Creative Writing Guild

Prompts/Prompted Reading

2011-09-09T18:55:00.008-05:00

Saturday, September 23rd 7 pm
Quimby’s Bookstore

1854 W. North Ave.
Chicago, IL 60622,
773-342-0910

The Creative Writing Guild presents it’s latest publication, Prompts/Prompted. The dual issue is a compilation of instructions for experimental writing, and the CWG’s own written results. Five CWG contributors will read selections from the books, explain instructions, and share recent summer writing. Bring a pen and paper.

Publishing the Unpublishable

2011-08-16T11:03:00.002-05:00

I just came upon Ubu Editions publishing the unpublishable which is now home to some PDFs of interesting work by much loved authors in the same sensibility as this blog for sharing work that is not always the great masterpeice.

"The web is a perfect place to test the limits of unpublishability. With no printing, design or distribution costs, we are free to explore that which would never have been feasible, economically and aesthetically. While this exercise began as an exploration and provocation, the resultant texts are unusually rich; what we once considered to be our trash may, after all, turn out to be our greatest treasure."

http://www.ubu.com/ubu/unpub.html

Gotta Love New Books

2011-07-05T16:59:00.005-05:00

Happy Belated Independence Day everyone!!

Well, I'm guessing a lot of people are too overstuffed from food dyed (or naturally) red, white, and blue to really notice, but since it's been over a month since the last post I thought it was somewhat worth mentioning. Haha.

Anyway, I hope everyone's been pretty engrossed in their summer reads (I found it quite novel - pun intended - that I now have time to read EVERYTHING I WANT to read), but if you have a little more time and a little over $10 to spare (it's on sale right now at Amazon.com), you can support SAIC's writing faculty Jesse Ball by buying his new novel The Curfew.

Jesse was one of my professors during my sophomore year at SAIC, and he taught a writing workshop called "Slotted Wooden Box". It was kind of surreal yet entertaining, because he made the workshop sound like an embarkment of self-discovery or something. He'd also come late to class and excuse himself by telling stories of how he'd come across a person lying on the ground as if they were unconscious, but since he told it too many times I kind of suspected him of telling tales. Not that anyone called him out on it, because it was a writing workshop class. And telling stories is what he's paid to do.

Anyway. To be honest, I wish I could say I've read The Curfew, but because I haven't I won't pretend that I have and blurb a paraphrased version of another summary I've read online. So check it out for yourselves! And if you do read it, let me know whether Jesse lives up to expectations or not.

- Nicola

Prompts/Prompted

2011-06-01T15:04:00.007-05:00

CWG's dual prompt book is now finished. "Prompts" is a collection of prompts, written as a series of instructions for generative writing. "Prompted" is a 50 page compilation of work from the past year, written from those prompts.

At some point there will be a reading of the work, stay tuned. In the mean time you may contact

Jeypeg@yahoo.com to obtain a copy.

The prompts were written by anyone who was active at a CWG writing meeting, but largely compiled from:
Cait Stephens
Nicola Tsoi
Jeff Sherfey
Ian Endsley
Jais Grossman
and
Ziyuan Wang

The Best of CWG Radio

2011-05-10T02:25:00.002-05:00

Thanks to much help from the faculty and staff at SAIC, and it's wonderful members, CWG has published an audio compilation of student work played on our weekly radio show.

To obtain a copy of the CD, please e-mail Jeypeg@yahoo.com

You can listen, download, and share the CD here.
*All work copyright it's author.

2011-04-25T15:04:00.001-05:00

Meeting on the 13th floor lounge, Mondays, 4:15pm

We Are Not Alone

2011-04-18T13:35:00.004-05:00

I just found this great site full of constraints.

They put out a prompt challenge and see what words come back.

While digging for prompt, I came across these guys, and that is about the only description of them I can provide for you- that are in love with twenty consonant poetry. Don't know what that is? It's a writing constraint where you use every consonant once while using vowels freely (considering Y to be a vowel). I thought you might enjoy their website, which is weird and whimsical, and full of odd poetry, drawings, essays, a link to their small press, and audio recordings of their twenty consonant poems. Check it.

http://www.spinelessbooks.com/20/index.html

Spring Publication

2011-04-13T21:14:00.003-05:00

"Back" has hit the shelves- look for it around campus, if you can't
find a copy read it here, or e-mail CWG@saic.edu.

Back

2011-03-20T23:04:00.006-05:00

Submissions for the Spring 201 publication "Back" are due tomorrow, by midnight. Anyone is eligible to submit. CWG is also always accepting audio works for our radio show, collaborations and new members, other written fodder for our website, and facebook pokes.

Send mp3's, PDF's, or Word docs, with your name and title to CWG@saic.edu

back 1 (bk)
n.
1.
a. The posterior portion of the trunk of the human body between the neck and the pelvis; the dorsum.
b. The analogous dorsal region in other animals.
2. The backbone or spine.
3. The part or area farthest from the front.
4. The part opposite to or behind that adapted for view or use: the back of the hand; wrote on the back of the photograph.
5. The reverse side, as of a coin.
6. A part that supports or strengthens from the rear: the back of a couch.
7.
a. The part of a book where the pages are stitched or glued together into the binding.
b. The binding itself.
8. Sports
a. A player who takes a position behind the front line of other players in certain games, such as football and soccer.
b. This playing position.
v. backed, back·ing, backs
v.tr.
1. To cause to move backward or in a reverse direction: Back the car up and then make the turn.
2. To furnish or strengthen with a back or backing.
3. To provide with financial or moral support; support or endorse: Unions backed the pro-labor candidate. See Synonyms at support.
4. To provide with musical accompaniment. Often used with up.
5. To bet or wager on.
6. To adduce evidence in support of; substantiate: backed the argument with facts.
7. To form the back or background of: Snowcapped mountains back the village.
v.intr.
1. To move backward: backed out of the garage.
2. To shift to a counterclockwise direction. Used of the wind.
adj.
1. Located or placed in the rear: Deliveries should be made at the back entrance.
2. Distant from a center of activity; remote.
3. Of a past date; not current: a back issue of a periodical.
4. Being owed or due from an earlier time; in arrears: back pay.
5. Being in a backward direction.
6. Linguistics Pronounced with the back of the tongue, as oo in cool. Used of vowels.
adv.
1. At, to, or toward the rear or back; backward.
2. In, to, or toward a former location: went back for the class reunion.
3. In, to, or toward a former condition.
4. In, to, or toward a past time.
5. In reserve or concealment.
6. In check or under restraint: Barriers held the crowd back.
7. In reply or return.

-Cait

Don't Miss This fo' Real

2011-03-17T01:48:00.000-05:00

Are Lyrics Poems? Vice Versa? No Vice Versa?

2011-03-03T23:16:00.003-06:00

On a more recent note, here's what we did on the 22nd of March during the meeting! A prompt suggested by Cait herself. She was in a musical mood (due to her class), and this was one of the results. Her prompt basically consisted of writing a phrase, a question and something autobiographical, then passing this on to the next person, he/she will write a line below each category that would contradict the previous line. So on and so forth. When everyone had a turn on each sheet of paper, the original author had to take these lines and restructure it accordingly. Fun!!

Unwanted Advice

Lime juice in the eye stings.
Bees in your mouth, stroking your tongue.
Everyday, the same old things.
Cows in the house, smells like dung.
But the same old things are always new.

Is it possible to hug death?
Can I return your breath?
Why did you refuse?
Why do you suffer abuse
Don't tell me what to do, Kurt.

My cheese has gone cold.
My stomach's full of mold.
The sky's falling down (repeat line forever. Fade out).

There will also be a spoken version of all these works. Tune in to SAIC Freeradio to hear them!! Thursdays from 6-8pm, brought to you by the CWG.

