“When words are all that you have” | Mountain Xpress | Asheville, NC

This article in the  Mountain Xpress, Asheville, NC does a great job of reporting on Silas House's talk at the Fall Conference last weekend. Please click on the link below and read more.


“When words are all that you have” Mountain Xpress Asheville, NC

MOTIF Anthology

Publisher Seeks Submissions for 2010 MOTIF Anthology

MOTIF is an anthology series published annually by MotesBooks of Louisville, Ky. Volume 1: Writing By Ear featured 116 writers, including Patty Griffin, Silas House, Buddy & Julie Miller, Maurice Manning, Evie Shockley, Neela Vaswani, Frank X Walker and Pamela Duncan.

Each volume in the MOTIF series focuses on a theme – for Volume 2 the theme is CHANCE.

Submissions may be poems, short stories, song lyrics, short memoirs, essays, letters, creative nonfiction, or other forms. Combinations of forms are acceptable up to the limits described: Prose must be under 3,000 words. Send no more than three poems/lyrics. All genres will be considered as long as “chance” is referenced or illuminated in the works. Submissions may address the theme either directly or indirectly, but “chance” should figure significantly and artfully in the piece. The definition or concept of “chance” can be interpreted in any way the writer sees fit, but could include ideas related to chaos, serendipity, mistake, the occasion for wonder, kismet, accident, fate, destiny, cause and effect, encounters, and/or predestination.

Each contributor whose work is accepted will receive one (1) complimentary copy of the book upon publication as payment. Contributors will also receive an ongoing contributor's discount for unlimited purchases of additional copies to use or resell. Marketing outlets include Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com, and the publisher's website, MotesBooks.com. Special marketing strategies will also be utilized, including one or more public readings with selected contributors by invitation of the editor or publisher.

Submit by email only. Send manuscript (Arial 12 pt., single-spaced) as a .doc or .rtf file (MS Word) to MOTIF@MotesBooks.com.
IMPORTANT: Use "MOTIF Anthology" as the subject line (email containing blank subject lines will automatically be deleted; other subject lines may inadvertently be tagged as spam). Include all author contact information (including phone, snail mail, and e-mail address) with each submission.
Include a 50-60 word biographical note to appear in Contributor's section of the anthology in case of acceptance.
Do not send previously published or simultaneously submitted material.
Submission period closes September 1, 2009.

Acceptances will be notified by end of 2009. Publication slated for early 2010. Editor is Marianne Worthington.

For clarifications, visit www.MotesBooks.com or email MOTIF@MotesBooks.com.

What else are we up to? See our growing fiction, non-fiction & poetry catalog:
http://www.motesbooks.com/

Contest for Netwest Members deadline July 4th

If any of you have seen Silas House's new book on Mountaintop Removal, you may know it got a rave in the Washington Times.
Netwest is holding a contest for our members. Write a poem, story or essay that is environmentally focused. We want work that evokes a love of the land. It doesn't need to be preachy or even "environmental" in the literal/political sense.
Send one poem or an essay or story with no more than 450 words to Lana Hendershott lanadhnc@aol.com our moderator for this contest. Lana will send the blind entries to our judges.

The winning entry will be published on the Netwest blog, in the Netwest News and if possible, in the winner's hometown newspaper.

Silas House, a lover of language

If you don't know of Silas House, click on his blog, A Country Boy Can Surmise, and read his most recent post. Go to Wikipedia to learn more about House and his award winning novels.

I not only plan to order his book, Clay's Quilt, as soon as possible, but I have to read Gilead, Home and Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson because House writes so beautifully about each one.