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Clarion E-bulletin Archives
February 2010 -- Clarion E-bulletin #21Greetings, Clarion friends and colleagues. Welcome to issue #21 of the Clarion E-bulletin (February 2010) featuring: -- Application Deadline for Clarion 2010 Approaching! ---------- APPLICATION DEADLINE FOR CLARION 2010 APPROACHING! Are you or someone you know planning to apply for Clarion 2010? If so, friends, it's the eleventh hour. The application period closes on March 1, less than a month from now. Don't miss this chance to study with our outstanding 2010 faculty: Delia Sherman, George R.R. Martin, Dale Bailey, Samuel R. Delany, Jeff VanderMeer and Ann VanderMeer. Remember, thanks to Clarion's friends and supporters, there is scholarship money for those who need it. In addition to general scholarships, there are special grants for students of color, students who are affiliated with Michigan State University, and students who are affiliated with UCSD. Start your application on the web at http://clarion.ucsd.edu/apply.html ---------- SPEAKING OF SCHOLARSHIPS... Each year, scholarship donations from Clarion alumni and friends make it possible for a number of Clarion students to attend who would otherwise not be able to. Due to the recession, scholarship funding is more urgently needed than ever. We need and are delighted about sizeable donations when they come our way. But we also appreciate, and students need, even very small donations. If enough folks pitch in, small donations can add up to a big difference! So donate today at http://www.theclarionfoundation.org/donatecash.htm ---------- THE FIRST CLARION UCSD WRITE-A-THON This summer Clarion supporters who are not attending the UCSD workshop will have an exciting opportunity to stoke their writing productivity, provide moral support for this year's Clarion students, and earn money for Clarion at the same time. From June 27 to August 7, 2010, we'll be holding our first-ever write-a-thon. Modeled on the format Clarion West has used for the past several years, the Clarion UCSD Write-a-thon allows participants to spend the six weeks of the workshop writing as fast and furiously as the 2010 students. The project operates much like the charity walk-a-thons you may already be familiar with. Gather pledges of cents or even dollars per word, set goals, spend the six weeks writing like a maniac, and when the dust settles on August 8th, watch the Clarion donations made in your name roll in! We'll be sending regular updates about how to participate. But starting now, get ready to help Clarion by doing what you love most -- WRITING! ----------- CLARION KEYBOARD DRIVE CONTINUES Just a reminder that we're still gathering old keyboards from science fiction and fantasy writers for the Clarion Keyboard Project. Spearheaded by Clarion Foundation trustee Cory Doctorow, the Keyboard Project is the most unusual Clarion fundraising project ever. After we have 101 keyboards (one for each key on an old 101-key keyboard), we will send one key from each to Datamancer (http://datamancer.net/keyboards/keyboards.htm), a talented steampunk hardware hacker who builds beautiful retrofuturistic keyboards. Datamancer is going to build us a keyboard that we can then auction off as the most totemic artefact in science fiction history, a keyboard whose keys have been used, in aggregate, to write hundreds of beloved novels, thousands of classic stories. Our list of keyboard contributors now includes We already have keyboards or pledges from some legendary writers, including Maureen McHugh, Ted Chiang, Pat Murphy, Greg Frost, John Shirley, James Morrow, Elizabeth Hand, Michael Chabon, John Scalzi, Kit Reed, Ken MacLeod, Neil Gaiman, Bruce Sterling, Richard Cadrey, Peter Watts, Nalo Hopkinson, Steven Boyett, John Kessel, Tim Powers, Suzy Charnas, Vonda McIntyre, James Patrick Kelly, Kim Stanley Robinson, Kate Wilhelm, Karen Joy Fowler, Daryl Gregory, and Cory Doctorow himself. If you are interested in contributing, or know someone who is, please contact us at info@theclarionfoundation.org for additional details, and of course, spread the word. ---------- ALUMNI NEWS If you're a Clarion alum with news to share, please send it to e-bulletin@theclarionfoundation.org. MATT LONDON (Clarion class of 2009) reports that shortly after completing Clarion, he was hired to write "Perils of Perim," a choose-your-own-adventure fantasy novel based on the animated series "Chaotic." The book will be released by Grosset & Dunlap this coming fall. In addition, he says, "I have also sold a short story, 'Mouja,' to anthologist John Joseph Adams. This story will be published in the anthology 'The Living Dead 2.'" VAL NOLAN (Clarion class of 2009) writes to say, "I've made a sale to the 'Futures' page in the science journal NATURE. The piece is called 'Brief Lullaby' and should be published sometime in the next month or two." Congratulations, Matt and Val! ---------- That's all for now. All the best for 2010, and till next time, write on! The Clarion Foundation
December 2009 -- Clarion E-bulletin #20Hello, Clarion friends and colleagues. Welcome to issue #20 of the Clarion E-bulletin (December 2009) featuring news items on: -- Application Period for Clarion 2010 is Now Open ---------- APPLICATION PERIOD FOR CLARION 2010 IS NOW OPEN The application period for Clarion 2010 officially opened on December 1, and will remain open until March 1, 2010. If you've been thinking about applying, start tapping on those keys now. The app period may be a month longer this year than it was last time, but there's not a moment to waste. The faculty roster is fabulous, as usual, featuring Delia Sherman, George R.R. Martin, Dale Bailey, Samuel R. Delany, Jeff VanderMeer and Ann VanderMeer. Remember, thanks to Clarion's friends and supporters, there is scholarship money for those who need it. In addition to general scholarships, there are special grants for students of color, students who are affiliated with Michigan State University, and students who are affiliated with UCSD. Start your application on the web at http://clarion.ucsd.edu/apply.html ---------- GET YOUR "APPLY NOW" CLARION WEB GRAPHICS An easy and inexpensive way to help Clarion is by placing a Clarion graphic on your web site. If you already have a regular Clarion graphic on your site, now is the time to update it with an "Apply Now" graphic. A variety of sizes and shapes are available for grabbing at http://www.theclarionfoundation.org/badges.htm ---------- WILL SANTA REMEMBER CLARION? We are mightily hoping Santa has a present or two for Clarion in his bag. Your year-end gift to the Clarion Foundation will be used to provide scholarships for needy students. But wait, there's more! Because we're a 501(c)(3) organization, your donation is tax deductible to the full extent of the law. We know you'll be incredulous, but wait, there's even more! Now, in addition to Visa, MasterCard, and American Express, we also accept Discover cards. In return for your gift, you'll get an actual paper letter of acknowledgement for the tax man. You'll also have the gratitude of one or more future Clarion students, some of whom will have been unable to attend without your help. Donate at http://www.theclarionfoundation.org/donatecash.htm ---------- DID YOU KNOW CLARION'S ON FACEBOOK? JOIN OUR GROUP! Join the Clarion Science Fiction & Fantasy Writer's Workshop at UCSD Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=7819663348&ref=ts Meet up with your buds and compatriots, and exchange news. ---------- CLARION DATAMANCER KEYBOARD PROJECT CONTINUES We're still seeking old keyboards for the Clarion Datamancer Keyboard Project. What? You haven't heard about this yet, but it sounds intriguing? See Clarion E-bulletin #19 for details. http://www.theclarionfoundation.org/bulletintext.htm#19 ---------- CLARION ALUMNI NEWS If you're a Clarion alum with news to share, please send it to e-bulletin@theclarionfoundation.org. IAN TREGILLIS (Clarion class of 2005) writes to say, "My first novel, BITTER SEEDS, is going to be published by Tor Books in April, 2010. It wouldn't have happened without Clarion. The workshop changed my life!" EDWARD GAUVIN (Clarion class of 2009) says, "I'm happy to report that after Clarion my story 'Jewel of the north,' which was workshopped the first week, was published in the Fall 2009 issue of the New York-based literary journal EPIPHANY." KENNETH SCHNEYER (Clarion class of 2009) reports that his story "Liza's Home" was purchased in September by GUD Magazine. He adds, "The editor e-mailed me, asking for significant rewrites (not yet accepting the story).... As a result of my Clarion experience I was able to complete those revisions to his satisfaction, resulting in acceptance on October 3. Further, I had significant emergency help from three of my Clarion classmates, who looked at the revisions and made crucial suggestions that may have made the difference in its finally being accepted." Congratulations to all! ---------- That's all for now. Happy holidays, and till next time, write on! The Clarion Foundation
October 2009 -- Clarion E-bulletin #19Hello, Clarion friends and colleagues. Welcome to issue #19 of the Clarion E-bulletin (October 2009) featuring news about: -- An Easy Way to Help: Distributing Clarion Flyers ---------- AN EASY WAY TO HELP: DISTRIBUTING CLARION FLYERS Increasing the number of people who apply to Clarion is good for the workshop in many ways. It helps ensure the continued high quality of Clarion students, of course. But it also benefits the workshop's bottom line, since application fees (along with donations) are one of our important income sources. Will you be at the World Fantasy Convention next week? If so, you can help us boost Clarion applicant numbers by downloading, printing, and distributing Clarion flyers at the con. Please spread the word wherever budding writers gather, whether it's a convention, a bookstore reading, a class, or a small critique group. Flyers (as well as Clarion graphics for your web site) are always available using the bright red links on the Foundation's home page at http://www.theclarionfoundation.org. ---------- 2010 ADMISSIONS PERIOD MOVED UP In case you missed it last time, we've recently announced the Clarion faculty line-up for 2010. Once again, it's a fabulous roster consisting of some of the most talented writers of our day. The list includes Delia Sherman, George R.R. Martin, Dale Bailey, Samuel R. Delany, Jeff VanderMeer and Ann VanderMeer. To make it easier for applicants, we have increased the length of the application period this year, and will begin accepting 2010 applications on December 1 rather than in January as we have in the past. ---------- CLARION DATAMANCER KEYBOARD PROJECT Spearheaded by Clarion Foundation trustee Cory Doctorow, the most unusual Clarion fundraising project ever is now underway. We're gathering old keyboards from genre writers. After we have at least 101 of them (one for each key on an old keyboard), we will send one key from each to Datamancer (http://datamancer.net/keyboards/keyboards.htm), a