Literary Events, Announcements and Publishing Opportunities

From Graphite UK - 

"Good Monday morning! We are having our last meeting of the semester (and academic year--oh my!)this Thursday, April 24, from 7-8 pm in the Commonwealth House of the Gaines Center. We want this to be a meeting all about poetry (happy National Poetry Month), so bring your favorite poems to share or a poem to workshop/get feedback on. Feel free to bring snacks, beverages, and so on as well--we have done a lot of great, cool things this year and we should celebrate them together!

Also, this should serve to warm you up for the Marathon Poetry Reading next Monday, April 28, from 8 am to 8 pm. Sign-ups are still to the left of Julia Johnson's office on the 12th floor of POT. If you want to read, you should sign up--spots only become more scarce leading up to the day of! If you would like to just listen, we welcome your moral support as well."

Finding Our Place: A Conference in Honor of the Work and Writings
of bell hooks

Schedule | Contact

20th Annual Black Women’s Conference: April 18-19, 2014
This year is the 20^th convening of the Annual Black Women’s Conference.  In its history, there are few subjects of interest and important to the lives of Black women the conference has not explored.  As we celebrate this important year of the conference, we turn our attention to the work of a native daughter of Kentucky and preeminent feminist and intellectual, bell hooks.  Over the course of her career, hooks has been a leading thinker on the complexity of the positions of black women in American society and politics.  hooks continues to challenge  us with her current work to be both creative and thoughtful about understanding and making our place. Join us in celebrating the work of this important scholar and two decades of gathering black women in community. -more info:https://aaas.as.uky.edu/black-womens-conference

Contest Alert!!!!! +ukcolonel   Sketch a political cartoon or write a satirical article between 250 and 2,5000 words covering an issue of your choosing, from UK Basketball, to ObamaCare, to George W. Bush’s self-portraits.  more info - http://ukcolonel.com/participate-in-our-article-contest/

Tuesday, April 22
7:00 pm
UKAA Auditorium
On the first floor of the William T. Young Library  (500 S. Limestone Street, Lexington, KY 40506)

The UK Department of English and African American and Africana Studies Program
present
A Reading by Roger Reeves
Roger Reeves's poems have appeared in journals such as Poetry, Ploughshares, American Poetry Review, Boston Review, and Tin House, among others. Kim Addonizio <http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/kim-addonizio> selected “Kletic of Walt Whitman” for the Best New Poets 2009 anthology. He was awarded a 2013 NEA Fellowship, Ruth Lilly Fellowship by the Poetry Foundation in 2008, two Bread Loaf Scholarships, an Alberta H. Walker Scholarship from the Provincetown Fine Arts Work Center, and two Cave Canem Fellowships. He earned his PhD the University of Texas-Austin and is currently an assistant professor of poetry at the University of Illinois, Chicago. His first book is King Me(Copper Canyon Press, 2013).

The University of Kentucky is proud to welcome the

National Conference on Undergraduate Research to its campus. 

Readiness for the Future: Maximizing Undergraduate Research

English Major/African American Studies Minor, Nathan Moore, will be presenting  

Subjugation and the Supernatural: the Underworld in African American Letters. 

Thursday 2:00-2:40 White Hall 203

for more info: http://afrofuturelit.blogspot.com/2014/03/national-conference-on-undergraduate.html

The Martin Luther King Center is excited to share our Spring Events! Feel free to attend and send this information out to your organization and/or students. Thank you so much for your support.

CATalyst presents Boxes & Walls

This Monday-Wednesday, April 7^th – April 9^th

Tours start at 4pm & end by 7pm

Order your ticket online at http://boxesandwalls.eventbrite.com

The students in CATalyst are partnering with six other organizations: NAACP, African Student Association, Latino Student Association, Sexperts, UK Center for Community Outreach, and the International Student Council to build a multicultural museum. This year’s theme is Oppression through Time and participating organizations will build their exhibits to reflect the impact of oppression on historically oppressed groups.  The goal is to highlight that oppression looks different depending on which groups are targeted, but that there are also some underlying similarities that can unite efforts toward inclusion behind the common enemy of discrimination.   The 5^th annual Boxes & Walls experience will walk students through exhibits designed to personalize struggle and to educate attendees on the impact of oppression over time.