Digging up the Past

2011-03-03T22:43:00.005-06:00

Hello everyone!!

This post is about 2-3 months late, but meh. XD Based on the exquisite corpse prompt we had during one of our meetings, where our faculty advisor Sherry gave each person a one-line prompt (these lines were taken from a book she chose). Each person then wrote 2 lines in response to the previous one, then folded the paper down so only the most recent line was visible. This went on until we reached the 20th line.

I call this piece "Brooklyn Bridge".

1. Who talked continuously seventy hours from park to pad to bar to Bellevue to museum to the Brooklyn Bridge?
2. Who wandered for so long, through the aimless paths of New York?
3. He's done it for so long that he's left everything behind, weightless now.
4. And good flight comes of that, he knows,
5. so he prepares for heights and clouds.
6. By gathering stilts and ladders, a hot air balloon and a cherry picker.
7. He grabs his camera and sets off to prove there is a God in heaven.
8. Click, click, click, click. It doesn't matter how many lines you push, it's out.
9. It's repetitive sounding, your name. No pleasure.
10. But it means that now, I can't get it out of my head.
11. I suppose that's why I think you're so annoying.
12. The feeling sand, like water into sand.
13. The breeze cleanses all woe, all worry, all sinuses
14. and never sneezed again.
15. My nose was made into a massive clean tunnel.
16. Vast evacuation of the senses
17. ready to accept new organic crusts, drops, and outside information.
18. He coughed, spit that had been hanging on his teeth, flew free.
19. His wife wiped her eyes. Alone, she fingered the buttons on the remote.
20. And then, herself.

Spring

2011-02-23T16:46:00.003-06:00

Times and dates for spring:

Weekly meetings: Mondays from 4:30-6ish in the 13th fl lounge of the Michigan bld.

Radio show: Airs live every Thursday from 6-8ish, on freeradio saic. http://www.freeradiosaic.org/radio/shows/134/
As always, the shows are archived on the blog under the "RADIO" tab.

Our next publication is themed "Back"
The deadline is March 24th.

E-mail submissions for the publication or the radio show to Jeypeg@yahoo.com

Also don't forget about the BFAW publication- "MOUTH" for students in the writing department. Send your submissions for that to saicmouth.gmail.com

see you Monday!

Reading

2010-12-15T14:42:00.000-06:00

MFA Reading tomorrow night-

MFA Writing Program
Fall Graduating Student Reading

Shanita Bigelow
Monica Hillerman
Gregory Kiewiet
Cynthia (Cina) Pelayo

Thu Dec 16 5:30pm – 7pm
Sullivan Center Conference Room, 33 South State Street, 7th floor

Something To Do

2010-12-09T18:05:00.000-06:00

Indie Lit Roadshow- This Sunday @ The Green Lantern Gallery

ALL DAY! 10am-10pm

Deadline

2010-11-14T22:22:00.000-06:00

Submissions for Cut/Paste are due at Midnight this Mon, Nov 15th.

Anyone is welcome to submit work. We accept any printable material, image, text, fiction, poem, play, with the theme of cutting and pasting.
If you haven’t written anything yet you’ve got 26 glorious hours to do so. Imagine what you could make if you spent the next 26 hours writing?!

Some definitions for cut/paste that have occurred while thinking about this publication:
-Physical cutting and pasting, with scissors and paper
-Glue(s)
- Glue, by Keith Godard
-Image maps by Bonnie Gordon (Halftone photos and dictionary definitions)
-Forcibly combining text/ selecting from text to alter
-Borrowed and original material
-Preexisting and recreation
-Digital and handmade

The publications will be out in two weeks after Thanksgiving break. They will be scattered around the school and surrounding areas. If you submit work and cannot find a copy, please e-mail me and I’ll make sure you get one.

-Cait Stephens.

Prompt Writing--Intangible

2010-10-29T00:14:00.005-05:00

Hey guys, sorry for this belated entry on our collective prompt writing. Coming from outside the country, I think I'm more than lucky to get participated in all the inspirational activities so far . It's a lot of fun to see the infiniteness of possibilities when our imagination are ignited by our peers in the writing relay race( if the term is legible).

Ok I'll save my wordiness for the next meeting. Below is the story contrived by the six of us:

Intangible

I want to capture air in photographs. I want to sew laughter to my skirt. I want to bring the scent of my flowers in my pocket.

Being able to touch me doesn’t mean we are close.I sometimes think that it would be easier to let go of such memories of you and I, sitting at the ends of the world.Cyberspace draws us nearer, but really, the closer we are, the less we touch.

Thoughts known without a connection to the sensory.A black rod running through a building, passing floors, going unseen;A fish swimming across a coast, going uncaught;a person chugging whisky, without getting drunk.This is intangible.

Oh,my,good,will,march,why,wha,koo,noh,bleesnzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Wading through a pond of watercrest infused jello,I feel worried.

1,about my skin

1,about my wife

1,about my world,wobbling off it’s axis. Back into the womb from where is wondered, what if…

I drift away from the conscious realm to question;to question where I came from, who am I?why am I here?

Feel free to correct me if there are any grammertical errors.

---ziyuan

A Little Writing Exercise

2010-10-26T21:18:00.001-05:00

Not last Thursday but the one before, we all sat down and went "Hmmm. What shall we do today?" I do so love a bit of indecision! For we arrived at the obvious conclusion to get writing!

Following a strict schedule, we decided to put some limits to our writing:
1. Each person decides and writes out their topic, ranging from "Intangible" to "The Sea" to "Office Space".
2. For 2 minutes, everyone writes about the topic in front of them.
3. After 2 minutes, we pass our paper once to the person on our left.
4. Repeat step 2-3 until everyone has written on all the topics.

Thus, the result for "Office Space" is posted below:

[Office Space]

Cara was bored. Bored enough to pretend that she was working diligently, when in fact she was counting the number of pixels it took to make up the word 'dot'.

Funnier than expected. The absolute boon of a square mind. It is a cubist paradise. The most organic of shapes found in this space might be a stapler. A stapler is a point of laughter in the Office Space.

"Hey dear, let's just watch this movie," he said.
"I don't feel like it tonight," she said.
"Common, just get on the couch with me, lean against my arm, I'm sure once it starts, you'll get into it."

10,000 thumbtacks in the wall, nay, cubicle, or particle board, after the economy rupture. Those little pins close in to squish me, inching minute amounts closer as the clock ticks backwards. F*** it, I quit, and I s*** you not I'm stealing the red stapler.

And I stare.
And I stare again.
And I stare again and again, only to discover pixels blurring before my eyes.

It must be for the pins.

If you have one to share, please blog as well!!

Flyer

2010-10-26T01:44:00.005-05:00

Hey I found that little piece of paper with the sign-in stuff. I made flyers with submission information, I hope you guys like them. I'm printing them tomorrow, so expect to see them around.

*Jeypeg@yahoo.com

See everybody on thursday, I think. Though actually I have a thing so I might not be able to come, I just remembered. Well I hope you like this.

-Ian

Mark Booth: A Review of a Review

2010-10-21T13:38:00.004-05:00

This is a tad late, but better late than never!

On the 6th of October, there was something special going on in room 1307B - Mark Booth's penultimate review. As some of you may know, Mark is one of many awesome faculty members of the Writing department, and deals mostly in writing, sound and painting. As a requirement to qualify for tenure, Mark put a show together as a review of his work.