talented steampunk hardware hacker who builds beautiful retrofuturistic keyboards. Datamancer is going to build us a keyboard that we can then auction off as the most totemic artefact in science fiction history, a keyboard whose keys have been used, in aggregate, to write hundreds of beloved novels, thousands of classic stories. A keyboard whose products have won awards by the bushel! The keyboard will be auctioned off with a hand-bound book listing all the works written on its keys (so in addition to the keyboard, we need contributors to recall, as best they can, which books, stories, teleplays, essays, etc were written on it). Additionally, Catherine Cheek -- a talented visual artist who is also a Clarion alum and volunteer -- will be making a variety of sculptures and objects from the remaining keys, all to be auctioned. All proceeds from all the auctions will go to the Clarion Foundation. We already have keyboards or pledges from some legendary writers, including Maureen McHugh, Ted Chiang, Pat Murphy, Greg Frost, John Shirley, Elizabeth Hand, Michael Chabon, John Scalzi, Kit Reed, Ken MacLeod, Neil Gaiman, Bruce Sterling, Richard Cadrey, Peter Watts, Nalo Hopkinson, Steven Boyett, John Kessel, Tim Powers, Suzy Charnas, Vonda McIntyre, James Patrick Kelly, Kim Stanley Robinson, Kate Wilhelm, and Cory Doctorow himself. If you are interested in contributing, or know someone who is, please contact us at info@theclarionfoundation.org for additional details, and of course, spread the word. ---------- CLARION ALUMNI NEWS This month, we're beginning a new feature, sharing news from Clarion alumni. If you have news to share, please send it to e-bulletin@theclarionfoundation.org. ANGIE SMIBERT (Virtual Clarion alumna) writes to tell us that her novel, "Memento Nora," which was the last story workshopped at Virtual Clarion, recently sold to Marshall Cavendish Children's Books. The novel should be coming out in Spring 2011 (or possibly Fall 2010). Angie extends special thanks to Karen Joy Fowler, the Virtual Clarion pro who helped critique "Memento Nora." LOREN RHOADS (Clarion class of 1986) tells us that "Morbid Curiosity Cures the Blues: True Stories of the Unsavory, Unwise, Unorthodox, and Unusual," of which she is the editor, collects 40 true tales from the 10-year run of the cult nonfiction magazine Morbid Curiosity. Essays explore a torture museum in Amsterdam, survive a pub bombing in London, and fish jumpers out of San Francisco Bay. The book trailer can be found at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2euCWtVxFA MARC ZICREE (Clarion class of 1975) says, "Clarion was instrumental in my becoming a professional writer. Since then, I've had bestsellers in fiction and non-fiction (including "The Twilight Zone Companion," which has sold over half a million copies and was named by the New York Times in 2006 as one of "ten science fiction books for the ages"), been a commentator on NPR's "Morning Edition" for three years and became a writer-producer in television and film, selling over 100 scripts to many of the top SF shows of the last three decades. Beyond this, I was nominated for the Hugo and Nebula awards last year for a new Star Trek episode starring George Takei that I co-wrote, directed and executive produced. I currently have film, TV and book projects with Guillermo del Toro, Ray Bradbury and others, so life continues to be exciting." Congratulations everyone! ---------- That's all for now! Till next time, write on! The Clarion Foundation
September 2009 -- Clarion E-bulletin #18To all you friends of Clarion, Clarion recently celebrated its 40th year. We who love this program hope to see 40 more. But this won't happen without your help. When we made the move to UC San Diego, we were hopeful of finding ourselves in a stable financial situation. Instead we arrived with the crashed economy close behind us. UCSD has had their budget slashed and slashed again. They are doing everything they can for us. Still, we find ourselves in a crisis. Here are a few facts. The Clarion program doesn't pay for itself. We have an annual shortfall in operating costs of about $30,000. In addition, we need to raise about $11,000 annually for scholarship purposes. This is no small sum. And donations to the program have fallen off significantly in the past year. What we desperately need from you is money and time. If you can make a donation of any size (no amount too small!), we would be grateful. Donations to the Clarion foundation are tax-deductible and can be made directly through our website at http://theclarionfoundation.org/ We also need someone with good organizational and people skills to oversee our pool of volunteers. If you're interested in helping that way, please contact Nancy Etchemendy for details at volunteer@theclarionfoundation.org. We have a number of fundraising activities planned for the coming year and will need volunteers for all of them. Among these are a day of donation-requested readings and a write-a-thon to coincide with next year's workshop, modeled after Clarion West's successful program. To add yourself to our pool of volunteers, sign up at http://theclarionfoundation.org/volunteer.htm More information on these and other developments will soon appear on the Clarion Foundation website, where Clarionite Justin Whitney has volunteered to serve as webmaster and liven things up. Thank you, Justin! BTW, be sure to check out our wonderful 2010 faculty lineup at http://clarion.ucsd.edu Thank you all, Karen Joy Fowler, President
February 2009 -- Clarion E-bulletin #17Hello, Clarion friends & colleagues -- Welcome to issue #17 (February 2008) of the Clarion E-bulletin... ========== APPLICATIONS ARE STILL OPEN. PLEASE HELP US SPREAD THE WORD! Applications for Clarion 2009 are still being accepted at http://clarion.ucsd.edu. We have another great faculty this year, featuring Holly Black, Larissa Lai, Robert Crais, Kim Stanley Robinson, Elizabeth Hand and Paul Park. Please help us spread the word! Here are three painless and very effective ways to help. You'll have our undying gratitude:
Deadline for submissions is March 1, so don't delay. ---------- SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT After 40 years of continuous operation, Clarion now has over 800 alumni. If each Clarion grad donated just $25 annually, we'd never have to turn away a needy student again. If each Clarion grad donated just $50 annually, our financial worries would be over, finis, the end. We know it's tough all over. But if you can donate the dollar equivalent of just two CDs each year, you'll be doing your part to make the dreams of young writers come true. http://www.theclarionfoundation.org/donatecash.htm ---------- That's all for now! Till next time, write on! The Clarion Foundation
January 2009 -- Clarion E-bulletin #16Hello, Clarion friends and colleagues. Just a quick one this time! ========== APPLICATIONS FOR THE 2009 CLARION WORKSHOP AT UCSD ARE NOW BEING ACCEPTED! Clarion 2009 is shaping up to be one of our best yet -- featuring a roster of fantastic instructors including Holly Black, Larissa Lai, Robert Crais, Kim Stanley Robinson, Elizabeth Hand and Paul Park. If you haven't already attended a Clarion workshop, here's your chance. Pull out your two best stories, grab the red pen, and give 'em a final polish. Submission stories should be between 2500 and 6000 words in length. Thanks to the generosity of everyone who has contributed to Clarion through regular donations, we are once again able to offer many scholarships for those who need financial assistance, so please don't let cost keep you from applying. Full details are available at http://clarion.ucsd.edu/apply.html. Applications will be accepted from now through March 1, 2009. ---------- PLEASE DONATE IF YOU CAN We have a promise of a $10,000 grant from the NEA, but only if we can match it with donations from other sources. We know times are tough everywhere, and we are grateful for even the smallest contribution. To donate, go to http://www.theclarionfoundation.org/donate.htm ---------- That's all for now! Till next time, write on! The Clarion Foundation
December 2008 -- Clarion E-bulletin #15Hello, Clarion friends and colleagues. Welcome to issue #15 of the Clarion E-bulletin (December 2008) featuring news about: -- Clarion 2009 =============== WONDERFUL NEWS! Happy Holidays from the Clarion Foundation Board! The Board is celebrating the season with great joywe have six wonderful writers who have agreed to serve as our 2009 faculty: Holly Black, Larissa Lai, Robert Crais, and Kim Stanley Robinson, with Elizabeth Hand and Paul Park team-teaching the final two weeks. We'll begin accepting applications January 2, 2009. To read more about Clarions 2009 faculty, visit http://clarion.ucsd.edu "Last year we set an all time record for applications and we expect that this year's faculty will also prove to be a strong draw," said Clarion Foundation Chair Karen Joy Fowler. "We have a mix of best-selling and award-winning writers, experienced Clarion teachers, and writers we have been trying attract to Clarion for years." We note with sadness the passing of two such writers, Thomas Disch and Algis Budrys. Both of them taught multiple times for Clarion, and their legacies live on in the fine work of the many writers they mentored. We have more glad tidings to share. We have received a grant from the National Endowment of the Arts for $10,000! This is a matching-funds grant, meaning that the Board needs to raise $10,000 to receive the full value of the grant. We hope you will help us make our goal. ---------- THERE'S MORE TO BE DONE! We want to thank our loyal supporters for their generous contributions. Because of you, we were able to provide scholarships to ten students in the class of 2008. Of course we would love to continue funding as many excellent students as we can. These are tight economic times, and Clarion has a mandate to nurture the next generation of talent. In addition to providing scholarships, the Board is committed to supporting Clarion as an institution at our beautiful "mothership," UCSD. It is very expensive for UCSD to host us - with support staff, lodging, and meals. We need to lift the financial burden off our partner, especially as the UC system faces massive budget cuts. Funding for many UC programs has been slashed and/or eliminated, and we cant strain UCSDs resources any further. We would love your help. To that end, we have implemented an automatic payment system through PayPal, a simple and easy way for you to make that end-of-the-year charitable contribution to offset your taxes. Remember, Clarion is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, so all donations are tax deductible. You can set up a one-time donation, as always, with our enduring gratitude. You can donate once or twice a year, or on a monthly basis. You can donate as little as $5 per month as an automatic charge to your credit card or PayPal account. If you set up automatic donations totaling $250 per year or more, we'll create a Clarion scholarship in your name! ---------- REDEDICATION TO THE MISSION With two years at UCSD under our (collective) belts, we are now shifting our focus from establishing the program at our new venue to fundraising. As a result, we have (reluctantly) discontinued the Virtual Clarion Online Workshop and the mentor program. We feel that we need to concentrate on supporting our six-weeks-long workshop on campus instead. We also wish to be more inclusive, and so the Clarion Foundation's message board, minus our virtual critiques, will soon be moved into the public area of the site, making it available to the general public. We will also make our occasional chats with well-known authors and editors available to the public as well. ---------- GIVE CLARION FOR THE HOLIDAYS When you're filling out your gift list this season, remember Clarion. A full selection of Clarion t-shirts, sweatshirts, caps, mugs and lots more is available by clicking the "Clarion Swag" link on any page of the Foundation's web site (http://www.theclarionfoundation.org). All profits go directly toward support of the Clarion Workshop and its students. We've all had a rollercoaster year financially, and Clarion is no different. We need your help. Were grateful for every dollar you send our way. If you would like some assistance setting up an automatic online payment account, please dont hesitate to contact us. Thank you, and happy holidays from the Board. ---------- That's all for now! Till next time, write on! The Clarion Foundation
