writing opportunities: Focus on the Family

The Christian organization Focus on the Family is dedicated to helping families thrive. They're open to submissions of short pieces relating to this theme. If you're interested in current opportunities, go to the following website, look under the heading Submissions, and click on the various words under it. https://www.focusonthefamily.com/magazine/call-for-submissions  

Whither Thou Goest: A Life in Pomerania by Karen Kressin

Review by Elma (Martens) Schemenauer

Growing up, I lived near my grandfathers, both named Jacob, and my uncles, two of them also named Jacob. I lived close to a number of my cousins. That sort of family situation was common among people with my Dutch-German Mennonite roots.

 

It was also common among the German Lutherans that Karen Kressin writes about in Whither Thou Goest: A Life in Pomerania. During the time of Kressin's book (1814-1868), this northeastern European area belonged to the powerful German-speaking state of Prussia. (Since 1945, most of Pomerania has been part of Poland.)

 

Whither Thou Goest starts with its main character, Maria Treptow, enjoying a secure and mostly carefree childhood in her family-oriented, church-centred village of Gützlaffshagen. She and her cousins share Christmas traditions, pick cherries, and carry meals to workers in the hay fields. Through specifics such as these, Kressin paints a colorful and heart-warming picture of life at the time in that setting.

 

As the book continues, we read of Maria's experiences as a young woman with a young woman's enthusiasms and temptations. Sadly, a misstep leads to shame, disgrace, and a secret Maria refuses to tell.

 

Eventually she moves into a happier situation in another village. The author tells of Maria's joys and challenges as a wife and mother. They culminate with her as a grandmother torn between staying in her beloved Pomerania and emigrating to Wisconsin, as her husband wants to do. A prologue and postscript give highlights of their ocean voyage in 1868, and the new life in America.

 

Occasional German words add to the flavor of this winsome book. They include Pfingstbaum (maypole), Bauerndorf (farm village), Himmel (heaven), and Leevsten (true love). The political and military developments of the times are woven into the story in an informative and interesting way. Black and white drawings by professional artist Ruslan Vigovsky enhance the book's appeal.

 

Whither Thou Goest will resonate with people interested in history, village life, coming of age, faith, love, marriage, parenting, family roots, and the emigration experience.

It's a 196-page illustrated, large-print paperback available from Lulu: http://www.lulu.com/shop/karen-kressin/whither-thou-goest-a-life-in-pomerania/paperback/product-23226964.html

 

 

short fiction opportunity for young writers

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Schreyer Ink Publishing

Invites you to participate in the

Young Writers Anthology

This year's theme:

Looking Ahead

• Submissions open September 1, 2018
• Submissions close October 31, 2018
• Stories should be original, short fiction, 2,000-12,000 words in length
• Stories should be set between the years of 2038 and 2088
• Open to all youth, ages 13-19

More info: schreyerinkpublishing.wordpress.com

Creative Writing Class in Kamloops

Creative writing is fulfilling & fun! Learn insider secrets in the City of Kamloops' Creative Writing Class. FICTION Sep 24 [286783]. MEMOIRS/NON-FICTION Oct 1 [286784]. POETRY with guest speaker Oct 15 [286785]. WRITING FOR CHILDREN Oct 22 [286786].  All sessions are 6:30-8:30 PM at Sahali Secondary School, 255 Arrowstone Drive. $35 per session. Or $110 for all four [286782]. 

To register, call 250-828-3500. Or visit the Museum, 207 Seymour Street, Tue to Sat 9:30 AM-4:30 PM. Or visit kamloops.ca/ezreg online.

Instructor Elma (Martens) Schemenauer is an author-editor who grew up in Saskatchewan, taught in Nova Scotia, and worked in publishing in Toronto for many years. She's the author of 77 published books. They include YesterCanada: Historical Tales of Mystery and Adventure, the 1940s novel Consider the Sunflowers, and the children's books Salmon and Hello Vancouver. Elma has given talks and workshops to numerous groups including the Canadian Authors Association, Federation of BC Writers, Okanagan Valley Writers Festival, Kamloops Adult Learners Society, and Thompson Nicola Regional District Library. Elma and her husband have lived in Kamloops since 2006. For more information, please see http://elmams.wixsite.com/elma .

discouraged about rejections?

Are you discouraged about rejections you get when you query agents & editors about your writing? Here's a good article on that: https://tinyurl.com/y8xyjgzd . There are some ads before and in it, but you can keep reading through and past them. 

science fiction & fantasy novellas: opportunity

Tor.com invites submissions of science fiction and fantasy novellas--20,000 to 40,000 words. Submission period July 30 - August 13. Details are here: https://tinyurl.com/ycgmh2qk

literary periodicals that pay authors

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Many literary magazines & other periodicals DON'T pay authors whose poetry and other works they publish. The following website tells why and lists 22 periodicals that DO pay authors. https://tinyurl.com/y8fx4jlg