  

The English Department Presents A Book Talk with Dr. Vershawn Young

This Wednesday, April 9^th

MLK Center 3pm

Dr. Young  will be discussing his recent book Other People’s English: Code-Meshing, Code-Switching, and African American Literacy

MLKC Emissaries presents a Community Service Opportunity with Reforest the Bluegrass 2014

This Saturday, April 12

Meet at MLK Center 8:30am for transportation

Service is from 9:00am-1:00pm

“Be part of the effort to recreate streamside forests that were once native to the inner Bluegrass Region of Kentucky. Through Reforest the Bluegrass, Lexington is progressively restoring the long-lost benefits of streamside forests for generations to come. This is a crucial step to protecting our valuable water resources and enhancing our living standards.”

First come, first serve! Limited spots available contact Christina Lucas @ christinalucas2012@gmail.com

* VOLUNTEERS RECIEVE FREE T-SHIRTS AND A FREE LUNCH!!!!

Black Student Union presents Lyman T. Johnson Student Awards Banquet

Next Wednesday, April 16^th

Reception in the Great Hall at 6:30pm

Banquet in the Grand Ballroom at 7:30pm

***Get tickets at the Student Center ticket office TODAY!!!

Designed to recognize student achievement, it is named in honor of Dr. Lyman T. Johnson, the legendary human rights champion whose legal victory resulted in desegregation at UK.

MLKC Emissaries presents Soup & Substance

Next Thursday, April 17^th

5:30pm

MLK Center

A Discussion on World Health with Health Colleges Student Diversity Services, College of Medicine, and College of Public Health.

Majestic U.N.I.T.Y

Monday, April 21^st

6pm

MLK Center

Summa Summa Summa Time: How to Make Yours Count: A Discussion on how to maximize your summer opportunities

A Night with Jeff Johnson

Tuesday, April 22nd

6:30pm

Memorial Hall

Jeff Johnson is an award-winning television journalist, social activist, political correspondent, motivational, speaker and author. He regularly contributes commentary and analysis for news broadcasts on networks and publications such as CNN, MSNBC, BET, EbonyJet, and Huffington Post.

Harambee Graduation Celebration

Friday, May 9th  

7pm

Worsham Hall

Reception in Grand Ballroom

Harambee highlights academic achievement and honors the support of family and friends. During the ceremony, each graduate received individual recognition as well as graduation mementos from the Office for Institutional Diversity and the UK Alumni Association.

Internships Available

Fall 2014

Duties

• Reading submissions

• Corresponding with

contributors

• Emailing, scanning and

other computery stuff

• Attending monthly

staff meetings

• 3 office hours a week

ReQuirements

• Be a declared English

major

• Have a GPA of at least

3.0

• Have taken at least one

creative writing course

• Be at least a junior

(i.e. 60+ credit hours)

How to Apply

In 500 words (more or less) please explain why you’d like to work for Limestone. We’d like to hear about your experience reading and writing fiction, creative nonfiction, and/or poetry, as well as any publishing experience you may have (we use Adobe InDesign). Also let us know of any conflicts

(scheduling or otherwise) that might arise during your internship. You may also attach a résumé or CV. Email your materials to limestone.uky@gmail.com

Deadline - April 30th, 2014

If you have any questions, please contact the Limestone editors at  limestone.uky@gmail.com

Contests:

• SQecial Media is holding a picture poem contest and the deadline is 6 pm on March 31st! More info and examples of picture poems can be found here:
  http://tadoo.com/2014/03/11/sqecial-medias-glorious-picture-poem-contest/
• Arch Street Press is pleased to announce its annual prize for America's best college writer in the nonfiction category.Open to undergraduate and graduate students between the ages of 18 and 30, the Arch Street Prize is designed to stimulate interest in writing across the country and to promote today's extraordinary young writers. Arch Street Press offers each winner a standard contract together with a mentoring program and $1,000 cash prize for his/her chosen manuscript of up to 5,000 words. Please see the website (http://archstreetpress.org/arch-street-prize/) for full rules and submission guidelines. Submissions for this year's competition must be postmarked by April 30, 2014.
• The Carnegie Center's 8th Annual Next Great Writers Contest: Writers are invited to submit manuscripts of fiction or nonfiction prose (up to 2,000 words) or poetry (up to 5 poems). Please include a $10 fee per entry, payable to the Carnegie Center. Entries should also include a cover sheet complete with writer’s name, address, e-mail address, and phone number; names should NOT appear on the manuscript itself. Manuscripts cannot be returned. 

Entries must be received or postmarked by Friday, May 9 at 5:00 pm. Send entries to: The Next Great Writers Contest, Carnegie Center, 251 W. Second St, Lexington, KY 40507. The cash prize is $150 for first place and $100 for second place. Winning authors will be notified by June 1.