March 2008 -- Clarion E-bulletin #14Hello, Clarion friends and colleagues. Welcome to issue #14 of the Clarion E-bulletin (March 2008) featuring news about: -- Donations ---------- DONATE A DREAM: SCHOLARSHIPS FOR CLARION STUDENTS It's nearly time for the Clarion Foundation to write that big annual check for financial aid to 2008 Clarion students. Last year, generous Clarion donors made it possible for us to award $12,000 in scholarships for students at the UCSD Clarion Workshop. We hope to match that figure again, but we are still short on donations. You can help! To contribute to the dreams of a deserving Clarion student, please give generously at http://www.theclarionfoundation.org/donate.htm ---------- CLARION 2008 APPLICATIONS NOW CLOSED The application period for Clarion 2008 closed on March 1. We're extremely pleased with our bumper crop of nearly 200 applications, and the admissions committee is VERY busy reading them all. We're quite certain this year's stunning faculty lineup has something to do with it. How could we go wrong with Kelly Link, James Patrick Kelly, Mary Anne Mohanraj, Neil Gaiman, Nalo Hopkinson, and Geoff Ryman? We hope to inform all applicants about the outcome of the process by mid-March. Those of you who applied, best of luck to you all! ---------- LIVE CHAT WITH TERRY BISSON, SUNDAY, MARCH 9, 2008 Please join host Tim Keating for a Clarion chat with award-winning writer Terry Bisson on Sunday, March 9 at 9:00 P.M. EST at http://www.theclarionfoundation.org/private/chats.htm. Mark your calendars now. It's only a few days away! Terry is the author of six novels including TALKING MAN, a World Fantasy Award nominee, and Fire on the Mountain. His short story, "Bears Discover Fire" swept almost every honor in the SF field in 1990-91, including the Asimov's and Locus readers' awards, both the Nebula and Hugo awards and the Theodore Sturgeon short fiction award. In 2006, Stephen O'Regan's film of Terry's story "They're Made out of Meat" won the Grand Prize at the SF Short Film Festival in Seattle. His long and interesting list of writing credits also includes movie novelizations, classics-to-comics adaptations, a compilation of NPR's hugely successful program CAR TALK WITH CLICK AND CLACK, THE TAPPET BROTHERS, and most recently, SAINT LEIBOWITZ AND THE WILD HORSE WOMAN, the long-awaited posthumous sequel to A CANTICLE FOR LEIBOWITZ, for the estate of Walter M. Miller, Jr. Terry taught at the Clarion Workshop in 1997 and again in 2002. For additional details about our guest, see http://www.terrybisson.com/ Remember, if you haven't already joined us as a Clarion Circle member, there's still time. Plus, every Clarion Circle membership benefits Clarion students by helping to defray workshop expenses through scholarships. Donate a dream, and share in this memorable live interaction with a writer whose work is nothing short of brilliant! ---------- VIRTUAL CLARION ONLINE WORKSHOP Just a reminder. If you are a Virtual Clarion Online Workshop member, we are currently critiquing "Daughter of the Discs," by Fay Romesburg (aka Mallory). Our pro leader for this critique is award-winning writer and Clarion instructor Pat Murphy. For details about Virtual Clarion, see http://www.theclarionfoundation.org/vc-home.htm ---------- That's all for now! Till next time, write on! The Clarion Foundation
January 2008 -- Clarion E-bulletin #13Greetings, Clarion friends and colleagues. We're ba-a-a-a-ck! Welcome to issue #13 (February 2008) of the Clarion E-bulletin... ---------- CLARION 2007 A RESOUNDING SUCCESS. APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN FOR 2008! The first Clarion Workshop at UCSD was held last summer, and was by all accounts a resounding success. Interest in the program was keen. 19 top students were selected from a field of over 80 applicants, and they did not disappoint. To quote Karen Joy Fowler, "We're off to a spectacular start! Our first UCSD class has surprised and pleased me. I could put together an exciting anthology out of stories I've seen during the workshop." Thanks to many generous Clarion supporters who gave donations of all sizes, the Clarion Foundation was able to provide scholarship support at various levels for eight students. Other donors provided additional help. In all, ten students received scholarship aid. The Foundation's 2007 scholarships were awarded in memory of Jamie Bishop, a talented teacher, and the son of science fiction writer and Clarion instructor Michael Bishop. Jamie was killed in the tragic shootings at Virginia Tech on April 16. Our hearts go out to Michael and Jeri. If you are able, please send us donations. We hope to help as many students in 2008 as we did in 2007. And we still have a long way to go on raising the $500,000 endowment needed to ensure Clarion's future viability as a UCSD program. For details about how to donate, see our web site at http://www.theclarionfoundation.org/donate.htm. Applications are now open for the 2008 workshop, which will be held from June 29 to August 9. We have a terrific faculty line-up this year that includes Kelly Link, James Patrick Kelly, Mary Anne Mohanraj, Neil Gaiman, Nalo Hopkinson, and Geoff Ryman. The deadline for applying is March 1, so if you're planning to apply, don't delay! For application details, see http://clarion.ucsd.edu. ---------- CLARION 40th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION Clarion is turning 40 this year! We can't let this occasion pass without a celebration. In honor of someone whose dedication has saved Clarion several times over, the theme will be "40 Years On: A Celebration of Kate Wilhelm." The party will be held in San Diego just before the workshop begins, probably the weekend of June 28. Save the date, and stay tuned for further details. ---------- LIVE CHAT WITH NANCY HOLDER, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 9:00 P.M. EST Please join us for a Clarion chat with award-winning writer Nancy Holder on Saturday, February 2 at 9:00 P.M. EST. Mark your calendars now. It's only a few days away! Nancy's work has appeared on the USA Today, LA Times, amazon.com, Waldenbooks, Locus, and other bestseller lists. A four-time winner of the Bram Stoker Award from the Horror Writers Association, she has also received accolades from the American Library Association, the American Reading Association, the New York Public Library, and Romantic Times. She has sold approximately seven dozen book-length projects, many of them set in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, and Smallville universes. She has also sold approximately two hundred short stories, essays, and articles. She teaches creative writing at UCSD and is a member of the Clarion Foundation Board. Join Nancy and chat host Tim Keating on Thursday, February 27 at 9 p.m. (EST) at http://www.theclarionfoundation.org/private/chats.htm. Remember, if you haven't already joined us as a Clarion Circle member, there's still time. Plus, every Clarion Circle membership benefits Clarion students by helping to defray workshop expenses through scholarships. Donate a dream, and share in this memorable live interaction with a FREEKIN SCARY writer! ---------- That's all for now! Till next time, write on! The Clarion Foundation
April 2007 -- Clarion E-bulletin #12Greetings, Clarion friends and colleagues. Welcome to issue #12 (April 2007) of the Clarion E-bulletin... ---------- LIVE CHAT WITH NINA KIRIKI HOFFMAN, THURSDAY, APRIL 19, 9:00 P.M. EDT Please join us for Clarion's April chat with award-winning author and Clarion instructor Nina Kiriki Hoffman on Thursday, April 19 at 9:00 P.M. EDT. Mark your calendars now. It's only a few days away! Nina is the author of ten novels and over 200 short stories, many of which have been gathered into collections. She won the Bram Stoker Award for her first novel, "The Thread That Binds the Bones." Her second novel, "The Silent Strength of Stones," was a finalist for both the Nebula and World Fantasy Awards. She lives with her many beloved cats in Eugene, Oregon. She attended the Clarion Workshop as a student in 1982, and returned as an instructor in 2004. Further information can be found on the Strange Horizons web site, where she is interviewed by Karen Meisner. Join Nina and chat host Tim Keating on Thursday, February 27 at 9 p.m. (EST) at http://www.theclarionfoundation.org/private/chats.htm. Remember, if you haven't already joined us as a Clarion Circle member, there's still time. Plus, every Clarion Circle membership benefits Clarion students by helping to defray workshop expenses through scholarships. Donate a dream, and share in this memorable live interaction with one of fantasy's greatest living writers. ---------- APPLICATION PERIOD FOR CLARION 2007 NOW CLOSED The application period for Clarion 2007, the first Clarion Workshop to be held at UCSD, is now closed. In spite of our relocation, the application rate was brisk with 83 candidates vying for a place in this year's historic class. Kim Stanley Robinson, a member of the 2007 admissions committee, says, "After I had read only about 30 applications, I was already convinced this is going to be a very fine group of writers. Now it seems certain it will be an amazing group!" Applicants reported that they heard about Clarion from Cory Doctorow's web site Boingboing, Kate Wilhelm's book "Storyteller," Internet discussions, other smaller workshops, and more. It seems Clarion is still quite famous. :) This year's workshop will be held from June 25 through August 3. Faculty will be Gregory Frost, Jeff VanderMeer, Karen Joy Fowler, Cory Doctorow, Ellen Kushner, and Delia Sherman. We are already at work lining up the 2008 faculty, which promises to be equally stellar. ---------- LOOKING FOR THE PERFECT CRITIQUE GROUP? TRY VIRTUAL CLARION. Last September, a Virtual Clarion critique group led by James Patrick Kelly, workshopped "My Heart as Dry as Dust," by Kim Zimring. On March 27th, the story sold to Sheila Williams at Asimov's. Says Kim, "Virtual Clarion definitely deserves the credit -- the sale wouldn't have happened without it. There's just nowhere else you can get writers of the caliber of Jim Kelly, et al, to sit down and look over your story and see what it needs to make it really sing." The Virtual Clarion workshop is our online version of the bricks-and-mortar Clarion Workshop at UCSD. Operated and overseen by the Clarion Foundation, Virtual Clarion is designed for writers who find it impractical to attend the six-week UCSD program, as well as for Clarion alumni and others who wish to pursue or continue their writing education online. Our online workshop offers a high-quality, low-cost critical forum that operates on the Clarion model. For further details and instructions for signing up, see http://www.theclarionfoundation.org/vc-home.htm ---------- That's all for now! Till next time, write on! The Clarion Foundation
