Construct::Destruct

Opening reception March 9th 6-8.30pm

CountDown Temporary Artspace presents its ultimate exhibition.

Of its own volition, CountDown will implode in the very near future, go underground and may or may not reincarnate in another form, at another time, at other places.

To commemorate its short-lived life, CountDown has invited four DMV artists to participate in this event: Jessica van Brakle, Mei Mei Chang, Scottie Fleming and Thomas Drymon.

Each will construct site-specific works that relate to the theme of construction and destruction. Their works will not be cherished but rather demolished with the art space.

They are open until implosion! Opening reception March 9th 6-8.30pm. All other visits by appointment only – please contact Jackiehoysted@aol.com for details

by Ashley Lister

More often than not, enjoyable fiction is all about characters.

Many readers approach fiction for the excitement of meeting new and interesting characters – the characters that you, the writer, have created. Characters often remain the most vivid and memorable parts of any fiction. This is particularly true in erotica with a heritage that has given us such literary stalwarts as John Cleland’s Fanny Hill (Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure), Pauline Reage’s O (The Story of O), and Justine from de Sade’s Justine ou Les Malheurs de la Virtu.

But creating convincing and credible characters can be one of the trickiest aspects of the craft. The following exercise might be helpful for those writers who want to create a distinctive character that readers will remember long after they’ve finished the final page.

1) Think of an easily identifiable activity or occupation such as cop, soldier, cowboy or office worker.

Ideally, pick an occupation with which you are already familiar, or with which you’d like to be familiar. (It’s worth noting that in the list of occupations above, each of these job titles has been the subject of themed anthologies focusing solely on characters connected to that particular occupation).

2) Once you’ve picked an occupation for your character, write down all the stereotypical things you’d expect that character to do, both positive and negative.

Using one of the examples from above, you’d expect a cop to eat donuts, or blurt out the name of the culprit when watching a whodunit film, or have a set of handcuffs dangling from his or her hip. You’d expect a cop to have a natural air of confidence and a commanding air of authority.

But the chances are you’ve picked a different occupation other than cop. Write a full list of traits that you’d usually associate with a character in the occupation you’ve chosen for this exercise. Include the good traits and the bad traits.

3) Now start to think of things your fictional character could do to become an individual – things that break the stereotypical mould. As an example, the cop I mentioned before might collect fine glassware. This interest in the aesthetic breaks the mould of the stereotype because few people consider police officers to have an appreciation for art or craftsmanship.

This is not to say that police officers don’t have refined taste. But there are a lot of readers out there who see police officers solely as the face of authority with little interest in art.

Could this unexpected aspect of my police officer’s character be considered erotic?

Well, if he has an appreciation for fine glassware, then there’s a chance that his strong and powerful hands could be taking masterful yet sensitive control of a piece of fragile and delicate Lalique. His fingers could smooth against its detailed curves. His broad palms could cup the swell of a rounded base. He could caress a smooth and swollen surface. He could trace his fingernails against unyielding ridges. And this is before the situation has even moved toward being erotic.

Compile a list of traits that would go against the stereotype of the occupation you’ve chosen – make this a list of things that no one would expect your character to do. These facets will make your character stand out as memorable.

4) Write a short scene showing your character going against the conventional norms of their occupation. Write a short scene that shows your character as a unique individual.

Take time with this exercise. It’s not easy but the rewards can be plentiful – for yourself and for your readers. The chances are, after trying this a couple of times, you will have created an intriguing character who demands a place in your next fiction.

The characters we create in our stories are going to live on the page and exist in the minds of our readers. Making these characters as vivid and memorable as possible is a sure way of making our work stay with the reader. More importantly, they give the reader a valid excuse to return to our writing again and again in the future.

Ashley Lister

Virtually Digital VI at Montogomery College

Virtually Digital VI is a biennial exhibition that features the fine art work of regionally, nationally and internationally known artists who incorporate some form of digital method in the creation of their art. Works in this exhibition includes drawings, paintings, photographs, prints, video and mixed media.

The organizer and curator of the Virtually Digital biennials is Professor Mike Cantwell who is the coordinator of the Computer Graphics: Art and Animation program at Montgomery College.

