Feb. 2-6: Series brings editing, publishing showcase to WSU

Lenney,-left,-and-ParlowPULLMAN, Wash. – Dinah Lenney of the Los Angeles Review of Books and Marcia Parlow of the New England Review will conduct public discussions and student workshops during the week of Feb. 2 through Feb. 6 as part of the Washington State University Visiting Writer Series.

Lenney – also a writer and actress who has appeared on such shows as ER and Sons of Anarchy – will read from her work and take audience questions at the Museum of Art/WSU on Feb. 5 at 5 p.m. Parlow will lead a roundtable discussion in the Honors Hall Lounge, “The Business of Publishing in Print, Web, and Beyond,” beginning at noon of Feb. 6.. Both events are free and open to the public.

Joining Parlow will be special guest panelists Jordan Durham, editor-in-chief of Fugue (the literary journal of University of Idaho’s Master of Fine Arts program); Stephanie Lenox, founder and editor of Blood Orange Review; and Scott Slovic, editor of ISLE: Interdisciplinary Studies in Literature and Environment.

Lenney and Parlow will each host a student workshop on editing/publishing during the week. Details are at http://libarts.wsu.edu/english/visitingwriterseries.html

Both visiting writers have developed notable careers. Lenney is the senior nonfiction editor for the nationally recognized Los Angeles Review of Books. She teaches at the University of Southern California–Dornsife, the Bennington College MFA program, and Pacific Lutheran University’s Rainier Writing Workshop. Publishers Weekly called her recent essay collection The Object Parade “heart-stopping.”

Parlow is the managing editor of the New England Review (NER), one of North America’s oldest and most distinguished literary journals. A graduate of Middlebury College, where NER is based, she was a former editor at both William Morrow and Houghton Mifflin. She is involved with the Bread Loaf Writers’ Conference and was a critic for Publishers Weekly.

Lenney and Parlow are both well-known writers and editors who give their audiences “a high-quality experience,” said Debbie Lee, WSU professor of English and co-director of the Visiting Writer Series.

“The English department recently launched an Editing and Publishing Certificate, so we’re committed to bringing prominent editors and publishers to campus to work with students,” Lee said. “These folks have hands-on knowledge about the industry and can teach students important skills. Access to top-quality industry professionals and networking opportunities gives WSU students yet another leg up in the editing and publishing industry,” she said.

“Our aim is to bring new ideas and information to the broader community and to expose students to the realities and demands of one of this country’s fastest growing and most dynamic professional fields,” said WSU Professor of English Peter Chilson,

This is the third segment of the 2014-15 Visiting Writer Series hosted by the Department of English at WSU, featuring award-winning authors, editors, and more in free, public events. More information: http://libarts.wsu.edu/english/visitingwriterseries.html

The event is cosponsored by the WSU Honors College, Office of the Provost, and Academic Success and Career Center.

WSU Visiting Writer Series http://libarts.wsu.edu/english/visitingwriterseries.html

WSU Department of English http://libarts.wsu.edu/english/

WSU College of Arts and Sciences http://cas.wsu.edu/

 

Contacts:

Debbie Lee, Professor of English, at deblee@wsu.edu or 509-335-6812

Linda Russo, Clinical Associate Professor of English, at lrusso@wsu.edu or 509-335-7496

Sabrina Zearott, College of Arts and Sciences, at sabrina.zearott@wsu.edu or 509-335-3965