Alum Tara Caimi: On Writing, Patience, and Publishing

We’re proud of Wilkes alum Tara Caimi for the publication of her craft essay, “Privileged Perspective in Memoir: Building the Bridge of Trust by Trusting the Reader.” This essay appears in the current print edition of AWP’s The Writer’s Chronicle (December 2012). AWP members may also access the article online here.

That’s not all Tara has been up to. She’s been busy submitting excerpts of her memoir and has seen a number of these picked up by literary journals. When we asked Tara what the process was like and how she approached dissecting a larger work for a smaller page-count, she had this to say:

“Trying to mold sections or chapters of my narrative memoir into standalone pieces has been a great learning experience. It helped me to see the chapters from a different perspective and to fine-tune them with greater attention to certain details. I think the chapters I revised with intent to submit as standalone pieces are stronger now. Each has its own narrative arc, and I think of these sections as stories within the larger story. It has also been fun to share the memoir with readers through these shorter, representative pieces.”

Tara is a persistent and dedicated professional. We all receive rejections; we all share the ups and downs of the waiting game. These are part and parcel of the process, the Wilkes alum says.

“As far as perseverance goes, I don’t see how a person could be a writer without this quality. Not only is what we do hard work, it is also a leap of faith every time we pick up a pen or sit down at our computers to write. We don’t know if our work will turn out as we plan or even, at times, if we’ll finish.”

For more on the writing life, visit Tara’s blog: http://taracaimi.com/

 

Tara Caimi holds an MFA in creative writing from Wilkes University. Excerpts from her memoir, Mush, have been published in the MacGuffin, Oh Comely magazine, and by the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness. Her fiction has appeared in Fire & Knives. Tara is a communications specialist at Penn State, and a freelance writer in central Pennsylvania.

Wilkes Alum in latest issue of AWP Chronicle

Writer’s Chronicle
December 2012

Congratulations to Wilkes alum Tara Caimi for the publication of her craft essay, “Privileged Perspective in Memoir: Building the Bridge of Trust by Trusting the Reader.” This essay appears in the current print edition of AWP’s The Writer’s Chronicle (December 2012). AWP members may also access the article online here.

Here’s a preview:

“Establishing and maintaining credibility in the content and for the narrator helps to win the reader’s trust and enhance the overall believability of the memoir, but trust is never a one-way street.”

Tara Caimi holds an MFA in creative writing from Wilkes University. Excerpts from her memoir, Mush, have been published in the MacGuffin, Oh Comely magazine, and by the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness. Her fiction has appeared in Fire & Knives. Tara is a communications specialist at Penn State, and a freelance writer in central Pennsylvania.

Congrats, Tara!

Application Deadline for January Admission

Acceptance into the Master of Arts in Creative Writing program operates on a rolling admissions basis; however, to meet deadlines, completed applications for January Residency entrance into program must be received as follows:

• December 15 for regular admission
• December 1 to be considered for Graduate Assistantships

The Master of Arts in Creative Writing is a 30-credit, low-residency program with tracks in fiction, poetry, screenwriting, playwriting, and/or creative nonfiction.

To graduate from our Master of Arts in Creative Writing program students will produce and present a full-length text and support materials that demonstrate the mastery of requisite standards, processes, and procedures for bringing that project into its appropriate public venue.

The Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing is the M.A. (30 Credits) plus 18-credit, low-residency program optional continuation of the Master of Arts in Creative Writing. The Master of Fine Arts is a terminal degree in the Creative Writing field. Students interested in the Master of Fine Arts MUST first complete the Wilkes University Master of Arts in Creative Writing. Students in the existing M.A. may apply for admission into the M.F.A. no earlier than the last term of the M.A. Graduating with a M.F.A. will require students to revise their M.A. thesis to produce a publishable manuscript, or begin a new project. Additionally, they will produce and present a literary analysis paper, complete a term-long internship in teaching or publishing and submit a final portfolio that chronicles their work in the entire program.

In both programs, you will train to be a professional creative writer by examining

• the personal life of a writer;
• the craft, technique, and analysis of creative writing;
• the art delivery method for one’s work.

Full application and admission info: http://wilkes.edu/pages/496.asp

contest opportunities recently announced

Have you been polishing a manuscript? A series of poems or a short story? You may want to check out these recently announced contests…

Creative Nonfiction

Online submissions/postmark deadline: January 15, 2013. For a special “Sustainability” issue and book, Creative Nonfiction is looking for true stories/essays that illuminate environmental, economic, ethical and/or social challenges related to the state of the planet and our future. Deadline January 15, 2013. Best essay prize awarded by guest editor Donna Seaman. For more information: www.creativenonfiction.org.

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2013 Colorado Prize for Poetry

$2,000 honorarium and book publication. Submit book-length collection of poems to the Colorado Prize for Poetry by January 14, 2013. Final judge is Stephen Burt. $25 entry fee includes subscription to Colorado Review (to US addresses only). coloradoreview.colostate.edu/colorado-prize-for-poetry/

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Crazyhorse Prizes in Fiction, Nonfiction, and Poetry

Entries accepted online from January 1st to January 31st. Winners receive $2,000 plus publication; all manuscripts will be considered for publication. This year’s judges: Tony Earley (Fiction), Lia Purpura (Nonfiction), and Martha Collins (Poetry). $20 entry fee includes a one-year subscription to Crazyhorse. Upload your story, essay, or 3 poems through our website: crazyhorse.cofc.edu

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The Rose Metal Press Annual Short Short Chapbook Contest

Online Submission Deadline: December 1, 2012. The Rose Metal Press Seventh Annual Short Short Chapbook Contest submission period begins November 1 and ends December 1, 2012. Our 2012 judge will be Deb Olin Unferth. The winner will have his/her chapbook published in summer 2013, with an introduction by the contest judge. During the submission period, please submit your 25–40 page double-spaced manuscript of short short stories (fiction or nonfiction) each under 1000 words to us through our Submittable page with a $10 reading fee. More details at www.rosemetalpress.com/Submit/Submit.html.