The exhibit will open today, March 5th and runs through April 6th. There will be an artist reception on Wednesday March 21st in the CAT (Communication Arts Technologies) Gallery at Montgomery College Rockville Campus from 6 to 8 PM. The reception is free of charge and open to the general public.

The participating artists are Professor Anne Benolken, Richard Dana, Clay Harris, David Kastner, Agniezka Ligend, Russ McIntosh, John McMahon, Professor Harry St. Ours, and I am honored to have been invited to exhibit in this show as well.

The Gallery is located in room 106 Technical Center (TC) on the Rockville campus, Montgomery College and is open Monday through Wednesday 10 AM until 6 PM, Thursdays 10 Am until 8 PM, Fridays 10 AM until 1 PM, and Saturdays by appointment.

For more information call 240-567-7535, 240-567-7520 or e-mail mike.cantwell@montgomerycollege.edu.

See ya there!

T-Shirt God

Fellow Potomackers: Fresh Flowers and Furry Friends tonight!

I would have picked somewhat of a better title for the show, but watercolors by Barbara Bell, collages by Merry Lymn, digital work based on photographs of flowers by the very talented Bert GF Shankman, fused glass portraits of dogs by Shirley Hendel and ceramics featuring cats by Leigh Partington all make up the next show at Potomac’s Gallery Har Shalom (located at Congregation Har Shalom, 11510 Falls Road, Potomac, MD) and because we’re neighbors, I really want to make sure that this gallery gets some attention! And when was the last time that a gallery held an opening reception that started at 11AM?

Opening Reception: Sunday, March 4, 2012, 11am – 1 pm
Exhibit dates: Friday, March 2 – Monday, April 30, 2012
Call for hours and directions: 301-299-7087

Barbara F. Bell uses her own photographs as a major resource for her watercolor paintings. She focuses in this exhibit on regeneration and renewal in the natural world, her palette reflecting the early light and gentle colors of May along the riverbanks, and in the forests and fields of England and America. Barbara began her formal training in art while on academic leave from university teaching. She worked in studio arts at Montgomery College (Rockville) in the 1980s. Retirement from teaching in Montgomery County Public Schools twenty years later afforded her the time to resume her artwork. See www.bellslessons.com for more information.

Merry Lymn began taking formal collage classes in October 2008. In 2009, she was juried into her first art show, and since then she has been juried into several others. She divides her work into five subject areas–landscape, still life, people, Judaica, and wildcard. For this show, the pieces are exclusively flowers for which she created special Jewish flowers including a Shin Flower, a Vase with Shin Flowers, a Shofar Flower, and a Lily from the Song of Songs. See www.artlymn.com for more images.

Bert GF Shankman presents his Flemish Series of flowers in this show. He first saw this technique of painting when he minored in Art History for his AB at Case Western Reserve University. He practiced this style, called Chiaroscuro, when he studied at the Corcoran College of Art and Design. These pictures use light and dark to model the shapes and forms of the flowers and vases. They are done digitally starting out with photographs of flowers which he grows in his garden. Though decidedly different, they give a feeling of 16th century Flemish art. Visit www.cameraflora.com for more details.

Shirley Hendel was an award-winning decorative painter for many years. Several years ago she was introduced to fused glass and became fascinated with the possibilities for expression that glass materials and techniques offer. She now works exclusively in that medium while trying to maintain the perspective that decorative painting provides. She specializes in pet portraits, especially dogs, but also other creatures both real and whimsical. Her fused glass portraits (you could almost call them caricatures) are not based on actual dogs and cats as much as they are reminiscent of the lovable mutts and house cats that we grew up with or may still be in our lives. Just like these mixed-breed pets, these portraits come in assorted shapes and colors; no two exactly the same.

