The folks doing the publicity for Oxford American, because the deadline for applicants is rapidly approaching, recently sent this news release out:
Scholarships available for Oxford American Summit for Ambitious Writers
The Oxford American will offer five scholarships (including tuition, room, and board) for Arkansas college students to attend the inaugural Oxford American Summit for Ambitious Writers occurring June 21–26, 2011, at Winthrop Rockefeller Institute on Petit Jean Mountain.
“These scholarships will allow the most promising young writers at Arkansas colleges to learn from some of the best writers and editors in the nation,” said Marc Smirnoff, editor of The Oxford American. “We are pleased to be able to extend this opportunity to our home-state students.”
The scholarships will be awarded to the five best student applications (as judged by the Summit’s Fiction and Creative Nonfiction admission boards) received from two- and four-year Arkansas colleges and universities. More information and guidelines are available at http://summit.oxfordamerican.org/scholarship-policy.
The Summit, a collaboration between The Oxford American magazine and Winthrop Rockefeller Institute, will offer participants the opportunity to improve their writing in a peaceful and stimulating environment. During the Oxford American Summit for Ambitious Writers, literary professionals will challenge participants to sharpen and deepen their writing skills through daily writing classes, lecture sessions, and manuscript critiques. Distinguished faculty and guest lecturers will teach a number of workshop sessions that focus equally on short fiction and creative nonfiction. Publishing experts will lead innovative programming designed to hone the skills that increase a writer’s chance of being noticed by editors.
The Oxford American also promises a fun and unique experience featuring great Southern food and music presented by talented chefs and performers. Participants can enjoy the spectacular setting, including nature trails and recreational facilities at Winthrop Rockefeller Institute and nearby Petit Jean State Park.
Confirmed faculty members include David Remnick, the editor of The New Yorker; Heidi Julavits, the co-founder and co-editor of The Believer; Wells Tower (recently named by The New Yorker as among the 20 best fiction writers under 40); Kevin Brockmeier (one of Granta magazine’s Best Young American Novelists and winner of the O. Henry Award); Pico Iyer (praised by Time as “among the finest travel writers of his generation”); as well as Tom Franklin, Cristina Henríquez, Scott Huler, and Jay Jennings. Detailed biographical information about each faculty member is available online at http://summit.oxfordamerican.org.
Applications for admission to the Oxford American Summit for Ambitious Writers will be accepted through May 1. The admissions committee will notify participants as they are selected, so it is possible that all available student slots will be filled before May 1. Those interested are encouraged to submit application materials as early as possible. Full application instructions and materials are available online at http://summit.oxfordamerican.org.
More information at http://www.oxfordamerican.org.
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It’s a great program.
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I wrote a column published in Thursday’s North Little Rock Times and Sherwood Voice that expressed my frustration with rude shoppers encountered during the Christmas season. It was based on an outing to Park Plaza in Little Rock on Dec. 18.
Then I finished up my shopping Wednesday night by picking up a couple of things at Barnes & Noble Booksellers for my brother, Pat, and a couple of stocking stuffers for my wife, Nancy.
Wouldn’t you know it? I couldn’t have had a better time!
I wandered around amongst the frantic shoppers, knowing that I was done. I purchased the three items I needed and then held the door open for a young lady who was leaving the store at the same time. In return, she tried to hold the door from the entryway to the outside open for me, but didn’t quite hold it long enough.
We laughed about it, and had a pleasant conversation over our respective shoulders as we went our separate ways in the parking lot. By the time I reached my car, I realized that it had taken just that one enjoyable exchange with a stranger to put me in a much better frame of mind about the Christmas shopping experience.
Granted, it may have been that:
A. Officially I was finished shopping for the season;
B. I had been spending time in a book store, which usually calms me;
C. The brush with niceness really did cheer me; or
D. All of the above.
Whatever the answer, I was feeling better about my fellow human beings. And despite my reputation as an occasional grump, that had to be a good thing.
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Central Arkansas Library System is accepting votes through tonight for writers’ names to be displayed on the remodeled top floor of the Main Library.
Votes will be accepted at CALS website through midnight or at any branch until 6 p.m..
The nominated writers are available at www.cals.org/writer-election.html.
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I’m not far along on Stieg Larsson’s “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” … Chapter 6 or something like that.
Though I had seen the book mentioned on a few websites, somehow I had managed to miss it until a couple of weeks ago. Nancy and I recently bought “Dragon Tattoo” and Jonathan Kellerman’s “Deception,” which looks at the darker side of prep schools and the college application process. I finished the latter first and now I’ve ventured into the first of Larsson’s Millennium Trilogy.
