The Goose Who Could Not Fly

Steinbeck: Goodman's Book "Terrific"

2011-11-30T12:02:00.001-05:00

Thomas Steinbeck may be writing in the shadow of a great cypress (Nobel Laureate John Steinbeck), but he also wrote In the Shadow of the Cypress. And Down to a Soundless Sea.

Just this month, his third book of fiction, The Silver Lotus, was published by Counterpoint. With advance praise from Publisher’s Weekly and T.C. Boyle, the publisher sold out of the first print run within two days!

I’m honored to say that Steinbeck read Tracks — and liked it! In fact, he called Tracks “a terrific collection of stories.”

Steinbeck also wrote, “Short stories are often an under-appreciated art form. In Tracks, Eric D. Goodman takes the craft to the level of art. An exciting talent.”

Thomas Steinbeck knows a thing or two about writing good stories. His first book of fiction, Down to a Soundless Sea, was a collection of short stories.

Learn about Thomas Steinbeck and his books at his website.

http://www.thomassteinbeck.com/

Flightless Goose Lives!

2011-11-23T13:24:00.001-05:00

At Thanksgiving, families everywhere have turkey on the mind. Gilbert, the flightless goose, thanks you for that.

Although my focus this year has been on Tracks: A Novel in Stories, goose fans everywhere will be happy to know that Gilbert is alive and well.

In fact, earlier this year, our publisher sent me (the author) and Nataliya (the illustrator) on a book tour to Chicago where we presented Flightless Goose to three different schools in Chicago, and to a childrens’ hospital. We even did an interview for a local television station and appeared on the television show “Storytime with Dot!”

On the heels of the Chicago tour, we did a month-long blog tour for Flightless Goose. I appeared on a number of “mommy blogs” in support of Flightless Goose. You can find some of the reviews and interviews from the month-long blog tour at the links below.

http://www.untrainedhousewife.com/help-your-child-cope-with-bullying-with-flightless-goose-a-review

http://livingatthewhiteheadszoo.blogspot.com/2011/06/flightless-goose-virtual-book-tour-june.html

http://flipflopreviews.blogspot.com/2011/06/flightless-goose-virtual-book-tour-stop.html

http://www.confessionsofapsychotichousewife.com/2011/06/blog-tour-review-flightless-goose-by.html

http://www.spanish4kiddos.com/2011/06/flightless-goose-virtual-book-tour-and.html

http://www.intentionalconsciousparenting.com/2010/10/childrens-book-review-flightless-goose.html

http://kathrynmcgowan.blogspot.com/2011/07/book-review-flightless-goose.html

http://www.stowedstuff.com/2011/07/flightless-goose-author-is-here.html

http://www.lifeas5.com/2011/07/interview-with-flightless-goose-author.html

http://www.lifeas5.com/2011/06/flightless-goose_23.html

http://www.mommyblogexpert.com/2011/07/flightless-goose-virtual-book-tour-kids.html

http://www.prettyopinionated.com/2011/07/book-tour-and-giveaway-the-flightless-goose/

http://www.ourfamilyworld.com/article/flightless-goose-book-review-gilbert-the-goose-has-a-zest-for-life/

http://www.ourfamilyworld.com/blog/2011/07/11/flightless-goose-book-tour-interview-with-eric-d-goodman-and-giveaway/

http://www.ourfamilyworld.com/blog/2011/08/09/gilbert-the-goose-giveaway-win-a-100-back-to-school-prize-pack/

http://www.frugalityisfree.com/2011/11/flightless-goose-by-eric-d-goodman.html

http://raisinglittlesaints.blogspot.com/2011/07/flightless-goose-virtual-book-tour-for.html

http://adventuresinallthingsfood.blogspot.com/2011/06/flightless-goose-book-review.html

http://www.graceandme.com/2011/07/friendship-friday-flightless-goose.html

http://en.paperblog.com/flightless-goose-book-review-and-giveaway-48874/

http://www.simplystacie.net/2011/07/book-review-giveaway-flightless-goose-ww/

http://stinkylittlefeet.com/2011/07/27/its-a-giveaway-its-a-book-review-its-a-chat-with-an-author-its-gilbert-the-flightless-goose/

http://www.joysautismblog.com/?p=2597

As a result of the blog tour and Chicago tour, Gilbert has garnered quite a few new friends. More than 5,000 fans “like” Gilbert on the Flightless Goose Facebook page. You can too!

http://www.facebook.com/flightlessgoose

You’ve visited the blog posts; you’ve friended Flightless Goose on Facebook. Now, enjoy some recreation at the Flightless Goose website.

www.FlightlessGoose.com

And top it off with a visit to the original website: www.RunGoose.com.

Happy holidays from the Goodmans and the Goose!

Today is Tracks Day

2011-06-30T17:09:00.002-04:00

Today is the day—Tracks has arrived via Atticus books. Tracks is on the bookshelves of bookstores (brick and mortar as well as online) across the nation.

Want a taste before you order your copy? Tune into Baltimore’s NPR station, WYPR, on the radio or online tomorrow. That’s 88.1 FM and www.wypr.org. I’m reading from Tracks on NPR’s The Signal at 12 noon and again at 7 p.m. on Friday, July 1. The broadcast will air again on Saturday, June 2.

With the release of Tracks, I’m sighing a breath of relief. It’s a big moment for me as a fiction writer—decades in the making. It may have only been five or six years from first draft to agent to bookstore shelf … but prior to writing the first lines of Tracks, I spent decades writing fiction. From the moment in the third grade when I got hooked by a short story assignment, I dreamed of the day I’d have a literary agent and an independent publisher share my novel with the world. All of the prior novel drafts, comments from publishers, agents, and editors, and hard knocks lead me to what has become my debut novel in stories.

As surely as I’m breathing that sigh of relief, I’m also holding my breath. I’m a debut fiction writer with a small indie press facing an army of goliaths. You may have notice I’ve punched up the publicity for Tracks, in recent weeks, and that’s why. It’s hard for a debut book to be heard in the chorus of established bestsellers.

