Let’s be honest: writing has never been a path to fame or fortune. As writers, very few of us achieve overwhelming economic success. Enough to survive, to keep us together between grants and residencies, or just enough to keep writing for the demands of publishers. Publishers themselves are mostly looking for the “next bestseller,” and … Continue reading »
Okay, so this sounds crazy, right? I’m telling you how to read. I mean, unfiltered craziness. However, I’ve noticed a lot of people doing it wrong and decided to draw up this handy guide. You see, reading isn’t as cut and dried as you might think (gasp!). It’s not just an exercise for people who … Continue reading »
Hello WordPress. How are you? I heard you traveled recently. Did you have fun in New York? Or were you sitting in your room all along, drinking beer and watching Game of Thrones? Yeah, we were doing the same thing. Welcome back to the Juniper Bends writing experiment! We haven’t been super active recently because … Continue reading »
It’s April, which means baby animals, Earth Day, sunshine, and poetry. (If this list isn’t gritty enough for you, try October, month of blindness awareness, pizza, opals, and pagan celebrations.) April is a good month for poets. We can sit on the porch, wear sunglasses, and write. Winter gets me into the bad habits of watching lots … Continue reading »
Everybody knows that good writing takes good reading. To make up for the un-writing I am doing, I am reading many many books, all by women.
Avid submitters: Duotrope, everyone’s favorite free submission manager, is PAID-ONLY as of January 1st. Now, after you get over that initial panicked moment of despair, anguish, and terror, consider this: writers have been around since long before Duotrope existed. Persevere through this difficult twist by either coughing up $50 or utilizing that nifty tool, networking.
There are many things worthy of a poem: the weather, an especially delicious cupcake, the erotic whoosh of a freshly laundered cotton dress, dreams. In truth, the realm of the poetic is wide open to discovery and exploration (of the non-colonizing variety, please). However, there do remain things that should never be touched by the … Continue reading »
Hey friends. A big fat thank you to our readers at the JB Reading Series last Friday, John Crutchfield, Katherine Min, Katey Schultz, and Chett Tiller. The line-up was diverse, engaging, energizing, and tons of fun. This reading was particularly exciting for me since we had four “prose” writers reading wildly varied work. John sang … Continue reading »
November’s gearing up to be a busy month for Juniper Bends! On top of preparing for finals and the beginning of the holiday season, your humble Juniper Bends Author Collective members are putting together several awesome events throughout the month. Here’s the November round-up: Friday Nov. 9th: The Juniper Bends Reading Series’ Third Anniversary As … Continue reading »
Before there was the Juniper Bends Author Collective, there was the quarterly reading series featuring established and emerging writers from all genres. Our friends Matt & Mesha, amazing writers both, began the reading series 3 years ago this November, and they hosted a wide array of regional literary influences, from Blake Butler to Kate Zambreno, … Continue reading »
There are many reasons to write. Whether you write for self-expression, to get stuff out of your head, or simply for the pure joy of creation, being a writer is not defined by sales, profits, or bestseller status. However, in terms of writing as a career or even as a devoted hobby, it doesn’t matter … Continue reading »
Chapter 1- Forgotten Hope Mary’s tears slowly trickled down her face, dropping and mixing with the water and sending ripples flowing outwards from the spots where the landed. The little noise they made was drowned away by the sobs of the child, who stood waste deep in the salt-less sea. The moon was shining and … Continue reading »
Last night’s Speedshopping event was tons of fun, and well worth the time! We had a fairly small crowd, but it included a poet, a couple essayists, several fiction writers, and our Apothecary host, Nick, even jumped in to get some brainstorming/prewriting advice from attendees. Everyone got feedback from at least four people, and with a … Continue reading »
