Would You Write More, or What? The Quest to Publish Historically-Based Creative Writing in the Contemporary Literary Marketplace (A Roundtable)

Sponsoring Organization(s)

Special Session

Organizer Name

Curtis VanDonkelaar

Organizer Affiliation

Michigan State Univ.

Presider Name

Curtis VanDonkelaar

Paper Title 1

Discussant

Presenter 1 Name

Grace Tiffany

Presenter 1 Affiliation

Western Michigan Univ.

Paper Title 2

Discussant

Presenter 2 Name

Amanda Sikarskie

Presenter 2 Affiliation

Univ. of Michigan-Dearborn

Paper Title 3

Discussant

Presenter 3 Name

Merrie Haskell

Presenter 3 Affiliation

Univ. of Michigan Library

Paper Title 4

Discussant

Presenter 4 Name

Edward L. Risden

Presenter 4 Affiliation

St. Norbert College

Start Date

11-5-2017 3:30 PM

Session Location

Valley III Stinson Lounge

Description

The literary fiction landscape has seen a recent boom in the positive reception of writing that features elements once relegated to pulp science fiction and fantasy writing. Examples include apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic settings, such as Cormac McCarthy’s The Road, or fantastical elements, such as the work of George Saunders, Kelly Link, and Steven Millhauser. Literary journals such as The Fairy Tale Review and Gargoyle, among many others, now regularly publish works that earn recognition in annual best of science fiction and fantasy collections as well as in traditional literary awards anthologies. However, aside from a slight tendency to publish a few works set in the nineteenth or early twentieth century, mainstream and literary writing markets still seem resistant to much other historically-based writing, especially that which is set in the medieval and early modern periods. This is particularly pronounced in the short-story market. Such writing can be seen as too “literary” for the few historical fiction outlets that exist, yet too “historical fiction” for the vast majority of “literary” markets. This proposed panel discussion invites creative writers who work with such content to share their challenges and achievements in publishing their writing and to make some sense of this continued dearth of opportunity.

Curtis VanDonkelaar

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May 11th, 3:30 PM

Would You Write More, or What? The Quest to Publish Historically-Based Creative Writing in the Contemporary Literary Marketplace (A Roundtable)

Valley III Stinson Lounge

The literary fiction landscape has seen a recent boom in the positive reception of writing that features elements once relegated to pulp science fiction and fantasy writing. Examples include apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic settings, such as Cormac McCarthy’s The Road, or fantastical elements, such as the work of George Saunders, Kelly Link, and Steven Millhauser. Literary journals such as The Fairy Tale Review and Gargoyle, among many others, now regularly publish works that earn recognition in annual best of science fiction and fantasy collections as well as in traditional literary awards anthologies. However, aside from a slight tendency to publish a few works set in the nineteenth or early twentieth century, mainstream and literary writing markets still seem resistant to much other historically-based writing, especially that which is set in the medieval and early modern periods. This is particularly pronounced in the short-story market. Such writing can be seen as too “literary” for the few historical fiction outlets that exist, yet too “historical fiction” for the vast majority of “literary” markets. This proposed panel discussion invites creative writers who work with such content to share their challenges and achievements in publishing their writing and to make some sense of this continued dearth of opportunity.

Curtis VanDonkelaar