Leigh Partington has been doing ceramic art for over 30 years. Her work has evolved to include a combination of whimsical wheel-thrown and hand-built pieces that emphasize her love of and appreciation for animals, birds and nature in general. As a feline fancier – cats have always been a part of her life, she portrays them as functional pieces and decorative objects. She combines different clays for a marbled effect in some of her pieces. All pieces are bisque-fired. Then she adds detailed illustrations painted on with Speedball underglazes and dips the pieces in a transparent glaze. She uses a combination of overglazes sponged on the exterior for mottled color effects. The pieces, including ceramic pitchers, garlic keepers, egg separators, ocarinas, and platters, are then oxidation fired in an electric kiln.

Just back…

Just back from the WPA Select Gala on L Street in DC. As usual, tons of collectors, loads of bids and plenty of good art.

Like any auction or group show curated by a diverse set of eyes, there were mostly excellent superb choices; amongst my favorites:

Joan Belmar. Talking Wood #2, 2011. Acrylic, ink, Mylar, wood, and vinyl on plywood, 30″ x 30″

Victoria F. Gaitan. Bustle No. 2, 2011. Archival print on 100% cotton paper, Edition 1/3, 22” x 33”

From the Erotica Readers & Writers Association
By Lisabet Sarai
_______

Dear Bootylicious Babes and Backdoor Boyfriends,

Welcome to the March edition of the Erotica Readers & Writers Association. I chose the salutation above because we seem to have an anal erotic thread running through the site this month. Not that I mind, of course. Anyone who’s read my stories knows how I feel about rear-entry revels. (I recently noticed, with a bit of embarrassment, that there’s a butt plug in every one of my novels!)

In the Sex Toy Playground, to start with, we have Alicia Guinn’s great article “How to Bend Over Your Boyfriend”. Ms. Guinn writes with authority about the myths and truths concerning anal sex, offering step by step instructions for novices that had me, at least, squirming in my chair. Mr. and Mrs. Toy continue the theme with their rave review of the Spare Parts Deuce Male Harness, a machine-washable dildo harness that allows double penetration by the male – but which does double duty when a lady wants to wear it. Our regular Sex Toy Scuttlebutt column includes a couple of devices oriented toward anal exploration (and discount coupons from many of our affiliates). Of course, if butt sex isn’t your bag, you’ll find lots of other pleasure-enhancing artifacts in our Toy pages.

Shouldn’t you take some time out to play?
erotica-readers.com/ERA/ST/Sex_Toy_Playground.htm

I just found out that “pegging” is slang for a female anally penetrating a male. Talk about life-long learning…! In the Adult Movies section, we’re featuring Tristan Taormino’s “Expert Guide to Pegging” – simultaneously educational and arousing.  And speaking of Ms. Taormino, she’s also in the spotlight over in the Books for Sensual Readers section, with her new compendium THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO KINK: BDSM, ROLE PLAY AND THE EROTIC EDGE. I’ve put it on my wish list – as I said, you can always learn something new!

The Movies pages offer many more delights, in particular two very different films directed by Nica Noelle. “A Mother’s Love” deals with the explosive attraction between a devoted mother and her grown-up son’s best friend. The more hard core “Office Affairs: The Office Flirt” offers up a high-powered female executive who takes on the re-education of an inappropriately flirtatious subordinate. I also zeroed in on “The Bodyguard”, the tale of an international mob boss who hires a female bodyguard to keep his sexually insatiable daughter out of trouble – with predictably steamy results. I’m sure you know already that if you’re intrigued by these films, or any others of the dozens we feature, you should use our links to purchase them. Not only will you be supporting ERWA, we’ve also arranged for you to get the very best prices from our partners.

Lights! Camera! And some serious action!
erotica-readers.com/ERA/AM/Adult_Movies.htm

Personally, although I enjoy a lusty adult film (especially if it includes anal sex), I’m a word girl at heart. When I open a new edition of ERWA, the Erotica Gallery is always my first stop. This month, ERWA is honored to have the legendary Maxim Jakubowski as our featured author. His astounding bio is almost as fascinating as the three atmospheric erotic vignettes he’s supplied, set in New Orleans, Venice and Greenwich Village.

