Brookdale professor and poet Laura McCullough advises aspiring authors on getting published in the first in a new series of seminars presented by Project Write Now.
While it wasn’t the sort of Grand Opening extravaganza that’s usually accompanied by rented spotlights, a DJ booth and an air-powered dancing “Tube Dude,” the recent relocation of Project Write Now to a larger studio space in Red Bank back in December made a decidedly civilized splash of its own.
All over town, a collection of local people — including Mayor Pasquale Menna, who artfully ambushed a lunchtime crowd at Robinson’s Ale House with a reading from Rudyard Kipling — took part in a promotion that found them sharing favorite poems and inspirational words with their community neighbors.
Visual artist and yoga instructor Amanda Heidel discusses “The Art of Seeing” during an April 12 guest event at Project Write Now’s studio space on Bridge Avenue.
The “Giving Poetry Tuesday” outreach was the brainchild of Project Write Now co-founders Jennifer Chauhan and Allison Tevald, who keyed the day’s activities to an open house at the new digs of their borough-based nonprofit enterprise. Since then, the studio at 25 Bridge Avenue has become a busy place that’s already threatening to be outgrown; serving as home to a newly established after-school program for local kids, as well as a stepped-up program of writing classes for adults in the evenings.
This Monday, March 14, the Write Now team introduces another feature designed to put you in touch your inner writer, with the first in a new slate of seminars entitled An Artist’s Perspective.
The monthly series of 7 p.m. events is to be inaugurated by Laura McCullough, a professor of English at Brookdale Community College and published poet whose volumes include the forthcoming Jersey Mercy from Black Lawrence Press. The veteran contributor to such journals as The American Poetry Review will share tips on “How to Publish in Literary Magazines” in a 90-minute presentation that covers the variety of journals and magazines out there, strategies for writing for publication, as well as tips and tricks for submitting your work.
The series continues on Tuesday, April 12 with a visit from a guest who represents the Write Now team’s belief in the harmonious partnership of word and image — Amanda Heidel. The gallery-exhibited visual artist and yoga/meditation teacher will present her work, give insight into her creative process and sources of inspiration, and propose different ways of living and recognizing creative inspiration in our daily lives during a session entitled “The Art of Seeing.”
The Spring 2016 schedule concludes on Monday, May 23 with a presentation from two representatives of the NYC-based Corvisiero Literary Agency. Conducted by literary agents Marisa Corvisiero and Samantha Bremenkamp, “The First Five Pages: A Critique” will present the publishing industry from their side of the desk, with a discussion of the book proposals that make it past the slush pile and the ones that don’t (and why). Attendees will have an opportunity to ask questions about what they and other agents are looking for in the first five pages of a book, as well as what a query package should look like.
Light refreshments will be served after each presentation, and a suggested donation of $25 will help fund the after-school writing program at Project Write Now. Take it here to register for any of the Artist’s Perspective sessions, or email [email protected].