In general, I was a little surprised that he didn't discuss any of his sound pieces, but I got to see a different side to his work - mainly, his paintings and installations. Many pieces were an interesting fusion of text and abstracted images that evoked more of a feeling than represented anything, but the carefully handwritten text was what interested me most. As a student in the writing department, I've always struggled to know exactly what to put on any text art project, but Mark here seems to pull it off without a sweat: for example, one of his pieces read "One day I went to bed with a witch. The next morning, I could only remember 25 of 26 letters of the alphabet" [exact wording may be slightly different - I'm writing from memory]. There is something personal but distancing about his work, which is not quite ethereal due to the concrete words and language he uses, yet not quite of this world due to the soft colours he uses for painting the background.

Mark also explores the interaction between humans and spaces - an avid fan of George Perec's Of Species and Spaces and Other Pieces, Mark has taken this concept of "What is space?" and made it his own in a gallery installation, cutting out words from museum vinyl and weaving a story on the walls. He also showed us pictures of an installation/performance piece he did in a church, which had him lying on the ground amongst seeds. An environmental streak, perhaps?

In any case, if SAIC doesn't grant him his tenure, I'll...write a letter of complaint! I'll have you know that I can be very persuasive on paper.

Hm. Perhaps this is more of a shoutout than a review. Ah well.

- Nicola

Fall Publication

2010-10-20T12:44:00.007-05:00

The theme of this fall's publication will be Cut/Paste. Thanks to everyone who voted- 9 votes, which (realistically) is pretty great act of student involvement... (for an activity that doesn't involve free food)

The deadline to submit work is NOV 8Th, at 11pm! You can submit any form of work, pictures, text, fiction, non fiction, poetry, drawings. Just keep in mind that it'll all be printed in B/W.

Here are some interpretations of Cut/Paste:

In human-computer interaction, cut and paste and copy and paste offer user-interface paradigms for transferring text, data, files or objects from a source to a destination. Most ubiquitously, users require the ability to cut and paste sections of plain text. ...
pieced together from several sources
Composing a document by piecing together components of other documents; to delete text or other data in one document and insert it in the same or different one
the act of moving blocks of text from one place to another in a document.
Unique, engineered restriction enzyme sites in the lacY DNA are used to replace a portion of a mutant with a given cysteine replacement with a homologous segment encoding another single cysteine mutant, to construct a lacY gene encoding a protein with two cysteine residues.

The next meeting is tomorrow (Thursday) at 4:30 in 1302B, and we'll be making a mini publication, so come draw and write, and cut and paste with us!

And there will be a broadcast of the radio show at 11am tomorrow as well. So if you want to play work on it, send me your mp3's or contact me about playing/reading/sitting in in person @ Jeypeg@yahoo.com

The Sea. THE SEA!

2010-10-16T20:36:00.004-05:00

Hello blog world, This is Jeff. Here's my spiel:
After my first Creative Writing Guild meeting, I thought, I could sail around the world with these people. An odd thought for sure, but I justified it with thoughts of the group's utter beguilement. They are charming folk; They should be met by everyone. This I certainly agree to. But as far as the sailing goes, I've decided to scuttle the boat. Perhaps this group writing may give you some idea as to why.

The Sea.
A formless thing given form by borders, by politics; by tyrants guessing where the tyranny ends on the water. Where it ends, that's where the sea begins. the sea is the ultimate dictator. Masters of the formless being are truly servant of the sea. A diplomatic approach is to travel by yacht.

Hey you stupid, get out of the water. Drowning in a sea of blankets night after night, blinking the salty water out of his eyes. Tossing and turning in the waves. Waking up the wife who just wants to sleep, Terry.

A.K.A the ocean. Big, deep, and cold. Do you remember how the salt water smells? Like wet mist and a ship captain's beard. You might not, cause this is Chicago, and the beach here is nowhere close. But if you get up at 6am on a rainy day in the fall when the air is thick, it's close.

Amidst thick air stood a girl who had nowhere to go.

Wait, is that a girl? I rubbed my eyes. My eyesight is damaged a little by the salty breath of wind coming from the sea surface.

Maybe it was a mermaid. I shudder - I never really liked mermaids, having a bad experience at Disneyland. But the sea, the sea, the sea! It's calling me. Telling me to hush and lay down and bury myself under layers and layers of rock and sand. Will I become a fossil, reserved for her only?

Ah yes, it is a group capable of great, imaginative writing, but as you can see, incapable of commanding large bodies of water. Imagine the yacht envy, nightmare plagued, debilitated nostalgic, non-purposeful standing, bad eyesight, self digging grave disaster that would ensue. Oh Terry!

Group Writing 10/14

2010-10-15T23:44:00.003-05:00

Here is one of the pieces we wrote together at the last meeting. This one is about Cornish game hens:

You eat em right? They are like those little chickens. At lease, that's what they look like cooked. I have no idea what they look like alive, but I imagine them to be in direct poultry proportion. They must lay tiny eggs.

Unfortunately, they are now extinct. Henry Jones, a CEO of The Unnamed, called for a mass genocide.

The crucial thing about saving them from extinction though, is to secure that they still lay eggs.

They were a breed that were so highly coveted, all because of the legends surrounding them. Legends sprung out from their voices, screaming like a siren: "BUCK! BUCK! BUCK!" Their echoing cries could always cut the thickness of air.

From where I know them, they are very juicy. Appealing yet morbid. A hen ripped apart at the seams, and then spiced to perfection: this is from where I know them. This is how they we.

Grab it by the neck and shake that fucker dead. Ah, grab it by the neck and shake that fucker dead. Well I don't care if you care about it. Don't expect me to be fair about it, grab that hen by the neck and shake it dead.

Minutes from 10/14/10

2010-10-14T18:03:00.003-05:00

First radio show aired this morning, and was awesome. The archive is uploaded to the blog under "Radio Show" tab and will soon be in the free radio archives @
http://www.freeradiosaic.org/radio/shows/134/

The deadline for the first publication is Nov. 8th @11pm. The theme is open for vote on the blog, until Tue evening, please VOTE! As soon as Wed you can start submitting work!

The next radio show will be next Thusday @ 11am (the 21st). Send me your mp3’s or e-mail me if you would like to make a live appearance on the show. Jeypeg@yahoo.com

We did some awesome prompt writing- which should be going up on the blog for your reading and giggling pleasures. As always feel free to add to the blog- your work, upcoming readings series you know of, or review, whatever.

And finally if you are interested in organizing a reading please contact me- possible locations include
-Joan Flasch
-13th floor screening room
-Ballroom
-Auditorium
-Off campus

Next week we will be making a mini publication in the group, so you should all come to the meeting and help write/draw it!

Recap

2010-10-03T13:07:00.004-05:00

Minutes from the first meeting, on Thu Sep 30th:

This was one of the larger turnouts for CWG, so thanks everyone who came! And if you couldn’t make it, regular meetings will be every Thu, from 4:30-5:30 in 1302 B of the Michigan bld. Or you can just read below, there’s a ton of detail cause I just went over a lot of –importantish info. Skip to the end for summary.

Since it was our first meeting we talked logistics, and goals/needs/desires.

CWG is on the portal under “groups”- “Creative Writing Guild” Supposedly we have an e-mail cwg@saic.edu, but I’m having issues with it, so for now, direct your e-mails to csteph1@saic.edu or Jeypeg@yahoo.com, and I’ll read them. There is a facebook page

http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=5541865678&ref=search and

This blog- if you can't tell has the important information about the meetings, our publication dates and guidelines, archives of our radio show, upcoming readings hosted by us and others, and the coolest thing of all- WRITING! This is a group blog, so please add your own work to it, and give feedback. And if you know of readings happening or cool stuff going on- talk about. Write review, post pictures, whatever, it’s a blog, go nuts. If you would like to participate, e-mail me Jeypeg@yahoo.com for the login info.