In addition to Maxim’s contributions, the March Gallery features an amazing variety of fiction authored by both long-time members and newcomers. From a pimp reincarnated as a vengeful snowman to a high-spirited hillbilly romp featuring plenty of (you guessed it) anal sex – from wistful gay desire to an invitation from the Devil – well, you really never know what you’ll find in the ERWA Galleries, but you can be sure it won’t be the same old erotica cliches. We’ve got poetry, too, brave and beautiful attempts to capture the elusive experience of Eros.

Indulge yourself in the best erotic writing on the Web:
erotica-readers.com/GD/S/Erotic_Fiction.htm

The Gallery always whets my appetite for more erotic tales. Fortunately, our Books for Sensual Readers pages have what it takes to satisfy me. Pick up a copy of OBSESSED, Rachel Kramer Bussel’s new anthology focusing on female desire. Reviewer Ashley Lister guarantees you wont’ be disappointed. Then there’s Maria Isabel Pita’s CROOK & FLAIL, a tale of Egypt, BDSM and passion that survives beyond the grave. Belinda McBride’s gay romance AN UNCOMMON WHORE is sexy, escapist fun, featuring a ruthless pirate captain and a male prostitute with a secret. D.L. King presents a new anthology of butch-femme erotica entitled THE HARDER SHE COMES. And I’ve just got to read Nicholson Baker’s outrageous HOUSE OF HOLES, a bizarre visit to a pleasure resort where the rules of logic, physics and common sense are all suspended.

I found all these fantastic titles in a quick dash through the “featured books” page. Dig deeper and you’ll discover a treasure trove of erotic literature (not to mention art, photography and adult comics). Like what you see? You know what to do, right? (Hint: it involves our links to Amazon and Amazon UK.)

Find pleasure between the pages:
erotica-readers.com/ERA/EB/Erotic_Books.htm

In the March Authors Resources pages, William Gaius is back after a few months’ hiatus. His excellent article on the art and science of choosing a pseudonym should be required reading for both novice and experienced authors, since his guidelines mostly apply to selecting character names as well. Witty and wise Ashley Lister talks about “The Joy of Deadlines”, vowing that he’ll never again leave a commitment to the last minute. Meanwhile, my series Naughty Bits continues with a simple, common-sense tutorial on HTML and web basics for authors. The World Wide Web is not nearly as complicated as you might think.

Our Guidelines and Submissions pages continue to grow. Open calls include “Hungry for Love”, a Coming Together charity anthology of zombie erotic fiction edited by Sommer Marsden to benefit diabetes research. D.L. King is seeking fem-dom erotica for “Under Her Thumb” while Shane Allison wants gay frat-boy stories for “Hot Pledges”. Kathleen Warnock is seeking stories for “Best Lesbian Erotica” and Blushing Books specializes in spanking stories of all sorts. Other opportunities include Carina Press’ call for science fiction novellas (not necessarily romantic or erotic) and Sizzler Editions’ open submissions for Sex in London and Sex in New York collections.

This is just a brief sampling from the ERWA list of publishing opportunities. You’ll find places to sell everything from romance to raunch, from flash fiction to full-length novels. ERWA is THE authority on the erotica market.

Refine your skills and kickstart your writing career:
erotica-readers.com/ERA/AR/Erotica_Authors_Resources.htm

Inside the Erotic Mind, our fearless erotic explorers discuss the controversial nature of relationships with large age differences. Cougar? Dirty old man? MILF? Cradle robber? You’ll be surprised by some of the commentary. Want to share your own thoughts? Just click on “Participate.”
erotica-readers.com/ERA/ITEM/Inside_The_Erotic_Mind.htm

ERWA is focusing on erotic romance during the first quarter of 2012. As part of our celebration, we’re hosting several chats with erotic romance pros. Kristina Wright dazzled chatters a few days ago. On Saturday March 17th, veteran Lynne Connolly will host another live chat. If you have questions about the genre, or just want to meet a lively and entertaining author, join in the conversation. 

