Issue #15, 2000
Lessons In Persuasion: Writers with Pittsburgh Roots
Although Pittsburgh is not the subject of most of the essays in this issue, the writers are bound by their affinity for the written word and their collective fondness for Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh has always been--despite its industrial reputation--a great city in which to be a writer. Its active, close-knit writing community has seen the rise of several luminaries with Pittsburgh connections, such as Annie Dillard and Stewart O'Nan, and the caliber of Pittsburgh's writing community today is better than ever. Lee Gutkind has assembled a reunion of sorts with writers from across the nation, as well as the up-and-coming stars on the local scene--each of whom has a Pittsburgh connection. Many grew up in the region, others attended college here: all of them have an association with the city. The resulting collection of essays is both gentle and jarring, eclectic and persuasive, covering a range of topics-from a stripper's work ethic to West Virginia's famed Matewan shootout, Atlantic City's Boardwalk before Donald Trump, and the uses of poetry to better understand one's own life.
This issue is out of print.
Table of Contents
FROM THE EDITOR: Leaving Home? Lee Gutkind ... read more
Notes for Young Writers Annie Dillard
Notes from the Catwalk Elissa Wald ... read more
My Mysteries of Pittsburgh: An Alphabet Stewart O'Nan
The Conjurer's Profession Lester Goran
In the Woods Leslie Rubinkowski
That Sweet Anarchy We Call Youth Chuck Kinder
Passing Through Pittsburgh Hilary Masters
Lessons in Persuasion Kathleen Veslany ... read more
Who Am I to Speak? Natalie L.M. Petesch
A Way to Make Some Money Lea Simonds
Language at Play Diane Ackerman
Skin Deep Megan Foss
The Preacher Says Malcolm Cash
The Poor People's Campaign Peter S. Beagle
How Butterflies Grew Wings Keely Bowers
As I Was Walking Down Carson Street: A South Side Childhood Richard F. Peterson
Ghost Story Jan Beatty
Contributors
Diane Ackerman
Diane Ackerman is the author of 20 works of poetry and nonfiction, including, most recently, "An Alchemy of Mind" and "Origami Bridges:... read more
Peter S. Beagle
Peter S. Beagle is the author of the novel Tamsin, and of such other books as The Last Unicorn, A Fine and Private Place, and the Innkeeper... read more
Jan Beatty
Jan Beatty's collection of poetry, Mad River, won the Agnes Lynch Starrett Prize from the University of Pittsburgh Press, and was a... read more
Keely Bowers
Keely Bowers has published stories in journals such as Crazyhorse and Dickinson Review, and she won The Chicago Tribune’s Nelson Algren... read more
Malcolm Cash
Malcolm Cash is the father of a wonderful ten-year-old daughter. He is an essayist and poet from Lorain, Ohio, and will complete his MFA in... read more
Omari Colley Daniel
Omari Colley Daniel received his BA from the University of Pittsburgh and his MFA (poetry) and his MAT (secondary English education) from... read more
Annie Dillard
For more information please visit,http://www.anniedillard.com read more
Jack L. Daniel
Jack L. Daniel is Vice Provost for Academic Affairs and Professor of Communication at the University of Pittsburgh. He conducts research... read more
Megan Foss
Megan Foss earned her MA at Western Washington University. read more
Lester Goran
Lester Goran currently teaches in the English Department of the University of Miami, where he started the Creative Writing Program and,... read more
Chuck Kinder
Chuck Kinder is the author of the novels Snakehunter, The Silver Ghost, and Honeymooners, forthcoming from Farrar, Straus & Giroux. "... read more
Hilary Masters
Hilary Masters was born and grew up in Kansas City, Missouri. His recent novel "Post" includes an account of the demise of the passenger... read more
Stewart O'Nan
Stewart O'Nan's first collection of stories, In the Walled City, won the 1993 Drue Heinz Prize. His first novel, Snow Angels, set in Butler... read more
Natalie L.M. Petesch
Natalie L.M. Petesch has published five novels and five collections of short stories. Among her awards and honors are the Iowa School of... read more
Richard F. Peterson
Richard F. Peterson teaches at Southern Illinois University. He is the editor of Crab Orchard Review and the SIU Writing Baseball series.... read more
Leslie Rubinkowski
Leslie Rubinkowski teaches writing at West Virginia University and at Goucher College. She is the author of the book Impersonating Elvis. read more
Lea Simonds
Lea Simonds is a member of the Editorial Advisory Board of Creative NonFiction. read more
Kathleen Veslany
Kathleen Veslany's work has appeared in Sycamore Review and you are here, among other journals. In 1999 she won second prize in the Annie... read more
Elissa Wald
Elissa Wald is a writer, ex-stripper, and long distance runner living in New York City. She is the author of Meeting the Master (1996),... read more