Events:

• Holler Poets at Al's Bar--tonight, Wednesday, March 26th, from 8 pm to ~ 11 pm (arrive early if signing up for the open mic): Holler 70 features the return of Two of Cups Press founder Leigh Anne Hornfeldt, author of The Intimacy Archive, the debut of Chris McCurry, author of Splayed, and music by Grace Rogers Music, daughter of legendary Kentucky musician Don Rogers, celebrating the release of her new album, When We Make it up the Peak.
• Off the Ground at Common Grounds--this Friday, March 28th, at 7 pm: Join us for a reading by our incredible featured guest, Erik Reece, and then read your own work at the open mic that follows! Sponsored by Graphite, Shale, and Limestone.
• A Joint Reading with Ed McClanahan and Gurney Norman--Friday, April 11th, from 6-8 pm at the Cats Den: Come enjoy refreshments and readings by two Kentucky and literary legends. These guys go way back and definitely know how to spin a yarn! Sponsored by Graphite.
• 12-Hour Marathon Poetry Reading--Monday, April 28th from 8 am to 8 pm at the Student Center Patio: Sign up to read outside Professor Julia Johnson’s office door (1219 Patterson Office Tower). You can read a poem by you or someone else. Sign-up slots are in 1/2 hour spots. Show up to read during your 1/2 hour. Individual readings should be no longer than 3 minutes. If you can't make it to the actual sign-up sheet, please send a note to julia.johnson@uky.edu to pick a time! Co-sponsored by Graphite and the UK English Department.

The Late Night Film Series and VIP Center Present

The Color Purple in Worsham Theater, Thursday March 27th at 7 pm

The Color Purple follows the life of an African American woman during the 1900s.  The tale follows her as she builds strong friendships that allow her to overcome her abusive husband.  Follow her as she struggles to overcome her trials of racism and sexism.


The Martin Luther King Center is excited to share our Spring Events! Feel free to attend and send this information out to your organization and/or students. Thank you so much for your support.



Lecture & Book Signing with Dr. Bernard Lafayette Jr.
TOMORROW, March 25th
7pm
MLK Center
Dr. Bernard LaFayette Jr. was one of the leaders of  the 1960s civil rights struggle in the South. He was a co-founder of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) , a leader in the Nashville lunch counter sit-ins, and a Freedom Rider. He worked with  Dr. Martin Luther King in the Southern Christian Leadership and served as the national coordinator of the Poor People's Campaign. Dr. LaFayette was also a primary organizer of the 1965 Selma Voting Rights Movement. 



His memoir was recently published by the University Press of Kentucky titled: In Peace and Freedom: My Journey in Selma. The book "recounts the stirring details of his personal journey to overcome fear and to do what was right, regardless of the consequences. He describes how his faith helped him to face the violence and racism he  encountered and how the support of fellow activists gave him the strength to accomplish his mission."

 





UK Students for Justice in Palestine presents Fast Times in Palestine: a lecture by author Pamela Olson
TOMORROW, March 25th
7pm
Memorial Hall
UK Students for Justice in Palestine is proud to announce that author and activist Pamela Olson will be speaking at Memorial Hall at 7pm on Tuesday, March 25 at the University of Kentucky. Admission is free. She will be speaking about her experiences in Palestine and her recent book "Fast Times in Palestine: A Love Affair with a Homeless Homeland." The facebook event can be found here <https://www.facebook.com/events/724940410873896/?notif_t=plan_user_joined> . 

Pamela Olson's book was listed in the top ten travel books of 2013 by Publishers Weekly and was voted "Best Travel Book of Spring" by National Geographic. She lived in Palestine for two years during and after the second Intifada, worked as a journalist, and served as the foreign press coordinator for a Palestinian presidential candidate.  She will be speaking about her experiences and about life under occupation. 



Violence Intervention & Prevention Center’s Take Back the Night
This Wednesday, March 26th
7pm March from University of Kentucky Patterson Office Tower Plaza
7:30pm Rally @ Courthouse Plaza, downtown Lexington
Take Back the Night is an annual march and rally that has been taking place in Lexington for well over 30 years. This event unites campus and community members to recognize the collective power of our community to end violence, especially sexual assault, stalking, and partner violence
***6:30pm a group of students will meet at the MLK Center and head to Patterson Office Tower for the march

 

Majestic U.N.I.T.Y. Retreat 
Sunday March 30th
Click and Register here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/11aM2FQ9OQ4EqkZLxMbFuDO3SFulV8Fh2xTWPSTdi_2o/viewform
1pm-6pm
Dickey Hall
Meals Provided
With guest speakers Dr. Rynetta Davis, Dr. Aesha Tyler, & Marietta Watts 



Setting the Record Straight
Monday,  March 31st 
 6pm 
Student Center 211
An honest discussion and open dialogue bout identifying as both LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, transgender, queer/questioning) and a person of color.





