Author: Deedra (Page 5 of 6)

I'm the go-to person for all adminitrative details for Sweet. If it's contract or finacial related, I'm your person. However, the only writing or editing you'll see from me is for our Social Media.

Sweet Connections: Alyse Knorr

April 2, 2020 / Deedra / 0 Comments

Each week we will be connecting with our contributors showing where they have been, where they are now, and what’s up for the future.

Name: Alyse Knorr
Title of Pieces Published in Sweet: “Welcome Poem”
Issues: 6.1

Horiz - Alyse Knorr

Find Her:
Facebook

Alyse is an assistant professor of English at Regis University and co-editor of Switchback Books. You can also find out more about her on her website

What are some major accomplishments you have had since your Sweet publication?
Since my Sweet publication, I gained a position as an assistant professor of English at Regis University–my dream job! I also published a few books, took over the editorship of Switchback Books, and had a baby (the latter feels like my biggest accomplishment lately since raising with my 17-month-old is definitely my most exciting daily challenge!).

Can you tell us about a current/ongoing project that you’re excited about?

I’m currently working on a nonfiction book telling the story of a first-person-shooter video game–how it was developed, what its legacy has been since its initial release, and what it tells us about violent video games in general.

Who is your favorite author?

Elizabeth Bishop

What is your favorite poem/essay/book?

My favorite book is The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

What inspires you to write?

I’ve always been most inspired to write by my relationships. I write to process something a friend told me, or to think through what it means to be a new wife or new parent, or what it means to be grieving the loss of a loved one.

What are you reading right now?

There There by Tommy Orange

9780525520375-us

What is your favorite sweet?

My favorite sweet is a Heath Cookout milkshake! What can I say–I’m a true Southerner at heart. : )

Photo by William Rogers

We had to look that one up…never heard of Cookout before! Now we gotta try one!

Thank you, Alyse, for taking the time to reconnect with us. We look forward to seeing more of your work in the future!

Are you a contributor who wants to be a part of Sweet Connections? Come fill out our form!

AWP 2020 – San Antonio

March 2, 2020 / Deedra / 0 Comments

Come visit Sweet: A Literary Confection at the AWP conference in San Antonio, Texas. This week, from Wednesday March 4th to Saturday March 7th, Sweet booth #1121 is featuring a variety of chapbooks for purchase, with author signings scheduled throughout the conference.

Our chapbook and broadside lineup this year includes:

Kindling Book Image - Sml

Kindling by Lisa Laughlin

The remaining copies of our inaugural 2017 Flash Nonfiction Contest winning chapbook are available for purchase. Get this beautiful book before it’s gone.

Borderlines - McCabe Johnson Cover - Page 1

Borderlines by Jill McCabe Johnson

Jill McCabe Johnson’s lyric essay, “Borderlines” dives into memory and water. In poetic prose, Johnson fragments a moment in her life, seeking to understand and uncover the innocence of childhood and the dark shadows that ever follow.

All Of Us - Cover

All of Us—Sweet: The First Five Years edited by Katherine Riegel

If you’re looking for a great poetry anthology, look no further!

LadyInInk_CoverPage

Lady in Ink by R. Claire Stephens

Still our most popular book, Lady in Ink is a mystery, the kind that everyone is trying to solve every minute of their lives: “Why did I do that? Why in God’s name did I do that?”

After the Night, a comic by Jarod Roselló

This comic details a father’s struggle with the demands of raising his little girl. In a heartwarming sketched style, Roselló candidly retells his own experiences and lessons learned on the importance of patience, love, and family.

Body of Starlight by Melissa Carroll

Carroll explores the female body and its connection to the cosmos, shirking conventional ideas of beauty and physicality with sometimes tragic, often witty meditations on Eastern philosophy and Western superficiality. Characterizing womanhood as both supremely divine and hopelessly mortal, Carroll chronicles her experiences, observations, and opinions with intimate detail.

All of these are available in the Sweet Shop online if you can’t make it to San Antonio this year.

New to the Sweet lineup this year – Come check out this Sweet graphic chapbook:

Project Play Image

Press Play by Edward Gunawan, illustrated by Elbert Lim

“Press Play” recounts one person’s story of fighting depression and anxiety in simple, elegant prose and black and white images.