We talked about the future of our publication- which looks long and prosperous. We are planning to put out 2 each semester this year, so logistically, the deadline for the first will probably be late Oct, early Nov, and the second one late Nov, early Dec. In the past the collections are writing have all been open calls for submission to the whole school based on a theme (origins, intentions, abridged, implied, passages). And we have published all submissions, we can continue that format, or we can change it if you have ideas.

There is a brand new CWG radio show, this year. We will be “on air” from 11am-12pm, every Thu. Listen live form http://freeradiosaic.org/, or listen to the archives on the blog. The show will be a series of readings, improvisations, noise, music or text performance, radio plays, performed scores, again- your radio show, do whatever you want. You can come perform your stuff live on our show, or pre-record your stuff and send me mp3s to be played. If can pre-record with CWG, we have access to the dj booth or the whisper room. Just send me an e-mail about what you’d like to do, and we’ll make it happen. If you want to attend the technical training session for the DJ booth, it’s THIS THUR, the 7th, @ 11am, meet in the booth on the 13th floor.

That being said, I am hoping to do an open call to the school for this kind of recorded work for a CD compilation towards the end of the year. You can start sending me MP3’s of that now for the radio show, or the CD, or booth, just specify where you want your work to go.

And lastly we talked about readings. It’s really easy and cheap to set up a reading. We just need a space, readers, and a microphone. So if you want to set up a reading and have location ideas, let me know and we can start the planning.

That’s all the biggies. During our regular meetings we are going to start doing some reading of each others work- so if you have stuff to exchange bring a bunch of copies. We’ll also do some writing, we can do some prompts or exquisite corpse stuff. We talked about making some mini publications…,

So think about
1. Writing- what do you want to write about
2. How should we structure our next publication/ a theme?
3. Where you might want to hold a reading
4. Playing on the radio
5. Read/post to the blog

See you next Thu at 4:30. Be there, or be square.

Reading and Performance

2010-09-29T14:40:00.005-05:00

Two short notice things- maybe they will benefit someone.

TONIGHT: The Encyclopedia Show

Put on by Columbia's writing guys and gals, of Silver Tongue.

1104 S. Wabash, The Conway Center (not far from SAIC)
at 7:00pm.

http://www.silvertonguecolumbia.com/
http://www.encyclopediashow.com

Second: The deadline for Open Mic night at SAIC is this Friday, Oct 1st. It's a great chance to get up on stage and read or perform, or fart and have people clap.

The event is Oct 7th, and 4:30 in the Ballroom. You can sign up in the SULLIVAN CENTER room 1203- which is Campus life.

See everyone tomorrow!
-Cait

CWG first meeting!!

2010-09-28T17:10:00.001-05:00

Anyone reading this, probably already received this info via e-mail, but just to reiterate so you don't miss this pivotal, career changing meeting,

The first meeting of CWG will be this THURSDAY, that’s the 30th, in room 1302B in the Michigan bld, at 4:30. So run over to Columbus and get your donut, and then run back over to the 13th floor cause you don’t want to miss CWG!

Our faculty adviser this year is Sherry Antonini, who will be joining us tomorrow. There is a lot to talk about, including but not limited to, Publication ideas, titles, themes, the CWG’s brand new Radio show, featuring, YOUR work, and discussing a reading series and the location and organization of… and lastly, we’ll cover the CWG blog- which if you haven’t seen, go check it out. It’s a place for you to post writing and get feedback, or find readings to attend, or just say hi.

http://www.cwgsaic.blogspot.com/

So bring you ideas, your apple cider, and maybe if we’re lucky we can do some writing together, or just have a licorice fight with all the student association’s candy. Hope to see you tomorrow!

4:30-5:30. 1302B Michigan.

<3 Cait Stephens

CWG is Alive and Well

2010-06-28T16:02:00.003-05:00

The founding members of the CWG have up and graduated, leaving us all by ourselves to keep the publication and guild alive. I hope you all got to check out the last issue, compiled by Jeni Crone, and the love child with Xerox candy bar. If not they are all probably still around campus.

CWG will resume in the fall under new editor(s). I will be counting on all it's previous and new contributors with help designing, compiling, publishing and distributing the publication. I think it is going to be a great semester, and CWG can grow and become even better than it was, and involve more students.

There will be a planning meeting some time in August, and I hope lots of people can make it. I'll be sending out e-mails, and posting the dates here. We can discuss the future goals of the guild and what we want to do in the fall. There will also be food and drinks and such.

I've updated the look of the blog- and posted a google calendar that will have all our meeting dates and events.

Looking forward to recruiting and working with you all, and reading what you've hopefully been writing over the summer.

-Cait

LOVE CHILD, PASSAGES

2010-04-21T17:36:00.000-05:00

I'm prostituting Jeni's e-mail:

Dearest writers who also like to draw and vice-versa,

Xerox Candy Bar (Everyone's favorite comics zine named after the
Richard Brautigan poem) and The Creative Writing Guild are uniting to
embrace artist/writer duality with the May release of an extra sweet
collaborative zine.To be included in the Untitled XCB+CWG Love Child Project send your
word art, visual writing, textual visuals, text-heavy comics,
illustrated writing etc. to xeroxcandybarzine@gmail.com or
jcrone@saic.edu by THURSDAY APRIL 29th. 300 dpi, please.

Love,

Xerox Candy Bar & The Creative Writing Guild

p.s. Don't forget to send writing for the regular May CWG publication,
the deadline is April 26th and the theme is "Passage."

BFAW Senior Readings 2010

2010-04-03T18:45:00.001-05:00

Here are some photos from the BFAW Reading last Friday night. The readers included: Noor Shawaf, Caitlin Schriner, Rebecca Cooling-Mallard, Mark Schettler, Jeni Crone, Chase Montague Markovich, and Nora Mapp.

The evening was introduced by Mark Booth and Ruth Margraff, the readers introduced by Leila Wilson.

The guilds own-

Caitlin Schriner

Reading some poems dealing with the reunification of Berlin

Jeni Crone presenting her Senior Thesis, a narrative comic book in 3 parts, about her personal connection to Ft. Mitchell, Cincinnati, Massachusetts, and France.

Jeni's Comic (projected)

Rebecca Cooling-Mallard showing collages and reading work interpreting and translating Cy Twombly's paintings and sculptures.

Chase Montague Markovich; delivering a surmon. A good one.

This is Mark Schettler reading a sad story about the death of a friend.

Mark is also the editor of In Preperation, SAIC BFAW literary journal.

Sorry I did not catch a photo of Nora or Noor. Noor is a poet dealing with failure, and Nora writes about space relationships of people and objects.

Post and Photos by Cait Stephens

March Issue Online

2010-04-02T13:36:00.000-05:00

The March publication, Impied, can be found here on contributor James Payne's blog.

March>April>May

2010-04-01T15:37:00.000-05:00

Dear CWG,

The March publication, Implied, was released last week. If you haven't picked up a copy be sure to do so. The CWG has now published work by 50 students!

MAY PUBLICATION

The theme is "passage":http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/passage

The deadline is MONDAY, APRIL 26th. send writing to jcrone@saic.edu. Please keep submissions down to three pages, if you send more an excerpt may be published.

IMPORTANT EVENTS COMING UP:

TOMORROW Friday, April 2nd: BFAW Senior Reading, 6:00 in the Sullivan Galleries. Check out the BFA Show while you are there.