Sometimes a book can start off strong and then fizzle, but so far, I understand what all the excitement is about —Larsson’s storytelling crackles with anticipation. Let’s face it, readers. When we find what we believe will be a new author we’re going to like, we get excited. So far, this story reads like a winner. There mystery, great characters (a crusading journalist and an exotic investigator) and a genuine desire to keep reading to find out what happens next.
There is a wistfulness in this case, though, once you realize that Larsson died of a heart attack in 2004 at the age of 50 just before the aforementioned first book was published. It’s sad because he didn’t live to enjoy his success. But selfishly we lament the fact that we lost what may have been the wonder of the six additional books he planned in his story outline.
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I would like to see the results of a professionally conducted poll that asks people on the street four questions:
1. Have you read “To Kill A Mockingbird,” the 1960 novel by Harper Lee?
2. Have you seen the 1962 Robert Mulligan film, “To Kill A Mockingbird”?
3. Have you read the book and seen the movie?
4. If the answer is “both,” which did you do first?
A friend and I were discussing a series of first novels and their success recently. Naturally, Harper Lee popped up. What we ventured into was wondering about the quantitative effect that the excellent movie starring Gregory Peck had on extending the influence of the book.
Plenty of first novels have been made into motion pictures, but few have won the Pulitzer Prize and had the movie version win Academy Awards. Gregory Peck won for best actor, Horton Foote won for best adapted screenplay and the trio of Henry Bumstead, Alexander Golitzen and Oliver Emert won for best art direction in the category of set direction-black and white. The movie, produced by Alan J. Pakula, received five other nominations, including those of best picture, best director and best supporting actress (Mary Badham for her portrayal of narrator Scout).
Several years ago, I was talking with a new co-worker about likes and dislikes. When we came around to books, we both said, “To Kill A Mockingbird.” After we both talked about how much we liked it, I said, “Too bad she wrote only one novel,” Charlie said, “Yeah, but what a novel. Maybe she decided that she got it right the first time, so why write another one.”
The movie has its fans, too, and I am one of them. But some people love the movie, have never read the book and have no desire to do so. But as a fan of both, I have wondered how much the movie helped prolong the popularity of the book. I believe that the book stands on its own and still would be popular, but I can’t help but think that the superb movie version sent some people looking for the book in the library or the bookstore.
At any rate, the book-movie combination has had an effect in our culture. Babies have been named Scout and Atticus and a number of bands have had names from the work … the Boo Radleys and Atticus come to mind. Other bands have had songs that make a reference. Many television shows, from “The Simpsons” to” Frasier,” have had episodes that use character names, have puns on the title and make other references. Atticus Finch, the character, is a beloved hero among many lawyers and is considered a sterling example of the pinnacle of integrity of the legal profession.
Maybe some college professors have opinions on the topic, but I doubt that the effect of the movie on the novel’s longevity is measurable and I think we’ll always be wondering.
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Will Patton is one of those character actors in movies and television that many people know by sight but not by name. Often, he plays a villain or someone who appears to be a good guy but turns out to be a bad guy. Possibly his best-known hero role was that of the white high school football coach who was bumped out of the head job by Denzel Washington’s character in the excellent sports movie, “Remember the Titans.”
Patton, 56, a native of Charleston, S.C., may be most valuable to arts lovers, though, as a narrator or voice actor in the presentation of audio books — on tape, CD or disc.
Readers of James Lee Burke, in fact, likely consider Patton a national treasure for his narration of Burke’s Dave Robicheaux series about a New Orleans detective and other books featuring the author’s regular characters.
I don’t know how good Patton is compared with other voice actors. But I do know he has me feeling hung over after he delivers a Robicheaux fall from the wagon or like I’m dying for a canteen of water after hearing him describe a Hackberry Holland walk through the West Texas dust in the most recent “Rain Gods.”
He’s a well-respected character actor but among audio book fans of Burke, Patton is a superstar.
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My wife and I dropped by the book signing and reception for artist-author Robin Steves of North Little Rock on Friday evening at the THEA Foundation on Main Street. It kicked off events for October’s 3rd Friday Argenta ArtWalk
Her book, “The Almond Tree,” is about the amazing world discovered by an 8-year-old boy who has lost his parents.
She was accompanied at the signing table part of the time by her daughter, Ridge Road Middle School English teacher Hope Baker. The reception was sponsored by Steves’ friend and neighbor, Claire Haun.
Steves recently moved her studio from her home in Park Hill to an upstairs space in Argenta.
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