Black & Latino Male Initiative Dialogue
Thursday, April 3rd 
5:30pm
MLK Center
Dinner Provided
The Black & Latino Male Initiative provides an opportunity for Black and Latino male students at the University of Kentucky to connect with other students, faculty and staff.


See Blue through Ribbons of Hope’s Alessandra Wayne Memorial Dodge Ball Tournament
Saturday, April 5th 
3:00pm
Alumni Gym
If you want to sign up as an individual or as a team contact taylor.dudley@uky.edu



CATalyst presents Boxes & Walls 
Monday, April 7th – Wednesday, April 9th
Tours start at 4pm & end by 7pm
Order your ticket online at http://boxesandwalls.eventbrite.com 
The students in CATalyst are partnering with six other organizations: NAACP, African Student Association, Latino Student Association, Sexperts, UK Center for Community Outreach, and the International Student Council to build a multicultural museum. This year’s theme is Oppression through Time and participating organizations will build their exhibits to reflect the impact of oppression on historically oppressed groups.  The goal is to highlight that oppression looks different depending on which groups are targeted, but that there are also some underlying similarities that can unite efforts toward inclusion behind the common enemy of discrimination.   The 5th annual Boxes & Walls experience will walk students through exhibits designed to personalize struggle and to educate attendees on the impact of oppression over time.
 


MLKC Emissaries presents a Community Service Opportunity with Reforest the Bluegrass 2014
Saturday, April 12
Meet at MLK Center 8:30am for transportation
Service is from 9:00am-1:00pm
“Be part of the effort to recreate streamside forests that were once native to the inner Bluegrass Region of Kentucky. Through Reforest the Bluegrass, Lexington is progressively restoring the long-lost benefits of streamside forests for generations to come. This is a crucial step to protecting our valuable water resources and enhancing our living standards.”
First come, first serve! Limited spots available contact Christina Lucas @ christinalucas2012@gmail.com
* VOLUNTEERS RECIEVE FREE T-SHIRTS AND A FREE LUNCH!!!!



Black Student Union presents Lyman T. Johnson Banquet
Wednesday, April 16th 
Reception in the Great Hall at 6:30pm
Banquet in the Grand Ballroom at 7:30pm
***Get tickets at the Student Center ticket office 
Designed to recognize student achievement, it is named in honor of Dr. Lyman T. Johnson, the legendary human rights champion whose legal victory resulted in desegregation at UK.





MLKC Emissaries presents Soup & Substance
Thursday, April 17th
5:30pm
MLK Center 
A Discussion on World Health with Health Colleges Student Diversity Services, College of Medicine, and College of Public Health.


Majestic U.N.I.T.Y 
Monday, April 21st 
6pm
MLK Center 
Summa Summa Summa Time: How to Make Yours Count: A Discussion on how to maximize your summer opportunities

Harambee Graduation Celebration
Friday, May 9th  
7pm
Worsham Hall
Reception in Grand Ballroom
Harambee highlights academic achievement and honors the support of family and friends. During the ceremony, each graduate received individual recognition as well as graduation mementos from the Office for Institutional Diversity and the UK Alumni Association.

 
Thank you for your support and we are excited to see you all month long!!!
In Partnership,
MLKC Staff
Martin Luther King Center
133 Student Center
Lexington, KY 40506-0030
(859)-257-3426


From Graphite UK

“Hey all,

Hope you're staying warm and safe in the reprise of the winter vortex! We have another meeting tomorrow (Thursday, 3-6-14) from 7-8 PM in the Commonwealth House of the Gaines Center. 

This meeting is special, though, in that we will be workshopping. If you want to have your piece workshopped, here are a few guidelines we're going by so that the process shouldn't be chaotic.

•    Your piece/excerpt should be up to 2 pages, single-spaced (or 1 page front and back). This does not mean 2 pages front and back, you sneaky devils. If you are really in the business of killing trees (or just like the extra space), this would equal to about 3 double-spaced pages. For poetry, this should be no problem, but I suggest that those who would like to workshop their prose bring an excerpt of it for the sake of time and fairness. 

