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Feb 22

Appearance at Oklahoma Writers’ Federation 2013 Conference

I’m thrilled to announce that I’ve been invited as a guest to the 2013 OWFI Conference in Oklahoma City, May 2–4.

The Oklahoma Writers’ Federation Inc. runs one of the best-run and friendliest conferences in the country, bringing together hundreds of writers with experienced editors, agents and authors. For me, it’s a return visit; I’ve been a speaker there a number of times (2003, ’04, 06, and ’07), presenting on topics from developing a sense of place and story techniques in fiction to tips on working with publishers or self-publishing.

It’s a talented group of writers that organize this big annual get-together, and they take good care of the guest presenters. I’d recommend the conference to anyone.

This year’s speakers include bestselling fantasy novelist Patrick Rothfuss, a fellow Wisconsinite, and Jane Friedman, a leading expert on best practices for authors using new media and technology, from blogs and websites to e-books.

I’ll be there wearing my editorial hat, fielding pitches as Editorial Director of Crickhollow Books (www.CrickhollowBooks.com), publishing diverse fiction and nonfiction, and Crispin Books (www.CrickhollowBooks.com), an imprint for genre fiction, professional handbooks, and literary memoirs.

Besides taking pitches for Crickhollow and Crispin, I’ll also be talking with writers about improving the quality of their manuscripts and pitches, even if the projects are headed to other presses large or small (or destined for self-publishing approaches).

I’m looking forward to seeing old friends from the region (Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Kansas) and making new ones. If you’re attending OWFI, be sure to find me and say hi!

Feb 22

New Website Design

The Great Lakes Literary website is undergoing a major design change, powered by WordPress software, along with a move to a new web host. The site will be fully functional by Monday morning, February 25. Thanks for your patience!

Feb 8

The New Writer’s Handbook 2007

The New Writer’s Handbook 2007:
A Practical Anthology of Best Advice for Your Craft & Career
Edited by Philip Martin • Scarletta Press, 2007
Writing/Reference
288 pp. • over 60 contributors • ISBN 978-0-9765201-6-0 • $16.95

Winner, Book of the Year Award (careers category)
National competition sponsored by ForeWord Magazine “representing the best work from independent publishers”

Reviews

“From the preface by Erica Jong to the closing piece by Mary Pipher, it surprises and satisfies.”
– Library Journal (Starred Review)

“The most evident indication of the quality of Philip Martin’s book is its wide and various array of authoritative contributors . . . Their individual voices invigorate the work as a whole, making it more appealing than most how-to books.”
– ForeWord Magazine

“It’s an impressive debut.”
– Erika Dreifus, The Writer magazine

“The New Writer’s Handbook inspires writers to brush up and branch out, explore and think differently about their work, their skills and abilities.”
– Amy Brozio-Andrews, Absolute Write

“Expertly compiled and deftly edited. . . a critically important and strongly recommended addition to personal, professional, academic, and community library reference collections.”
– Midwest Book Review

Feb 7

How To Write Your Best Story

How To Write Your Best Story
How To Write Your Best Story:
Advice for Writers on Spinning an Enchanting Tale
by Philip Martin

Crickhollow Books • June 2011
Writing / Reference / Instructional Guides
$14.95 • softcover

“An inspiring, captivating gem of book on the storyteller’s art. I loved it.”
– Douglas Clegg, author of Neverland, Isis, Afterlife, and other acclaimed & bestselling novels

“What he succeeds in doing, admirably, is not only describing some of the elements of good storytelling, but describing them in such a way as to model good storytelling in the very act of explaining it. In short, this book is wonderfully readable.”
– Moira Allen, Writing-World.com

Beginning writers often wonder what it takes to get published. This book looks at what really makes fiction work: good storytelling!

Unfortunately, storytelling skills, despite their immense value to all writers, are seldom emphasized in writing courses.

How To Write Your Best Story focuses on three key elements that fuel the magic of story: intriguing eccentricity, delightful details, and satisfying surprises.

The storytelling techniques are time-tested and used by the best authors, including winners of the Nobel Prize, the Pulitzer, and National Book Award, as well as by commercially successful authors whose books appear on bestseller lists.

This guide draws on the author’s decades of experience in the book trade, studying what really works for emerging writers and editing many books of advice on literary craft and career development.

The practical tips, techniques, and examples of best practices here draw on the work of great storytellers – from Shakespeare, Dickens, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Mark Twain to Willa Cather, E.B. White, and James Thurber to Neil Gaiman, Ivan Doig, and Patrick Rothfuss.

How To Write Your Best Story will help you understand how to craft better fiction (or narrative nonfiction) and get your best work published.

