When I began my MFA program in the fall of 2007 (has it really been that long?!), Jennifer Lynn Krohn was a part of my cohort. A poet at heart with a strong work ethic (she used to write poetry in her car on her lunch break at work) and a fun preoccupation with the dark side of fairy tales, Jennifer also is a sharp fiction writer. She won a … Read more
New at Plume This year, Plume has been on quite the journey. We’ve featured some awesome writers, partnered with new vendors, helped sponsor the Albuquerque Women’s March, expanded our Women Who Write blog feature, and raised money to publish an anthology of our first year of letters from successful women writers. We also rebranded our more compact subscription, which is now called The Petite Plume Mailer, and recently we added … Read more
Hello, Plumesters! We hope you’ve been having a fun, productive summer. It’s already back to school time here in The Land of Enchantment, if you can believe it. One nice thing about school starting up again is that because so many literary magazines are connected to colleges and universities, we’re now about to enter look-at-all-the-open-places-to-submit season! Here’s our bi-monthly round-up of some great places that are open and waiting for … Read more
I met Erin when we were both teaching at a community college here in Albuquerque, but I really got to know her when I took a creative nonfiction class she was teaching (It’s a long story, but suffice it to say, it was a great class and I got a published piece out of it). She’s a brilliant, vibrant writer, who challenges the people around her to look beyond their … Read more
If you’re even a casual follower of this blog, then you’re probably well aware of my preoccupation with audiobooks this year. After I had a baby last October (has it really been nine months?!), I had no time to read, but I had plenty of time in a dark room trying to occupy my mind while comforting a newborn at 3 a.m. I already enjoyed audiobooks (Did I mention I … Read more
Albuquerque is a city with no worry. Our mouths are too full of Horchata and green chile to laugh or cry about anything. There’s always an adventure, mischief, curiosity. I leave my home when it’s time to craft new writing. Staring at empty, white walls and carpet with no color becomes weak on my eyes. I think of small cafes with minimum talking or local bookstores. I frequent two places … Read more
I first met Jessica Helen Lopez when I was in grad school at the University of New Mexico and Jessica was an undergrad. She was already a superstar in the poetry slam community and I admit I was a bit intimidated. She may be larger than life but she is down to earth and a supportive and engaged part of the community. And though I may feel invisible, Jessica always … Read more
As writers, there is a lot of pressure to publish our work. Certainly, many of us want to get our writing out there (and, dare we say, even get paid for it?), but should publication be the ultimate goal for a writer? Not a Destination Here at Plume, we say no. There is nothing wrong with wanting to publish your work or for pursuing various avenues through which to do … Read more
“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” -Anne Frank You probably read the title of this blog and thought, Wait, isn’t this a site about creative writing? What does the border have to do with Plume? To answer the first question, yes, Plume is a writing community and subscription service that seeks to uplift and inspire women who are creative … Read more
What Exactly is Creative Nonfiction? by Amanda Cartigiano When I was an undergraduate at UNM, I took Intermediate Creative Nonfiction, a class that should have branched out into various forms of nonfiction, but instead stuck solely to memoir and the personal essay. This does not mean I am not in favor of the memoir; it is the genre that holds every ounce of humanity, validity, and originality of our experiences. … Read more
by Sandra Vallie “Another?” I belched, tossed my empty Marble Whiteout can toward the pile where the honeysuckle once threatened to cover the shed. Hundreds of Abuelo Goyo’s eyes glared from the aluminum pile. I pulled two beers from the melting ice in the cooler. Tossed Georgia one, grinned when the warm beer foamed up and soaked her tailored, pressed pants. “Want to borrow some shorts?,” I offered. “You shouldn’t … Read more
I first met Sandra when she attended DimeStories, an open mic event –for 3-minute stories read by the author– I run in Albuquerque (and beyond). Then she signed up for my Writing Through Grief workshop. We discovered we had a lot in common, including sharing a birthday. We also had cancer in common: her husband, my sister. We also discovered our shared love for Bloody Marys– I found a true … Read more