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.
Street closing of a North Little Rock street for water repairs by Central Arkansas Water reported for this weekend:
http://pulaskinews.net/articles/2011/01/14/the_times/local_news/news0001.txt
From a UP conductor, working on a short-line route:
Dear sir:
My name is Zach Pumphery. I am a Through Freight Conductor for Union Pacific Railroad in Kansas City, Missouri. I am a lifelong resident of this area, born and raised in Poplar Bluff, MO, I lived and worked for the railroad in Southern Illinois, Northern Arkansas, and all over Missouri. I grew up loving trains, and began working for the railroad at the age of 18. I have also been actively involved with the preservation of American Railroading through various railroad museums and historical societies.
I am writing you on the behalf of area railroad enthusiasts in support of the Union Pacific Great Excursion Adventure. This is a contest being conducted by Union Pacific Railroad where the general public gets to route a Union Pacific steam locomotive somewhere on their diverse 22-state system. UP received over 60,000 nominations for towns to visit in November of 2010.
UP operates two steam locomotives in special service, they are #844, the only steam locomotive that has never been retired from active service in the United States, and #3985, the world’s largest operating steam locomotive, and one of only two surviving examples of its type.
UP 844: http://www.up.com/aboutup/special_trains/steam/locomotives/844.shtml
UP 3985: http://www.up.com/aboutup/special_trains/steam/locomotives/3985.shtml
From those towns they have selected 4 different routes based on the number of nominations and feasibility of running a 1940’s era steam locomotive. Now, here’s the cool part: one of those 4 routes plotted out passes through Kansas City, MO, Boonville, Jefferson City, Kirkwood, St. Louis, East St. Louis, IL, Cahokia, Dupo, Valmeyer, Chester, Thebes, Scott City, MO, Delta, Bell City, Dexter, Poplar Bluff, Neelyville, Corning, AR, Walnut Ridge/Hoxie, Tuckerman, Newport, Bald Knob, Searcy/Kensett, Beebe, Jacksonville, North Little Rock, and Little Rock.
http://www.uprr.com/newsinfo/attachments/media_kit/steam/excursion_adventure/little_rock_express_map.pdf
This effort is somewhat of a personal endeavor for me, as I have worked over or ridden over literally every stretch of railroad this train will touch between Kansas City and North Little Rock.
Now, to accomplish this, we need the support of the community around the tracks. While these steam engines run every year, it has been over a decade since many people along the route have even had the chance to see an operating steam locomotive. Kansas City saw both of UP’s steam engines this past year (2010). Little Rock and St. Louis each saw one in 2010. Most towns between St. Louis and Little Rock haven’t seen a steam locomotive since 2004, and in some places, 1996!
America’s youth will never get the chance to see these monsters in regular service, but you can help give them a chance to see a part of living history thundering by, and possibly spend the night in your community, since the train will make overnight stops in at least 3 intermediate locations between Kansas City and Little Rock (these places will probably be Jefferson City, St. Louis, Dexter or Poplar Bluff.) The fact that UP has never done anything like this offers you a rare chance to route a piece of history. If you have never seen an operating steam locomotive, it is a sight that just about anybody can enjoy and appreciate, and their visits are usually remembered fondly, and for a very long time.
The reason I’m appealing to you is our area is a primarily rural, but historical region, that owes much of its development to the railroads dating back to the turn of the century, and our route is up against the other 3, as of January 6th we are 2,000 votes behind a route that takes the train to the Chicago area, but we’re ahead the other two. With your support, we can bring this piece of history to OUR area, but mind you, we’re up against a lot of other people.
I encourage your area residents, readers, and viewers to vote for the route that passes through here. It is very simple: go to www.upexcursion.com, click “Little Rock Express”, and enter a vaild e-mail address, agree to the terms of service, and verify your first vote via an automated e-mail that will be sent immediately to you. After the initial first vote, you can vote again and again for the “Little Rock Express” once per day until January 17th. The winning route will be announced on the 18th.