For details, see the ERWA blog:
http://erotica-readers.blogspot.com/2012/02/erotic-romance-live-chats-with-pros.html

Speaking of the ERWA  blog, have you been by there lately? We’ve had some fabulous posts by our new stable of regular contributors: Ashley Lister, M. Christian, Remittance Girl, Craig Sorensen, Donna George Storey, Kathleen Bradean, Lucy Felthouse, Jean Roberta, Kristina Wright, and yours truly. We’ve had posts about marital sex, censorship, the experience of being an author, the process of assembling an anthology, using chocolate to improve your writing and your sex life… Book mark us and visit us often.

Now you don’t have to go into ERWA withdrawal between our monthly updates!
erotica-readers.blogspot.com

Well, that wraps up this month’s Erotic Lure. I hope you’ve enjoyed our quick romp through the virtual corridors of the web’s best free adult website. Perhaps this month, we’ve inspired you to explore some new – um – passageways. I can tell you from personal experience, you won’t regret it!

Lubriciously yours,
Lisabet

Visit Lisabet Sarai’s Fantasy Factory
Check out Lisabet’s blog
Join Lisabet’s List

Write, learn, and play on ERWA email list. Details at:
erotica-readers.com/PRIVATE/index.html

Looking for…

I’m looking for an emerging hyper-realist painter or a trompe l’oeil painter for a special project… send me some names or websites.

The following report about the March 1st Erotic Romance Live Chat with Kristina Wright is from ERWA staffer Rose:

I just wanted to say that last evening’s live Erachat March Erotic Romance Theme Event (the first of two this month) last night was a complete success. We had about 25 people in there — some I knew, some who I was meeting for the first time — and everyone came with terrific questions for Kristina Wright, who was a most gracious guest with loads of knowledge and personality, both of which were evident to everyone who attended. Thanks, of course, to Kristina, but also to Karen/khatt ( our incomparable Erachat host), and to everyone who joined in. You people all rock!

The two-hour event just flew by. Before I knew it, it was coming up on 10 o’clock and we had to call it a night (at least officially… folks were welcome to hang around and chat with their fellow ERWAers and a few did.)

For those of you who would have liked to attend, but were unable to, Kristina agreed to allow us to log the chat, so the transcript of the session last night is available on ERWA website at:

Erotic_Romance_Chat_with_Kristina_Wright.htm

I’m looking forward to the next live chat event, on Saturday, March 17th at 3:00pm EST (12 noon PST; 8:00pm GMT) with Lynne Connolly as our guest erotic romance writer. Hope to see a lot of you there.

Rose ;-)
ERWA Story Editor

Opportunity for Artists

When: Friday, April 13, 2012

Out of Order is the Maryland Art Place‘s Annual free-hung Benefit Exhibition, Silent Auction and Party!

This is a great opportunity for artists to (a) help a great art venue and (b) sell work and get 50% of the Samolians.

For more details, access their website: www.mdartplace.org or call 410-962-8565.

Start preparing now…

Remember when the creator of the iconic Obama campaign poster, now in the permanent collection of the National Portrait Gallery, was accused of ripping off local DMV photographer Mannie Garcia?

A few days ago Shepard Fairey plead guilty to trying to destroy documents and fabricate others in an attempt to try to conceal his process.

“I was ashamed that I had done these things, and I knew I should have corrected my actions,” he said on Friday in Federal District Court in Manhattan. The LA-based artist and the AP had earlier settled their long-running legal battle over the issue of Mannie Garcia’s photograph.

Three years ago I asked the NPG about many of the slimy issues associated with the acquisition of this contested image, including a question that I asked and which I received several run-around emails which never answered my request for clarification for the NPG’s acquisition policy.

It is my understanding that contemporary portraits could only be considered for acquisition if the portrait was done by the artist from the actual living subject. At least that’s what I was told by an NPG curator a few years ago when I sold a portrait to the NPG. The NPG response should have been an easy one. They could either have said:

(a) Mr. Campello, you are right in that it is the policy of the NPG to acquire contemporary portraits only when the portrait has been done directly from the subject. However, because of the historical importance of this piece, the NPG made an exception to this policy as it would with any important contemporary portraits.

(b) Mr. Campello, you are incorrect when you ask if it is the policy of the National Portrait Gallery to only acquire those contemporary portraits which are done directly from the subject.

Instead I heard crickets back.

