Archive for the ‘Literary’ Category

You  may have noticed that things got a little slow for 411 NOLA at the end of 2011. Well…good things are still happening this year.  In fact, two of our contests end today, December 31, 2011.  Don’t miss you chance to win tour tickets, cash, and more.  (See below for more info.)

2012 is almost here, and 411 NOLA will reach its 2nd birthday in April.  It’s hard to believe, but it is true.  We hope to grow, to improve upon what we are already doing, and to create more ways to generate revenue so that we can continue to get better.  Christmas and Chanukah may be over, but there is still time to give 411 NOLA a gift.  Email us at info@411nola.com to find out how.

Thanks for your patronage in 2011.  Stick with us in 2012.  The best is yet to come (like Saints in the Super Bowl).  Who Dat!

These Contests End Today

1. To honor the publication of the 2nd edition of poet Asia Rainey’s book Soul Chant and to celebrate the upcoming WRITE, NOLA! POETRY FESTIVAL, a two-day festival aimed at revitalizing the local poetry scene, 411 NOLA is sponsoring a contest for poets and spoken word artists.  We are calling it the “Poetic Soul Contest”.   Deadline to enter is December 31, 2011 at 11:55 p. m. CST.  For full details and for info on how to enter, click here.
2. Win a pair of tickets for a walking tour courtesy of Strange True Tours of New Orleans.  This R-rated  tour tells the true tales of thieves, prostitutes, murders, and malcontents.  You’ve never been on a tour like this and you’ll never forget it once you do.  To enter to win this prize, email your name, your phone number, and your mailing address to contests@411nola.com.  You must put “Strange Tours” in the subject line of your email.  You must also name on thing about New Orleans that you think is strange.  Your answer may appear on our website.  Your name will not published.  A winner will be chosen at random using Random.org.  411 NOLA will not keep your info on file after the contest is over.  We respect your privacy.  Deadline to enter is December 31, 2011 at 11:59 p. m. CST.

Bayou Magazine, the literary journal of the University of New Orleans is hosting two writing contests, one for fiction writers and one for poets.  Entries will be accepted now through December 31, 2011.  Read on for more info.

JAMES KNUDSEN EDITOR’S PRIZE FOR FICTION

The winner will receive $500, publication and a year subscription.

Finalists will be named on our website.

The 2011 judge is Joseph Boyden.

-   Submissions must be original, previously unpublished work of fiction, no longer than 7500 words.

-   Reading fee:  $15, includes a one-year subscription to Bayou

-   You may enter more than one story, but each submission must arrive in a separate envelope with its own cover sheet and entry fee.

-   We accept novel excerpts if the submission stands alone as a complete short story.

KAY MURPHY PRIZE FOR POETRY

The winner will receive $500, publication and a year subscription.

Finalists will be named on our website.

The inaugural judge is Kay Murphy.

-   Submissions must be original, previously unpublished poetry.

-   Reading fee:  $10, includes a one-year subscription to Bayou.

-   You may enter up to three poems per entry.

ALL ENTRIES

-   Please include a cover sheet with your name, address, phone number, email address, and the title of your submission. Do not include your name on the pages of the story. Any story with identifying material will be disqualified.

-   We accept simultaneous submissions, but please indicate this on your cover sheet. You must notify us immediately if your work has been accepted elsewhere.

-   All manuscripts should be in 12pt Times New Roman and double spaced with standard 1” margins.

Send your submission, cover sheet and check made payable to UNO FOUNDATION to Bayou Magazine, Department of English, University of New Orleans, 2000 Lakeshore Dr., New Orleans, LA 70148

For more information about Bayou: http://cola.uno.edu/bayou/

What is paranormal romance?  You might think that it is a term to describe the relationship you had with your ex, but in fact, it is a literary subgenre of romance fiction.  VK Tremain is the pen name of two sisters, Virgina and Kristina, who write collaboratively.  VK specializes in this subgenre and is the author of the forthcoming novel Gift of Blood.

Earlier this year, VK Tremain came to New Orleans for a visit.  She kept a travelogue of her experiences and shares them on her blog.  411 NOLA had the pleasure of speaking with her and learning more about her craft and her relationship with the Crescent City. Read the rest of this entry »

The Big Easy Experience Contest is here!  You can win a prize package worth over $900 that brings the best of the Big Easy to you.  This awesome prize package includes

• a 2-night stay for two people at the Marigny Manor House Bed and Breakfast
• 2 cocktail Jazz history tours (drinks included) from Southern Hospitality Tours LLC
• a Photo Safari for two courtesy of See It My Way Photo
• a one-hour gondola ride for two courtesy of NOLAGondola.com
• dinner for 2 to a local restaurant
• a custom-made itinerary from 411 NOLA
• a set of 10 New Orleans-themed photo note cards
• a Voodoo Doll from the film Desiree
• a copy of The Coffee Shop Chronicles of New Orleans by David Lummis
• a copy of the CD Disco Zydeco by the Bonhoffs
• 2 411 NOLA-branded T-shirts of your choice

To enter to win this awesome prize package send your name, your mailing address, and your phone number to contests@411nola.com.  You must put “The Big Easy Experience” in the subject line of your email.  Limit one entry per household.  Deadline to enter is Sunday, October 30, 2011 at 11:59 p. m.

Please note that the gift certificate for two for 2-nights at the Marigny Manor House Bed and Breakfast is not good during special event dates and that the gift certificate is valid through August 2012.

The winner will be chosen at random using Random.org.  411 NOLA will not keep your personal info on file after the end of the contest.  We respect your privacy.

New Orleans is associated with many famous authors:  Truman Capote, Tennessee Williams, Ann Rice (just to name a few).  Of course, a local boy named John Kennedy Toole, author of A Confederacy of Dunces, is perhaps our most famous.  There are many important authors working in Louisiana right now.

Some of those authors are featured in the Fall issue of the Swamp Lily Review, a literary and arts journal that publishes work exclusively from people who live in Louisiana.  The interviews, photos, stories and poems that Swamp Lily publishes are of the highest caliber and reveal the creative soul of the state.  Happy reading!