2016 has been a great year to find Women Who Submit members in publications all over the world and November was no different. Congratulations to all who were published this month!
From “As a Teen, I Saw Myself in Rory. Now I Strive to Be Like Lorelai,” by Alana Saltz at the Washington Post:
Like Rory, I was an introverted teenager who aspired to share my experiences through writing. Now I strive to be like Lorelai and like my own mother — self-sufficient, independent and resilient.
Also from Alana, “In the 5 Stages of Trump Grief, Acceptance Is Not on My List,” at the Huffington Post:
…I will never, ever accept what Donald Trump stands for. That acceptance would mean surrendering to animosity and bias. That acceptance would make me complacent, allow me to throw my hands up and say, “I guess this is our country now. Everything we’ve fought for in the past means nothing.”
From Kelly Shire‘s “Beautiful Music” at Full Grown People:
After returning home, my imagination kept returning to the desert. I wrote a short story about a woman who lived alone in a trailer on the outskirts of a grove of date palms. The wind blew at night, and the woman lay alone in bed, trying to decipher the curses and premonitions told in the clatter of palm fronds.
From “When Childbirth Feels Like Assault” by Rachael Rifkin at The Development Set:
Every person, regardless of pregnancy status, has the right to informed consent, refuse medical treatment, equal treatment, privacy, and life. (This right was recently codified by the nonprofit Human Rights in Childbirth.) While healthcare professionals can recommend a treatment, the decision to consent to or refuse a procedure is ultimately in the patient’s hands, as long as they are a competent adult.
Also from Rachael, “I Found My Grandparents’ Sorrow Buried in a Trove of Forgotten Letters,” at Narratively:
My grandmother was in labor too long, and the baby kept hitting her head on my grandmother’s pelvis, trying to get out. She should have had a C-section but wasn’t given one. When Paula was finally delivered, they discover she had sustained a cerebral hemorrhage. She developed hydrocephalus – the buildup of too much spinal fluid and pressure on the brain – and died a few months later.
From “Loving v. White Anxiety” by Stephanie Abraham at Bitch Media:
On November 4, the new feature film Loving debuted in the United States. The film’s stunning aesthetics, stellar acting, and timely content made it a contender for the Cannes Film Festival’s top prize, the Palme d’Or, and many believe it will compete for an Oscar. Over the last three weeks, the movie has been gaining speed at the box office, grossing over $4 million. This spike in viewership after the election makes sense. Many are finding the film to be a valuable addition to their post-election anti-stress strategies.
From Muriel Leung‘s “A House Fell Down On All of Us” at Drunken Boat:
The beast of the beast of the mouth
of the beast was a turn-flower.
Carla Sameth was the featured Member Profile at PEN Center USA:
Freedom to Write means the ability to write what I really see, think, and feel, knowing that I will survive the repercussions. For people in certain parts of the world, writing their truth may mean torture or even death. For others it could mean being slammed by Internet trolls, racists, and other haters. Some may even fear the reactions of their closest friends and family. I have become more willing to take risks and write my truest truths thanks to supportive colleagues, groups like Women Who Submit, and organizations like PEN Center USA.
Congratulations to Kate Maruyama whose story “The Sound” appeared in the Fall/Winter issue of Whistling Shade!
Congratulations also go out to Emily Geminder whose collection, Dead Girls and Other Stories, won the Dzanc Books Short Story Collection Prize. The book will be published in Fall 2017 and Emily will win a $1,000 advance.
Congratulations to Arielle Silver whose poem “Sunday Morning” was nominated for a Pushcart Prize! And check out Arielle‘s interview, “Cutting-Edge and Cutting Through Barriers,” with The Review Review.