Then, I wrote to the NPG and recommended that since the Fairey piece is now in the permanent collection of the National Portrait Gallery (through the generous donation of the DC area’s ubercollectors Heather and Tony Podesta) I thought that it is only fair that Garcia’s photograph also hang next to Fairey’s piece and that the wall text reflect the process via which the ubiquitous Fairey work was created; that tells the whole story about the Obama poster.

Otherwise 100 years from now, people would have forgotten that Fairey and Garcia were apparently linked in the creation of this image, but only one got the credit.

It never ceases to amaze me how some stuff, such as this, which could be so easily and fairly solved, by otherwise nice, kind, progressive people (as I am sure all the head honchos at the NPG are), are otherwise ignored and the little folk, such as Mannie Garcia, get shoved aside from the pages of art history.

Fairey crime can get up to a maximum term of six months in prison and a maximum term of supervised release of one year, as well as a possible fine of up to $5,000, or “twice the gross pecuniary gain derived from the offense or twice the gross pecuniary loss to the victims”, whatever the heck pecuniary means.

He will be sentenced on July 16; the NPG is sentenced now for failing to do the right thing for Mannie Garcia.

Saint Sebastian

One of my recurring themes in my love and exploration of the human figure is the legend of Saint Sebastian (martyred around the year 268)… here are some new drawings on the subject; these and others will be in New York in mid April.

Go to this on the 3rd…

Born in Dublin, Ireland (which according to Irish creation myths was settled by Spaniards sent by King Milesius and thus why I’m always wondering why Irish people aren’t considered Hispanic/Latino… Ireland that is… not Dublin (named after a witch who drowned in a pool of water), which was founded by Vikings and is thus not very Irish after all…), DMV area artist Jackie Hoysted made her home in Maryland in 1996 after working in France, England, Ireland and Florida as a software engineer.

She has a degree is Computer Science from Trinity College, Dublin (which happens to own a lot of my artwork in their private collection) and a fine arts degree from the Corcoran College of Art & Design (which happens to own zip of Campello art… is that weird or what?).

She has had multiple solo shows of her artwork throughout the US and has been featured in publications, including, The Gazette, the Washington City Paper and the Examiner and even here!.

She was selected by Scott Ligon for inclusion his book The Digital Art Revolution and this wizard and talented artist is the creator of the project Send Me Your Last Cigarette.

When you walk into Gallery 555dc you will be surrounded by Jackie’s current series “Out of Context” Girls! Nice Doesn’t Cut It. These women are “not to be messed with, taken for granted or pigeon holed. They can stand alone or together as sisters.”

Champagne Reception: Saturday, March 3rd, 1-5pm and the show hangs till March 30th!

This Friday…

Cudlin buries the hatchet

I figured that I better hurry and come up with the above headline before the Washington City Paper does it, but in any event, my good bud Jeffry Cudlin has decided to end his Hatchets & Skewers art blog in perhaps the most eloquent art goodbye ever written.

Check it out here.

Current issue of ACA magazine

The current issue of American Contemporary Art magazine has my usual “Letter from DC” on pages 14-15.

Read it online here.

Washington Glass School is looking for incubator artists
‪
If you have always wanted a studio space to work on your art, but don’t have the space right now, or don’t have a huge amount to invest in your own studio, then you might like the thought of becoming one of the studio artists at the Washington Glass School.

They welcome artists of many sculptural disciplines – like jewelers, enamellers, and of course, glass artists. The Washington Glass School (near the Rhode Island / Route 1 Eastern Ave border of the District of Columbia) is now accepting applications for their incubator studio space (available immediately).

To get you settled, they are temporarily offering a $50 discount for the first three months. The regular table/studio space rent is $275 per month. Not only do you finally have a dedicated space to work in, but you also join a vibrant and successful group of glass artists and get to benefit from many new opportunities. As a studio artist – besides being part of the arts community – you have full access to the studio’s cold shop facility and kiln firings.

Interested? Give Tim Tate a call 202-744-8222! Or email: washglassschool@aol.com.