February 2007 -- Clarion E-bulletin #11Greetings, O Friends of Clarion, and welcome to issue #11 (February 2007) of the Clarion E-bulletin... ---------- APPLICATIONS FOR THE 2007 CLARION WORKSHOP AT UCSD ARE NOW BEING ACCEPTED! Clarion 2007 is shaping up to be one of the best Clarions ever -- our first on the beautiful oceanside campus at University of California San Diego, and featuring a powerhouse slate of instructors including Gregory Frost, Jeff VanderMeer, Karen Joy Fowler, Cory Doctorow, Ellen Kushner, and Delia Sherman. Plus we're pleased to announce that Jeff VanderMeer's wife, well-known editor Ann Kennedy, will accompany him to the workshop. If you haven't already attended a Clarion workshop, here's your chance. Pull out your two best stories, grab the red pen, and give 'em a final polish. Submission stories should be between 2500 and 6000 words in length. Thanks to the generosity of everyone who has contributed to Clarion through regular donations, Clarion Circle memberships, and Virtual Clarion particiipation, we are able to offer many scholarships for those who need financial assistance, so please don't let cost keep you from applying. Full details are available at http://clarion.ucsd.edu/apply.html. Applications will be accepted until April 1, 2006. ---------- LIVE CHAT WITH JEFF VANDERMEER, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, at 9:00 P.M. EST Join us for a live chat with two-time World Fantasy Award winner and 2007 Clarion instructor Jeff VanderMeer. Jeff's books of fiction and edited anthologies have been finalists for the Philip K. Dick Award and the International Horror Guild Award and have made the year's best lists of Publishers Weekly, Amazon.com, LA Weekly, The San Francisco Chronicle, Locus Magazine, Publisher's News, and many more. He is best known for writing "City of Saints & Madmen" and "Veniss Underground," and co-editing the Leviathan anthologies and "The Thackery T. Lambshead Pocket Guide to Eccentric and Discredited Diseases." He also writes nonfiction. Further information can be found at www.jeffvandermeer.com. Join Jeff and chat host Tim Keating on Tuesday, February 27 at 9 p.m. (EST) at http://www.theclarionfoundation.org/private/chats.htm. Remember, if you haven't already joined us as a Clarion Circle member, there's still time! Don't be caught on the outside looking in! ---------- A SPECIAL NOTE FROM CHAT HOST TIM KEATING For those of you I haven't met, let me introduce myself. I'm Tim Keating, and I'm the coordinator and host for the Clarion Circle chats. This is a monthly program featuring IRC chats with working writers, editors, and other industry luminaries. These are people who are making a living in SFF, and we have been fortunate to have the unparalleled opportunity to ask them just about anything we want . . . all from the comfort of our own homes. We have a great lineup of guests planned for this year. Our inaugural chat featured multi-award-winning editor Ellen Datlow, and we have Jeff VanderMeer coming up on Tuesday. However, to be frank, attendance has not been stellar. So this is an appeal. I want to know what we can do to get more of you involved in these chats. Are you intimidated by IRC? Would it help if the chats were on a more regular schedule ( e.g. "The first Tuesday of every month.")? It's YOUR program, folks, so please, let me know what we can do to make it as useful as possible. The very best way to give feedback is to head over to the message board, where I have created a thread about this (in the "Suggestion Box" area). For those of you who just thought "what message board?" however, feel free to drop me an email at mrtact@gmail.com and share your thoughts. I look forward to hearing from you -- and, hopefully, to seeing you at a future Clarion Circle chat! TK ---------- "CLARION MOVES" T-SHIRTS STILL AVAILABLE! It's not too late to get your special Year Zero: 2006 t-shirt honoring donors who are helping Clarion through its transition from MSU to UCSD. This beautiful limited-edition t-shirt can't be purchased. We're only printing 500, and the only way to get one is to donate $100 or more to Clarion. Originally, this offer was only good through the end of 2006. However, we still have some shirts left, and since we're still very much in need of donations, we've decided to extend the offer. First come, first served! Plus, each t-shirt donation also includes a Clarion Circle subscription. This shirt can be your way of knowing and *showing* that you've invested in future generations of science fiction and fantasy writers. All donations are tax deductible. * Invest in the Clarion Workshop, and wear the shirt proudly at your next Con! * Put Clarion on your gift list for birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, or whenever. If you know someone who would enjoy a t-shirt or a Clarion Circle subscription, this is a wonderful gift. Likewise, if friends or family make a donation in your name, we'll send them a gift card to include with your shirt! * Do you work in a company that matches donations, or where SF and fantasy fans can be found? We'll print special cards noting the company's contributions that can be posted on-site, or that link to our website. Details about the shirt and how to make your donation are available at http://www.theclarionfoundation.org/ucsd-shirt.htm ---------- Till next time, write on!
January 2007 -- Clarion E-bulletin #10Happy New Year, Clarion friends. Welcome to issue #10 of the Clarion E-bulletin, our January 2007 issue and the first issue of the year. We just have a couple of news tidbits this time... ---------- "CLARION MOVES" T-SHIRT OFFER DEADLINE EXTENDED The Clarion Foundation and UCSD have recently joined forces to embark on a substantial fundraising campaign. To jumpstart this effort, we have designed a special Year Zero: 2006 t-shirt honoring those donors willing to help us through his critical transition. This beautiful limited-edition t-shirt can't be purchased. We're only printing 500, and the only way to get one is to donate $100 or more to Clarion. Originally, this offer was only good through the end of 2006. However, we still have some shirts left, and since we're still very much in need of donations, we've decided to extend the offer for a short time. First come, first served! Plus, each t-shirt donation also includes a Clarion Circle subscription. This shirt can be your way of knowing and *showing* that you've invested in future generations of science fiction and fantasy writers. All donations are tax deductible.
An article in Sunday's "New York Times Magazine" says one of the most reliable roads to happiness is to do something good for others. Start the new year right by doing your part to broaden the smile of a Clarion student, and increase your own happiness quotient at the same time! Details about the shirt and how to make your donation are available at http://www.theclarionfoundation.org/ucsd-shirt.htm ---------- LIVE CHAT WITH ELLEN DATLOW, TUESDAY, JANUARY 9 at 9:00 P.M. EDT Join us for a live chat with one of science fiction, fantasy, and horror's true legends, Ellen Datlow. Ellen has long been one of the field's premier editors, and has bought literally thousands of stories -- many from first-time writers -- for numerous anthologies and magazines. She has edited or co-edited everything from slick, multi-million subscriber print magazines ("Omni") to widely respected webzines ("Event Horizon" and "Omni Online"), numerous anthologies, and the award-winning "Year's Best Fantasy & Horror" series. In addition, Ellen was an editor/instructor at the Clarion Workshop in 1993. Join us to find out what makes a top-notch publishable story. And to ask how she got those eyes, of course...which you can glimpse on her web site at http://www.datlow.com/ Join Ellen and chat host Tim Keating on Tuesday, January 9 at 9 p.m. (EST) at http://www.theclarionfoundation.org/private/chats.htm. Remember, if you haven't already joined us as a Clarion Circle member, there's still time! Don't be caught on the outside looking in! ---------- That's all for now, except to say that our move to UCSD has gone very smoothly and everything's on track for a wonderful first year in San Diego. The Clarion Workshop will take place June 25 - August 3, 2007 in our idyllic new digs on the UCSD campus. Applications will be accepted beginning January 31. There has been a change in the roster of writers-in-residence. Mary Anne Mohanraj, who was originally scheduled to teach the third week, has a conflict and instead will teach during the 2008 workshop. Taking her place will be Karen Joy Fowler, best selling author of the Jane Austen Book Club. Fowler, a Nebula Award winner, is widely regarded as one of the program's most charismatic instructors; this will be her seventh Clarion. The rest of the faculty will be as announced: Gregory Frost, Jeff VanderMeer, Cory Doctorow, Delia Sherman and Ellen Kushner. For further details see http://ucsd.clarion.edu/ Till next time, write on!
December 2006 -- Clarion E-bulletin #9Holiday greetings, Clarionites, and welcome to issue #9 (December 2006) of the Clarion E-bulletin... ---------- GET YOUR "CLARION MOVES" LIMITED-EDITION T-SHIRTS! The Clarion Foundation and UCSD have recently joined forces to embark on a substantial fundraising campaign. To jumpstart this effort, we have designed a special t-shirt honoring those donors willing to help us through his critical transition. (See a picture at http://www.theclarionfoundation.org/ucsd-shirt.htm) This beautiful limited-edition t-shirt can't be purchased. The only way to get one is to donate $100 or more to Clarion between now and the end of 2006, and we're only printing 500. The shirt will be your way of knowing and showing that you've invested in future generations of science fiction and fantasy writers. All donations are tax deductible.
