A reading for the CQR!

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Eight Chicago Quarterly Review contributors will read from their work from 4 to 6 p.m., Sunday, May 17 at The Celtic Knot Public House on Church Street in Evanston. You’ll hear from:
SHARON SOLWITZ, award-winning author. Among her honors: the Carl Sandburg, Midlands Authors and Pushcart prizes, plus inclusion in Best American Short Stories of 2012.
LIZ RADFORD – Her work has appeared in Prick of the Spindle and AWP’s The Writer’s Chronicle. She is an MFA candidate at Northwestern.
PETER FERRY – Evanston writer whose work has appeared in McSweeney’s, Fiction and Story Quarterly; he is the winner of an Illinois Art Council Award for Short Fiction. He is the author of Travel Writing, and his new novel, Old Heart, is due in June, 2015.
DIPIKA MUKHERJEE: novelist, poet, sociolinguist. Her novel, Thunder Demon (2011) was listed for the Man Asian Literary Prize. Her poetry has been widely anthologized. She has edited two collections of Southeast Asian stories: Silverfish New Writing and The Merlion and Hibiscus. Her poetry collection, Palimpsest of Exile, was published by Rubicon in 2009.
STEVE CEJTIN – visual artist and principal of Hammer & Pixel designs, will read from CQR’s special issue featuring new literature from Italy, edited by translator Michela Martini.
GARY HOUSTON – well known actor/director, writer and editor emeritus of Chicago Sun Times “Show Book Week” and Chicago Literary Review.
UMBERTO TOSI – author and CQR contributing editor reads from Ophelia Rising, his new novel reimagining the life of Shakespeare’s fair maid before and after Hamlet.
ELEANOR SPIESS-FERRIS – noted Chicago narrative surrealist reads from her story, “The Art Store.”
Where:
Celtic Knot Public House
626 Church St
Evanston, IL 60201
(b/t Orrington & Chicago Aves)
Ph (847) 864-1679
When:
Sunday 4-6 pm, May 17

The Italian Issue

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The Italian Issue. Cover illustration by Rossana Campo

 

It’s here! Guest edited by Michela Martini, long in the making, this special issue of the Chicago Quarterly Review is a stunning collection of poetry and prose translations of contemporary Italian literature, featuring these writers, translators and artists: Cristina Alziati • Traci Andrighetti • Jacob Blakesley • Margaret Brose • Rossana Campo • Mauro Casiraghi • Mauro Castellani • Patrizia Cavalli • Mara Cini • Bonnie Costello • Deborah Davies • Franca Di Muzio • John Domini • Fabio Donalisio • Rudi Dundas • Adam Elgar • Biancamaria Frabotta • Adria Frizzi • Sciltian Gastaldi • Georgia Emma Gili • Robert Hahn • Michael Kirylo • Alessandra Lavagnino • Ernesto Livorni • Valerio Magrelli • Nicola Manuppelli • Michela Martini • Silvana Mastrolia • Elizabeth McKenzie • Massimo Migliorati • Guido Morselli • Ellen Nerenberg • Aldo Palazzeschi • Katia Pansa • Gabriele Pedullà • Giacomo Pilati • Alta L. Price • Frederika Randall • Rosebud Rosabella • Edoardo Sanguineti • Angela Scarparo • Olivia E. Sears • Nicola Skert • Emanuele Trevi • Francesco Verso • Patrizia Vicinelli • Patrizia Villani • J. Rodolfo Wilcock.

Purchase The Italian Issue!

CQR reading at Green Apple Books/San Francisco

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Zack Rogow and Syed Afzal Haider

 

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Moazzam Sheikh
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Zack Rogow reading from “Havana Twilight”
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Elizabeth McKenzie and Syed Afzal Haider, Editors
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Stephen Kessler reading selected prose poems from CQR #19
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Catherine Segurson reading from “Flower Storm”
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Evie Rucker reading “The Wonderful Day”
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Donka Farkas reading her translation of David Frankel’s memoir “This is All I Remember”
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In the Granny Smith room
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contributors Evie Rucker and Stephen Kessler

 

Read CQR editor Elizabeth McKenzie’s short story in The New Yorker

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Chicago Quarterly Review editor Elizabeth McKenzie’s short story, “Savage Breast” appears in the December 15, 2014 issue of the New Yorker. Below is an excerpt. The entire story is available here.


“Savage Breast,” by Elizabeth McKenzie

It had been an ordinary day, to a point. I had a headache that wouldn’t let up, and there was a party I’d promised I’d go to—I’d said see you soon to the people at work. But after I unlocked my door and kicked off my shoes all I could think about was jumping into bed. Once I allowed myself to think that this was a reasonable idea, I felt released from the grip of the party; I realized that if I slept right through nobody would really care.

I threw down my bag in the hall. A stale smell engulfed me, as if from a storage room that hadn’t been opened for a long time, but I was too dead to investigate. I groped for the light switch but instead felt a warm furry thing on my hand.

Next thing I knew, I was lying on my back in a bed.

