Second Quarter Kudos 2015

Congratulations to Lighthouse members Petra PerkinsKrista Hanley, and Claudia Putnam for placing in the ACC Writer’s Studio 2015 Literary Contest

BOOK NEWS

Teow Lim Goh’s debut book of poetry, Islanders, on the history of the Angel Island Immigration Station, has been accepted by Conundrum Press for publication in April 2016. She would especially like to thank Chris Ransick for his mentoring and manuscript review.

Congrats to all the Colorado Book Award finalists, including Lighthouse members Jody Berger, Nancy Sharp, and Lydia Gil, and faculty members Laura Pritchett, Ben Whitmer, Sara Michas-Martin, and Christopher Merkner

Lighthouse alum Cynthia Swanson is reading from her debut novel The Bookseller (Harper) on March 3, 7:00 PM, at Tattered Cover, where she’ll be joined by Ryan Warner and air on Colorado Matters.

Lighthouse alum Stacy Robinson is reading  from her debut novel, Surface (Kensington), on March 4, 7:00 PM, at Tattered Cover.

Erika Krouse's book Contenders (Rare Bird Books) will be available March 17th. She will be reading from Contenders at the Boulder Bookstore on April 1 at 7:30 PM. Her launch party will be on April 4 at 5:30 PM at Lighthouse, with The Tattered Cover selling books. She will also do a reading at Syntax Physic Opera in Denver for "The Thirteenth Word" event on April 16 at 6:00 PM. Contenders was released on March 17, and Erika just signed a publishing deal with the German publisher Aufbau-Verlag. 

Lighthouse member Maura Weiler's debut novel, Contrition, hits the stores from Simon & Schuster/Infinite Words on April 21! Help us celebrate at her Friday, May 15, Tattered Cover Colfax reading (7:00 to 8:00 PM), followed by a launch party she's throwing at Lighthouse (8:00 to 10:00 PM). 

Peter Nelson has signed a publishing contract with Lexington Books for: Privatize Oceans, Rivers, Lakes, and Aquifers Too — Water Capitalism. Typesetting starts afterJuly 13, 2015.

Lighthouse member D.L. Orton's book, Crossing In Time: The 1st Disaster in the Between Two Evils Series, is due out in May. 

Lighthouse Instructor Denise Vega's first published young adult novel, CLICK HERE (to find out how i survived seventh grade), turns 10 in April 2015! In honor of ten years in print, she's giving away 10 copies via GoodReads. Read her take on where the characters are now on her blog.

Zack Kopp's book, The Denver Beat Scene, on Denver's multiple connections with the literary movement known as the Beat Generation, was just published by The History Press. He spoke with Neal Cassady Birthday Bash patron Mark Bliesener and Neal's son, Robert Hyatt, at a release event, Q&A session, and book signing on Wednesday, March 18th 2:00 to 3:30 PM at Mutiny Information Cafe. 

Grigoris Douros' satirical comic book series, Satanic Hell, was picked up by NYT-bestselling publisher Alterna Comics. Digital versions are out now on Comixology. Grigoris developed the story in screenwriting classes given by Alexandre. 

Jackie St. Joan's poetry and her novel My Sisters Made of Light were reviewed by Eleanor Swanson, Colorado author, Regis University English Professor, blogger extraordinaire at Women Write the Rockies. "Made of Light: The Poetry and Prose of Jacqueline St. Joan

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS

Robert Garner McBrearty's short story "The Dishwasher," a Pushcart Prize nomination, was adapted for stage and won the Maine Drama Festival, a statewide production of high school plays. It will be showcased in April along with the winners of five other New England states.

Trish Kinkel's poem "What the River Taught" won first place in The Denver Woman's Press Club 2015 Unknown Writers Contest. She was invited to read her winning submission at a reception at the Denver Woman's Press Club on Sunday, April 12.

Patricia Anne Jackson’s story “Candy” was short-listed (Top 8% of 1300 entries) by Fish Publishing, UK Ireland, for their International Flash Fiction Contest. She was also short-listed for the prestigious Listowell Literary Festival's award for short fiction in the UK for her piece, "Sea Legs."

Jordi Alonso was recently interviewed on WOMR 91.9FM in Provincetown MA about Honeyvoiced, his first book of poems. He's the youngest poet ever to appear on the program. Listen to his interview here.

Lighthouse member Sierra E. Fleenor, editor/contributor Jenny Ladd, and contributors Kyle Harris and Jan Hoag will be reading from their articles in Class Lives on Wednesday, May 13 at 7:30 PM at the Posner Center, Commons, 1031 33rd St, Denver. The event is co-sponsored by the Chinook Fund and the Rocky Mountain Peace and Justice Center.

