Publishing Workshop and Reading with Erika Dreifus
On Saturday, October 13, Erika Dreifus will be running a workshop on publishing as well as reading at Big Blue Marble Bookstore in Mt. Airy. Erika runs the popular writing blog Practicing Writing and also wrote a collection of short stories, Quiet Americans. She is an authority on Low-Residency MFA programs and wrote the section on Low-Res programs in the 2nd edition of Tom Kealey’s Creative Writing MFA Handbook. We asked her about what she’ll be covering in her workshop, the benefits of doing a Low Residency MFA and about her book, inspired by her Jewish grandparents who emigrated from Nazi Germany. d
d
d
What kind of topics will be covered in your publishing workshop?
d
The workshop will cover the nuts-and-bolts of submitting to literary magazines: getting to know the magazines, doing your research, and presenting your work as professionally as possible. Participants will leave the session with lots of how-to tips and resources. Some of the session content may depend on participants’ interests, so I encourage everyone to bring questions.
d
d
d
In your experience, what are the benefits of doing a low residency MFA vs. a traditional program?
d
Low-residency programs offer a number of benefits. Since they don’t require full-time presence on or near a campus, they allow writers to pursue the degree while continuing to live (and work, and love) wherever they may already be. And for many writers, being able to sustain full-time employment outside the MFA program is what helps pay for the program’s tuition and fees. Finally, many have observed that the basic structure of a low-residency program, with its emphasis on keeping yourself motivated and working in those months between residencies, helps prepare writers to keep writing after the MFA.
d
d
d
Tell us about your book, Quiet Americans.d
Quiet Americans is a collection of short fiction. The book includes seven stories, most of which were first published in literary magazines. The stories are inspired largely by the experiences and histories of my dad’s parents, Jews who emigrated from Nazi Germany in the late 1930s, and by my reflections on this family legacy.
d
d
d
d
d
The workshop starts at 12pm and costs $35. To register: email events@bigbluemarblebooks.com or call 215-844-1870.
Erika Dreifus’ reading will start at 3pm. For more details go to Big Blue Marble.