Washington Glass School
3700 Otis Street
Mount Rainier, MD
202) 744-8222
www.washglass.com

Contemporary Uruguayan Artists at the IDB

The exhibit Contemporary Uruguayan Artists will open March 5 in the Cultural Center Gallery of the Inter-American Development Bank, in Washington, DC, in conjunction with the 53rd Annual Meeting of the IDB’s Board of Governors in Uruguay’s capital of Montevideo.

The 17 works include painting, print, sculpture, mixed media, and photography by 13 contemporary artists at a critical point in Uruguay’s history. While each of the works stands out as an individual artistic expression, as a group they reflect a common history and tradition and provide a window on current trends that are transforming the country’s culture and environment. They challenge the viewer to consider certain overarching questions: What is the perspective of each artist and of the group as a whole? What is the cultural and physical landscape that influences their mode of expression?

The exhibit is part of a project called About Change: Art from Latin America and the Caribbean organized by the World Bank Art Program in cooperation with the IDB’s Cultural Center and the Organization of American States’ AMA | Art Museum of the Americas. The project consists of a series of exhibitions being presented in various venues in Washington during 2011–12.

“The IDB is proud to host this exhibition honoring Uruguay and its capital city, Montevideo,” says Bank President Luis Alberto Moreno.

Iván Duque, Chief of the IDB’s Cultural, Solidarity and Creativity Affairs Division, highlights the exhibit’s role in celebrating the Cultural Center’s two decades of activities. “During these 20 years, the center has gained international recognition for bringing the artistic and intellectual heritage of Latin America and the Caribbean to a broad audience,” he says. “The Cultural Center will continue to build on this foundation, which is based in a conviction of the enormous value of the region’s cultural treasures as part of the world’s cultural legacy.”

Marina Galvani, Curator of the World Bank Art Program, describes how the works speak to contemporary issues. “Along with the rest of Latin America,” she says, “Uruguay has reason to celebrate its growing role in the global economy, which even includes signs of reverse migration.”

“But at the same time, artists are moral commentators and often harsh critics,” she continues. “As such, the works clearly express the social and moral collapse of the middle and upper-middle classes, employing in some cases irony, in others, a sympathetic touch. They also reflect delicately—even poetically—on many global subjects, such as the environment, consumerism, and urban decay. ”

Dr. Christina Rossi, art historian from the University of Buenos Aires, was invited by the IDB Cultural Center to write the essay for the exhibit catalogue, which is entitled, “Re-situations.” ”These works grapple with the construction of memory—personal, national, regional, global—as a critical act expressed from the perspective of Uruguay,” she says. “There is no doubt that the realities of Latin America are best interpreted in a global context, and that today’s communication tools enable us to reach well beyond our national borders.”

Artists whose works are represented in the exhibit are Santiago Aldabalde, Ana Campanella, Muriel Cardoso, a group comprised of Gerardo Carella, Federico Meneses, and Ernesto Rizzo, Jacqueline Lacasa, Babriel Lema, Daniel Machado, Cecilia Mattos, Diego Velazco, Santiago Velazco, and Diego Villalba.

Mark your calendars and be there March 1st for the Erotic Romance Live Chats with the Pros.

Erotic Romance Live Chats with the Pros
Who: Kristina Wright
When: March 1st at 8 pm
 Where: ERWA chats are held on the ShadowWorld chat server, channel, #erachat.
http://www.shadowworld.net:8080/?nick=WebChat…&channels=ERAChat&prompt=1
(on screen you’ll see ‘Connect o ShadowWorld IRC’. In the Nickname box, key in your name. Leave the channels box at #ERAChat, and click ‘Connect’. A chat text box will appear at the bottom of your screen)

Kristina Wright will host a live chat Thursday, March 1st, at 8:00pm EST, (5:00pm PST; 1:00am GMT). Kristina Wright is an award winning author, editor and college instructor. She is the editor of the upcoming Best Erotic Romance 2013 (Cleis Press).

