So much of what is on the Internet is yada, yada.
But every once in awhile something makes you stop and say: “now THAT is cool.”
This is one of those things.
Erica Jong was a big literary influence on me when I was in my twenties.
Her first novel, Fear of Flying is NOT likely to make it onto the list of high school reading by women authors (if you’ve read the book you know what I’m talking about) that I am curating.
But if I were making a list of important college-level reading, this book would be right at the top. If you have not read the book, I suggest you do.
If you like it, then pic up a copy of Jong’s latest book, Sugar In My Bowl, Real Women Write About Real Sex, and then, if you dare, pen your own.
So, come on. Do you have a story to tell about the best sex you ever had?
If so, I dare you to write an essay about it and try to win this award for $1,000.00!
More info here. Deadline June 2012.
And P.S. If you need help with essay writing, check out Abigail Green’s upcoming class, Personal Essays That Get Published, which starts August 24th. More info here.
Comments on this entry are closed.
Hmm. An interesting contest on Jong’s part. I wish her site were more
specific about submissions, specifically regarding the copyright, such
as “all entries become property of Erica Jong and/or will be published
online.” What are your thoughts on this, Christina; that is, what would
you recommend is the best way (or ways) to compare the benefits versus
the potential drawbacks of any writing competition vis-à-vis a writer retaining his/her copyright to an article or fiction piece?
I don’t see anything like that, which means that all rights remain with the author. Do you see something about her grabbing rights? That’s what I call it when that happens. And I never appreciate it or go near it.
No, quite the opposite–the Jong site is mum on copyrights. But the skeptic or contrarian in me wonders whether this is just an opportunity for a company/publisher/marketer to step in and publish all or many submissions whether they win the single prize or not (i.e., without fessing up, up-front that they’ll be doing that), simply because the entries are of a confessional and/or controversial nature and will probably garner a lot of eyeballs.