CWG/RHE April Reading Series: Writing Faculty and MFAW students will be reading at the Siragusa gallery in the 162 N. State Street dorm.
Anyone who wishes to attend but does not live in the dorm should email their student ID number to Cleo, Cngiam@saic.edu. The first event will be April 7th, featuring Ruth Margraff.

with all-kinds-of-things,

Jeni

Call For Submissions

2010-02-21T12:42:00.001-06:00

Poster by Cait Stephens

2/9 Meeting Recap

2010-02-09T21:38:00.000-06:00

Dear CWG,

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS:

The Creative Writing Guild is currently accepting submissions for their March publication. The DEADLINE is MONDAY, MARCH 1st. Please send writing to jcrone@saic.edu. There is a 3-page limit. If you wish to submit a larger piece, an excerpt may be published. The theme is “Implied”:

im⋅plied
–adjective
involved, indicated, or suggested without being directly or explicitly stated; tacitly understood: an implied rebuke; an implied compliment.

2/9 Meeting Recap:

-Decided on “Implied” as the theme for the March publication. See above.
-Faculty/Grad Student Reading Series: The CWG and RHE (Residence Hall Exhibitions) will be hosting a Faculty/MFAW reading series this semester. The events will take place in the Siragusa Gallery in the 162 N. State Street Dorm.
So far potential faculty participants include, Sara Levine, Janet Desaulniers and our CWG Faculty Sponsor Sherry Antonini.

Is there a particular faculty member you would like to come and read? Send me requests and at the very least I will contact these people!

-CWG Reading- We discussed a reading to take place at the Flat-Iron Building in Wicker Park in April or May. More information coming soon.

Be sure to submit work for “Implied.”

Until our next meeting 2/22,

Jeni

SPRING 2010

2010-02-01T22:09:00.001-06:00

The latest as of 11/25/09

2009-11-25T23:16:00.000-06:00

Dear Guild,

FIRST: A Reminder that the Deadline for the December publication, “Observations”, is MONDAY, NOVEMBER 30^th. Send your writing my way!

The semester is coming to an end. We have a meeting scheduled for Thursday, December 10^th, but with that being during CRIT Week I am not expecting people to actually show up. So, that meeting is CANCELED. At our last meeting we discussed planning reading to happen on campus at the very beginning of next semester, so expect it to happen!

The CWG will have a table at the Zine Extravaganza:

Please join Student Association for the December First Thursday Event: Zine*Self-Publication*Extravaganza.

This event will showcase all types of self-publication, distribution and preservation. We are inviting establishments from around Chicago, as well as SAIC's resources, collections, faculty, individual students and student groups to talk about their participation in self-publication. Come to the 14th floor of the 112 S. Michigan Building on Thursday December 3rd, from 4:30-6pm.

CALL FOR PARTICIPANTS:

Do you Blog, Tumbl, or self-publish online? Well then, Student Association wants you for the Zine*Self-Publication*Extravaganza!

Come promote your online presence and participate in discussions with fellow students at the December First Thursday Event. If you would like to participate, please contact Student Association at student_assoc@saic.edu

Heather Palmer, whose work has appeared in Creative Writing Guild publications will be reading as part of the MFAW Fall reading, December 4, 12:00pm in the Joan Flasch Artists’ Book Collection, located on the 5^th floor of the Sharp Building.

In Preparation, another SAIC/BFAW publication is also currently accepting submissions. For more info visit http://inpreparationzine.blogspot.com/

I suppose that is all for now. Happy Thanksgiving!

Jeni

NOVEMBER, with December approaching...

2009-11-16T21:28:00.000-06:00

Time for another publication! The theme of the December publication is “Observations” and you may interpret that in any way, but here is the dictionary definition if you need a nudge of inspiration: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/observation The deadline is MONDAY NOVEMBER 30th. This time around there is 2-3 page limit. If you choose to submit something longer I may choose to publish an excerpt. Send your writing to jcrone@saic.edu. Please send as a Word Document.

The October/December publication made it out, featuring work by 20 writers!

On November 1st the Guild hosted a reading and show at the Siragusa Gallery. 30 people were there and 9 people read!

Thank you to everyone who continues to contribute to the success of the CWG!

READING NOVEMEBER 1st

2009-10-28T21:38:00.001-05:00

Flyer by Cait Stephens

Any non-dorm resident wishing to attend or participate must Email jeni at jcrone@saic.edu with their full name and Student ID number.

Dialogue

2009-10-26T10:11:00.000-05:00

Sun Nov 1st, 9:30pm

Come celebrate the release of the October/ November Publication, "Dialogue" with the reading and art by members of the Creative Writing Guild!

*food!

All-Kinds-Of-Things

2009-10-03T23:30:00.000-05:00

Dear Guild,

The turnout at our first two meetings has been great! It is rather exciting, so keep it up. With so many people with ideas and interest in the Guild, we can do a lot this year. I’ll give an update of last week's meetings but first here are a few other points to cover:

1) Sherry Antonini, the Guild’s Faculty Sponsor has a performance this SUNDAY 10/4. Here is some information about it. Hope to see some of you there.
“O My Innocents”, a site-specific piece combining text/music/sound/performance and dance, will be presented this Sunday,
October 4, 2009, in 100-year-old Epiphany Episcopal Church, 201 S.
AshlandAve., Chicago 60607 at 6 pm. Original text and vocal recording by
Sherry Antonini. Sound score co-written by Sherry Antonini and Basil Abbott and produced/recorded at Commpost Audio, Chicago. Performance and
Choreography written and performed live by Heather Hartley and Casey Murtaugh, with Erica Mott and Helen Lee. Post-show dialogue immediately following as part of the Epiphany Dance Experiment 2009 Fall Series. $12 at door. $10 students.

2)I am happy to say that I have already received 5 submissions for the October publication! Keep them coming. The deadline is Monday October 19th. The theme is “Dialogue.” More information can be found on the blog CWGsaic.blogspot.com

Here are some things discussed at the October 1st meeting:

-A Blog for Guild members to post writing and receive feedback. As some of you know, that was the original purpose for CWGsaic.blogspot.com, but few people were using it so it became more of a place to post CWG updates. HOWEVER, due to this recent demand, there will be a new separate blog made for that purpose. Information coming soon!

Other things that may manifest as a blog or as part of the Facebook or Portal Group:

- Multiple people mentioned that they would like information about writing-related events in Chicago, Writing Prompts, and other valuable links, websites etc.
- A Recommended Reading list-Email me about what you are reading, your all-time favorites, maybe even your all-time least favorites. Novels, poems, poets, authors, Graphic Novels, Short Stories, etc. and I will compile a list.

-Poetry Slam Event, possibly in the ballroom, possibly as part of a First Thursday Event.

-Asking Kyle Beachy to come talk to the CWG. I’ll see what I can do.

-When I asked about expectations for the Guild, someone mentioned the idea of having a supportive group of writers. That indeed is what we are here for, to support, promote and involve writers. That said, Email me with your ideas and questions related to the CWG or writing at SAIC. If I can’t answer your questions, I’m sure I can point you towards someone who can.

-Reading to happen in the Siragusa Gallery at 162 N. State Street Dorm, end of October/beginning of November. I’ll be getting more information about this out shortly.

My goal is to start getting some sort of collection of resources together by time of the next meeting October 15th. That would include the events, prompts, reading list as mentioned above. Also, inspired by my recently obtained internship at 826CHI, I would like to provide everyone with information about non-profit writing-related places where one can volunteer.

So, there is a lot of stuff to be coming your way this semester.
Keep posted and visit CWGsaic.blogspot.com

Send me stuff!

Jeni

P.S.
Someone requested the link to the Facebook Group, so here it is:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=5541865678&ref=ts

It is almost October!

2009-09-28T00:04:00.001-05:00

Dear Guild,

Thanks to those of you who attended the last meeting!

I’m a little behind in getting a formal announcement out but the DEADLINE for our OCTOBER publication is MONDAY OCTOBER 19th. The theme is “Dialogue.” Interpret it as you wish, but here are some definitions:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dialogue
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dialogue
Submit writing to me (jeni) jcrone@saic.edu.