Nick Arvin's story "The Crying Man" has been awarded this year's Alice Hoffman Fiction Prize by Ploughshares.

Taryn Browne won third place in the Narrative story contest for her novel excerpt "Where Birds Do Not Fly." Taryn is a member of the Book Project at Lighthouse. 

Karen Douglass has been invited to be part of an intensive poetry workshop in 2016 with poet/novelist Marge Piercy. Karen is very excited and will have a hard time waiting, but this year's roster was full, so patience is called for. Karen is also pleased that her debut novel, Accidental Child, is now available in print and ebook versions. Reviews so far have been over the top.

Lynn Hall's full-length, in-process memoir (Caged Eyes: Rape, Shame, and Silence at the U.S. Air Force Academy, A Memoir) was a top five finalist in the 2014 U.K. Mslexia Memoir Competition, selected from over 1,000 international, yet-to-be-published manuscripts. Lynn began writing her memoir at Lighthouse in 2007.

Martha Kennedy's historical novel, Martin of Gfenn, was recently chosen as an Editor's Choice Indie Book by the Historical Novel Society (HNS), reviewed in the February quarterly review of the HNS, and long-listed for the Indie Book of the Year.

Kristin Leclaire's short-short, "Naming It," won the Stories on Stage flash fiction contest. It will be performed by the Buntport Theater Company on March 7. Thanks to Michael Henry's Advanced Memoir Workshop for the inspiration and support!

Workshopper Peter Nemenoff’s screenplays “Red Dot” and "Arrivals and Departures” were picked as official selections for the Northern Virginia International Film Festival! Also, a big thank you to Terry Dodd for helping him with this script!

Alexandra O'Connell was awarded a 4-week writing residency, with merit-based fee assistance, to the Vermont Studio Center this coming August. Her work-in-progress is the draft of a novel whose scenes were first “aired” in a workshop class with Mario Acevedo. Thanks to everyone at Lighthouse for their encouragement, and especially the Friday 500 for accountability! 

Laura Pritchett's essay for Oprah Magazine (Nov 2014) was part of a package that won the ASME (the Oscars of the magazine writing world) award. You can read it here.

Jenny Shank's novel The Ringer finished as a top-four finalist (out of 576 entries) in the Book Pipeline Contest, which means Script Pipeline will be pitching it to the film production companies it works with as a movie idea or possibly the basis for a television series. Also, her story "Signing for Linemen," which appeared in Five Chapters, was nominated for a Pushcart Prize. 

Gail Storey's book I Promise Not to Suffer: A Fool for Love Hikes the Pacific Crest Trail won Best Memoir at the Boulder Writers' Workshop Ink Awards. This is the sixth win for the book, including the National Outdoor Book Award, Colorado Book Award, and others. Gail was also interviewed on the national podcast Meditation Freedom

Lighthouse instructor Seth Brady Tucker's second book, We Deserve the Gods We Ask For, was a runner up for both the Florida Book Festival and London Book Festival poetry awards. Seth's poem, "Countdown" was a finalist in the Southern Humanities Review—the Auburn Witness Poetry Prize honoring Jake Adam York. 

Radha Marcum's poem "Fission: 1938" won first prize in the Pacifica Literary Review poetry contest. The poem appears in their Winter 2015 issue. 

Lighthouse Poetry Book Project member June Inuzuka's documentary, Dharma Road, was just nominated for best documentary by the "Asians on Film" festival in Los Angeles,CA and will be showing at the Japanese National Museum. 

Nova Loverro has been awarded first place in Non-Fiction in the annual Women’s Press Club Unknown Writers' Contest for her essay, "Yellow." She began the piece as a homework assignment while taking Brad Wetzler’s Advanced Personal Essay Workshop. She is extremely grateful to all the feedback from her classmates, Lighthouse, and mostly to Brad for his encouragement towards a brand new student. 

Patricia Anne Jackson's short story "Baxter" was longlisted for annual short fiction literary award by Fish Publishing, Ireland. Her story was also a finalist, first round, for NYC Midnight's short, short fiction contest.

Ellen Nordberg will be reading in the "Listen To Your Mother Show" at the Dairy Center Boulder on May 9 at 4:00 and 7:00 PM. Fellow Lighthouse member Diana "Petra" Perkins is also a cast member. She thanks Dan Manzanares for including her in the LitFest open mic last June! 

PUBLISHED WORKS

Young Writers Program Director Kim O’Connor’s essay “Clairvoyance” appears in Passages North online. 