The bed was hard, and there was a thin blue blanket over me. Looking up, I saw light coming through an old-fashioned shade that had been pulled down over a window. There was nothing like this in my apartment. Slightly yellowed, it had a cord hanging from it which had been crocheted around a plastic pull ring. There was a familiar water stain on the shade, a lion’s head coming out of a rose, and I sat up in bed with a gasp….

[Continue reading]

Writer Spotlight: Don De Grazia

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An Interview by Katie Alstadt

Don De Grazia is the author of American Skin, a contemporary coming-of-age novel. His stories have appeared in Chicago After Dark, The Chicago Reader, TriQuarterly, and in 2014, his story “Black Was Missing” appeared in the Chicago Quarterly Review’s special Chicago Issue. Don is also a professor at Columbia College Chicago, teaching fiction. I had the pleasure of catching up with Don recently to discuss his current projects and get his perspective on the future of publishing and literary fiction.

Don is currently working on two different novels and a collection of short stories.   Several of the short stories are interconnected, sharing several common characters and environments. He’s also continuing to develop characters he introduced in prior works, such as Black from “Black Was Missing.”

Given Don’s versatility as a short story writer, novelist, fiction and nonfiction writer, I asked him about his writing process.  “When I’m writing short stories, I have a very clear sense of the story’s end, the resolution and the themes, which are the driving forces of the story for me,” Don says.  As for novels, Don states that unlike short stories he “writes on the edge of discovery,” meaning he lets the story and the characters guide him towards revelations and resolutions. I found this particularly encouraging as many young novelists and writers apply the same process to their larger works of prose.

Don also shared that recently, he has been writing screenplays.  Initially he approached them the same way he approached his prose: with the notion that screenplays “are simply just stories.” However, he soon discovered that novels and short stories are very different from screenplays.  “Screenplays are incomplete movies,” Don says.  “The writer is challenged to focus on enhancing the storyline while thinking about elements that do not exist until later production, such as lighting and sound environments.” Despite these challenges, Don says that the technical concepts you learn in all storytelling can be applied to screenwriting.  “You still need to develop an intriguing plot and focus on rich character development.”

Of all the forms he’s tried, which is his favorite? “I prefer fiction because I feel like much of the nonfiction and memoirs out there today are fictionalized. Our memories are subjective versions of reality where the writer puts order into something that previously did not exist.”

Don’s success is inspiring and I had the honor of working with him in a fiction class at Columbia College. So like all aspiring writers, I was interested in his experience with publishing and how his novel went from a simple idea to a published work of fiction. His response was moving. “If you devote yourself to writing a book and pour yourself into it, you will get published.”

The process of choosing a small press or a top publishing house after your novel is complete is more complicated and relies heavily on individual taste. Writers have to decide if they want more personal, detailed attention which they will receive at a small press or if they want to work with a top publishing house, where they might become a “bingo chip” in the pool of established authors.

However, with all these different options, including self-publishing, Don declares that young writers should be more encouraged than ever, as the publishing world is constantly changing forms and creating many more exciting opportunities. “The lines in the industry are blurring,” Don says.

Don recently shared with his students the example of a young adult novel written by James Frey entitled Endgame. The book is set to be the first interactive, multimedia experience and will incorporate e-books, interactive gaming and Youtube videos. Imagine the opportunities to engage the reader using audio and visual tools.

I appreciated Don’s professionalism and willingness to take time to share his insights and expertise. I believe he is a great example of the talent that exists within Chicago’s literary community and I am sure we will be hearing more great things from him in the future.

 

Kriti Festival: 2014

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CQR Editor Syed A. Haider, novelist Manil Suri, Katie Alstadt

by Katie Alstadt

A sense of community is difficult to find as a writer, a solitary profession that limits communication and interactions with those around you. If you’re a writer or if you write as a hobby, you know that sharing it is scary. Opening up your ideas and works-in-progress with other writers builds a sense of community, fuels ideas and keeps you moving forward with your work. This was the theme at the 2014 Kriti Festival, hosted on UIC campus in Chicago, Illinois. The week long festival celebrated authors, their works, their successes and the art of writing itself.

Syed A. Haider, the Chicago Quarterly Review’s chief editor, attended and spoke at three different panels and read a few selections from his short stories. He also shared his personal experiences in the arts, revealed his road to success, and discussed how to get work published.  Syed started his writing career later in life. He came to America to be an engineer, studied psychology, and pursued a career in social work. He studied at the University of Chicago and met a professor that was generous with her writing criticism of Syed’s early work. He then went on to publish a book of short stories. Syed stated that he always thought he could write but not well enough to make money.

When asked on the panel at the Kriti Festival for advice how to publish and handle rejection, Haider simply said, “Keep writing, keep writing. Don’t worry about rejection.” He also said that it’s important for writers not to share their work with publishers or writing groups too early, as criticism during the writing process can be overwhelming and harmful to early drafts. However, Syed encouraged the aspiring writers in the audience to join writing groups whether on social media or within school as they build their help community.

Other writers on the panel, including young adult writer Rajeep Paulus, author of Swimming Through Clouds, also encouraged writers to follow their dreams but to do it sensibly. “Pay attention to your art,” she stated, “while reminding everyone to remain realistic and maintain other jobs while you write. Always have a Plan B,” Paulus said.