So please consider sharing Tracks. Whether you tweet it, post about it on Facebook, send an email to your list, mention it in your newsletter, suggest it to your book club, share it with a friend, ask about it at a bookstore that doesn’t have it in stock, or just mention one of the stories that may have hit home with you in a conversation—anything you can do to spread the word about Tracks is very much appreciated. Each advocate is an extra arrow to still my quiver, to continue battle with an army of goliaths analogy.

Today has been a whirlwind with all of the activity on Facebook, online, postcards, phone calls, and all of the congratulations. Thanks to all.

It’s been a long and winding line of track. Now it’s time to enjoy the ride.

Learn more about Tracks at www.TracksNovel.com where you can read excerpts (long and short), listen to past NPR radio readings, find out what others are saying about Tracks, get a timetable of readings and events, and order your copy.

Yes, Amazon Has Tracks Too

2011-06-17T17:29:00.001-04:00

The countdown continues; it’s only twelve days until the release of Tracks, a novel in stories from the author of Flightless Goose.

You can pre-order your copy anytime. You can buy your copy just about anywhere books are sold, including your favorite brick and mortar or online booksellers.

And in case you’re wondering, yes Amazon will have it too. In fact, it’s featured at Amazon’s website with a number of endorsements from other writers, information about the book, and free shipping for any orders of $25 or more.

(Note that Atticus Books is selling Tracks with free shipping and no minimum purchase requirement. Learn more at http://atticusbooksonline.com/online-bookstore/trade-paperbacks/tracks-a-novel-in-stories/)

But no one can argue with the ease of using Amazon. If you shop at Amazon, here’s where you can find Tracks on their website.

http://www.amazon.com/Tracks-Stories-Eric-D-Goodman/dp/0984510575/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_1

Baltimore Sun’s Read Street—E-Marketing Books

2011-06-15T11:43:00.001-04:00

This week The Baltimore Sun’s book blog, Read Street, published my article about the e-marketing of books. Specifically, Dave Rosenthal (the editor) asked me to write about my experiences in e-marketing Tracks, my novel in stories, and to mention the contest, which is still going on through June 30 (so it’s not too late to enter).

Dave Rosenthal wrote, “I'm always astounded that an author has time to write books -- what with all time needed to market their earlier works. So I asked local author Eric D. Goodman for a guest post on the topic …”

Read it on Read Street at the link below—and feel free to join the conversation by leaving a comment!

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/books/blog/2011/06/tracks_giveaway_and_a_lesson_i.html

Loyola Interview with Tracks and Goose Author

2011-06-12T13:21:00.001-04:00

Tracks and Goose on the Tube

2011-06-12T13:19:00.000-04:00

Recently, I did a television interview at Loyola University. In the interview, I talked about Tracks and Flightless Goose, writing in general, offered advice to aspiring writers, and discussed my own beginnings as a writer and inspirations for Tracks.

Watch the 10 minute video at the link below and you’ll even learn whether or not any of the characters in Tracks are based on real people, and what three people I’d want to hop on the train with. (At least my spontaneous answer when hit with the unexpected question.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWII9ds_eCk

Borders Offers 40 Percent Off

2011-06-10T12:48:00.001-04:00

Borders is still in business. And they’re getting competitive. For a limited time, they’re offering a 40 percent off coupon. But Hurry--the offer only lasts from now until Monday!

You can order your copy of Tracks or Flightless Goose from Borders between now and Monday and you’ll get 40 percent off the cover price! You’ll also get free priority shipping on orders over $25, so buy one of each! (The 40 percent only applies to one item.)

Of course, you can also print the coupon and take it to a physical Borders bookstore, so you’ll get your 40 percent off without having to think about shipping.

Here is a link to the coupon offer.
http://www.bordersmedia.com/coup/20110610sa40.html?cmpid=SA_20110610

Let the Contest and Countdown Begin

2011-06-01T09:08:00.002-04:00

We’ve turned the page of the calendar to Tracks Month! Tracks, a novel in stories, is being released by Atticus Books on June 30—let the countdown to Tracks Day begin!

Tracks is a chapter book that may be a little difficult for some of the readers of Flightless Goose. But it may make a good gift for a parent, aunt or uncle who enjoys reading a good book.

Atticus Books, the publisher of Tracks, wants to send two lucky readers a free copy of Tracks hot off the press! There are five easy ways to enter the contest. You can enter as many times as you’d like during the month of June, and each entry will increase your chances of winning one of the free books.

1. Share Tracks on Facebook. Write a post and share the link to www.TracksNovel.com, or repost / share one of my Tracks-related posts (like this one). Be creative!

2. Share Tracks on Twitter. Tweet all about Tracks and include a link to www.TracksNovel.com. Condense your wit to 180 characters!

3. Share Tracks with your contacts. Send an email blast to your list of friends and colleagues about Tracks and be sure to include the www.TracksNovel.com link.

4. “Like” the Lounge at http://www.facebook.com/#%21/pages/Tracks-the-lounge-car/182330691789512

5. “Friend” Franklin, the Conductor, at www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001923080723

Each time you do one of the above, just send an email to TracksNovel@gmail.com notifying us of your post/tweet/like/friend and you’ll be entered into the contest.

Two lucky winners will receive a free copy of Tracks, hot off the press—postage included for winners within the United States. In the case of a winner outside the United States, you can select the eBook version or pay the postage for your free printed book.

What are you waiting for? Remember that you can enter as often as you like during the month of June—so enter early and enter often!

Let the Tracks Contest and Countdown begin!

Goose Author's Novel Available to Pre-Order with Free Shipping

2011-05-23T20:19:00.001-04:00

Mondays aren’t all bad. Sure, Fridays get all the attention with their ends of the week and beginnings of the weekend. But sometimes starting an entirely new week has its perks.

Here’s a reason to celebrate this Monday: Tracks, a novel in stories, is now available for pre-order at the online bookstore of Atticus Books!