"Bright, Bright Electric Green," a story Tessa Cheek took apart and put back together again in Steve Almond's workshop during last year's Lit Fest, will be published in the next issue of Quaint Magazine. She also has a poem, "Grandmother," in the forthcoming third issue of Sugared Water.

Whitney Templeton's essay "Body Cavities" is now published in Issue 70 of Bellingham Review.

Lynn Wheaton’s story "What a Beautiful Day" was published on page 8 of the April 2015 print and online edition of the Valley Voice.

Marilyn Raff’s poem "A Criminal Offense" appeared in the April issue of Journal of New Jersey Poets. The same poem appeared in Iodine, a literary journal in North Carolina in 2014.

Kathy Mitchell-Garton's poem "Red Hollyhocks" will be published in Arapahoe Community College's 2015 Progenitor Literary & Art Journal. She'll also be reading her poem at the Progenitor release party on May 5.

Three of Sara Iacovelli’s short poems, including one written in a Lighthouse workshop with Joy Sawyer, were recently published on the online journal Squawk Back. Thanks Joy!

Gillie Bishop’s essay "Criticize Your Child to Better Self-Esteem" will appear in the anthology Only Trollops Shave Above the Knee, coming April 30 from Blue Lobster Book Co.

Kristin Leclaire's nonfiction piece "Anatomy of a Mother" will be published by Literary Mama in May. Thanks to Kathryn Eastburn's class for the feedback and encouragement!

Young Writers Program instructor Andrea Doray published an article in the April issue of USA Cycling's national online magazine that profiled two women bicycle frame builders, rare in the field. Andrea writes regularly for USA Cycling and rides as often as she can. In February, Andrea published a feature article in USA Cycling's national online magazine in February, which profiled Lisa Nutter, track racer and cycling advocate. Nutter is also married to Philadelphia's mayor Michael Nutter, and she was part of an initiative to bring the 2015 Masters Track Cycling Championships to that city. Doray writes regularly for USA Cycling

Alisa A. Gaston-Linn's essay, "Apartment 135," appears in the anthology Creatures of Habitat to be published in April. Main Street Rag is offering a discount for advanced purchases at their online bookstore. 

Candace Kearns Read's essay "Ripple Effect," which is about a school shooting that happened in our community several years ago, was just published by the literary journal Full Grown People. Thanks to Richard Froude and Shari Caudron and Lighthouse for their support in workshops! 

Lighthouse staff member Laura I. Miller's short story, "Prince Tribute," appears in the February issue of Cosmonauts Avenue. Her review of Kazuo Ishiguro's The Buried Giant will appear in Bustle on March 4th. Her short story "The Turnip Girl" will appear in the forthcoming issue of Mid-American Review. It was runner-up for the Sherwood Anderson Fiction Award judged by Alissa Nutting. 

Sue Robinson has two poems in the current issue of the Mountain Gazette, "The Common Room" and "My Mother, Helen Eileen." 

Jenny Shank's essay, "I met a blind priest at the airport. Father Ted taught me to take a leap of faith," appeared in the Washington Post.

Lighthouse faculty member Erika Krouse's short story "The Pole of Cold," about the young mayor of the coldest town on earth, was published in the March 25th edition of One Story. Her short story "Wounds of the Heart and Great Vessels" (performed at the Stories on Stage "To the Lighthouse" show) was published in the Spring edition of Crazyhorse

Lighthouse instructor Paula Younger had her short story, "The Unhappy Dead," published in the Chicago Tribune's Printers Row Journal. 

Ted McCombs' story "Faked Deaths in My Family" appears in the latest issue of Shenandoah.

Michele Johnson's flash fiction piece "DJ's Addictions" was just published by The Conium Review. This piece was born out of an exercise in Jessica Roeder's Online Experimental/Hybrid Forms Workshop last spring (and so proving it pays to do homework). Many thanks to Jessica and fellow Lighthouse on-liners! Her piece of flash fiction, "The Constant Nature of Toxicity," was published by The Newer Yorker Press

Ann Tinkham's short story "Hole in the Wall" appeared in the February issue of Foliate Oak

Three poems by Kelly Thompson: "Legacy," "Colorado," and "Shape Of A Song," were published in the Spring 2015 edition of The Writing Disorder. "Colorado" and "Shape Of A Song" were both generated in Richard Froude's Experimental/Hybrid Forms Workshop. 

Lorraine Walker Williams has had her first video poem produced by Santivachronicle.com, an online newspaper where her weekly column, Poetry Place, appears. She also has had two poems accepted by Pen Women Press for their 2015 anthology, Poems of the Super Moon