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novelist Manil Suri

Manil Suri, award winning author and bestseller of a trilogy of novels named for Hindu gods, including The Death of Vishnu, also spoke at the  Festival. I had the honor of speaking to Manil after his panel to ask him for advice for aspiring writers.

Dignified and calm after signing a stack of books for excited readers and fans, Suri told me that he originally started writing as a hobby and that it was something he did only in his free time. But as he continued, he found that writing was something he really enjoyed because it added another dimension to his already busy life. Suri attended the University of Mumbai and Carnegie for a major in mathematics. He wrote his first novel in 1995, after keeping the project secret from his friends and family for about fifteen years. When I asked him about his publication process, Suri smiled and admitted that he was lucky when he found his agent. It all started when he submitted the first three chapters of his novel to an arts center as admittance to attend. He was surprised to find that he received harsh criticism that “tore it apart.” Michael Cunningham, Pulitzer Prize winner, hosted the program and encouraged Suri to keep writing the novel at any cost. Cunningham also wrote Suri a recommendation to an artist colony in New Hampshire and it was there that Suri met a scout from Hollywood who took an interest in his manuscript. However, the novel was not right for film and he found an agent for Suri who later published the novel. Suri stated that writing should be for yourself first and that it should make you happy. If it does, then hard work and dedication will make success easier. “Don’t worry about the first ten years,” Suri said. “Try to get better and hone your craft, then worry about publication.”

I found that many audience members during other panels were interested in how authors found their inspiration, so I asked Suri the same thing. “I only need enough inspiration to get the idea but I think the mechanics are more important. I’ve found that biking or swimming will usually spark an idea.”

The Kriti Festival as a whole was inspiring for me as a writer. I met so many smart and gracious authors who were more than willing to share their secrets to writing, editing and submitting. But most of all, I felt very welcomed in the community as we all shared our experiences with the arts, and what we loved to read and write. The Kriti Festival advocated writers and their community, joining together and creating art, no matter what you may be interested in. I enjoyed meeting so many writers and even made some connections. I highly recommend attending the event next year and in the meantime, joining creative groups and getting yourself and your work out there.

 

CQR #18 –Bay Area contributors at Green Apple Books

Bay area contributors to CQR #18 read at Green Apple Books, August 18, 2014. Including Ali Eteraz, Thomas Lee, Willer de Oliveira, Dan Moreau and Moazzam Sheikh. A brilliant group!

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Moazzam Sheikh, Syed Afzal Haider, Willer de Oliveira, Ali Eteraz, Dan Moreau
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Moazzam Sheikh
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Thomas Lee
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Dan Moreau
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Willer de Oliveira, Octavio Solis, Syed Afzal Haider
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Willer de Oliveira
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Dan Moreau
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Elizabeth McKenzie, editor
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Ali Eteraz
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Syed Afzal Haider, editor

Chicago Quarterly Review at the Cliff Dwellers, May 7

Free and open to the public. Come celebrate the Chicago Issue of the Chicago Quarterly Review with Sharon Solwitz, Signe Ratcliff, Cecilia Pinto, Liz Radford, Syed Haider, John Blades, Jim Stacey, Elizabeth McKenzie, Umberto Tosi, R. Craig Sautter, Jason Economus, Natalia Nebel, Bill Lederer, Jim Stacey, Joe Weintraub, Jack Fuller, Robert Kerwin, Dipika Mukherjee, Paul Jones, Steve Trumpeter, Rogers Worthington, Garnett Kilberg Cohen, and Donald G. Evans. Join the writers at the bar at 6; reading starts at 7!
Cliff Dwellers

CQR at Pop-up Bookfair in Oak Park, hosted by Curbside Splendor & 826CHI

Pop-Up Book Fair at the Hemingway Museum in Oak Park

SUBMITTED ON MON, 03/10/2014 
Saturday, April 12, 2014 – 11:00am to 6:00pm

Curbside Splendor, The Ernest Hemingway Foundation, Oak Park Library, and826CHI are proud to present: POP-UP BOOK FAIR 2014

FEATURING:

&NOW Books
2nd Story
57th Street Books / Seminary Co-op
7Vientos
Allium Press
Another Chicago Magazine
Artifice Books
Bookslut
Burial Day Books
Chicago Center for Literature and Photography (CCLaP)
Chicago Literary Hall of Fame
CHIPRC
Chicago Quarterly Review
Christian Larsen
Convulsive Editions
Dead Tree Press
Dream of Things
Fifth Star Press
Half Letter Press / Temporary Services
Hobart and Short Flight / Long Drive Books
Lake Claremont Press
MAKE
Miss Nyet Publishing, LLC
Ricochet Review
Soberscove Press
Switchback Books

HideLocation and contact
The Hemingway Museum
200 N Oak Park Ave.
Oak Park  Illinois  60302

United States

Contact Phone Number:
(708) 848-2222PopUpBookFair_0

 

http://www.chicagoartistsresource.org/events/pop-book-fair-hemingway-museum-oak-park