---------- JOIN US FOR A CHAT WITH KATE WILHELM In addition to co-founding the Clarion Workshop and teaching there for many years with her husband Damon Knight (1922-2002), Kate is the author of novels "Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang" and "Naming the Flowers," among many others. She has won both the Hugo and Nebula Awards, and been nominated for the World Fantasy Award. Her works have been adapted for television and for movies in the United States, England, and Germany. Her novels and stories have been translated into more than a dozen languages. She hosts monthly workshops, and still teaches regularly. She lives in that infamous den of science fiction writers, Eugene, Oregon, where among other things, she likes to garden. Join Kate and chat host Tim Keating on Sunday, December 3 at 9 p.m. (EST) at http://www.theclarionfoundation.org/private/chats.htm. Remember, if you haven't already joined us as a Clarion Circle member, there's still time! Don't be caught on the outside looking in! ---------- CLARION ANNOUNCES THE MARY SHERIDAN SCHOLARSHIP Mary Sheridan was Clarion's chief administrator during the workshop's three decades at Michigan State University. Mary helped every Clarion student, whether they knew it or not. To ensure that she will always be associated with the Clarion Workshop, the Clarion Foundation has established the Mary Sheridan Endowed Scholarship. We'll miss you, Mary, but you will be a part of Clarion forever. To donate to the Mary Sheridan Scholarship Fund, simply make a cash donation following the instructions at http://www.theclarionfoundation.org/donatecash.htm. All contributions are tax deductible. ---------- CLARION WEB SITE GETS A FACE LIFT Thanks to the valiant efforts of the Foundation's web team and UCSD's resident web wizard, both the Clarion Foundation and the Clarion Workshop at UCSD have a fabulous new combined web presence. Start your tour of the new site at http://www.theclarionfoundation.org. We're hoping to add the Clarion Circle area to the general make-over by the end of the year. Many thanks to Nancy Etchemendy, Julia Reynolds, Sandy Beadle, and Deborah Morrow. ---------- DO YOU HAVE A NEW BOOK OR STORY COMING OUT? If you're a Clarion grad or past instructor, be sure to mention it in your bio blurb. And be sure to let us know! We'll mention you in the next Clarion Newsletter. Send email to alumni@theclarionfoundation.org. ---------- A MESSAGE FROM CLARION'S UCSD FUND-RAISER, JIM SHEA Last month, Kate Wilhelm, Leslie What and Nancy Etchemendy graced us here at UCSD with their presence, accompanied by the wonderful and wonderfully helpful Mary Sheridan of MSU. We on the UCSD side were very pleased with the opportunity to meet face-to-face with the group, and discuss openly the various issues between us. It was a great first meeting. Kate, Leslie and Nancy hit the ground running the afternoon they arrived, with a scoping-out meeting at Mysterious Galaxy bookstore where we plan to arrange the Clarion readings followed by a getting-to-know-you dinner that included our Dean of Arts & Humanities, our Literature Department Chair, and a senior professor of Literature, along with a couple of friends. The next day, we met the Dean more formally, met the administrative folks who hope to follow in Mary's footsteps, met some more Literature Department faculty and students, lunched with community fans of the program, visited the Special Collections Library, checked out the housing and the food services, and then walked back across campus to meet with the Provost of an undergraduate college before the final "thanks for coming and what do we do next?" closeout. Whew! No wonder I was exhausted. The most important element of the discussions to me (the fundraiser, remember) is that it made even clearer for us the fact that Clarion, when run the way the students need it to be run, is inherently a money-losing proposition. The Foundation folks talked in detail about the best ways to organize the Workshop: we need to target a Workshop teaching 18 students every year which, with six faculty flown in from around the country if not the world, can't pay for itself unless the students are charged so much that they can't afford to come. These simple facts force us to focus on raising what, for a writing program, is a significant amount of money, and we will welcome any and all ideas (and checks) you might have. But we also believe that, with the community's help, we can achieve our goals. The reason is simple: the biggest beneficiaries of Clarion aren't the writers -- it's the fans, who read the science fiction and fantasy that Clarion graduates produce. If you look at the Clarion website at UCSD, even in this early state before we've been able to search long and hard for graduates -- http://clarion.ucsd.edu/alumni.html -- you find an incredible number of people on the student list who have produced really quality work in the years since. The program works, and we are all the beneficiaries. But in looking for money, where do we go? We can't look to the writers to help out in a big way; writers don't write to make money, but to say things they feel need to be said; and there's seldom a lot of moolah to be made doing that. We can't look to the writers-to-be, the Clarionites-in-waiting: as any of you who participated in Clarion know, they're some of the people we give money for. No, the funding for this program is going to have to come from people who believe in Clarion, and believe that its continued existence is important. Some of those people are you, and we encourage you to support the Workshop. But some of those people are the fans, the sf and fantasy readers who don't even know Clarion exists, but love to read everything that comes out of the Clarion fold. They're the larger crowd we need to get to. We are going to need help from all the Clarionites out there, since finding those fans isn't easy. But as a start, a lot of them are in technology companies spread across the country, and if you can open doors for us, we can make the sale and help convince people that we're a worthy cause. All ideas, thoughts and offers of help are welcome. Jim Shea, UCSD ---------- Till next time, write on!
10/31/06 -- Clarion E-bulletin #8Greetings, Clarionites, and welcome to issue #8 (October 2006) of the Clarion E-Bulletin. Lots of news this time, all of it interesting. ---------- A LETTER FROM KATE WILHELM Over the weekend of October 20, three Clarion Foundation officers (Nancy Etchemendy, Treasurer; Leslie What, Secretary; and Kate Wilhelm, Chair) met with faculty, administrators, students, and staff at UC San Diego. The meetings proved very fruitful. Mary Sheridan from MSU joined the group to brief the Literature Department staff about the way Clarion was run at Michigan State. We discussed various issues concerning the day-to-day running of the workshop as well as application procedures, and on the whole decided that little will change other than the location of the workshop. Now in its thirty-ninth successful year, there is little that needs changing. Some things will be missing, however -- the oppressive heat of the Michigan summers and the plague of mosquitoes! Clarion students will be housed in quads with private bedrooms and shared kitchen and living room space. A choice of several meeting rooms will be available, and the traditional Clarion readings/signing will take place at Mysterious Galaxy, a local bookstore that specializes in science fiction and fantasy. We were given a tour of the facilities at the library, including a walk through the special collections area, where we shivered in the climate controlled atmosphere. Our archives will be well housed there. The campus is lovely, with ocean views from many vantage points, and invites strolling or deep thinking, as the case might be. The enthusiasm and warmth of our welcome by one and all was heartening and we all agree that the workshop will be sustained and nourished in such beautiful surroundings and by such welcoming hosts. Kate Wilhelm ---------- CLARION'S FINANCIAL SITUATION Our move to UC San Diego presents an opportunity to solidify the Clarion Workshop's financial base. For many years, Clarion has struggled with the fact that it takes 25 students for the Workshop to break even, but the Workshop experience is much better with only 18-20 students. UC San Diego is committing fundraising resources for the Workshop, but we need your help. UCSD's fundraising focus is on major donors giving endowed funds that will generate a permanent funding stream needed to fill the annual budget gap. While the total endowment needed to generate that -- about $500,000 -- is significant, our plan is to build it piece by piece: a $30,000 named endowment would fund one Clarion instructor each year forever; a $100,000 endowment would fund the two instructors who co-teach the Workshop in its last two weeks. Raising that kind of money will take time. In the meantime, donations large and small will make a major difference to the Workshop, and we hope that you, the people who care most about Clarion, will help. First, please spread the word. The more people who know of our need, the more likely we are to find major donors. Second, to recognize people who step up in a time of serious need, we have designed a t-shirt commemorating the move to UCSD that we will mail to anyone who donates $100 or more before the end of 2006. (Remember, a donation at that level automatically includes a Clarion Circle membership as well.) We're only printing 500 of these beautiful shirts, so don't delay. Click here to see the shirt. If you want to help, please contact Jim Shea at clarion@ucsd.edu. Or donate online. We thank you in advance for any help you can provide. ---------- CLARION AUCTION RESULTS Many thanks to everyone who donated or bid on items for the Clarion eBay auction. And, of course, a big round of applause to our dedicated, hardworking (and exhausted) auction volunteers, Leslie What and David Prill. The auction netted $1,800 for Clarion. ---------- THE MARY SHERIDAN SCHOLARSHIP To ensure that Mary Sheridan will always be associated with the Clarion Workshop, as she has been for nearly three decades, the Clarion Foundation has started a Mary Sheridan Endowed Scholarship Fund, to be administered and maintained by the Clarion Foundation. Mary has helped every Clarion student, whether they knew it or not. We'll miss you, Mary, but you will be a part of Clarion forever. To donate to the Mary Sheridan Scholarship Fund, simply make a cash donation following the instructions on the Foundation's Donations page. In the "note from you to Clarion" box, or enclosed with your check, mention that it's for the Mary Sheridan fund. ---------- Till next time, write on!
10/1/06 -- Clarion E-bulletin #7.3FINAL WEEK OF THE CLARION EBAY AUCTION BEGINS! Hello again, everyone. Our final (and most unusual) batch of great stuff goes on the auction block today as we wrap things up with week four of the 2006 Clarion eBay auction. Bidding for this final batch will be open until October 8. Thank you for your patience, too, with our emails. We now return to our regular monthly schedule. This will be the last issue of the Clarion E-bulletin until the end of October. Not familiar with eBay? It's easy to get started. Just go to http://www.ebay.com/ and click on the Register link at the top of the page. It's free, easy, and takes just a minute to do. Or look around before registering by going to Ebay's Help Page. Remember, all proceeds go to support the Clarion Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers' Workshop, so please bid generously. For a list of all the wonderful items we're auctioning, check our web site at http://www.theclarionfoundation.org/auctionitems.htm. Our fourth and final batch includes the following rare, zany, unusual, and/or author-inscribed items: SUBTERRANEAN MAGAZINE AND "STAR SYSTEM" STORY NOTES, BY DAVID PRILL LETTERS HOME, BY GENE WOLFE WOULD IT KILL YOU TO SMILE, BY PHILIP LAWSON PROOFS OF TYRANNY OF THE NIGHT, BY GLEN COOK AT THE CITY LIMITS OF FATE, BY MICHAEL BISHOP KATE WILHELM & DAMON KNIGHT FRAMED PRINT OF BOSCON COVER BRITTLE INNINGS, BY MICHAEL BISHOP TEN TACHYON PRESS ARCs VANISHING ACTS ANTHOLOGY YOUR NAME IN A KATE WILHELM NOVEL! JANE AUSTEN BOOK CLUB HOME EMERGENCY KIT YOUR NAME IN A WALTER JON WILLIAMS TALE! YOUR NAME IN A JAMES PATRICK KELLY STORY, AND WRITE PART OF IT, TOO! CONVENTIONS OF WAR TYPESCRIPT, BY WALTER JON WILLIAMS RED MARS, BRITISH EDITION, BY KIM STANLEY ROBINSON YOUR NAME IN A KELLY LINK STORY! HOWARD WALDROP CUSTOMIZED PHONE MESSAGE ------------------ BE A CLARION MENTOR. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! If you're a professional writer, please consider volunteering for the Clarion Mentor Program. We have lots of young writers who need guidance, and not enough people to give it. The Mentor Program is an electronic clearinghouse where beginning writers who feel they could benefit from mentoring are matched up with seasoned professionals who enjoy sharing what they've learned. Mentors give practical advice about everything from nurturing creativity to making career decisions. Please note that mentors do not critique manuscripts. We leave that for the Clarion Virtual Workshop. If you'd be interested in helping young writers find their way or simply in hearing more about the mentor program, please contact Nancy Etchemendy at volunteer@theclarionfoundation.org ---------------- TRANSCRIPT OF "CLARION MOVES" CHAT NOW ONLINE If you missed Thursday night's chat with the Foundation Board of Trustees on the subject of Clarion's move to UCSD, no worries. The transcript is now online at http://www.theclarionfoundation.org/chat-clarionmoves.htm ---------------- Till next time, write on!