Here are some things discussed at our September 21st meeting:
-Creating a CWG logo
-social outings (going to get ice cream, etc.)
-Going to readings and events together
-A reading in the Siragusa Gallery (162 Dorm Building)
-Workshopping
-Writing Prompts

I hope to provide some information in response to those topics at our next meeting,
THIS THURSDAY, October 1st 4:30 Room 1302B of MacLean. Feel free to bring any writing you wish to share. I will also try to bring cookies this time.

One more thing: if you happen to draw comics you should submit them to Xerox Candybar by emailing xeroxcandybarzine@gmail.com. The deadline for issue 11 is Oct. 1st.

*jeni

2009-09-16T17:46:00.000-05:00

Beginning Business

2009-09-14T15:49:00.000-05:00

Dear Guild,

Last year was a big success. We put out four publications, publishing 29 writers! Thank you again to everyone who was active in the Guild last year. It is time to start things up again! I have noticed that a few new people have joined Portal and Facebook groups so I will give a brief introduction of the Guild:

The Creative Writing Guild is recognized by SAIC Campus Life as a student group and is funded by Student Association and the Writing Program. The mission of the Creative Writing Guild is to support, promote and involve writers in the SAIC community. We meet two or three times a month to plan publications and events, share writing, talk about writing events and opportunities at SAIC and in Chicago, and sometimes we just hang out. What goes on at a meeting is completely dependent on people showing up with ideas, suggestions and topics of discussion. This group is open to ALL SAIC students and participation from alumni is also welcome.

In the latest news, numbers are a good thing and the Guild has $1000 for publications, thanks to Student Association and the Writing Program.

IMPORTANT STUFF
Schedule:

**Thursday meetings will be held in room 1302B
Another group has reserved 1302B on Mondays so the Guild will just meet in the 13th floor lounge. I’ll make a sign… If this does not work out I will reserve a classroom for future Monday meetings. Meetings begin at 4:30 but the room will be open at 4:00.

17th Student Group Fair- Stop by and say Hi!
Mon Sept 21st
Thurs October 1st
Thurs October 15th
Publication Deadline Oct 19th
Mon Oct 26th
Thurs Nov 12th
Mon Nov 23rd
Publication deadline for December Nov 30th
Thurs Dec 10th

The theme of the October publication will be announced soon, details will be available by next week! For all updates visit our Blog CWGsaic.blogspot.com. If you have any information about readings, publications and events that you are part of let the Guild know to pass it along. That said:

Everyone should check out Hymn a novel by Andrew Forrest Baker. Andrew's piece Catfish was seen in the Guild's May publication "Eventually." See Previous Post for more information.

Last year was about figuring out a lot of odds and ends. This year is about continuing and adding to what we got going last year. Hope to see you all at our first meeting on September 21st. A reminder will be sent out as well as more information about the October Publication.

Jeni

Hymn: A Novel by Andrew Forrest Baker

2009-09-06T14:13:00.000-05:00

Everyone should check out Hymn from Andrew Forrest Baker. Andrew's piece Catfish was seen in the Guild's May publication "Eventually."

http://hymn.andrewfbaker.com/

Buy a copy:
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Hymn/Andrew-Baker/e/9780578029511/?itm=7
http://www.amazon.com/Hymn-Andrew-Baker/dp/0578029510/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1249269760&sr=1-1
http://stores.lulu.com/store.php?fAcctID=1607023

Become a Fan on Facebook!

Coming Soon...

2009-09-06T01:46:00.001-05:00

CWG! Keep posted in the coming week for information regarding the Guild in Fall '09.

Tentative Meeting Schedule:

Mon Sept 21
Thurs October 1
October Publication Deadline: Oct. 19
Thurs October 15th
Mon Oct 26
Thurs Nov 12
Mon Nov 23
Publication deadline for December: Nov 30th

May

2009-05-03T15:27:00.000-05:00

Dear Guild,
Thank you for a wonderful year! Whether you came to meetings, submitted writing to be published, or simply read the emails or blog, it is greatly appreciated. We were able to put out 4 publications and publish 29 writers! I am already excited for next year, when we will put out another four publications and definitely have a reading or two.

Thank you to Caitlin Schriner for help with distribution this month and for her awesome cover art!

A special thanks to Student Association for funding and support, to Jes Takla for all of her help in organizing everything, to the Writing Program for funding our May publication and to Sherry Antonini our amazing faculty sponsor.

Be sure to pick up a copy of the May publication, "Eventually" now available all around school.

Keep writing over the summer and if you have any news you would like to pass along to the Guild email me.

Have a wonderful summer!

Until September,

Jeni

A Few Important things

2009-03-31T18:17:00.000-05:00

Origins/Intentions, our March/April publication is out! Be sure to pick up a copy. They can be found in most general school locations by lunch time tomorrow. It is bright orange, can't miss it. A big thanks to Caitlin Schriner for the wonderful cover art and help with distribution.

Jeni Crone is representing SAIC at The Columbia College Chicago Citywide Undergraduate Poetry Festival, THIS THURSDAY, April 2nd @ 5:30. If you are available come check it out! More info can be found here:
http://theloop.colum.edu/s/644/studntWide.aspx?sid=644&gid=24&pgid=252&cid=6019&ecid=6019&ciid=21278&crid=0

IMPORTANT:

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
the deadline for the May publication will be MONDAY, APRIL 20th. The Theme is "Eventually."

There are only two more meetings left this semester: Tuesday, April 7th and Thursday, April 23rd.
We WILL be planning a reading to take place before the end of the semester.

March Deadline Change

2009-03-08T21:30:00.000-05:00

***The deadline for the March publication will be Friday, March 20th***

The Creative Writing Guild is accepting submissions for its March Publication. This issue will feature two themes: "Origins" and "Intentions" (see posts below).

5 page limit.

DEADLINE: Friday, March 20th

Submit writing to jcrone@saic.edu

March

2009-03-03T13:41:00.000-06:00

The Guild is currently accepting submissions for its March publication, "Intentions."

in·ten·tion (n-tnshn)
n.
1. A course of action that one intends to follow.
2.
a. An aim that guides action; an objective.
b. intentions Purpose with respect to marriage: honorable intentions.
3. Medicine The process by which or the manner in which a wound heals.
4. Archaic Import; meaning.

The March issue will be a double issue including submissions for the February publication, "Origins." Pieces with that theme will also be accepted.

ORIGINS and INTENTIONS

SUBMIT NOW

DEADLINE: Monday, March 16th

jcrone@saic.edu

-------------------

We are hoping to plan some readings for this semester. Keep posted for more info.

DEADLINE EXTENDED

2009-02-21T19:59:00.000-06:00

The deadline for the February...February/March? Publication, "Origins" has been extended to Friday, February 27th.

Send writing to jcrone@saic.edu

Update, February 19th

2009-02-19T21:49:00.000-06:00

A few things:

1) The deadline for the February publication, "Origins" is TOMORROW.
More information can be found on the blog CWGsaic.blogspot.com

2) The next meeting is next week, Thursday February 26th.

3) A Performance by our Guild Sponsor Sherry Antonini.

MOTEL
(Low rent, shag-carpeted tales shaped into spoken word, soundscape and song)
New work written and performed by Sherry Antonini and Basil Abbott
Saturday, Feb. 21
9:30 pm
Viaduct Theatre
3111 North Western Avenue
Chicago

$15 or pay what you can
The evening also features performances by BFAW/MFAW instructors Jenny Magnus and Ruth Margraff.
As part of Rhinoceros Theater Festival 2009, produced and curated by
Curious Theatre Branch.