Not only that, but if you pre-order before the official release date of June 30, you can get free shipping anywhere in the United States!

As Atticus describes, “This novel-in-stories follows a diverse group of passengers on a train from Baltimore to Chicago, revealing the secrets of their past, their hopes for the future and just how intertwined their lives really are.”

What kind of person takes the train from Baltimore to Chicago (besides the author)?

“They are the strangers we meet every day: a soldier slowly losing his faith in the war, a businessman learning to balance his job and the family he loves, a computer geek-turned-criminal, a Holocaust survivor finding hope in facing her fears, couples in love, a woman dealing with the death of her parents, a poet hunting for inspiration, and a hit man with a job to finish before the train arrives at its destination. Watch as these and other characters' lives and stories seamlessly link and intersect, quietly shaping and changing one another.”

Read more — and pre-order your first printing copy of Tracks today — by visiting the Atticus Online Bookstore at the link below.

http://atticusbooksonline.com/online-bookstore/trade-paperbacks/tracks-a-novel-in-stories/

Mommy Knows Best in Writers Weekly

2011-05-09T13:08:00.002-04:00

Mother’s Day was a recent reminder that “Mommy Knows Best.” That’s also the title of an article Flightless Goose author Eric D. Goodman had published in Writers Weekly earlier this year.

Writers Weekly is the world’s most popular writing eZine; it has more subscribers than any other freelance-writing eZine.

Eric's feature story, “Mommy Knows Best,” relays a recent strategy used to help generate some “good ink” for Flightless Goose. As the story explains, after about a year of pitching the goose to traditional reviewers, review copies were offered to trusted mommy bloggers — and they helped this flightless goose soar.

Read all about it by visiting Writers Weekly at the link below.
http://www.writersweekly.com/this_weeks_article/006523_01262011.html

Flightless Goose Author is Poet of the Day

2011-04-28T15:08:00.001-04:00

Laura Shovan is not only Maryland’s “poet in the schools,” but also the editor of the poetry anthology Life in Me like Grass On Fire and Little Patuxent Review. She also keeps a blog about writing, teaching and parenting called Author Amok.

For National Poetry Month, She has been featuring a Poet of the Month each day. And today’s poet is … yours truly!

Laura featured my poem, “Submission to a Student Journal (from a writer who’s burning out).” She writes about her thoughts on the poem and what it means, offers a writing exercise based on the poem, and writes a little about me and my writing.

It seems appropriate that this poem—an older writer speaking to a younger one—be published during the week of my 40^th birthday. And believe it or not, this is the second item I’ve had published since turning 40 on Monday! The decade is off to a good start.

Pay a visit to Author Amok.

http://authoramok.blogspot.com/

Go directly to her feature on my work here.

http://authoramok.blogspot.com/2011/04/national-poetry-month-issue-27.html

Author's New Website Launched

2011-03-09T08:47:00.003-05:00

The release date for Tracks, a novel in stories, is still months away — June 30 to be precise. But you don’t have to wait to climb aboard. You can visit the new website dedicated to Tracks: http://www.tracksnovel.com/.

TracksNovel.com has a number of stations. You can:

· Listen to stories from Tracks, as featured on NPR;

· Read excerpts from Tracks;

· See the press release and other Tracks-related news;

· Find out what others are saying about Tracks;

· Get the schedule of Tracks readings, signings, and appearances;

· Visit the Lounge Car or Tracks Blog; even

· Watch a Tracks-related video.

What are you waiting for? Hop aboard the Tracks website now!

http://www.tracksnovel.com/

Goose Author's New Novel Cover Revealed

2011-02-18T16:09:00.001-05:00

Can we have a drum roll on the train, please?

The cover for Tracks, a novel in stories by Flightless Goose author Eric D. Goodman, has been revealed! Take a look at the picture below.

The warm, earth-toned cover was designed by London-based designer Jamie Keenan. In designing the cover for Tracks, Keenan said, “The basic idea was to find an image of tracks that mirrored the ideas in the book — beginnings, endings, uncertainty, transformation, possibilities ...”

The image here is the cover for the advance reading copy, or ARC. There are other designs and variations on this cover, so stay tuned to find out whether this will be the final cover when it comes time for the actual print run.

Keenan knows his book jackets; he’s even filled auditoriums with his “Twenty Immutable Theories of Cover Design.” And he’s certainly put them to work with covers for authors such as: F. Scott Fitzgerald, Stephen King, H.G. Wells, George Orwell, Junot Diaz, David Foster Wallace, Philip K Dick, Anthony Burgess, Tennessee Williams, Jean-Paul Sarte, Rudyard Kipling, Garrison Kellior, Nick Hornby, and A.M. Homes.

Learn more about Jamie Keenan and see some of his favorite cover designs at his website.

www.keenandesign.com

Visit the Atticus Books website for more about Tracks.

http://atticusbooksonline.com/category/2011-book-titles/eric-d-goodman/

2011-02-18T16:08:00.000-05:00

Goose Author Nominated for Baker Artist Award

2011-02-12T10:51:00.001-05:00

Flightless Goose author Eric D. Goodman is a nominee in the running for a Baker Artist Award! Check out my profile and nomination entry at the link below:

www.bakerartistawards.org/nomination/view/edgewriter

The Baker Artist Awards support Baltimore's artists, the city's rich and diverse cultural offerings and the participation of its residents in the region's creative life.

Visitors are encouraged to view the artists' galleries and to curate an exhibit by selecting favorite artworks from the site.

Last week, WYPR’s The Signal did a segment about the Baker Awards. You can listen to it—as well as catch a podcast of my own reading from Tracks from yesterday’s episode—at www.wypr.org/stationprogram/signal. My story, “Reunion,” closes out the last 20 minutes of the program.

Learn more about the Baker Artist Awards at their main page.

http://www.bakerartistawards.org/

Check our my profile below, where you can learn more about Tracks (a novel in stories being published by Atticus Books this summer), Womb (a novel-in-progress), and other fiction. You can even listen to some other radio readings there.

