Gail Lukasik's Literary Mystery to be Published!

Congratulations to RU Faculty member Gail Lukasik, whose literary mystery,The Lost Artist, was accepted for publication by Five Star/Cengage. This stand-alone mystery with a Chicago protagonist and an Illinois setting will hit the shelves in May of 2012.

The novel tells the story of Rose Caffrey, a struggling Chicago performance artist.  Caffrey uncovers four nineteenth century murals in an old southern Illinois farmhouse, her quest to discover the unknown artist unearths buried crimes and secrets going back over four hundred years with the potential to transform American history—if she can escape the fate of the other lost artists before her.

Sounds like a page turner! Is it 2012 yet?

Moore's "The Ghost" published in Nap

Congratulations to MFA candidate Timothy Moore, whose short story "The Ghost" appears in the debut issue of Nap literary magazine. Nap is a quarterly fiction and poetry magazine that will appear online and on kindle. You can catch a glimpse of "The Ghost" online through Nap's website. Tim's work promises to thrill, since Nap seeks writing that is sensory, crisp, detailed, odd, humorous, serious, emotional, visual, dense, charming, imaginative, absurd, animated and experimental.  Doesn't sound like something I'd be able to take a nap after!

Stachniak's Poems to Reappear in Future Cycle

In the Spring of 2010, MFA student Alexander Stachniak planted a little seed of poetry and now those poems will blossom in print!  In March, three of Stachniak's poems were published in Future Cycle Poetry, an online literary journal which looks for high-voltage writing.  In 2011, those poems will be in Future Cycle's annual print issue.  Stachniak's work will reappear alongside the poems of Gerald Yelle, a contributing author of Roosevelt's own Oyez Review.  We are excited to see more work from both poets.  Stachniak's "New Year's Eve, at the Store," "For Reasons Unknown," and "We Come Home Blackened" are available for your perusing today on the journal's website.

Nelson's Poems to Appear in Pyrta

MFA Candidate Arielle Nelson has three poems appearing in the Winter issue of Pyrta.  Nelson's work is often haunting and always delightful, which will fit perfectly in this online journal.  Pyrta aims to be a vibrant, multi-cultural space and receives submissions from all over the world.  The issue arrives on a computer screen near you on December, 15th.

Nelson will be reading in the Chicago area December 16th for Roosevelt's End of the Semester Reading. Take a sneak peek at her poems tomorrow and then come here her, yes even meet her, at the Book Cellar the next day.  

Introducing Serif

Serif is a group focused on actively pursuing the publication of its member's original work. Comprised of current and former Roosevelt MFA students Serif strives to promote frequent and quality literary submissions. The group has appointed genre leads that help guide and share their experience with other group members concerning the submission process. Each genre selects up to four different literary journals to submit work to over the course of the school term. During the term, they will meet every two weeks to support each other in the creation of new work, revisions, and questions regarding publishing. When possible additional workshops and/or presentations may be available for further assistance. The goal of Serif is to encourage its members to begin living the writer's lifestyle and abolish their anxieties of exposing their work to the world.

Serif members also have access to an interactive, informational website with essential links, discussion board and other quality features.

The first meeting of Serif is scheduled for Monday, January 25 at 5pm near the downtown RU campus.

If you are interested in joining Serif, attending the meeting or have any questions requiring further information, please contact creator Brittany Turski by emailing her at serifgrp@gmail.com.