Spring Schedule/February Publication Deadline

2009-02-02T22:58:00.000-06:00

Dear Guild People,
I figured I should send out word that we will have a meeting next week. The following is the Spring 2009 Schedule. As always, meetings are held at 4:30 in room 1302 of MacLean.

February Tu 10, Th 26
March Tu 3, Th 26
April Tu 7, Th 23

I should have fliers up by Friday or over the weekend.

*FEBRUARY PUBLICATION

This months theme is "Origins"
1. The point at which something comes into existence or from which it derives or is derived.
2. Ancestry: "We cannot escape our origins, however hard we try" (James Baldwin).
3. The fact of originating; rise or derivation: The rumor had its origin in an impulsive remark.
4. Anatomy The point of attachment of a muscle that remains relatively fixed during contraction.
5. Mathematics The point of intersection of coordinate axes, as in the Cartesian coordinate system.

DEADLINE Friday, February 20th. *5 page limit, if you wish to submit a longer piece an excerpt may be chosen.
Submit pieces to jcrone@saic.edu

*The goal is to get out 3 publications this semester at the end of February, March and April. We will be continuing with the one word themes. I'm working on getting more funding for this. Feel free to send ideas for potential themes. Another goal is to have a reading or two.

Another Important Thing: I've heard a couple clusters of people talking about trying to get together some serious, structured writing workshops for short fiction. If you are interested let me know. I would love to point you in the direction of these people. If you want a poetry workshop I can point you towards people. Always remember that the mission of the CWG is to support, promote and involve writers at SAIC. If you want to see something done with writing, let me know, I would love nothing more than to try to make it happen.

Hope to see you all next Tuesday!

Jeni

Spring 2009!

2009-01-24T21:41:00.001-06:00

It is time to get things going with the Creative Writing Guild for 2009! I hope everyone had a great winter break, and maybe even did some writing. I hope to begin meetings in February, meeting on a Tuesday and Thursday schedule again which I hope to get written out and set up soon. In the next two weeks I hope to have the schedule out, flyers around school and information about the next publication. Due to the success of the first two publications I will be asking student association for more funding and hopefully BFAW as well.

Two things to check out:

1) In Preparation, a zine currently edited by BFAW student Alyssa Martinez. The deadline for the February issue is this Friday, January 30th. Submit stuff!!! more info can be found here:
http://inpreparationzine.blogspot.com/

2) The 2009 AWP Conference and Book Fair in Chicago February 11-14, Passes to the events can be bought on-site for a student price of $45
information can be found here: http://www.awpwriter.org/conference/2009awpconf.php

HAPPY WINTER BREAK

2008-12-12T16:54:00.000-06:00

The Semester is over!!!! Unless you have class on Monday...

Abridged has been distributed. It is a great issue featuring 15 writers!

Keep writing over winter break and the Guild will be back in 2009!

End of the semester!

2008-11-24T12:41:00.000-06:00

The last meeting of the semester is December 2nd. Time to start planning for next semester.

Deadline for the December publication "Abridged" is December 1st.

November 2nd Meeting Updates

2008-11-09T20:10:00.000-06:00

*Places:A Creative Writing Guild Publication has been distributed.

*A meeting is scheduled for TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18th, since Thanksgiving messes with the meeting schedule.

*DECEMBER PUBLICATION

The theme is "Abridged"

send short short stories, short poems, haikus, vignettes, any short form of writing or anything with form or content that fits this definition:

1. to shorten by omissions while retaining the basic contents: to abridge a reference book.
2. to reduce or lessen in duration, scope, authority, etc.; diminish; curtail: to abridge a visit; to abridge one's freedom.
3. to deprive; cut off.

DEADLINE: Monday, December 1st

send pieces to jcrone@saic.edu

*********************
Everyone should check out Speed Trap Gallery, a not-for-profit, artist run gallery and reading space on Grand Ave in Chicago, run by Patrick Anderson and Katherine Harvath. They are currently accepting entries for their December show and reading. The theme is “The Distance Anywhere” and the deadline is November 20th. Visit the MySpace or Facebook page for more info or contact speedtrapgallery@gmail.com

http://www.myspace.com/speedtrapgallery

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1661103410&ref=ts

October Updates

2008-10-29T21:02:00.000-05:00

*The CWGs first Publication "Places" is due to go out in the next two weeks. It will feature writing by 14 Students.

*We have begun discussing the potential of readings, to possibly be hosted by Patrick Anderson who is starting a reading series out of his apartment and is willing to open the space to the Guild.
*Everyone start thinking about ideas for readings!
some ideas for Guild readings:
-NOvember... http://www.readbookonline.net/readOnLine/4219/
-Preparing for the Winter Doldrums
-Nostalgia and Sentimentality

*The next publication: Possibly theme: "Abridged" featuring short-short stories, short poems, haikus, vignettes and other concise pieces of writing.

* Now that a lot of business has been taken care of at the first three meetings, we can now make time at the meetings for workshopping and writing exercises.

A silly little nonsensical poem from a poem pass at lat weeks meeting:

Enclosed in a ziplock baggy
bigger than a flip flop
caliwop
clip clop bop bop
dance till you drop
spin and twirl
try not to get sick
Flugle Floggle, Moggle goggle,
emitting a smell like a moldy towel
don't open the bag she said
but "pop!" there it went
spilt across the floor now; it's
no use crying now, not when it has
cried for you
many tears on the floor

*Next meeting November 4th, bring writing!

Jenn Swann's Writing Events Calendar

2008-10-29T21:01:00.001-05:00

SAIC Creative Writing Guild Calendar of Chicago Literary Events

Friday, October 10 @ 7:30
Claudia Guadalupe Martinez reads from “The Smell of Old Lady Perfume”
Women and Children First
5233 N. Clark St.
(773) 769-9299

Saturday, October 11 @ 7
Alixopulos and Laura Park sign copies of their comic books.
Quimby’s Bookstore
1854 W. North Avenue
(773) 342-0910

Sunday, October 12 @ 4:30 pm
Stepsister Press Event Night featuring local contributors
Women and Children First
StepSister Press Event night featuring local contributors to Submerged: Tales of the Basin and Bitchin’ Bodies: Young Women Talk About Body Dissatisfaction

Sunday, October 12 @ 7
Myopic Poetry Series, Myopic Bookstore
1564 N. Milwaukee Ave
(773) 862-4882
Readings by Michael Rothenberg and David Meltzer in conjunction with the Poetry Center of Chicago.

Tuesday, October 14 @ 7
Quimby’s Bookstore
1854 W. North Avenue
(773) 342-0910
Release party for her Lucy Knisley’s graphic novel, French Milk. Knisley is also appearing at Women and Children First on October 16 at 7:30 pm.

Thursday, October 16 @ 7 pm
Quimby’s Bookstore
1854 W. North Avenue
(773) 342-0910
Damon Brown reads and discusses Porn & Pong.

Friday, October 17 @ 7 pm
Quimby’s Bookstore
1854 W. North Avenue
(773) 342-0910
Laurie Lindeen reads and signs her new rock’n‘roll memoir, Petal Pusher.

Tuesday, Oct 21 @ 7
Powell’s North Reading Series
Poet, John Taggart
2850 N. Lincoln (773) 248-1444    
Please join us at the next Powell's North Bookstore reading on TUESDAY OCTOBER 21, 2008 at 7:00 p.m. for a reading featuring the poet John Taggart, with students from the Writing Program at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. 

Saturday Oct 18 @ 7
Red Rover Reading Series
Division Street Dance Loft
735 W. Division, 3rd floor
$4 suggested donation
Red Rover Series: Readings that play with Reading with Ira S. Murfin, Marisa Plumb, and Srikanth Reddy. Series continues Sat Nov 1 and Sat Dec 6.