09/25/06 -- Clarion E-bulletin #7.2WEEK THREE OF THE CLARION EBAY AUCTION BEGINS! Hello everyone. Yet another fresh batch of great stuff goes on the auction block today as we begin week three of the 2006 Clarion eBay auction. We'll be auctioning items in one-week batches from now until October 8, sending you weekly updates about which items are currently up for bid. (Just till the auction's over. Then we'll go back to our usual monthly schedule.) Not familiar with eBay? It's easy to get started. Just go to http://www.ebay.com/ and click on the Register link at the top of the page. It's free, easy, and takes just a minute to do. Or look around before registering by going to http://pages.ebay.com/help/buy/questions/buy-item.html. Remember, all proceeds go to support the Clarion Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers' Workshop, so please bid generously. For a list of all the wonderful items we're auctioning, check our web site at http://www.theclarionfoundation.org/auctionitems.htm. Batch three includes the following rare, unusual, and/or author-inscribed items: INTRACITIES, EDITED BY MICHAEL JASPER THE POWER OF UN, BY NANCY ETCHEMENDY DATING SECRETS OF THE DEAD, BY DAVID PRILL THE SECRET ASCENSION, BY MICHAEL BISHOP FAERY REEL ANTHOLOGY COUNT GEIGER'S BLUES, BY MICHAEL BISHOP SIGNED RIO HONDO WORKSHOP T-SHIRT THERE ARE DOORS, BY GENE WOLFE (FIRST EDITION) SIX-PACK OF SMALL BEER BOOKS MIRRORSHADES ANTHOLOGY, FIRST EDITION HARDBACK STAR TREK: MUD IN YOUR EYE ORIGINAL TYPESCRIPT PAWTUCKAWAY LAKE OUTING WITH JAMES PATRICK KELLY THREE SIGNED PAPERBACKS BY KAREN JOY FOWLER NIGHTMARES & DREAMSCAPES BOUND GALLEY, BY STEPHEN KING ORIGINAL PLAYBOY ART FOR DAMON KNIGHT STORY ------------------ PUBLIC LIVE CHAT ABOUT CLARION'S MOVE Rumors have been flying about the Clarion Workshop's recently announced move to UCSD. Get the facts by joining the Clarion Foundation's officers and trustees for an informal Q&A chat on the Foundation's web site at www.theclarionfoundation.org on Thursday, September 28 at 9:00 Eastern time. We hope to have at least one representative from UCSD available for responses as well. If you are not a Clarion Circle member and would like to attend the chat, please email webmaster@theclarionfoundation.org for a temporary userID and password and instructions about how to participate. ------------------ BE A CLARION MENTOR. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! If you're a professional writer, please consider volunteering for the Clarion Mentor Program. We have lots of young writers who need guidance, and not enough people to give it. The Mentor Program is an electronic clearinghouse where beginning writers who feel they could benefit from mentoring are matched up with seasoned professionals who enjoy sharing what they've learned. Mentors give practical advice about everything from nurturing creativity to making career decisions. Please note that mentors do not critique manuscripts. We leave that for the Clarion Virtual Workshop. If you'd be interested in helping young writers find their way or simply in hearing more about the mentor program, please contact Nancy Etchemendy at volunteer@theclarionfoundation.org ---------------- Till next time, write on!
09/18/06 -- Clarion E-bulletin #7.1MORE INFORMATION ABOUT CLARION'S MOVE TO UCSD is available at http://www.theclarionfoundation.org/. You'll find a downloadable PDF press release and a link to a page of helpful FAQs. -------------------- A FRESH BATCH OF CLARION EBAY AUCTION ITEMS GOES ONLINE TODAY! The 2006 Clarion eBay auction is underway, and bidding has been spirited. We'll be auctioning items in one-week batches from now until October 8, sending you weekly updates about which items are currently on the block. (Just till the auction's over. Then we'll go back to our usual monthly schedule.) Not familiar with eBay? It's easy to get started. Just go to http://www.ebay.com/ and click on the Register link at the top of the page. It's free, easy, and takes just a minute to do. Or look around before registering by going to eBay's "Help" page. For a list of all the wonderful items we're auctioning, check our web site at "Auction Items." The first batch includes the following rare, unusual, and/or author-inscribed items: IDEAS AND INFORMATION: MANAGING IN A HIGH-TECH WORLD, BY ARNO PENZIAS THE UNNATURAL, BY DAVID PRILL CRYSTAL RAIN, BY TOBIAS BUCKELL STOLEN FACES, BY MICHAEL BISHOP CLOSE ENCOUNTERS WITH THE DEITY, STORIES BY MICHAEL BISHOP THE BEST DEFENSE, AUDIO TAPE OF NOVEL BY KATE WILHELM SERIAL KILLER DAYS, BY DAVID PRILL LADY CHURCHILL'S ROSEBUD WRISTLET & CHOCOLATE SUBSCRIPTION PROCEEDINGS OF THE INSTITUTE FOR 21ST CENTURY STUDIES, ED. TED COGSWELL OFFICIAL HUGO NOMINEE PIN DEATH QUALIFIED, AUDO TAPE OF NOVEL BY KATE WILHELM UNCORRECTED PROOFS OF THE TYRANNY OF THE NIGHT BY GLEN COOK THE YEARS OF RICE AND SALT, BY KIM STANLEY ROBINSON ------------------ VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR CLARION CHAT TEAM Noticed that we haven't managed to have a Clarion chat in a couple of months? This is due to the loss of our Chat Czarina, Nikki Ballard, who stepped down due to computer problems and lack of time. Many thanks to Nikki for the three great chats she organized and hosted for us. It took an enormous amount of her time, and we are very grateful to her. We'd like to get chats underway again as soon as possible, so we're trying a team strategy this time -- easier and more pleasant for everyone. Here's what we need: * TEAM COORDINATOR: will work with team members to make sure chats run smoothly and are held on schedule. * GUEST LIAISON: will explain the program to prospective guests and work toward getting them on board and will help them learn to use our chat facilities. A great way to get to know your favorite writers and editors! * HOSTS: will moderate the chats. We'd like to have more than one host available, as this job demands reading and the formulation of questions beforehand, time consuming. Hosts should be comfortable with computers, have a dependable Internet connection, and excellent typing skills. * SCHEDULER: will work with guests and hosts to arrange a time slot for each chat. This, too, is a chance to get to know writers and editors on a first-name basis. * ARCHIVIST: will log each chat and prepare an HTML version for the chat archives. Needs ability to use a chat client for logging, and needs basic HTML skills. If you'd be interested in doing any of these jobs, please contact Nancy Etchemendy at clarionfound@earthlink.net ---------------- Till next time, write on!