•    Please bring roughly eight copies of your piece/excerpt. That way, everyone should be able to share if need be.

•    If it looks as though we will not get to everyone tomorrow, we will continue workshopping after spring break.

That is the plan for tomorrow! If you have any questions, let us know. Also, if you do not have a piece you would like to workshop, still feel free to come on to the meeting and participate in workshopping others' works. See you soon.

Write on,

Katie, Co-prez”

Creative Writing Awards?

The deadline for submission of manuscripts to the Department of English's 2014 Dantzler fiction and Farquhar poetry contests is Monday, March 21 at 4:00 p.m.

Paper manuscripts should be submitted to Professor Gurney Norman, Department of English, University of Kentucky, Lexington KY 40506.

Fiction entries are limited to 3000 words. Poetry entries are limited to five poems or three manuscript pages.

The contest is for University of Kentucky undergraduate students only. The winning prize in each category is $250.

The Department of English has presented the Dantzler and Farquhar awards annually since 1953. Many of the winners have gone on to have successful literary careers.

Something Old, Something New: Disability, Gender, Blackness and Performance in African Diaspora and African-American Studies

https://www.facebook.com/events/709293069110214/?ref_newsfeed_story_type=regular

Date:   2014/02/12 - 6:00pm to 8:00pm

Location: Carnegie Center

Speaker / Presenter: 

UK Faculty [Past and Present]

On February 12th at 6pm Graphite, the Creative Writing Association, will be sponsoring the first annual UK Night at the Carnegie Center! There will be readings by faculty as well as an open mic opportunity! Check out the attached poster and mark your calendars now!

Denise Giardina, a native of West Virginia and the author of The Unquiet Earth, Storming Heaven, and Saints and Villains, is hosting a reading at the Good Shepherd Church on Thursday, February 13th at 7:30 pm.

“Gendered Performance, Sexuality and the (Dis)Able Body in the Black Diaspora”. 

Thursday, February 20, 2014, at the Niles Gallery, from 4:30-6:00 

Day 1: “The body in Pain, Performance in African Diaspora and Caribbean Studies”

Liminality of the Dancing Suffering Body, Gladys M. Francis (Georgia State University)

Suffering Bodies, Dance and Transcendence in Caribbean Literature, Jacqueline Couti (University of Kentucky)

This Thursday, January 23^rd 6pm in the MLK Center

The Martin Luther King Center is excited to share with you about a visit to our campus by Mitzi Sinnott. This programming is free and open to campus and the general public.  

At the start of fall 2013 semester, the MLK Center completed a version of the Hapa Project with over 300 students, encouraging them to define and share their individual identities. Our plan is to continue this  self-reflection around diversity. 

For her first visit, Mitzi will be facilitating her interactive workshop What's Your Story?. In the workshop, students will explore their personal, social and cultural  identities and develop their personal narrative as they explore their past and plan for the future. Students can expect to: write, reflect, and discuss. 

Tuesday, February 4^th    5:30pm in Worsham Theatre 

Mitzi will perform her internationally acclaimed solo show "SNAPSHOT: a true story of love interrupted by invasion".  SNAPSHOT was nominated for BEST ACTRESS at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, special selection at: Cape Town Festival South Africa and International Women's Festival Tornio Finland and recipient of: Brooklyn Arts Council Individual Artist Grant, and Kentucky Foundation for Women Arts Meets Activism Grant.

February 21st  - Finding Your Voice: How to Develop Your Personal Brand

COR (Crab Orchard Review)  Student Writing Awards in Fiction,Nonfiction, and Poetry

New York State Summer Writers Institute
 June 30 - July 25, 2014

 2014 Application Now Available

The Institute

The New York State Writers Institute, established in 1984 by award-winning novelist William Kennedy at the University at Albany, SUNY, announces its 28th annual summer program to be held June 30 – July 25, 2014. Under the joint auspices of the Office of the Dean of Special Programs at Skidmore College and the New York State Writers Institute at the University at Albany, the summer program is held on the campus of Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York and will feature creative writing workshops in fiction, non-fiction and poetry. An extraordinary staff of distinguished writers, among them winners of such major honors as the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award, serve as Institute faculty members.

February 18 at 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

The Cats Denat the Student Center is hosting a "Poetry Slam" on February 18 at 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. It is more of a poetry reading (some student have also free-styled) so all are welcomed to get on stage. We had a great turn out last year and great entertainment.  Please contact Morgan Loy with questions.