Thursday October 16 @ 5-8 pm
Columbia College C33 Gallery
East 33 Congress Parkway
Inspired by Beat era coffee houses, the multimedia exhibition, Beat Café, showcases the radio/audio-based work of students from the Radio Department at Columbia College Chicago. The Beat Café invites visitor participation and provides a venue for public presentations and readings, including a live performance of The Spirit of ’14, Jack Kerouac’s only radio play. Runs Oct 6-Nov 14.

Friday Oct 17 @ 6:30-9 pm
Center for Book and Paper Arts
1104 S. Wabash, 2nd Floor
Readings by Judith Goldman, Robert Harrison, Simone Muench, and Tim Yu
Special readings feature Chicago-area poets whose works exemplify contemporary experimental poetic practice in the tradition fostered by the small press and artists’ books. The poetry reading celebrates the opening of the exhibit and special issue of the Journal of Artists’ Books on Intersections of Experimental Literature and Artists’ Books.

Sunday, October 19 @ 7
Myopic Poetry Series, Myopic Bookstore
1564 N. Milwaukee Ave
(773) 862-4882
Poet: Brenda Iijima

Tuesday October 28 @ 6 pm
Kerouac and Writers on the Road
Readings and Open Mic
623 S. Wabash, 1st Floor
Students from the Columbia College Fiction Writing Department's Critical Reading and Writing: Writers on the Road class join students from Fiction Writing study abroad programs to share their research into the writing processes of Jack Kerouac with a response from Gerald Nicosia, Kerouac biographer. Following the discussion will be an open mic session with the road theme.

Friday October 30 @ 9 am – 2 pm
Beat Writing Workshop
1104 S. Michigan, Room 711
Three-hour morning session, two-hour afternoon session, led by Gerald Nicosia. Free and open to the public. Seating is limited; to pre-register contact: sbabyk@colum.edu.

Wednesday, November 5 @ 9 am-9 pm
Conaway Center
1104 S. Wabash, 1st Floor
In the true spirit of the Beat Generation, readers from the Columbia College community, as well as celebrity guest readers from the Chicago area, will bring Kerouac’s words to life in an all-day marathon reading of On the Road.

Sunday, November 9 @ 7 pm
Myopic Poetry Series, Myopic bookstore
1564 N. Milwaukee Ave
(773) 862-4882
Poet: Hugh Behm-Steinberg

September 25th Meeting

2008-10-01T12:19:00.000-05:00

Thank you to everyone who attended the first CWG meeting of the year! there were 8 people there, plus me (Jeni) and Sherry our Sponsor.

Here are some notes from the meeting last week:

Things to be done ASAP: turn in funding proposal, put up flyers

Ideas Discussed:
Podcast
Free Radio SAIC show
Readings
open mic
workshops
multi-group festival

PUBLICATION: we hope to have one out by the end of October. The potential theme for the first publication will be "places"

More info will follow in the next few days.

Contact jcrone@saic.edu for more information or if you have any ideas.

Schedule of Meetings

2008-09-23T12:26:00.000-05:00

Here is the basic schedule for meetings this semester. The schedule may change and extra meetings may be held when planning readings and publications.

Meetings will be held the 1st Tuesday and 4th Thursday of every month in the Student Groups Room on the 13th floor of the MacLean Building.

Thursday, September 25th
Tuesday, October 7th
Thursday, October 23rd
Tuesday, November 4th
NO MEETING THANKSGIVING, meeting time TBA
Tuesday December 2nd
WINTER BREAK

CWG 2008-2009

2008-09-18T19:08:00.000-05:00

Keep Posted for CWG Updates. MORE INFO COMING SOON!

First Meeting:Thursday September 25th, 4:30 MacLean, Student Groups Room, 1302

Gold.

2008-03-16T15:31:00.001-05:00

If I stare at these goldfish
long enough, they will turn to gold.
When they turn to gold I will pluck them out
and I will polish them and I will sleep on them
for six weeks.
I will carve them and squeeze them
and fit them into my ears.
I will rise from my bedside table
and I shall dye my hair the color of clams
and I shall paint my cheeks
the color of coral reefs.
I shall climb outside my window and all the men
in Massachusettes will stop and sink and
nearly drown in my presence
and he who I wish to save from his puddle in the street
shall marry me whole heartedy.
But until then I sit in my bedroom
and I stare at these goldfish.
They swim circles in a silver bowl
and sometimes they project bubbles
from their mouths or from their tails.
But mostly they swim they swim and if I stare long enough
these goldfish will turn to gold.

-jennswann

An Insomniac's Dream About Hope

2008-03-15T17:10:00.000-05:00

It takes a lot of ink to sound like calligraphy,
Enough to pave the road to here and there and
Asymmetrically, reluctantly back. Following

A caramel moon canoeing in-and-out of clouds.
On twenty-seven more occasions I will swear I have never
Seen the moon that color.
The constellation Hercules push-pinned to the sky,
Safer than every airplane ever mistaken for something
Constantly fixed. Everything only constantly fixed to
Anything that ever got lost in the crease of a letter.

Every insecure without-teeth smile,
Every Lenten fish sandwich bought
To appease false security.
Dissymmetry personified:
In the lack of finding a fixed
Point to orbit around,
In the blame of
Interchangeable person-places,
Incongruence in the alignment
Of the reason that came before
The Reason.

Fate is an inversed factor tree,
Narrowing the margin for error
With every risk closer to purpose.

-jeni

Vinegar

2008-03-05T18:24:00.000-06:00

I have done something wrong
I know for my cheeks are the color of those roses
this wine these oils and fresh breads
I have done something wrong
I know for my eyes have begun to sag like saphire lily pads
and the shadows on my neck could rise up
and cloud the sky in darkness
I have done something wrong
I know for my lips are pursed and stitched
into tiny tulip buds
My shoulders have stiffened themselves like smokestacks
I have done something wrong
I know ths because I cannot look you in the eyes
I cannot watch your stern eyebrows
turned up like curled ribbon
and the lines upon your forehead
could leap up and circle my body twice
I know your lips are dipped in this tobacco spitting pose
and your nose your nose
twisted like knotted pantyhose
How can we dance
How can we begin to dance
When I hold this vinegar bottle inside my chest
and anytime I move
this liquid swishes it crashes it sickens my throat
And if we dance
this bottle might break
raking shards of glass upon my insides
and oh how it would smell it would smell
I have done something wrong
I know this for these roses have begun to droop
these oils have begun to stink
these breads have grown stale
and this wine this wine is just fine
how it has ripened so I drink I drink I drink

- jennswann

Cardio

2008-02-25T20:27:00.000-06:00

Clutch me by the throat and slit,

slither on in,

pump me full of hot metal.

Metal hearted me,

Gold hearted you,

We fuse.

One pulsing beast, we ravage the

cavities of duller chests,

we rip n' bleed ‘em,

we heat n' feed ‘em,

before we move on

into tomorrow's early morning flare.

Finding nobody there,

we storm,

stampede each other,

we rush n’ bleed each other.

Now wrapped in the heavy arms of quick sleep,

we slowly melt,

ooze and seep.

by A. Harriman

Offshore

2008-02-25T19:53:00.001-06:00

Factory work lights dim
Fog and smoke and something
Along the lines of memory
Circling, warping, rapt.
A wave of train
Steel surf and coal
New Orleans off to sea
Dire nothing and me
Lost in silver mirrored sky
Abstract and concrete
Contradiction is impossible.

Or,
Say we lived through the storms,
And I watch you playing with my son
Now almost nine, splashing in the surf,
Sand in his blond hair- your blond hair;
Laughing at me lost
In my ocean of memory.