radio magazine that explores Maryland’s thriving artistic and cultural scene and is produced by Aaron Henkin and Lisa Morgan and hosted by Andy Bienstock for Baltimore’s NPR station, WYPR.

Here’s how WYPR describes my story.

“Holocaust Remembrance Day - Yom Hashoah - begins Sunday evening, April 7th, and continues through Monday until sundown. Writer Eric D Goodman joins us to observe the somber occasion with a short story. It’s the story of a survivor – and that survivor’s memories – so please be advised that the following does include some grim details. The story also includes strength, and hope…”

Get your serving of strength and hope today at 7 p.m. or Saturday at 1 p.m. at 88.1 FM or www.wypr.org.  

Here’s the plug from The Signal’s website:

“In observance of Yom Hashoah - Holocaust Remembrance Day – writer Eric D Goodman joins us with the story of a survivor’s pilgrimage to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC.”

Visit www.wypr.org/stationprogram/signal.