Reflections on Creative Nonfiction, Memoir, (Auto)Biography, Life-Writing, and the Essay
29 Mar 2012 at 07:00
Julija Šukys
Antanas Sileika, Creative Nonfiction, Eastern Europe, Epistolophilia, Letters, Life-writing, Ona Šimaitė, Reviews, Uncategorized, Vilnius, Writing
The insightful and generous writer Antanas Sileika offers his read of two new books about Jewish Lithuania published by the University of Nebraska Press. One is mine, Epistolophilia: Writing the Life of Ona Šimaitė. The other is Ellen Cassedy’s We Are Here: Memories of the Lithuanian Holocaust. Sileika is an accomplished writer, with four books [...]
27 Mar 2012 at 03:13
Julija Šukys
Archives, Canada, Conferences and Symposia, Creative Nonfiction, Events, Uncategorized, Writing
Vancouver, at Carey Centre, UBC, May 23-24, 2012 Are you a creative nonfiction writer interested in developing your craft, expanding your understanding of the genre, and hanging out with your fellow CNF writers? Then come to the Creative Nonfiction Collective’s annual conference for 2012, which will be held at the Carey Centre, University of British [...]
22 Mar 2012 at 06:33
Julija Šukys
Children, Countdown to Publication, France, Friendship, Journeys, Judaism, Malta and Gozo, Mothering, North Africa, Research, SheWrites, Uncategorized
A few months ago, a friend asked me before departing to France on sabbatical if she should be concerned about anti-Semitism there. “Oh no,” I said, dismissing her concerns. Now, in the wake of the Toulouse Jewish school shooting, I see I may have been wrong to be so quick in my assurance that all [...]
20 Mar 2012 at 04:44
Julija Šukys
Biography, Epistolophilia, Marketing, Ona Šimaitė, Publicity, Publishing, Reviews, Uncategorized
Of the publishing industry’s four major trade (the other three include Kirkus, Booklist, and Library Journal) magazines, Adelle Waldman writes at Slate that “Publishers Weekly, or PW, is the biggie—it plays Coke to Kirkus‘ Pepsi.” A “‘starred’ review in PW still increases a book’s chance of getting media coverage and showing up in your neighborhood bookstore.” These also [...]
15 Mar 2012 at 10:10
Julija Šukys
Countdown to Publication, Creative Nonfiction, Editing, Epistolophilia, Essays, Journalism, Journeys, Personal Essays, Publishing, Rejection, SheWrites, Structure, Uncategorized, Writing
I’m leading a writer’s workshop on the personal essay in the fall. I’m happy about it, because the essay is a form I love. I tend to write essays at the beginning of a bigger project, and use them as a way to test out ideas and to work through central questions of longer projects. [...]
14 Mar 2012 at 08:23
Julija Šukys
Autobiography, Brain Injury, CNF Conversations, Contests and Prizes, Creative Nonfiction, Life-writing, Memory, Mental Illness, Mira Bartók, Mothering, Publishing, Uncategorized, Writing
Congratulations to Mira Bartók on winning the National Book Critics Circle Award for Autobiography for The Memory Palace. The Circle says The Memory Palace “rose to the formal challenge of blending her mother’s journals, reflections on her mother’s mental illness and subsequent homelessness, and thoughts on her own recovery from a head injury to create [...]
08 Mar 2012 at 07:26
Julija Šukys
Archives, Chronology, Countdown to Publication, Creative Nonfiction, Epistolophilia, Letters, Life-writing, Memory, Ona Šimaitė, Research, Reviews, SheWrites, Structure, Uncategorized, Writing
The first review of Epistolophilia: Writing the Life of Ona Šimaitė appeared a few days ago. And even though this isn’t my first book or review, it’s still a wild ride to have strangers reading my work. In her review of the book, Claire Posner points to a major challenge that I faced writing this [...]
06 Mar 2012 at 07:41
Julija Šukys
Epistolophilia, Ona Šimaitė, Reviews, Uncategorized, Vilna Ghetto, Writing
The first review of Epistolophilia: Writing the Life of Ona Šimaitė appeared a few days ago. It’s very positive, and I’m very thankful. In ForeWord, whose tag line reads “good books, independently published,” Claire Posner calls the book “nuanced and compelling.” I couldn’t ask for more. You can read the full review here. [Photo: roeyahram]