Stop by and say hello to us at booth #1121!

New e-book – Rules for Loving Right

February 28, 2020 / Deedra / 0 Comments

If you missed getting the handmade chapbook, Brian Baumgart’s Rules for Loving Right is now available on Amazon in kindle e-reader format.

Purchase E-Book

And don’t forget to read the awesome interview from exactly this day in 2018!

2019 Flash Nonfiction Winner Announced

January 27, 2020 / Deedra / 0 Comments

We are super excited to announce that a winner has been selected for Sweet’s 3rd Annual Flash Non Fiction Essay contest. Jason Huff will receive $500 his essay, “Animagraphy”. Congratulations!

The runners-up were:

“Gale Force” by Jennifer Smith Gray

“Faraway/Nearby” by Debra Gwartney

All of these essays will be published in the May 2020 issue of Sweet. Many thanks to all who entered their fine work.

2019 Pushcart Nominations

November 11, 2019 / Deedra / 0 Comments

Sweet is proud to announce this year’s Pushcart Prize nominations. Congratulations and good luck to the following authors:

CREATIVE NONFICTION

Hannah Star Bright, “How to Bleed a Child,” Issue 12.1

Kristine Jepsen, “Jaw Wiring,” Issue 11.3

Vandana Khanna, “The In-Between Girl,” Issue 11.3

POETRY

Emily Rose Cole, “MS Nocturne with Fuse, Crosshairs, and Irreparable Fissure,” Issue 11.3

Becca J.R. Lachman, “If I Had It In Me, I’d Make a Grocery List Worthy of My Century,” Issue 11.2

Michael Schmeltzer, “What Accidental Grace Fills the Mistakes,” Issue 11.3

2019 Flash Non Fiction Contest Opens Nov 1st

October 30, 2019 / Deedra / 0 Comments

Flash Non Fiction Essay Contest Postcard 2019_Page_1

Best of the Net 2019 Nominations

September 2, 2019 / Deedra / 0 Comments

Sweet is excited to present our nominations for this year’s Best of the Net 2019. Be sure to read these again!

For Poetry

Sara Ryan, “My Father Asks If I Was Raised By A Jackal”
Published in Issue 11.1 September 2018

Jen Karetnick, “It’s about the dog, but not really about the dog,”
Published in Issue 11.2 January 2019

Cynthia Atkins, “House and Home”
Published in Issue 11.2 January 2019

Diane LeBlanc, “Expired”
Published in Issue 11.2 January 2019

Amanda Moore, “Which Came First”
Published in Issue 11.3 May 2019

Meghan McClure, “Remember That Quince Can Burn Like A Star”
Published in Issue 11.3 May 2019

For Essays

Jody Kennedy, “Ruger Single-Six”
Published in Issue 11.2 January 2019

Vandana Khanna, “The In-Between Girl”
Published in Issue 11.3 May 2019

Congratulations to our nominees and best of luck to you!

2nd Annual Poetry Contest Winner

August 20, 2019 / Deedra / 2 Comments

Sweet Lit is proud to announce this year’s poetry contest winner:

Sara Quinn Rivara, “When I Say Love I Mean El Greco’s The Assumption of the Virgin”

Runners Up were:
Emily Rose Cole, “MS Nocturne with Fuse, Crosshairs, and Irreparable Fissure”
Sara Quinn Rivara, “Instead”
Sara Quinn Rivara, “Love Poem, SE Portland”

Poetry editors at Sweet Lit narrowed down the submissions to 15 finalist poems, which the judge received stripped of identifying information. This year’s contest was judged by Katherine (Katie) Riegel, co-founder and editor of Sweet Lit. She is the author of Love Songs from the End of the World (forthcoming October 2019 from Main Street Rag Publishing), the chapbook Letters to Colin Firth, and two more books of poetry. Her work has appeared in The Gettysburg Review, The Offing, Orion, Poets.org, Tin House, and elsewhere.