09/11/06 -- Clarion E-bulletin #7THE CLARION WORKSHOP IS ON THE MOVE The Clarion Foundation is pleased to announce that the Clarion Workshop has a new home. It's difficult to leave MSU, having been there since 1972. However, the future looks very bright. Starting in the summer of 2007 the workshop will be held at the University of California, San Diego, with very strong administration, faculty, and financial support. Our acclaimed workshop, with its excellent teaching staff, will continue with no change in the structure of its operation. The faculty for 2007 will be Gregory Frost, Mary Ann Mohanraj, Jeff Vandermeer, Cory Doctorow, Ellen Kushner and Delia Sherman. The workshop will run from June 25 through August 3. ----------------- THE 2006 CLARION EBAY AUCTION HAS BEGUN! The 2006 Clarion eBay auction is underway. We'll be auctioning items in one-week batches from now until October 8. Many thanks to our eBay auction gurus, David Prill and Leslie What, without whom we'd be wandering in the tech wilderness. Not familiar with eBay? It's easy to get started. Just go to http://www.ebay.com/ and click on the Register link at the top of the page. It's free, easy, and takes just a minute to do. Or look around before registering by going to http://pages.ebay.com/help/buy/questions/buy-item.html. For a list of the wonderful items we're auctioning, check our web site at http://www.theclarionfoundation.org/auctionitems.htm. The first batch includes the following rare and/or author-inscribed items: MOLOKA'I, BY ALLAN BRENNERT GROLLIER'S MULTIMEDIA ENCYCLOPEDIA OF SCIENCE FICTION SECOND COMING ATTRACTIONS, BY DAVID PRILL CULT CLASSIC PAPERBACK, COSMIC BANDITOS HARD-TO-FIND STAR WARS COLLECTABLE, 1936 STANFORD YEARBOOK HEART OF THE COMET, BY BENFORD AND BRIN GAY SF CLASSIC, SECRET MATTER, BY TOBY JOHNSON ENDANGERED SPECIES, BY GENE WOLFE ANCIENT OF DAYS, BY MICHAEL BISHOP NAMING THE FLOWERS, BY KATE WILHELM RARE HARDCOVER OF 1994 TOR NOVEL, WILDLIFE, BY JAMES PATRICK KELLY ADVANCED READING COPY OF THE PRIVILEGE OF THE SWORD, BY ELLEN KUSHNER RARE BRITISH FIRST EDITION OF UNICORN MOUNTAIN, BY MICHAEL BISHOP ------------------ VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR CLARION CHAT TEAM Noticed that we haven't managed to have a Clarion chat in a couple of months? This is due to the loss of our Chat Czarina, Nikki Ballard, who stepped down due to computer problems and lack of time. Many thanks to Nikki for the three great chats she organized and hosted for us. It took an enormous amount of her time, and we are very grateful to her. We'd like to get chats underway again as soon as possible, so we're trying a team strategy this time -- easier and more pleasant for everyone. Here's what we need: * TEAM COORDINATOR: will work with team members to make sure chats run smoothly and are held on schedule. * GUEST LIAISON: will explain the program to prospective guests and work toward getting them on board and will help them learn to use our chat facilities. A great way to get to know your favorite writers and editors! * HOSTS: will moderate the chats. We'd like to have more than one host available, as this job demands reading and the formulation of questions beforehand, time consuming. Hosts should be comfortable with computers, have a dependable Internet connection, and excellent typing skills. * SCHEDULER: will work with guests and hosts to arrange a time slot for each chat. This, too, is a chance to get to know writers and editors on a first-name basis. * ARCHIVIST: will log each chat and prepare an HTML version for the chat archives. Needs ability to use a chat client for logging, and needs basic HTML skills. If you'd be interested in doing any of these jobs, please contact Nancy Etchemendy at clarionfound@earthlink.net ------------------ PARTICIPATE IN THE CLARION VIRTUAL WORKSHOP We're bidding farewell to Virtual Clarion workshop coordinator Tracy Taylor, who has stepped down due to time constraints. She will be replaced by Kelly McClymer, Clarion alum and well-known writer of books for children and adults. Welcome, Kelly! And Tracy, many thanks for your invaluable help getting the program started. If you have a story you'd like help with, consider participating in the Clarion Virtual Workshop. See http://www.theclarionfoundation.org/online_workshops.htm ------------------ Till next time, write on!
07/31/06 -- Clarion E-bulletin #6Greetings, Clarionites, and welcome to issue #6 (July 2006) of the Clarion E-Bulletin... ---------- CLARION 2006 - THE STORY SO FAR Clarion 2006 started out with a bang. A 22 chorus bang. This is one of the largest classes we've had in last few years and we're very pleased to report how smoothly this year's Workshop has gone. Over the first four weeks, two of the weeks saw 20 of the 22 participants turn in a story. During week 2, all 22 of the participants turned in a story. And these aren't small stories; almost 1/3rd of the stories have been 35+ pages! (some over 60!) The amazing part is how GOOD these stories are. I truly believe we'll see the class of 2006 make their mark on the industry very, very soon. Elizabeth Zernachel, ---------- CLARION 2007 FACULTY ANNOUNCED The 2007 Clarion faculty has been chosen. They are: Cory Doctorow: science fiction novelist, blogger and technology activist. He is the co-editor of the blog Boing Boing at http://www.boingboing.net and a contributor to many newspapers, magazines and websites, including Wired. He was formerly Director of European Affairs for the Electronic Frontier Foundation and will shortly serve as the Fulbright Chair at the Annenberg Center for Public Diplomacy at the University of Southern California. http://www.craphound.com Gregory Frost: writer, film researcher & teacher. The author of numerous short stories as well as fantasy novels, including 'Fitcher's Bride's. His work has been nominated for the Nebula and Theodore Sturgeon awards. He was the Fiction Writing Workshop Director at Swarthmore College in 2004 and this will be his third summer as a Clarion instructor. http://www.gregoryfrost.com Ellen Kushner: writer, producer, storyteller and host of WGBH Radio's 'Sound & Spirit' series. Her first novel 'Swordspoint: A Melodrama of Manners' has been hailed as the progenitor of the Mannerpunk school of fantasy. Her second novel 'Thomas the Rhymer' won both the 1991 World Fantasy Award and the Mythopoeic Award. Her short fiction appears in various anthologies. This will be her second stint as a Clarion instructor. http://www.ellenkushner.com Mary Anne Mohanraj: writer & academic; author of literary fiction, erotica, poetry and publisher of two online magazines. In addition, she teaches creative writing and composition and directs an arts foundation. She is currently a visiting professor at Roosevelt College and a winner of a Skowcroft Prize for Fiction. http://www.mamohanraj.com Delia Sherman: her first novel, 'Through a Brazen Mirror' was published as one of the prestigious Ace Fantasy Specials. Her second novel 'The Porcelain Dove' won the Mythopoeic Award for Fantasy Fiction. Her short fiction has appeared in numerous magazines & anthologies. A 1990 Campbell Award nominee, she has twice served as a judge for the Crawford Award for Best First Fantasy Novel http://www.deliasherman.com Jeff VanderMeer: two-time World Fantasy Award winner whose books of fiction and edited anthologies have been finalists for the Philip K. Dick Award and the International Horror Guild Award. He is best known for writing 'City of Saints & Madmen', 'Veniss Underground' and 'The Thackery T. Lambshead Pocket Guide to Eccentric and Discredited Diseases' http://www.jeffvandermeer.com ---------- CLARION EBAY AUCTION UPDATE Now that the donation period for the 2006 Clarion Ebay Auction is over, it's time to start working on your bidding strategy! There are over 50 auction items, donated by some of the biggest names in the field, including Kate Wilhelm, Karen Joy Fowler, Gene Wolfe, Michael Bishop, Walter Jon Williams, James Patrick Kelly and many others. Signed books, original manuscripts, artwork, and things too strange and wonderful to describe in this newsletter. The auctions will be held throughout the month of September. In order to bid you need to be registered on Ebay. It's free and easy to do. Go here and click the "Register" link at the top of the page: http://www.ebay.com/ For further questions visit the Clarion Auction web page: http://theclarionfoundation.org/auction.htm ---------- CLARION VIRTUAL WORKSHOP Do you have a story that needs help? The Clarion Virtual Workshop can give you the valuable pointers you're looking for. For details, see the Clarion Foundation web site at http://www.theclarionfoundation.org/online_workshops.htm ---------- Till next time, write on!
06/19/06 -- Clarion E-bulletin #5Greetings, Clarionites, and welcome to a very brief issue #5 (June 2006) of the Clarion E-Bulletin... ---------- WALTER JON WILLIAMS CHAT, TUESDAY, JUNE 20, 9:00 PM EDT Join us tomorrow evening for a live online chat with the inimitable Walter Jon Williams. On his website - http://www.thuntek.net/~walter/ - WJW describes himself as a "science fiction and fantasy writer, scuba fiend, kenpo maven, and fantasy iron chef". Many of his novels have a distinct cyberpunk feel to them, notably Hardwired and Voice of the Whirlwind. However, he has explored a number of different styles and genres, including humorous (the Majistral series), interstellar empires and warfare (Dread Empire's Fall series), alternate history (Wall, Stone, Craft), science fantasy (Metropolitan and City on Fire), disaster thriller (The Rift), and historical adventure (Privateers and Gentlemen series). We hope you'll be able to join us. -- Nikki Ballard, Chat Host/Coordinator for The Clarion Foundation ---------- CLARION EBAY AUCTION - DEADLINE FOR DONATIONS: JULY 1 The 2006 Clarion auction is up and running. The deadline for donations is July 1 while the auction itself will be held during September. There's still plenty of time to donate items - and even more time to decide which of our already donated items you just can't live without. For further questions or to check out the current list visit We are particularly keen to have more established writers donate 'naming rights' to fictional characters. We already have one such donation from Walter Jon Williams but more would be welcome. Why? Because 'naming rights' are a potentially very valuable source of revenue for the Clarion Foundation - for example last September a fund raising auction on behalf of the First Amendment Project raised $21,500 from the sale of a character's name in what was to become Stephen King's latest novel 'Cell'. ---------- CLARION VIRTUAL WORKSHOP Do you have a story that needs help? The Clarion Virtual Workshop can give you the valuable pointers you're looking for. For details, see the Clarion Foundation web site at http://www.theclarionfoundation.org/online_workshops.htm ---------- Till next time, write on! The Clarion Foundation
05/21/06 -- Clarion E-bulletin #4Greetings, Clarionites, and welcome to issue #4 (May 2006) of the Clarion E-Bulletin... ---------- JAMES PATRICK KELLY CHAT, TUESDAY, MAY 23, 9:00 PM EDT James Patrick Kelly knows Clarion inside and out. He voluntarily immersed himself twice (1974 and 1976) in the flowing waters of the river Clarion (but not the Red Cedar). He has since returned as an instructor and now serves on the Clarion Foundation board of directors. He was the leader of the first CF story critique session (check the workshop archives, available on the CF message boards) and on Tuesday, May 23 at 9 pm EDT, he will be our guest in the Clarion Foundation chatroom, where we can grill him about his unaccountable reticence in publicizing to the mundane world his Clarion affiliations and also about his recent nominations for the Nebula and Hugo awards. We hope you'll be able to join us. --Nikki Ballard, Chat Host/Coordinator for The Clarion Foundation Diary date: our next chat is with Walter Jon Williams on June 20, 2006, 9 pm EDT ---------- CLARION EBAY AUCTION - DEADLINE FOR DONATIONS: JULY 1 The 2006 Clarion auction is up and running. The deadline for donations is July 1 while the auction itself will be held during September. There's still plenty of time to donate items - and even more time to decide which of our already donated items you just can't live without. For further questions or to check out the current list visit We are particularly keen to have more established writers donate 'naming rights' to fictional characters. We already have one such donation from Walter Jon Williams but more would be welcome. Why? Because 'naming rights' are a potentially very valuable source of revenue for the Clarion Foundation - for example last September a fund raising auction on behalf of the First Amendment Project raised $21,500 from the sale of a character's name in what was to become Stephen King's latest novel 'Cell'. ---------- CLARION CLASS OF 2006 NAMED Elizabeth Zernechel, the Director of the Clarion Workshop at MSU, has announced the names of the Clarion class of 2006. Liz says "This was by far the most successful pre-workshop period ever. We had 79 applicants. It would have been easy for the review team to fill up the next two years' worth of Clarion classes from the pool. I've gotten to know each of these participants personally, and I truly think this year's workshop is going to be one of the best Clarions to date." This year's participants are: William Alexander, Bradley Beaulieu, Steve Berman, Christopher Cevasco, Brian (BK) Dunn, Jemma EveryHope, Casey Fiesler, Michael Furlong, Stephen Gaskell, Nye Joell Hardy, Vincent Jorgensen, Rahul Kanakia, Sarah Kelly, Felice Kuan, Robert Levy, Livia Llewellyn, Will Ludwigsen, Ceallaigh MacCath-Moran, Sean Manseau, Aimee Poynter, Shveta Thakrar, Alex Wilson. ---------- CLARION CIRCLE MEMBERS ONLINE We now have a directory of Clarion Circle members online in the Circle website area. This version of the directory is arranged alphabetically by last name but we are also putting together a version arranged by country and postal code which should be in place by the end of May. You can find the directory at http://www.theclarionfoundation.org/private/directory-alpha.htm ---------- CLARION VIRTUAL WORKSHOP PROGRAM The Clarion Virtual Workshop program's first critique (of a short story by Circle member Boris Layupan with James Patrick Kelly as the pro leader) has just ended. The whole critique is now being moved from the restricted workshopping area of the message board into the workshop archive area where all Circle members can see and study it. A new critique is now underway. For more details contact the Virtual Workshop coordinator Tracy Taylor at workshop@theclarionfoundation.org ---------- DON'T TOUCH THAT EMAIL FILTER We are changing our emailing arrangements with effect from next month's (June 2006) issue of the Clarion E-Bulletin so that we have a little more space to cover news and events on Planet Clarion. You don't need to change anything but please note that the E-Bulletin will be sent from our new editor Charles Christian's own server which has the 'from' address of: Legal Technology Insider news@legaltechnology.com ---------- Till next time, write on!
