Official podcast of #AWP20 LIVE with Bloomsday Literary—Day 1

F***ing Shakespeare

Fantastic advice from the authors, poets, & industry professionals at #AWP20. This is part one of a three-episode series featuring Bloomsday Literary’s partnership with #AWP20 to bring you all the literary goings-on from this year’s conference.

Angela “AJ” Super 0:00

Angela Super is the author of Erebus Dawning, forthcoming from Aethon Books. We caught up with her while she took a break from woman-ing the table for the Debut Novelists 2020 booth. She hands out lovely advice to up and coming writers/neophytes/worriers on her Bloggy Blog and was an absolute joy to kick off our AWP special episodes. Follow her on Twitter @AllBrevityWit, where she delivers lovely advice free of charge on how to #PitMad, #PracPic, and #FriFirst.

Outspoken Bean 15:30

Performance poet, teacher, and slam poetry coach talks with us about all the ways poetry can connect people in the community. Bean shares about his youth advocacy work for young writers with Space City Youth Slams. If you’re a young person looking for a way in, check for updates on Youth Poetry Slams and opportunities to engage. We talk five minute poems, #midweekstanzas. Bean loves his poetry kids so much, he is missing Coachella. That is dedication. Also we learn things about sand clocks. Bean would love to hear from you @outspokenbean on all the social media.

Katharine Coldiron 37:10

We speak with Katharine Coldiron about her gem of a novel, Ceremonials, a “bisexual ghost story about love and obsession,” inspired by the Florence and the Machine album of the same name. We talk about the non-profit organization, VIDA — for which she writes interviews — and the good work they do to shine light upon the gaps in representation across gender lines in all aspects of the publishing industry. We reference an amazing interview on the origin of VIDA in Literary Publishing in the 21st Century. Book Recommendation Bonus: check out Katharine’s listical, 5 Craft Books off the Beaten Path.

Follow Katharine @ferrifrigida.

Johnny Payne 58:30

Director of the MFA program at Mount Saint Mary’s University, Johnny Payne, talks with us about how to make your creative writing sample especially attractive to the application committee. He talks about the virtues of finding a CWP that fits your exact needs and is honest about delivering on those. Continuing a favorite thread of this our beloved podcast, we address the concept of literary citizenship (i.e., why it pays to not be an a**hole). Craft book manual he teaches: Backwards and Forwards: A Technical Manual for Reading Plays.

Icess Fernandez 1:10:00

We finish up Day 1 on an optimistic note from Icess Fernandez, author, teacher, and generally inspiring woman of all trades. From finding the right place to submit your work, to writing away the stigma of mental illness, and feeling fantastic doing it, we cover all the topics. Phuc channels the spirits of John Grisham or Johnny Cash (who can tell?). Icess dispenses quality writing advice in her blog and podcast, Dear Reader: Mental Health and the Writing Life. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.