Feel free to leave a comment or two!

www.bakerartistawards.org/nomination/view/edgewriter

Jamie Keenan to Design Cover for Tracks

2011-02-08T12:17:00.001-05:00

Exciting news along the Tracks. Atticus Books has hired Jamie Keenan to design the cover for Tracks, a novel in stories by the author of Flightless Goose!

The London-based book jacket designer knows his trade: he’s even packed auditoriums with his “Twenty Immutable Theories of Cover Design” lesson.

If you look at book covers, it’s likely you’ve seen his work. Here are some of the authors he’s designed covers for:

F. Scott Fitzgerald
Stephen King
H.G. Wells
George Orwell
Junot Diaz
David Foster Wallace
Philip K Dick
Anthony Burgess
Tennessee Williams
Jean-Paul Sarte
Rudyard Kipling
Garrison Kellior
Nick Hornby
A.M. Homes

Learn more about Jamie Keenan and see some of his favorite cover designs at his www.keenandesign.com/website

Visit the blog of my fellow Atticus author, JM Tohline, for more of Jamie’s cover examples.
www.jmtohline.com/2010/10/you-meani-dont-get-to-design-my-own.html?showComment=1297183886409#c8921742992168202528

And here are some Jamie Keenan Google Images.
www.google.com/images?hl=en&q=jamie%20keenan&um=1&resnum=9&ie=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi

So … maybe you can judge a book by it’s cover?

Goose Author at AWP Conference and BookFair

2011-01-31T17:43:00.003-05:00

Tracks will be represented at the AWP Conference and Bookfair next week!

Atticus Books, the independent press publishing Tracks this summer will have a table representing Tracks and its other titles throughout the duration of the AWP conference.

Flightless Goose and Tracks author Eric D. Goodman be there along with other Atticus authors for the AWP BookFair on Saturday, February 5 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; the event is free and open to the public.

The 2011 AWP Conference and BookFair is being held in Washington, DC at the Marriott Wardman Park & Omni Shoreham Hotels. The AWP BookFair will be held at the Marriott Wardman Park hotel.

Since 1967, AWP has supported writers & writing programs around the world. The organization now support more than 34,000 writers at over 500 member colleges and universities
and 100 writers' conferences & centers.

Each year, AWP holds its Annual Conference & Bookfair in a different region of North America in order to celebrate the outstanding authors, teachers, writing programs, literary centers, and small press publishers of that region. The Annual Conference typically features 350 presentations: readings, lectures, panel discussions, and Forums plus hundreds of book signings, receptions, dances, and informal gatherings. The conference attracts more than 8,000 attendees and more than 500 publishers. It’s one of the biggest and liveliest literary gatherings in North America.

Learn more about the AWP Conference:

http://www.awpwriter.org/conference/2011awpconf.php

Learn about the BookFair here:

http://www.awpwriter.org/conference/2011bookfair.php

And learn more about Atticus Books here:

http://atticusbooksonline.com/category/2011-book-titles

And be sure to visit us at the Atticus table (K34) in the AWP Exhibit Hall!

Goose Author to Judge Maryland Short Works Contest

2011-01-24T12:41:00.001-05:00

2011 Maryland Writers' Association Short Works Contest

Deadline: February 6, 2011

The goal of this contest is to encourage and recognize outstanding writing in short fiction, short non-fiction and poetry. The contest is open to original, unpublished fiction and non-fiction of less than 3,000 words, or poetry of less than 50 lines, written in English.

Judges: Fiction- Lalita Naronha, Jen Michalski, Eric D. Goodman; Nonfiction: Tom Horton, Marita Golden, Lauren Davis; Poetry: Barbara Morrison, Cliff Lynn, Shirley Brewer, and Doug Mowbray

Fees: $10 for MWA members; $15 for non-members

Prizes: First in each category: $150 and free attendance at the MWA Annual Writers Conference in April 2011;
Second: $100;
Third: $75.

Each winner and one guest are invited to a Writing Awards celebration in conjunction with the April 2011 Maryland Writers Conference.

Complete submission guidelines can be found at http://marylandwriters.org/contest2011-shortworks.html.

Questions may be submitted to shortworks@marylandwriterscontest.com.

Good luck!

Atticus "Elated" to Ride Rails with Flightless Goose

2011-01-12T18:02:00.001-05:00

Atticus Books issued a press release officially announcing the publication of TRACKS, a novel in stories by the author of Flightless Goose. The headline:

‘Tracks’ Set to Arrive in the Summer of 2011

Atticus Elated to Ride the Rails with Goodman and His Debut Novel

Atticus writes, “Eric D. Goodman has spent years on the road, reading stories and winning praise from scores of listeners. He now has found a place to lay his Tracks, his first novel in stories.”

The release quotes Dan Cafaro, founding publisher of Atticus Books: “On one hand, Eric’s created a straight-forward collection of first-person narratives that works superbly on its own, as a group of standalone pieces. On the other [hand], his stories become even more powerful by his seamlessly linking and intersecting these lives on a passenger train. Through this authentic technique, he paints a rich tapestry of vignettes: a cross-cultural, boundary-breaking snapshot of everyday, yet colorful people on an imagery-filled, life-changing journey.”

The press release goes into more detail and includes links to published works and radio readings.

Even if you just stop by to take a look at the mug shot, visit the Atticus Books website for the press release.

http://atticusbooksonline.com/anticipated-arrival-of-tracks-set-for-summer-2011/

Goose Author in Writers Weekly

2011-01-10T11:57:00.000-05:00

Writers Weekly is the highest-circulation freelance writing ezine in the world. And Flightless Goose author Eric D. Goodman's recent story, “Resolutions Worth Writing About,” is their first feature story of the new year.

The article focuses on writing-related new years resolutions and how to increase your chances of accomplishing them.