If you want to know what erotic romance editors want (and don’t want) and how to make your submissions stand out, Kristina will be happy to answer your questions. (And she will be giving away copies of her backlist, too!). Read about Kristina at:
Kristina_Wright_Bio.htm

Adrienne
Erotica Readers & Writers Association
www.erotica-readers.com

by Kristina Wright

I have only been editing erotica and erotic romance anthologies since 2009, but I just signed the contract with Cleis Press to edit my eighth (eighth!) collection. With each new anthology, I try to streamline my guidelines and process to make it easier for the authors and, yes, for myself. This time around, I have an “auto reply” for submissions. Much as I want to respond to each submission, I will save those personal notes for the acceptances (and rejections). (Honestly, I think every editor should use an auto reply for acknowledging the receipt of submissions if the alternative is no acknowledgement at all.)

My story selection process may seem a bit convoluted. Or maybe it’s not. I really don’t know what the selection process is like for other editors, I just know what works for me. I read everything once and push it into one of three categories: Yes, Maybe, or No. The Yes and No piles are the smallest, at least initially. If I absolutely love, love, love something on the first read, of course I’m going to want to buy it immediately.

The No pile contains only the stories that have completely missed the mark. For a story to get a resounding No on a first reading means the author ignored the guidelines entirely or neglected to include all the necessary components. A paranormal erotic romance anthology must have stories that are 1) paranormal, 2) erotic and 3) romantic. Having two of the three will not cut it, unless it’s clear the author can flesh out the third element. No stories are often recycled stories that were intended for other anthologies and were never “freshened” up to fit a new set of guidelines. No stories are also the ones that are incorrectly formatted, lacking in correct grammar and punctuation or are generally the kind of mess that you’ve heard editors joke about. I’m happy to say that I haven’t come across too many of those stories– but yes, they do exist.

Finally, the Maybe pile is every other story– the good, well-written stories that I like and might very well buy, but I have to read everything first to see which ones I will choose. The Maybe pile also includes stories that might need a little tweaking– an additional scene for character development; a few hundred words cut from a story that has gone over the maximum word count; a plot twist added to give the story that extra umph to take it from good to great. Most stories are Maybe stories.

Once I’ve made the initial read of all the stories, I tackle the Maybe pile again, keeping in mind the stories I’ve already selected and the balance of the anthology. The second read is ruthless. I’m looking for stories that require a minimum of editing and complement the stories I’ve already chosen. I will shed a few tears when I cut some of the Maybe stories from the second reading. Okay, not really. But I will feel some regret to have to reject some very good stories. When I’m done with the second read, the Yes pile will be a little bigger, the No pile will be a lot bigger and there will still be stories in the Maybe pile. These will be the stories that, for whatever reason, make me hesitate before I reject them. They might have flaws, they might not be my cup of tea, they might be a little too “out there” or they might even be too similar to something else I’ve already filed in the Yes pile. But yet I won’t be able to say no to them. Not yet.

The third read is to answer one question: what’s missing? Here is where I’m willing to forgive the flaws, overlook the typos, see past the awkward dialogue to the diamond in the rough that is a good fit for the anthology. These are the stories I will buy because the authors have written something so unique I can’t forget about them.

You’d think I would be done after three readings, right? But no, then there’s a fourth, fifth and even a sixth reading. I read all of the Yes stories in the fourth reading, making sure I have enough stories to fill the book and that I’m in love with each and every story– and making sure I haven’t gone over my allotted page count, because that would mean having to cut a Yes story, which I don’t want to do. The fifth reading is to edit and put the stories in their proper order (which I will be attempting to do as I move through the third and fourth readings) and the sixth reading is the one where I put the book away for a few days, then read it with fresh eyes from beginning to end in one sitting to see if I’ve missed anything. That could be anything from having too many characters named Sarah or too many stories set in Maine or three stories in a row that are about shapeshifters or… whatever. It’s the tweaking reading, making sure everything is perfect before I send it off to my publisher.

Then, of course, there are the copyediting and proofreading reads after the book is returned to me. But those are easy by comparison because the book is finished and now it’s just a matter of fine tuning perfection. (I’m biased, what can I say?)

And that’s how I go about putting together an erotica anthology. And other than having to reject some great stories, I love every minute of it because I have met and gotten to work with the best authors in the genre.