You can find more information by visiting:
http://www.uprr.com/newsinfo/releases/heritage_and_steam/2011/0104_upexcursion.shtml
www.upexcursion.com
www.upsteam.com
www.up.com
Again, I would like to stress this is the first time UP has ever done anything like this in their 50 years of operating special steam locomotive excursions. Usually these trips are determined internally by their public affairs department.
Zach Pumphery
Conductor – Union Pacific Railroad
Harrisonville, MO
Odds are great that I shouldn’t go there, me being shaped the way I am — round in the middle and bald as an egg on the back of my head — but I have to address the sights I encountered Saturday:
I helped with our Razorbacks coverage of the Louisiana-Monroe game that day at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock. My wife dropped me off on Markham and Fair Park near the stadium. Coming in from the west, we ran into the backed-up traffic just before Markham intersects with University and crept on in from there.
Lots of people were walking toward — and for some reason away from — the stadium and a bunch more were partying along the way from St. Vincent Infirmary Medical Center over to the stadium, mostly at the expense of the War Memorial golf course.
Because traffic was creeping, we could see the walkers headed both ways and the partygoers they were passing.
First, apparently, the latest fashion trend for women is to wear jean cutoffs with various forms of cowboy boots. Some of the jeans were “torn” and some were hemmed. The younger the woman, the more likely it was that her jean shorts had fringe unraveling. Scores of women were wearing that combination, many with some type of Razorbacks T-shirt or sweatshirt as a top.
A handful of them were attractive in their outfit. A few more were cute, but likely lacked the proper tan to be showing off their legs in front of 55,000 people. Many more were not properly toned to be showing their legs at all. The rest should not have worn clothes that showed they lacked a workout routine.
Second, some of the guys were just as bad. They were dressed in shirts and pants that didn’t fit them — by several sizes in some cases. Some of them showed every lump in their roly-poly bellies and backsides. But I wasn’t noticing them as much as the women. My wife, Nancy, who is an equal opportunity fashion critic, confirmed that both sexes were looking pretty paunchy in their U of A duds.
Of course, these people have every right to dress how they want to for a party before a football game and, possibly, for the game itself. I’m not saying they shouldn’t dress just as they did.
I’m just saying that maybe they should consider how they appear to a casual observer who happened to go by them at a slow pace on Saturday. I don’t mind if they dress that way.
Maybe they should know, though, that if they are wearing the latest trend because they hope to be ogled in a big crowd, they are having a different effect than desired. Chances are good that they’re being noticed for their portliness and not their pulchritude.
A longer version of this post may appear in this week’s editions of The North Little Rock Times, Cabot Star-Herald, Maumelle Monitor, Carlisle Independent, Sherwood Voice and the Lonoke Democrat. You can find online editions of our newspapers at www.pulaskinews.net and www.lonokenews.net.
We met two-thirds of our children, all of whom live in Texas, at the lake house owned by my wife and her siblings at Denby Point on Lake Ouachita for the Labor Day weekend.
Molly, 25, flew in Friday night. Megan, 22, and John Bucy drove up Saturday evening.
John is Molly’s boyfriend, but he and Megan work together at John’s business, the Texas Charter Schools Academic and Athletic Association, based in Austin. They had to get the group’s flag football season off to a good start at events in San Antonio and Dallas.
Our son, Patrick, soon to be 28, and his girlfriend, Sarah Riley, were scheduled to come up Friday, but he was involved in a weather-related traffic accident on Interstate 20, west of Fort Worth on Wednesday night, so his car was knocked out of commission.
Sunday was a busy day on the lake, but Nancy took the youngsters out for some tubing. They were all tired and sunburned by the end of the day, but we did manage a trip into the Shangri-La Resort marina to have lunch and some if their wonderful pie. I had lemon meringue, Nancy had pumpkin with Cool Whip and John and Molly split a piece of peanut butter. Megan settled for the crust. It’s a treat by itself, too.