Philip Martin is an experienced editor of many books of advice for authors. Previously acquisitions editor for The Writer Books, he has also written A Guide to Fantasy Literature and award-winning books on traditional culture. He lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Feb 7

A Guide to Fantasy Literature


A Guide to Fantasy Literature:
Thoughts on Stories of Wonder & Enchantment
by Philip Martin

Crickhollow Books • 2009
$16.95 • Softcover
Literary Studies / Fantasy

“Interesting, learned and accessible thoughts on all aspects of fantasy fiction . . . A Guide to Fantasy Literature is a very good book. Anyone with a strong interest in fantasy literature will come away from Martin’s guide knowing more than what they arrived with.”
– January Magazine

“A Guide to Fantasy Literature is a must for literary collections or those fascinated with the fantasy genre as a whole.”
– Midwest Book Review

Note: This is a substantially revised edition based on my earlier work, A Writer’s Guide to Fantasy Literature (ISBN 0-87116-195-8), published by The Writer Books (2002, now out of print). The new edition is oriented more broadly to a general audience of readers and writers of fantasy.

A Guide to Fantasy Literature is a wide-ranging look at the magic of fantasy storytelling and why it enchants readers of all ages. The book discusses the nature of the best writing, from tales of Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and Narnia to other diverse examples of classic high fantasy, dark fantasy, fairy-tale, magic realism, and adventure-fantasy tales.

Chapters examine the major building blocks of fantasy fiction and discuss its purpose and popularity today. The book includes material from interviews and many samples of exemplary passages from the writings of the best fantasists, drawing an inclusive picture of a vibrant literary community.

The book looks to bridge any perceived gap between literary and genre approaches, focusing on the roots of fantasy in imaginative stories of faith and belief, wonder and awe (in ways that distinguish the field from science fiction).

Feb 7

The Writer’s Guide to Fantasy Literature

Writer's Guide to Fantasy Literature, by Philip Martin

The Writer’s Guide to Fantasy Literature
From Dragon’s Lair to Hero’s Quest
edited by Philip Martin
The Writer Books (2002); 220 pages; $16.95

“A decent overview of an overlooked genre…. Recommended for academic libraries supporting broad writing programs and all public libraries.”
— Library Journal

“Practical and undogmatic … so well done that my recommended list [of books for writers] just got one book longer.”
— Charles de Lint, in Fantasy & Science Fiction magazine

“A genuinely valuable book, intelligently assembled and edited.”
— Peter S. Beagle, World Fantasy Award winner

“Truly inspiring and insightful ‘must-read’ for anyone looking to improve their fantasy writing.”
— Midwest Book Review

“I hope lots of young writers find this book—it’s a great deal of fun to read, and has some very sensible advice.”
— Patricia A. McKillip, World Fantasy Award winner

“Rich with insights, thorough and knowledgeable, it’s the best and most reliable guide to a multi-faceted subject. In addition to all-around excellence, it offers the essential components of lucidity and common sense, of usefulness and practicality. At heart, it’s a work of deep love and understanding of a powerful literary genre.”
—Lloyd Alexander, Newbery Award winner

“The book is really practical and stimulating—unlike many in the field.”
—Joan Aiken, winner of the Guardian Award for The Wolves of Willoughby Chase series

“This is a terrific book for fantasy writers of all levels. Highly recommended.”
—The Internet Writing Journal

“A sharing of practical creativity. . . . interwoven with a wonderful dialogue of what defines the genre without actually boxing it in. . . . I found this book immensely satisfying.”
— Marianne Plumridge, for www.infinityplus.co.uk

Feb 7

Rosemaling in the Upper Midwest

[additional text to come.]

Rosemaling in the Upper Midwest: A Story of Region and Revival
by Philip Martin
Wisconsin Folk Museum, 1989, 94 pages

This book was essentially developed as an expanded exhibit catalog, documenting a Norwegian-American folk painting tradition of rosemaling that became popular across parts of Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, and the greater Upper Midwest region.

It covers a wide spectrum of evolving traditional approaches to this decorative painting style, originally from Norway, brought over by immigrants, then adapted, and then revived and retaught in more strictly Norwegian styles by visiting guest instructors from Norway.

The result was a fascinating cultural stew of Midwestern rosemaling, from ultra-traditional/revival approaches to uniquely Midwestern hybrid forms.

Featured artists in the book include Per Lysne and Ethel Kvalheim of Stoughton, and many others. The artifacts range from traditional Norwegian wooden chests, bowls, and chests to odder items found in the Midwestern Norwegian-American communities like fireman’s hats, tobacco hoes, and bowling pins.

As director of the Wisconsin Folk Museum (then in Mount Horeb, now a part of the Wisconsin Historical Society collections), Philip Martin interviewed rosemalers, while Martin and Lewis Koch photographed them and their work, while assembling a rosemaling exhibit that represented the work of more than 50 rosemalers. The exhibit ran from 1988 to 1995 at the Folk Museum.

