The Parlor Blog

The Parlor loves this idea and wants to play!

For 2008, seARTS will award six $1500 Partner With an Artist (PWA) artist grants to create work in response to Cape Ann’s literary history. seARTS envisions a series of public artworks using or responding to text from Gloucester’s recently deceased acclaimed Poet Laureate, Vincent Ferrini, renowned poet Charles Olson or the numerous other literary figures who lived in, visited, wrote about and were inspired by Cape Ann.

More info here: http://www.searts.org/PWA.html

This summer The Parlor is hosting its first Creative Connection and we’re thrilled that Hannah Tinti will be coming home to Salem to join us for a reading and conversation about her literary life. Now if only the first crocus would appear…

Hannah Tinti grew up in Salem, Massachusetts. Her story collection, Animal Crackers, has sold in sixteen countries and was a runner up for the PEN/Hemingway award. Her first novel, The Good Thief, will be published by The Dial Press in June 2008. She is co-founder and editor-in-chief of One Story magazine.

We thought we’d pass this one along!

In Things I’ve Learned from Women Who’ve Dumped Me, Ben Karlin, former executive producer of The Daily Show and The Colbert Report, assembles a lineup of insightful tales from men you probably thought never got dumped, or if they did, would never admit it. The male celebrities, writers, and public figures lend their embarrassment, heartbreak, and humor so the rest of us can learn from their failures, or get a laugh at the very least. The likes of Stephen Colbert, Nick Hornby, and Andy Richter did it. Now it’s your turn.

The contest: In 350 words or less, tell us a story—fact or fiction—of lessons learned from getting dumped, being rejected, having a broken heart, or any other (likely embarrassing) tale of woe in the world of love.

The prize: The writer of the winning entry will receive a copy of Ben Karlin’s Things I’ve Learned from Women Who’ve Dumped Me and a $25 Harvard Book Store gift certificate, and the entry will be posted on the Harvard Book Store website with the possibility of being read out loud on Friday, February 29th, when Harvard Book Store presents Ben Karlin at the Brattle Theatre.

The rules: To be considered, a submission must be 350 words or less and be entered by midnight on Wednesday, February 27th.

Submissions will be judged by a panel of discerning Harvard Book Store booksellers.

Just a little Valentines Day fun… Adam getting his love tested at The Willows last summer.

Thanks to Lisa and Pat at Monet’s Garden for inviting us to read from Quick Fiction at their first ever event. The Red Brick Gallery and Monets Garden are incredible–we had a great time! So did Keith Monahan, pictured below, who read stories by Stace Budzko and Mark Yakich from issue 11 of the journal.

Welcome to the first post of the Parlor Blog! We like firsts. We’re all about them. So let’s get started… The first three people to people to post the first sentence of whatever they’re working on right now (whether it be a novel, a story, or a poem) gets a free copy of The Parlor’s literary magazine Quick Fiction. Let the games begin!

But before you get your copy/paste on, I also want to bring your attention to a few other things.

• The Parlor made the first page of The Salem Gazette last week. Many thanks to our new friend Kristin D’Agostino for writing such a great story!
• As you’ll see in the article, we’ve launched a survey to help us shape our programming on the North Shore. I hope you’ll take a moment to tell us what you think.
• If you can commit to doing three simple things to help The Parlor this year you’re eligible to join our Advisory Board. Contact us for more information.