The kids headed for the “games of skill” available at Oaklawn Park after we all had naps and supper, while we older folks stayed home and watched a movie (in between sessions like this out on the deck to watch the lake get calm and quiet after a busy day).
Monday morning meant early up and out for the kids heading back to Texas. Then I went back to bed while Nancy watched Bogie and Bacall in “Key largo.” She took in “To Have or Have Not” starring those two on Saturday.
We finally cleaned up and loaded the car at a leisurely pace in the afternoon while we listened to the St. Louis Caqrdinals come back against the Milwaukee Brewers, winning 8-6 behind the grand slam home run by catcher Yadier Molina.
It was a nice drive back from a great weekend, but as is often the case, we were glad to be home.
Grace Potter & the Nocturnals are coming back to Arkansas.
The five-member blues and rock band from Vermont, fronted by amazing vocalist Grace Potter, appeared at Fort Smith’s Riverfront Blues Festival in late June. The act, named one of the best new bands of 2010 by Rolling Stone magazine, returns to Judge Parker’s territory with a date at Neumeier’s Rib Room and Beer Garden on Garrison Avenue on Friday, Oct. 8.
Potter has appeared as a vocalist with the “Tonight Show” band a couple of times this summer on Jay Leno’s latest incarnation of his late-night TV program and the band appeared on ABC’s “Good Morning America” in the spring.
GPN’s self-titled June album has been getting a lot of press with good reviews. They opened their set on the sweltering evening of June 25 at the blues festival with “Hot Summer Nights” from that CD and sizzled from that point.
The weather for the October appearance should be much more agreeable.
We are a two-alarm-clock household.
My wife gets up about 5 a.m. and gets ready to be at work between 6:30 and 7. I go in later, so I have a later wake-up time. Right now, we’re sharing a car, so I sometimes take her to the office and then return home for a quick nap.
Nancy’s clock-radio with a buzzer quit early in the week. So she trusted me to set the alarm with my battery-powered LCD travel clock until she could go buy a new one.
I performed my new job well for a couple of days, but she still reminded me often before she went to bed. (She usually makes it until the sixth or seventh inning of St. Louis Cardinals games, but I watch the entire game and then the post-game interviews before I consider going to bed.)
But Thursday morning (or Wednesday night) was different. When I got to bed, she was awake enough to remember to remind me to set the alarm. I still was awake enough to reach over and do it — or so I thought.
Nancy raised up in bed quickly and said: “Did you set the alarm?” I looked at the clock and thought I saw “1:32,” and I said, “Yeah, I think so.”
“Are you sure?”
I looked again and this time the clock said “7:32.” When I looked at the on-off alarm switch, it was neatly there on the right under “OFF.”
Nancy quickly called in to work and explained that her alarm clock had died and that she had just gotten up. Then I remembered that I was supposed to be in the office for an 8:30 a.m. training seminar over the Internet. The techie-types like to call such sessions Webinars, but it seems like a pretty hokey, too-cutesy word to me.
Still, I was due to be in the conference room in less than an hour.
Nancy took a quick shower and I took a quicker one. We dressed rapidly and jumped into the car. As we started up Kanis Road, my wife kindly offered to drop me off and keep the car. We rushed down 12th Street and waited until we reached Woodrow Street to get on Interstate 630 to head downtown. (I still prefer Wilbur Mills Freeway, which is what it was called when it was built.)
She pulled up next to the Stephens Media office at Second and Main in Little Rock about 8:10 a.m. I even had time to grab a cup of coffee from the kitchen before the training started. It worked out well because several of my fellow Webinar-ists were caught in creeping traffic as they closed in toward downtown or tried to cross the Main Street Bridge from North Little Rock.
Still, the day turned out to be a struggle. We even had trouble getting a computer hookup from St. Louis to work. Eventually, it did and a second session in the afternoon went smoothly, but it’s hard to ignore the fact that when the alarm clock fails early on a given morning, you seem to be swimming against the current the rest of the day.
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.