Read the story in the most recent issue of Writers Weekly, at the link below.

www.writersweekly.com/this_weeks_article/006484_01052011.html

Geese, Trains, Covers, and CBS Sunday Morning

2010-12-22T02:13:00.003-05:00

The most recent episode of the popular news magazine show, CBS Sunday Morning, which aired December 19, 2010, seemed to be made with the novel in stories, Tracks, in mind. Tracks is a novel in stories by Flightless Goose author Eric D. Goodman.

The cover story was just that: a story on covers. “Judging Books by Their Covers” was a segment all about the art of book cover design.

“The Designs of Dust Jackets Are as Artful as the Words They Encase,” the segment pointed out. “A good cover tells you what kind of book it is - without giving too much away.” It’s an interesting discussion about all that goes into great cover design, covers that scream out to customers, “buy me, buy me!”

“They're part of our visual landscape - easy to take for granted.”

Later in the same program? A story about trains!

“Traveling by train has become a growing and reliable alternative to flying, CBS reported. “In 2007, Amtrak serviced 26 million people, the most in its history.” With more difficult air travel, the popularity of trains seems to be on the rise.

All that was missing from the program was a story to bridge books and trains – a story about Tracks, a novel in stories!

After all, what better way to pass the time on a relaxing train than with a good book? And a book set on a train would certainly fit the mood.

Check out CBS Sunday Morning at their website.

http://www.cbsnews.com/sections/sunday/main3445.shtml

Flightless Goose Author Makes Frankfurt Hot List with TRACKS

2010-12-15T12:52:00.001-05:00

This year, when the Doris S. Michaels Literary Agency took a handful of books with them to the Frankfurt Book Fair, prepared to accept offers for translation rights. One of the books on their “Hot List” was TRACKS.

The Frankfurt Book Fair is the most important marketplace for books, media, rights, and licenses worldwide. More than 7,300 exhibitors from 100 countries, 299,000 visitors and over 10,000 journalists.

Here is the announcement attendees at the fair read about the novel in stories:

Eric D. Goodman

TRACKS

Atticus Books (World English – Summer 2011)

A Tarantino-style LOVE ACTUALLY meets literary fiction — the reader journeys by train from Baltimore to Chicago via the perspectives of a diverse array of passengers.

As a result, the novel in stories might be translated into other languages in the near future! In the meantime, look for the English release of TRACKS in Summer 2011.

Put TRACKS on your “hot list” too. Visit www.Writeful.blogspot.com for more news on TRACKS as it becomes available.

Learn more about the Frankfurt Book Fair at http://www.buchmesse.de/en/fbf/.

Parents, Educators, Critics, Kids Recommend Flightless Goose

2010-12-04T09:38:00.001-05:00

Storybook entertains as it educates

Flightless Goose, a full-color, hardcover storybook for children, is being praised as a “wonderful story,” “filled with many life lessons,” and “a story that every family should have.”

Children, parents, and educators alike are captivated by the “vibrant and detailed” watercolors that “evoke the illustrations from the classic editions of fairy tales and nursery rhymes that many parents will remember from when they were children.” Readers are moved by the “beautiful tale,” that is told “clearly, gently, and sensitively” so it can be “read and understood by a wide range of children.”

As reviewers have pointed out, Flightless Goose is an entertaining and simple story, but the book touches on a number of subjects: bullying and teasing, treating others with dignity and respect, overcoming difficulties, focusing on positive strengths, self-worth, confidence, compassion, dealing with adversity, being a friend, coping with disability, the value of being different, practicing road and automotive safety, tolerance, diversity, and more. Children understand, without feeling as though they’ve been taught, that everyone is different and everyone can make a difference.

A number of reviewers, mothers, and educators have endorsed Flightless Goose as a great holiday gift for any child, especially those between 2-8 years old. It’s a great way to open a discussion on a number of important topics.

But don’t take our word for it; check out what What critics, the media, educators, parents, and children are saying about Flightless Goose …

"... Flightless Goose is appropriately simple without being simplistic, and its lessons -- that challenges can be overcome, that being different doesn’t mean being less of a person, and that everyone has something they are good at -- are important ones … The story is told in a way that is likely to be appealing and exciting to younger children without being condescending to older ones.”

-- The Potomac

“Wonderful story … a job well done.”

-- Gregory B. Gallagher, Sesame Street writer and Executive producer of Ambassadors of the Environment

“Flightless Goose is a beautiful tale along the lines of the old favourite The Ugly Duckling. The illustrations by Eric's wife, Nataliya, are classically done and remind me of Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist. This book will be one my own children will cherish and it will be passed down for many generations."

-- YA author Kristin Groulx (The Ghost of Colby Drive/mis-adventures of Alyson Bell series)

“Brave goose lives on in colorful children’s book. … delightful story. Your children can be entertained as they learn lessons about overcoming challenges, accepting different people and focusing on positive strengths.”

-- Towson Times

“‘Grounded Goose’ walks away a winner.”

-- Baltimore Examiner

“Sweet tale for children to remind them unkind words hurt, teasing is wrong, and being different can be special and wonderful in many ways.”

--Mom Bloggers Club

“Flightless Goose tells its story clearly, gently, and sensitively. This story can be read to and understood by a wide range of children. It is wonderfully full of enough details to let the reader and readee become linked with the characters without being cluttered. The heroes of the story are believable and act appropriately to the story line — believable.”

-- Amazon Review

“Kid’s Pick! A wise tale about a goose that becomes unable to fly and must learn to cope with the challenges of being different.”

--Abilities Magazine

“The word disability is not mentioned in the text, but the story deals with disabling conditions and teaches about overcoming challenges, focusing on positive strengths, and treating others with respect and dignity. In the end, the flightless goose develops a talent no other goose has, which helps him save the day.”

-- Hearing Review

“Flightless Goose teaches important lessons to children about automotive safety [and] being watchful of play areas ...”

-- Automotive Industries Magazine

“… watercolors … are vibrant and detailed … and evoke the illustrations from the classic editions of fairy tales and nursery rhymes that many parents will remember from when they were children. The word choice and presentation will encourage younger readers to expand their vocabularies without missing the key meanings, and will also satisfy older and more skilled readers.”

