You're Invited to Be a Writer | The Weekly Atticus (03/22/2019)

You're Invited to Be a Writer

March 23, 2019

A recap of the week at Atticus Review, along with some extras.

I recently worked with a student who said she didn’t consider herself to be a “real writer.” She has been writing for quite some time and was in the final editing stage of a large project, though she was hesitant to take the next step. Then, as I was scrolling through Twitter the day after she said this, I spotted a post by another writer that implied he wasn’t a “real writer” when compared to others.

I'm not sure what qualifies as a "real writer" but I suspect that it varies for each person. For some, any level of accomplishment will never be enough. And while holding oneself to a high standard is a good thing, getting caught up with labels only creates another obstacle. It is a self-imposed barrier that can prevent writers from sending out work and applying for grants or other opportunities.

Imposter syndrome is real and pervasive in the literary world. Here's the big secret: everyone thinks they're a fraud too. 

Maya Angelou once said: “I have written 11 books but each time I think ‘Uh-oh, they’re going to find out now. I’ve run a game on everybody, and they’re going to find me out.’” If you suffer from imposter syndrome, you couldn’t be in better company. Maybe there is some solace in knowing this. The important part is not letting it stop you.

I told my student this: You don't need to publish in a specific journal or attend every conference or win a grant. You don’t need to achieve x by a certain age. If you write, and the thought of not writing is unbearable, congratulations—you're a writer. 

We'll be at TABLE 9044 at #AWP2019 in Portland next week. Stop by and say hi!Thanks for reading. We’re glad you’re here.Dorothy BendelManaging Editor 

ATTICUS NEWS

STOP BY OUR TABLE AT #AWP2019 IN PORTLAND!WHEN YOU PICK UP OUR LATEST PRINT ANNUAL,YOU'LL GET A LAPTOP STICKER (clean or salty, while they last!)

Congratulations to these Atticus Alumni!George Drew, Toshiya Kamei, Ben Slotky, Jan Stinchcomb 

Not going to AWP? We'll begin to ship Print Annual's in early April.You can still pre-order your copy today!Use code PREORDER2 at checkout for 25% discount.

THIS WEEK AT ATTICUS

INTERVIEWEXCAVATING "THE SKINNED BIRD"Dorothy Bendel chats with Chelsea Biondolillo"...every story is a thread that is being pulled from a whole sweater of my life and my in-the-moment response is to default to ‘it’s all important.’"READ ON

BOOK REVIEWFLUID IDENTITIES AND MYTH-MAKING ABROADA Review of STAMPED: AN ANTI-TRAVEL NOVEL by Kawika GuillermoReview by Alina Grigorovitch"...[the book] focuses on the expatriate lifestyle, psychologically and logistically worlds apart from the week-long vacation or the Eat, Pray, Love journey of self-discovery."READ ON

FICTIONPSYCH WARD by Len Kuntz"One of us is plucking agitated centipedes out of ears, one has made pasta with red sauce from the roots of her bloody hair..."READ ON

POETRYfire escapeby Katherine Vondy"there was a time when life burned, it burned, it burned, she thinks, and she has lost it."READ ON

VIDEOPOEMMORNING'S FISHINGby Charles Olsen"I don't have any preconception of what a videopoem should be and enjoy the challenge of each poem and the visual language it suggests."READ ON

FILMJORDAN PEELE’S US WILL KEEP YOU UP AT NIGHTA review of Jordan Peele's US by Olivia Funderburg"To follow up the massive success of Get Out, Peele broadens his canvas rather than totally shifting his focus. Class and race are salient concerns once again. The question of identity and place within a social structure takes a further, nightmarish twist."READ ON

SUPPORT ATTICUS!

Giving = Loving. We are able to bring you content such as this through the generous support of readers like yourself. Please become a regular

today. Some subscription levels include our Print Annual. Also, free entry to all our contests.

Thank you!!