Category: Siel

Siel Ju’s publications and events

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My novel-in-stories Cake Time to be published by Red Hen Press

redhenpressI’m excited and honored to announce my novel-in-stories Cake Time won the Red Hen Fiction Manuscript Award!

The book will come out in spring 2017 if all goes according to plan.

Thank you to everyone who read, critiqued, and listened to the stories in this work the last few years — including Peter Steinberg, Edan Lepucki, Paul Mandelbaum, Chris Corning, Travis Koplow, Tanya Knox, Shilpa Argawal, Katherine Motoike, and Carolyn Peters for your valuable feedback and Lauren Eggert-Crowe, David Rocklin, and Zoë Ruiz for giving me opportunities to share pieces of Cake Time at readings.

I’m so grateful to have you all in my life! Looking forward to working with everyone at Red Hen Press! And thank you in advance to the future readers who will pick up Cake Time —

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Book review in Los Angeles Review: Not Dark Yet by Berit Ellingsen

BeritMy first publication of 2016 is a book review of Berit Ellingsen‘s post-apocalyptic novel, Not Dark Yet:

Bombs. Strikes. Hate crimes. Droughts. Every nightly news broadcast seems catastrophic enough to require a visceral reaction from us—but what should that reaction be, exactly? In Berit Ellingsen’s novel Not Dark Yet, Brandon, the introspective protagonist, finds himself teetering between two extreme responses: a complete withdrawal from society, and a violent push to revolutionize it.

Read the rest at the Los Angeles Review. You can also pick up a copy of Not Dark Yet at Two Dollar Radio, one of my favorite indie publishers!

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Winter Solstice reading in Los Angeles, Dec. 20, 2015

Holiday celebrations started a few days earlier this year, with the Winter Solstice reading. Thanks to everyone who came out on the cold day!

From left to right: Samantha Powell, Ramona Pilar Gonzalez , Siel Ju and Lauren Eggert-Crowe at the Winter Solstice Reading in Los Angeles, December 20, 2015
From left to right: Samantha Powell, Ramona Pilar Gonzalez , Siel Ju and Lauren Eggert-Crowe at the Winter Solstice Reading in Los Angeles, December 20, 2015

Special thanks to poet Lauren Eggert-Crowe for hosting — and to Ramona Pilar Gonzalez and Samantha Powell for sharing their creative non-fiction —

Happy holidays!

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I’m Reading in Los Angeles Dec. 20

Celebrate the winter solstice with me! I’ll be reading later this month at a sweet backyard event:

What: A Winter Solstice Reading
When: Sun, Dec. 20, 2015, 6 pm
Where: 739 N. Edgemont St., Los Angeles CA 90029

The event’s hosted by my friend and lovely poet Lauren Eggert-Crowe. I’ll be reading an excerpt from the novel I’m working on. Joining me will be Ramona Pilar Gonzalez and Samantha Powell, both of whom I’m very excited to read with for the first time —

There will be snacks, drinks, and nice words for your ears. Hope to see you soon —

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Interview in Speaking of Marvels

I’ve more or less stopped writing poetry of late, but that doesn’t seem to have stopped me from talking about poetry! An interview with me about my poetry chapbooks is now up at Speaking of Marvels.

The interview includes one of my poems, “Occupied.” The spacing is messed up but all the words are there —

Wondering why people write and publish chapbooks? Then peruse Speaking of Marvels, “a blog that features interviews with authors of chapbooks, novellas, singles, and other shorter forms.” Speaking of Marvels is the brainchild of poet William Woolfitt. Fans of the blog can like its Facebook page to find out about future interviews.

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The Los Angeles Review reading at Flintridge Bookstore, Nov. 12, 2015

Thank you for coming out to The Los Angeles Review Reading on Thursday, everyone!

Anna Scotti, Siel Ju and Sean Bernard at The Los Angeles Reading at Flintridge Bookstore
From left to right: Anna Scotti, Siel Ju and Sean Bernard at The Los Angeles Reading at Flintridge Bookstore, La Canada Flintridge, CA, November 12, 2015

Special thanks to Alexa Oliphant and Alisa Trager at Red Hen Press for putting the event together, and thanks to my fellow readers Anna Scotti and Sean Bernard. Sean — Looking forward to reading your novel, Studies in the Hereafter!

Our reading even got a little writeup in La Canada Valley Sun!

Los Angeles Review reading in La Canada Valley Sun
Los Angeles Review reading in La Canada Valley Sun

The Los Angeles Review will have more readings — especially around AWP 2016. See you there!