-- The Potomac

“Gilbert, the "Flightless Goose," lives on, thanks to a Rodgers Forge couple who have immortalized him in a full-color, hardcover children's book. Gilbert has lessons to teach.”

-- Towson Times

“Warm and wonderful fable … Don’t duck this goose!”

-- GottaWrite Girl: Adventures in Children’s Literature

“As a fourth grade teacher I would have loved to have used this book in my classroom for a lesson in compassion, friendship, being unique and tolerance. Flightless Goose is a great story filled with many life lessons.”

--Mama’s Little Chick

“Flightless Goose teaches children/grandchildren important lessons. Without being obvious, not even mentioning the word "disability" in the text, the book is very much about dealing with disabling conditions. “

-- Senior Beacon

“Besides being a fun book that children enjoy, Flightless Goose is a classic story with vivid illustrations, and an aim to make the world a better place one kid at a time by teaching them to be kind to one another, to accept people as they are, and to treat all people (and geese) with dignity and respect. If you’re looking for a book to give to a child in your life, Flightless Goose is one the child will enjoy, and learn from.”

-- Diversity Rules

“Flightless Goose is a story that every family should have. This story touched me in so many ways. I cannot tell you how many kids ask questions about [my son] being in a wheelchair. Teach them to reach out to a kid who is a little different. You’d be amazed at how much you will learn and be changed for the better. This is a book that every family should have and should read often.”

--A Review and a Giveaway

“Children all over America will identify with Gilbert the flightless goose as he learns very important lessons about friendship, being different and taking an adversity and turning it into a triumph! This is a great story to read to your children to teach them about self worth, tolerance and camaraderie. This book would also fit well with any anti-bullying program for young kids. Flightless Goose would make a great donation to your child's school library and to your local public library.”

--Intentional Conscientious Parenting

“Flightless Goose is a wonderful story that brings empathy from children, teaches children about tolerance, and brings out conversation about friendship, teasing and bullying. For parents, educators and grandparents Flightless Goose is a great tool for starting the conversation about bullying, and it is a great way to encourage young children to accept each other despite of and because of their differences. Flightless Goose is a timeless story that could have been written 30 years ago or ten years from now, and it is a story that will be relevant to children everywhere in the world.”

-- Story Time Under The Stars

“I used this book to support my lessons in grades one and two. My students loved Gilbert. [They] were able to ask questions, make comments, and we were able have a discussion. It was a wonderful story that really brought home the message of tolerance and friendship. Flightless Goose was a huge success!”

--Tidbits From A Mom

“Nicely illustrated tale about a goose who is different from the other geese and is teased for his differences. The tale … shows how the goose learns to accept his differences and embrace his new abilities. He learns that although he is different from his friends, he is just as important as they and comes to embrace his own self-worth. It’s never too early to teach our kids that being different is alright, no matter what that difference may be. I highly recommend it for young readers.”

--The Yin & Yang of Motherhood

“This book addresses how we should embrace diversity, and it is a great way to introduce your child to the idea that being different is not a bad thing, and that everyone has unique strengths. I read the book to my son, who is 4. The fact that he asked questions showed that he was engaged in the story and was actually getting something out of it. This book … is an opportunity to address being careful when being close to the road, what disabilities are, and being wary of strangers.”

--At Home Moma

“[Flightless Goose is] such a special treat. The story itself is captivating, fun and educational making this book a children’s must read. I read the story to my 6 year old niece Juju, and she loved it. She clearly got the message that no matter what happens you can work hard in learning to be good at something. She was able to follow each word in the book … in an artistic font, which caused her to focus not only on the pictures but on the words. I recommend this book to every child. The lessons taught are valuable.”

--Mom’s Tree House

"What a beautiful book! I also read the book to my daughter, who will be turning seven shortly. Not surprisingly, she loved Flightless Goose. I highly recommend this book! It shares such an important message!”

--Dearheart Designs

“Flightless Goose is an adorable book … a classic. The illustrations … have a calming artsy feel. A great starting point for some discussions with kids about bullying. Also a great lesson for our kids that we all have different strengths and no one does everything the best, but that we all have great value for what we are the best at.”

--Oh Boy Books: Helping Parents Find the Perfect Books To Encourage Their Kids’ Love of Reading

“Lovely illustrations for all you Goose lovers who adore great illustrations!”

-- Goosebreeder

“My kids were excited. They worried about Gilbert facing the winter alone. They asked about Gilbert's friend Johnny who is in a wheelchair and were excited when Gilbert and Johnny were able to save the geese. The moral of the story is you can overcome any challenge and just because you are different doesn't mean that there isn't something you are good at and you are as good as anyone else.”

--Maria’s Space

“There are so many lessons to be learned in this story. Lessons about friendship, change, acceptance ... and just appreciating what makes you ... YOU. My youngest absolutely adored this book and insisted on sharing it with his best friend. Flightless Goose would make a wonderful addition to your child's personal library or an even greater donation to your child's school library.”

--Three Boys and an Old Lady

“I loved this story! The book is a great reminder to make the best of every situation. It shares a valuable lesson that being different and unique from others makes us special and great. Along with the story were some wonderful illustrations that made me smile. The illustrations capture the essence of the story along with the childlike mindset. I recommend this book for children ages 2-8.”

--A Cozy Reader’s Corner Review

“Delightful and beautifully illustrated. This is a must have for your child’s home library. Flightless Goose is a tale of tolerance, friendship and embracing the qualities that make one unique instead of being ashamed of them. This book is a truly unique find. I don’t recall ever having read another children’s book that not only teaches tolerance, respect and emphasizes the joys of being unique - it also features a main character who is in a wheelchair. This book can also generate an important dialogue with your kids about crucial topics like being safe around the street and automobile safety. It also can spark conversations about tolerance, the ability to do what you want if you work hard enough, treating everyone with respect and many other valuable lessons.”