4/20/06 -- Clarion E-bulletin #3Greetings, Clarionites, and welcome to our latest issue of the Clarion E-bulletin. We have a number of tasty news-bites to report this time. Don't miss out! Read on. ---------- GENE WOLFE CHAT, FRIDAY, APRIL 21, 2006 AT 9:00 PM EDT That's right, it's THE Gene Wolfe. Forty years of superlative fiction, essays and friendship to the science fiction community. Few in our community are more generous with their time nor more supportive of both aspiring writers and those with working careers in the field. For one hour on Friday, April 21, one of the world's greatest writers will be our guest in the Clarion Foundation Chat Room. Join us at http://www.theclarionfoundation.org/private/chats.htm as we discuss writing, influences, inspirations and wherever the muse takes us. ---------- DO YOU HAVE EBAY AUCTION EXPERIENCE? CLARION NEEDS YOU! The Clarion Foundation's 2006 auction is on hold at the moment due to the loss of our key EBay auction volunteer. If you have EBay auction experience, we urgently need your help. Please lend us a hand. No other event of the year is more important to the future of the Clarion Workshop at MSU. Donations gleaned from the auction are a mainstay of our fundraising efforts. To volunteer, please contact us at volunteer@theclarionfoundation.org ---------- WE'RE STILL TAKING DONATIONS Even though we don't have a firm date for the auction at the moment, we're still busy gathering donated items to auction off. To see what we have and get ideas about what to donate, see the Foundation's web site at http://www.theclarionfoundation.org/auctionitems.htm ---------- CLARION 2006 PROGRESS The deadline for applications to the 2006 Clarion Workshop at MSU has now passed. We're delighted to report that, thanks to hard work and good decisions on the part of the Foundation and MSU, Clarion received a huge number of applications this year. According to one member of the application review team, "This was the strongest batch of applications I've ever seen." This year's list of Clarion instructors is as stellar as ever, including Samuel R. Delany, Joe Haldeman, Nancy Kress, Gardner Dozois, Kelly Link, and Holly Black. If you missed the deadline, don't worry. We're already working on the 2007 list of instructors, and we know it will be equally superb. ---------- CLARION VIRTUAL WORKSHOP TAKES OFF The first Clarion Foundation virtual workshop will take place on the Clarion Circle message board May 5 - 19, 2006. The critique will be finished by Clarion virtual workshops are led by current and former Clarion Workshop instructors. The May workshop will be led by James Patrick Kelly, critiquing Boris Layupan's short story, "Honor and Justice," currently online for downloading at http://www.theclarionfoundation.org/private/workshop-stories/honor.pdf Critiques are only accessible to Clarion Circle members. To take part in the critique, members must fill out the form at http://www.theclarionfoundation.org/private/workshopform.htm and pay the basic workshop fee of $25. The fee enables you to participate in workshops for one year, and entitles you to submit one story for workshopping during that time. Want to join the Clarion Circle? For details see http://www.theclarionfoundation.org/joincircle.htm ---------- Till next time, write on! The Clarion Foundation
3/23/06 -- Clarion E-bulletin #2Greetings! Welcome to Issue #2 of the Clarion E-bulletin. Once again, we'll be brief. -------------------- DON'T FORGET! The pleasure of your company is cordially requested on the occasion of our second chat, this month with our guest Karen Joy Fowler, currently a board member for The Clarion Foundation. Karen has published four novels, the most recent of which is The Jane Austen Book Club, and two short story collections (Artificial Things and Black Glass). Her work has been well-received, earning her the John W. Campbell Award, a Nebula Award, a World Fantasy Award, and a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, among others. Our chat is scheduled for Friday, March 24, 2006, at 9 p.m. EST. Clarion Circle members can participate using either a browser or standard IRC software. For instructions see our web site at http://www.theclarionfoundation.org/private/chats.htm Clarion Circle memberships are available to anyone who makes a donation of $50 or more to the Foundation. In addition to the chats, Circle benefits include access to Virtual Workshops, our private Clarion message board, a mentor program, contract advice, and contact info for other Circle members. For details about how to make a donation and activate your membership, see http://www.theclarionfoundation.org/joincircle.htm Help us keep the light of Clarion burning brightly. Nikki Ballard -------------------- 2006 CLARION AUCTION, DONATIONS NEEDED Due to a shortage of donations, we have decided to push the dates for the 2006 Clarion Auction forward. We will be announcing the new dates soon. Meanwhile, please send in your tax deductible donations as soon as possible! We can use almost anything you can think of, including goods, services, collectibles, tropical vacations, baby alligators...all right, not the baby alligators. But you get the idea. For details, see http://www.theclarionfoundation.org/auction.htm, or simply send your donation to: Auction Coordinator If you need a street address for UPS or FedEx, contact Leslie What at auction@theclarionfoundation.org -------------------- Till next time, write on! The Clarion Foundation
2/21/06 -- Clarion E-bulletin #1Greetings, Clarionites, and welcome to the first issue of the Clarion E-bulletin. We have just a couple of items to announce today -- short and sweet. -------------------- KIM STANLEY ROBINSON CHAT, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 9:00 PM EST You won't get a second chance to Chat history, that is. Join us for the inaugural event in The Clarion Foundation chat series with guest Kim Stanley Robinson. Stan attended Clarion in 1975 and went on to author the Three California's trilogy (The Wild Shore/The Gold Coast/Pacific Edg), the Mars trilogy (Red Mars/Green Mars/Blue Mars), and a number of other novels, as well as shorter fiction such as "The Blind Geometer," "A Short, Sharp Shock," and "Down and Out in the Year 2000." He has been nominated for and won many science fiction writing awards, and been called one of our finest living writers. Is this because of Clarion or in spite of it? Would Kim Stanley Robinson be the writer he is today without Clarion? Join us on Thursday, February 23 at 9 p.m. (EST) at http://www.theclarionfoundation.org/private/chats.htm as we converse on these and other writing-related subjects. Remember, if you haven't already joined us as a Clarion Circle member, there's still time! Don't be caught on the outside looking in. Our history won't won't be the same without you.
-------------------- CLARION EBAY AUCTION START DATE APRIL 1, 2006! We have moved the start date for the 2006 Clarion eBay Auction out a month. The new start date is April 1, 2006. There's still plenty of time to donate items for auctioning, and plenty of time to decide which of our already donated items you just can't live without. Check out the current list at http://www.theclarionfoundation.org/auctionitems.htm -------------------- MOST CLARION CIRCLE FEATURES ARE NOW ACTIVE We've made good progress on getting the Clarion Circle members-only area of our web site up and running. Currently online: the Java chat client we'll be using for Stan Robinson's chat Thursday night, the Clarion Virtual Workshop Program, the Clarion Mentor Program, and our dedicated Clarion message board, featuring the usual crowd in the Bar at the End of the Universe. Shoot the breeze with your fellow oids, get answers to your most pressing questions about the craft and business of writing, and get stories workshopped! Find out how to join at http://www.theclarionfoundation.org/joincircle.htm -------------------- ARE YOU A PROFESSIONAL WRITER? We need you for the Clarion Mentor Program. You've spent years accumulating experience and wisdom about the complex enterprise of writing science fiction and fantasy. Passing some of that knowledge along to a beginner can be rewarding in a purely emotional sense. But it can also be rewarding in practical ways. Explaining to someone else why you work the way you do can focus and sharpen your own writing. And helping to train a generation of high-quality writers too savvy to sign boilerplate contracts with bad clauses serves all professional writers well. Sign up at http://www.theclarionfoundation.org/volunteer.htm and get a free Clarion Circle membership! Questions? Write to mentor@theclarionfoundation.org. -------------------- Till next time, write on! The Clarion Foundation Clarion is supported in part by
Copyright © 2006-2022 by The Clarion Foundation Updated March 04, 2017 |
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