Creative Nonfiction Newsletter
for Serious Writers & Readers

Table of Contents

--Take Me Out to the Ball Game (and Other Baseball Related Happenings)
--Is There a Doctor in the House?
--The CNF World Wide Web Expansion Project
--The Godfather Takes on the Critics in His New Blog
--Just Announced: Lee to Spread the CNF Word Abroad
--Calling All Editors
--Coffee Break
--A Brief Offer: The Back Issue Bargain-of-the-Month

ANATOMY OF BASEBALL READINGS, REVIEWS, AND ARRIVALS

As our Pirates continue their slide into last place, we here at Creative Nonfiction decided we needed something to lift our spirits, so we’ve put together a little reading and book launch to celebrate the publication of our newest book, Anatomy of Baseball (SMU Press).

Whether you’re a fan of baseball or creative nonfiction or both, all are welcome to attend the event this Thursday, May 8, 2008, at 7:30 pm in the Carnegie Library Lecture Hall in Pittsburgh.

Guest readers for the event are Pittsburgh Pirates broadcaster Lanny Frattare; NPR's Stefan Fatsis; and Creative Nonfiction’s own Lee Gutkind. All three will be reading selections from the new book and fielding questions from the audience.

This program, a collaboration with the American Shorts Reading Series, will also include music by the Pittsburgh Banjo Club, a book signing, and a screening of Kings of the Hill, University of Pittsburgh history professor Robert Ruck's documentary about Pittsburgh's Negro Baseball Leagues. Soft drinks, snacks, and beer and wine will be available for purchase.

So please, join us for a casual evening of creative nonfiction and baseball. Bring the kids, bring the folks, and bring your passion for the game!

Tickets are $10 and will be available at the door or in advance from Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures: www.pittsburghlectures.org or 412-622-6688.

Whether or not you attend the book launch, be sure to pick up a copy of Anatomy of Baseball today. The book has been receiving some rave reviews, the most recent (and possible most exciting) is Doug Miller’s review on MLB.com. Read it here.

Last, but certainly not least, the latest issue of the journal, #34: Anatomy of Baseball, should be in mailboxes and on newsstands right…about…now.

FINAL CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: BECOMING A DOCTOR

Creative Nonfiction is seeking new essays written by physicians and therapists for a book to be published by W.W. Norton & Co. The essays should depict experiences of "becoming a doctor" and could explore periods of growth and enlightenment, moments of transition, or realizations that one's maturation as a doctor had been achieved. Essays might also explore periods of doubt and struggle for clarity, or incidents of deep disappointment and disillusionment.

The objective is to capture the frustrations and triumphs of the healing art by encouraging doctors to recall and recreate the most salient and significant moments of their professional lives.

Essays must be vivid and dramatic; they should combine a strong and compelling narrative with a significant element of research or information. We're looking for well-written prose, rich with detail and a distinctive voice.

Submissions should be approximately 3,000 to 4,000 words long. Please send manuscript, accompanied by a cover letter with complete contact information, to:

Creative Nonfiction
Attn: Becoming a Doctor
5501 Walnut Street, Suite 202
Pittsburgh, PA 15232

Postmark deadline May 31, 2008.

Please share this announcement with anyone who might be interested in submitting work. Please email any questions to information[at]creativenonfiction.org

We just can’t keep quiet about the publication of Silence Kills: Speaking Out and Saving Lives.

This collection was inspired by groundbreaking research by VitalSmarts, a global leader in organizational performance and leadership, who discovered that 195,000 people die every year in hospitals because of medical mistakes, and 3 in 4 medical errors are caused by mistakes in interpersonal communication. The twelve essays collected in Silence Kills present a compelling, and often frightening, inside look at the lack of communication and understanding currently plaguing the American health care system.

So far, Silence Kills has been well-received as a journal issue, a book, and an audiobook on MP3-CD. And it now has its very own website: www.silencekillsbook.com. The site is full of information, book excerpts, and audio clips. Check it out. Who knows, it might just save your life.

THE BLOG ROLLS ON

Well, it’s official: CNF is slowly joining the rest of the 21st century. Not only do we have three websites (www.creativenonfiction.org, www.leegutkind.com, www.silencekillsbook.com) and two Wikipedia pages, but CNF’s editor in chief, Lee Gutkind, continues his quest to change the world one blog entry at a time.

This time around he takes on the creative nonfiction genre bashers—especially those currently in an uproar over Esquire’s recent article “The Last Days of Heath Ledger.” Not familiar with the story? Don’t worry, links for every article referenced are provided within the blog.

And the best part is that the post is open to comments. We’re encouraging all readers and lovers of the genre to voice their opinions.

CREATIVE NONFICTION SEMINAR IN JERUSALEM

The Shaindy Rudoff Graduate Program in Creative Writing at Bar-Ilan University is pleased to invite one-and-all to an intensive, three-day seminar on creative nonfiction, set in an elegant villa opposite the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem.

CNF’s Lee Gutkind will discuss the craft and business of the most popular genre in today’s publishing world—yep, you guessed it—creative nonfiction.

If you are a writer, a resident, or a tourist, don’t miss this opportunity to come learn from Lee. The seminar is August 12-14, 2008, and will be held in a private villa in Jerusalem’s Yemin Moshe neighborhood.

Cost is $400 until June 1st (after June 1st, $450), and registration includes three days of lectures with Lee and coffee/tea. Lodgings and meals are not included in the registration price but are both available within easy walking distance.

Space is limited, so sign up now.

For further details, email Judy Labensohn at judylabensohn[at]gmail.com.

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: BEST CNF VOL. 3

Editors of any publication, print or online, are invited to nominate up to 3 essays or articles from their 2007/2008 issues. Send one hard copy of each piece to:

The Best Creative Nonfiction
c/o Creative Nonfiction
5501 Walnut Street, suite 202
Pittsburgh, PA 15232

Or by email (pdf or Word attachments only): bestcreativenonfiction[at]gmail.com

To be considered, work must be slated for publication before the end of 2008. In the case of work not published by the nomination deadline, please send page proofs or a Word manuscript.

Deadline for submissions is July 15, 2008.

If you joined us at AWP in New York this year, there is a good chance you already snagged one of these puppies, but for everyone else, we would like to announce that CNF coffee mugs are now available for purchase.

One side of the mug is emblazoned with the CNF logo, and the other says: “You Can’t Make This Stuff Up.” Clever, we know. There is no finer way to show off your loyalty to the genre, and the mug will look great on your kitchen table, writing desk, in the office break room, or anywhere. It’s perfect for whatever you’re drinking.

Creative Nonfiction #27: Writing it Short features highlights from the online journal Brevity, which, coincidentally, has just published its 27th issue. (We just love symmetry.) In “The Best of Brevity,” writers including Robin Hemley, David Shields, Brian Doyle, and Brenda Miller tackle (briefly) topics like moth-collecting, gun shows, green plastic buckets and much, much more.

And this month it can be yours for the low, low price of $2 plus shipping.