--Dixie Diva

“A great book about friendship … that teaches kids that everyone is different and it is not nice to make of others. Your child will love this book.”

--Moving Mommy’s Blog

“This book is a wonderfully illustrated tale of overcoming adversity and building friendships … with amazing drawings and life lessons that any child reading it would benefit from. Lessons about friendship, acceptance ... and just appreciating what makes a person and/or goose unique. I highly recommend this fantastic illustrated children's book.”

--The Queen of Swag

“I was impressed … very cute story. The illustrations are beautiful! I was very pleased with how they helped emphasize the story! I give this book a 5/5 for anyone with younger children (or older ones you want to impress with a lesson on). It would make a great gift!”

--A Little Sanity

“This book is a story about friendship, tolerance and self worth. It is a story about being different and wanting to belong. Beautiful watercolor illustrations!”

--Beach Party of Five

“Flightless Goose addresses issues of acceptance and respect for everyone. Its message is touching but, more importantly for us, it’s a good story. I encourage you to give this book a try.”

--A Bunch of Weird

“This meaningful story teaches tolerance along with coping with adversity.”

--Frugal Plus

“When I first read through Flightless Goose with my preschooler, I found my 6th grader inching closer and closer. This delightful tale that reminds us all, regardless of age, that unkind words hurt, teasing is wrong, and those who are different are special and wonderful in many ways.”

--Is There a Bathroom on this Ship?

“Children who are familiar with the song Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer will recognize its thematic connection to the Goodman's picture book Flightless Goose. Although the book's text is silent about Johnny's physical status, Nataliya Goodman's illustrations show that Johnny is in a wheelchair, a reality which adds additional meaning.”

--CM: Canadian Review of Materials

Featured in the Los Angeles Times, Baltimore Sun, JMWW, Eight-Stone Press Baltimore Shopping Guide 2009, Rodgers Forge Newsletter, author Bathsheba Monk’s website, and on blogs, and websites around the world.

Flightless Goose is available in bookstores, at Amazon.com, at the publisher’s interactive website for children (www.FlightlessGoose.com) and at the original www.RunGoose.com website.

Goose Author's Novel Debut in Publishers Lunch

2010-11-29T12:33:00.001-05:00

When an agent sells a book to a publisher, they usually place an announcement in Publishers Lunch, the industry newsletter published by Publisher’s Marketplace. Tracks, a novel in stories by Flightless Goose author Eric D. Goodman, is no exception.

Below is the announcement of Tracks, that the Doris S. Michaels Literary Agency, Inc. recently placed in Publishers Lunch.

Fiction: Debut

Eric D. Goodman's TRACKS, in which the reader journeys by train from Baltimore to Chicago via the perspectives of a diverse array of characters, to Dan Cafaro at Atticus Books, by Doris Michaels at DSM Agency (World English).

Subscribe to Publishers Lunch at their page.
http://www.publishersmarketplace.com/lunch/subscribe.html

Goose for Thanksgiving?

2010-11-22T15:32:00.001-05:00

Is Goose on the menu for your Thanksgiving activities? It should be!

Gilbert encourages parents to read Flightless Goose to their kids this Thanksgiving. But Gilbert offers so much more than great entertainment, a fun story, and lessons about self-worth, bullying, tolerance, being different, and focusing on positive strengths.

Gilbert wants you to enjoy Flightless Goose so much that he’s throwing in two free gifts for any orders: a coloring set, and an audio read-a-long CD with music and special effects to make reading the book even more exciting.

Also, Gilbert loves to play and he invites you to his new website, www.Flightlessgoose.com, where you can interact with him, watch animation, listen to music and sound effects, and share your own favorite activities with Gilbert.

There are a number of ways to get your goose in time for Thanksgiving.

Visit a local book store. If they don’t have it on the shelves, they should—ask for it by name!

Go to www.Amazon.com where you can take advantage of free super saver shipping if you order two copies (or pair it with another). You can also read customer reviews, or leave one of your own once you’ve read the book.

http://www.amazon.com/Flightless-Goose-Eric-D-Goodman/dp/097544025X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1287755912&sr=8-1

Visit the official website at www.RunGoose.com. There, you can read about the book, see some sample illustrations, and find out what reviewers have had to say about the book. You can order the book directly from the website and receive an inscribed, autographed copy postage-free! We’ll even include a free gift: your choice of a DVD or CD read-a-long.

Visit the blog, www.flightlessgoose.blogspot.com, where you can learn about readings, events, and news surrounding Flightless Goose.

Or explore the new interactive website that kids love best, www.FlightlessGoose.com, where you can play games, watch animations, listen to music, answer questions, print page to color, and order the book. When you order through the new website, the publisher will offer two free gifts: a Crayola coloring set and an audio CD read-a-long.

So this Thanksgiving Day, eat your turkey, but read your goose!

www.FlightlessGoose.com

Fun New Website for Kids and Readers

2010-11-12T15:30:00.000-05:00

Hey Kids! (And Adults who like to have fun online.) Gilbert the Flightless Goose wants to play — and he has a fun new website where you can join him!

The new Flightless Goose website at www.FlightlessGoose.com is a great, interactive site that gets visitors involved. Fun, colorful, and animated, the site pulls kids in with the use of music, sound effects, games, storytelling, and animation.

After a few interactive pages introducing the character of Gilbert to children, the website asks you to pick your own favorite activities. You can leave comments, print out pictures from the book to color, or try to draw the characters from the book yourself.

Then, you’re given an opportunity to answer a key question about the book. Weather you know the answer or not, you’ll have fun selecting different options and listening to the sound effects.

Finally, there’s a special offer for parents: two free gifts with the purchase of Flightless Goose for a limited time — between now and the end of the holiday season, or while supplies last. One of the gifts is a free audio CD of the book with sound effects and music that make the already lively book even more exciting!

Check out the new Flightless Goose website now. Gilbert’s waiting for you.

www.FlightlessGoose.com

Agent Finds Publisher for TRACKS

2010-11-01T16:34:00.002-04:00

Exciting news on the fiction front: TRACKS, a novel in stories, is being published by Atticus Books in Summer 2011.