The other finalists were:
Julia C. Alter, “Ode to My Kidney Bean (8 Weeks)”
Deborah Bacharach, “Shake and Tremor”
Brood, “Hidden Feathers”
Emily Rose Cole, “Dry Spell”
B.R. Dionysius, “Death is an Iron Lung”
Gregory Emilio, “My Mother and My Father in the Kitchen”
Mariana Goycoechea, “Eternal Return”
Dayna Patterson, “Our Lady of Lengthening Days”
Amie Whittemore, “Ode to Everything, Saunders Trail Attempt”
Amie Whittemore, “Ode to the Half-Male, Half-Female Cardinal”
John Sibley Williams, “Sycamores”

The winning poem will get $500 and publication in Sweet Lit. Some of the finalists will be published in the September 2019 and January 2020 issues.

Congratulations to our winner and finalists! Many thanks to all who entered their fine work. Be on the lookout summer 2020 for next year’s contest.

2nd Annual Poetry Contest

May 8, 2019 / Deedra / 0 Comments

Sweet Lit’s annual poetry contest opens June 1st!

2019 Poetry Contest

We encourage and welcome submissions from diverse voices and under-represented
populations, including, but not limited to, people of color, members of the LGBTQ+
community, those with disabilities, and the elderly.

CLMP’s community of independent literary publishers believes that ethical
contests serve our shared goal: to connect writers and readers by publishing
exceptional writing. We believe that intent to act ethically, clarity of guidelines, and
transparency of process form the foundation of an ethical contest. To that end, we
agree to:

1) conduct our contests as ethically as possible and to address any unethical
behavior on the part of our readers, judges, or editors;

2) to provide clear and specific contest guidelines—defining conflict of interest for
all parties involved; and

3) to make the mechanics of our selection process available to the public. This
Code recognizes that different contest models produce different results, but that
each model can be run ethically. We have adopted this Code to reinforce our
integrity and dedication as a publishing community and to ensure that our contests
contribute to a vibrant literary heritage.

AWP 2019 Portland

March 27, 2019 / Deedra / 0 Comments

Come visit Sweet: A Literary Confection at the AWP conference in Portland, Oregon. This week, from Thursday March 28 to Friday March 30, Sweet booth #10058 is featuring a variety of chapbooks for purchase, with author signings scheduled throughout the conference.

Our chapbook and broadside lineup this year includes:

Kindling by Lisa Laughlin

Lisa will be signing the last of these handmade chapbooks on Thursday from 3:00pm-3:30pm. Don’t miss your chance to get this beautiful book!

Borderlines by Jill McCabe Johnson

Rules for Loving Right by Brian Baumgart

In Rules for Loving Right, Brian Baumgart practices misdirection in that understated way unique to the upper Midwest. These are the final handmade chapbooks we have in our inventory, so get yours before it goes digital!

All of Us—Sweet: The First Five Years edited by Katherine Riegel

If you’re looking for a great poetry anthology, look no further! Katie will be at the booth and ready to tell you more about this book.

Lady in Ink by R. Claire Stephens

Still our most popular book, Lady in Ink is a mystery, the kind that everyone is trying to solve every minute of their lives: “Why did I do that? Why in God’s name did I do that?”

All of these are available in the Sweet Shop online if you can’t make it to Portland this year.

New to the Sweet lineup this year:

After the Night, a comic by Jarod Roselló

Also making a first-time appearance, are the winners from our 2018 Nonfiction and Poetry competitions:

Jaw Wiring: What You Need to Know by Kristine Jepsen (nonfiction winner)

This pamphlet-style prose piece is an excellent teaching tool for explaining hermit crab essays. Using the guise of a medical pamphlet, Jepsen details her own experience with jaw wiring as a treatment for a broken jaw. Each section title and formatting detail alludes to a brochure one might find in a waiting room—but the content takes readers down a different path.

“1943” by McKayla Conahan (poetry winner)

This broadside is created in conjunction with Print St Pete (http://www.printstpete.org/), a community letterpress located in St Pete, Florida. 1943 is a snapshot of a time in world history roiling with conflict and desperation, where the workings of the human heart are raw and real and the ties that bind us together are more important than ever.

McKayla will be signing copies of this beautiful letterpress broadside Friday from 3-3:30.

And if that weren’t all enough…we will be introducing Sweet Aperitifs and their new book from Melissa Carroll, Body of Starlight. Melissa will be signing pre-release copies on Saturday from 10-10:30.

Also available for sale are our Sweet t-shirts and Christmas ornaments. Stop by and say hello to us at booth #10058 and chat with our authors!