Feb 7

Farmhouse Fiddlers Book – Reviews

This is one of the first books I authored myself:

Farmhouse Fiddlers: Music & Dance Traditions in the Rural Midwest
by Philip Martin, with photos by Lewis Koch
softcover nonfiction • 128 pages • 11” x 8 1/2” • over 80 photographs
Music / American Rural History • published by Midwest Traditions
1994 • ISBN 1-883953-06-5 • $19.95 list price

Music & Dance Traditions in the Rural Midwest
If you want to find copies of Farmhouse Fiddlers, it’s available on Amazon.com. It’s not stocked in bookstores anymore, and it may appear in some databases as “no longer in print,” but I’ve still got about 200 copies left from the original print run of 7,500 copies, plus there are any number of used copies floating around, so it’s not hard to get!

I wrote the book after many years of traveling around and interviewing old-time fiddlers and their families, along with lots of archival research. The book documents a significant slice of Midwestern history that was under-reported in the written historical records (as a lot of traditional cultural heritage tends to be) and was to great degree disappearing (and in the last several decades since this fieldwork was done, has indeed mostly disappeared, replaced by popular music, with the loss of the localized, homegrown versions once found all over the Midwest.)

Personally, I am a very mediocre fiddle player, a fellow who enjoys “scratching the guts of a cat with the tail of a horse,” but I can keep a beat and play for dances or sit on a porch and have a good time with good friends. I learned to play from old-timers in Wisconsin and Minnesota, notably Edwin Johnson, and with friends at Folklore Village, a rural folk center near Dodgeville, Wisconsin. I worked for some years as business manager and workshop leader, while doing field research projects with grants from Wisconsin Arts Board, National Endowment for the Humanities, and other sources.

I’m pleased and proud to note that Farmhouse Fiddlers won an award from Council for Wisconsin Writers as the best Wisconsin nonfiction book of the year and was well reviewed in many places.

Awards & Praise for Farmhouse Fiddlers
Leslie Cross Award (for book-length nonfiction), Council for Wisconsin Writers
Outstanding Achievement Award, Wisconsin Library Association

“. . . a valuable study that preserves (through interviews with musicians themselves) and documents (in many fine and well-selected photographs) the world of these vital rural fiddlers. . . .” — Choice

“. . . this collection of anecdotes and photographs captures the cadence of the old-time fiddlers in funny and moving stories.” — Bloomsbury Review

“This is a marvelous, lovingly constructed tribute to a bygone era.” — Sing Out!

“. . . a perfect marriage of photography and spoken history.” — Minneapolis Star Tribune

“Fiddlers rejoice!” — Bluegrass Now

“. . . a lovely book about a gentler, sweeter time . . .” — Dirty Linen

“Ample quotes . . . lift this book from merely reporting on the flowering and decline of a tradition. . . . gives insight into the ways in which old-time music fits into the lives of the people who play and appreciate it.” — Minnesota History

Feb 1

Didn't We Have Fun!

Didn’t We Have Fun!

DIDN’T WE HAVE FUN!
by Hilda Robinson & Jeff Kunkel

Crickhollow Books • July 2012
Trade Hardcover (laminated cover) • 48 pages • 28 illus. • 10” x 10”
Picture Book / African-American Life & Culture / Ages 5 and up
$19.95 • ISBN 978-1-933987-17-0

Click here to order Didn’t We Have Fun! from Amazon.com
Click here to order Didn’t We Have Fun! from Barnes & Noble Online
Click here to find an independent bookstore near you

“. . . a beautiful book portraying impressionistic paintings of Hilda’s childhood memories. The pictures are stunning and reminded me so much of my own childhood. The best part was telling the story to my son and watching his wonderful awe-filled reaction. I absolutely love and highly recommend this lovely book.” – Brenda Bowen

“Anyone from any background will be able to relate to the celebration of childhood, family nurturing, faith, love and community expressed in this book. You will treasure it for a lifetime.” – Dr. Terri Renee Jett

Didn’t We Have Fun! is a vibrant, colorful look at African-American family life and culture, seen through the eyes of a celebrated artist. Hilda Robinson, artist and grandmother, shares the joys of growing up in a closely-knit African-American family and neighborhood, long before television was invented.

You’ll meet Hilda’s four sisters and one brother, her Mama and Daddy, her Philadelphia neighborhood of red-brick row houses.

Enjoy with her the games she played, the songs she sang, the chores she did, the prayers she prayed, and the abiding love of life that shines through these dynamic, delightful paintings of a girl and the place she grew up.

Hilda Robinson was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She studied at Temple University and the University of California at Berkeley, earning her Master of Arts degree when she was fifty years old. Her work is featured each year in the Art of Living Black, an annual exhibition at the Richmond Art Center in California, and in many private and corporate collections. She lives in Oakland, California.

Jeff Kunkel wrote the text based on interviews with Hilda. A United Methodist minister, he is an accomplished artist and author of a number of books for adults and young readers. He also lives in Oakland.

Feb 1

Blue Zoo Writers

Blue Zoo Writers

Blue Zoo Writers is a website that offers diverse advice for emerging authors who wish to write better and get published.

The website was launched in 2012. It features articles written by Philip Martin, along with occasional guest posts from other professional writers, editors, and literary agents.

Blue Zoo was developed and designed using the Magazine Basic template for WordPress.