Yes, TRACKS has a publisher!

Persistence pays. It’s been about six years since Flightless Goose author Eric D. Goodman wrote the first draft of TRACKS. Three years since it was a semi-finalist and the most-widely read entry in the First Chapters Writing Competition sponsored by Gather, Borders, and Simon & Schuster. About a year since TRACKS picked up an agent in New York City. Now, after riding the rails for years, TRACKS hits bookstores in Summer 2011.

Nearly half the stories have been published in journals and magazines, and thousands read excerpts during the contest—so many readers have had a taste of TRACKS. Next year, it will be available in its entirety.

Come back aboard for updates as they become available! And thanks to the many readers who have remained along sometimes treacherous lines of track.

Learn more at the Doris S. Michaels Literary Agency website.

http://dsmagency.com/news.html#FrankfurtHotList2010

Goose Author Celebrates Lit, Art, and Music

2010-10-20T08:04:00.001-04:00

Lovers of literature, art, music, and wine won’t want to miss Lit & Art at the Watermark on Sunday, October 24. The celebration begins at 2 p.m., and features artists, and authors from around the world.

Novelist Bathsheba Monk will read from her fiction. She has been described by Tim O’Brien as “a writer I'll be talking about when I talk about brilliant new writers.” Bathsheba is best known for her collection of stories, Now You See It … Stories from Cokesville, PA. Her novel, Nude Walker, is being published by FSG in Spring 2011.

Persian artist and musician Bahman Panahi will give a performance and talk about his work. Originally from Iran, Bahman has performed many concerts, exhibitions, courses and workshops in Iran, UK, Syria, India, Netherlands, Maldives, Tunisia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Belgium, Morocco and France. He recently performed a tar and setar concert at the Freer Gallery in DC and he will be performing at Harvard University in November. www.bahmanpanahi.com

Joining Bathsheba Monk and Bahman Panahi will be artist Manzar (of the Watermark Gallery), and authors Charles Jensen (most recent Director of The Writers’ Center), Katherine Cottle (author of My Father’s Speech), and Eric D. Goodman (author of Flightless Goose and Tracks, a novel in stories).

Music will be provided by the Lit & Art house band, Red Tractor Factory. Wine and refreshments will be served during intermissions. The event is free and open to the public.

The event takes place from 2 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, October 24 at The Watermark Gallery, located in the Bank of America Center Skywalk Level, right across from the Inner Harbor, at 100 S. Charles Street, Baltimore, Maryland. The phone number is (410) 547-0452.

Started in October 2007, the Lit and Art series provides a unique opportunity to sample a wide variety of artistic sensibilities in one sitting. The events are free and open to the public. An open mic section allows audience members to share their own work.

Come experience what has been called “the best excuse to get lit in Baltimore on a Sunday afternoon.” Visit the Watermark Gallery online at www.wmgallery.info .

Goose Returns to Catonsville Author Reception

2010-10-18T19:18:00.002-04:00

After last year's success, Flightless Goose is returning to the 5th Annual Author Reception to benefit the Catonsville Library!

Mingle with fellow book-lovers in the library stacks; engage in conversation with local authors; sip on wine varietals; savor gourmet cheeses and desserts; listen to classical guitarist Bob Margolis. It’s all happening at the 5th Annual Wine & Cheese Author Reception to benefit the Catonsville Library. The Friends of the Catonsville Library will host “Words & Wine” on Friday, October 22, 2010, from 7-9 p.m. at the Catonsville Library, 1100 Frederick Road, Catonsville, Maryland 21228. Tickets are $25 and available at the Catonsville Library or at the door. This year’s proceeds will be used to conserve historic documents in the Catonsville Room, and also to support Catonsville High School’s literary magazine, Ellipsis.

More than 15 authors from the area will share their work and have books available for sale and signing. Authors include: Steve Luxenberg, Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post journalist, author of Annie’s Ghost; Michael Collier, former Poet Laureate for Maryland; Rafael Alvarez, Jane Byers, Maud Casey, Louis Diggs, Kate Dolan, Dan Fesperman, Tom Flynn, Eric and Nataliya Goodman, Antero Pietila, John Rowell, Deborah Rudacille, David Shackelford, Suzanne Supplee, Joe Swope, Meg Tipper, Laura Wexler, Marsha Wight Wise.

In Luxenberg’s much-lauded Annie’s Ghost, the author explores the discovery that his mother, who claimed to be an only child, had a sister in an asylum. Topics other authors have tackled include a journey into the land of grief following the sudden death of a daughter; a teenager’s quest to follow her Nashville dream to become a singer; suspenseful tales of intrigue set in some of the world’s most volatile locales, to name a few.

In keeping with Catonsville’s Bicentennial Celebration, some writers’ works reflect the area’s storied past. Sponsors include The Wine Bin, SugarBakers Cakes, Sweet a Bakery & Café and Wegman’s.

Since 1962, the Friends’ mission has been to support and enhance the Catonsville library, including maintaining and promoting the Catonsville Historical Room. The Friends of the Catonsville Library is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization; donations are tax-deductible.

Learn more at www.bcpl.info/yolib/yoliprog.html.

For a recap of last year’s event, visit http://flightlessgoose.blogspot.com/2009/04/goose-hit-at-catonsville-book-festival.htm

Represented

2010-10-12T13:10:00.002-04:00

Flightless Goose author Eric D. Goodman now has a literary agent representing his fiction.

As many writers know, it’s difficult in today’s market to find an agent excited enough about a book or writer to take on representation. After years of knocking on doors and running into brick walls, Goodman has an agent!

Tracks, a novel in stories, is now represented by the Doris S. Michaels Literary Agency, Inc.

With Doris and her creative team on board, this train is building momentum.

Learn more about the Doris S. Michaels Literary Agency at Publisher’s Marketplace.

www.publishersmarketplace.com/members/dsmichaels.

Flightless Goose Author Featured at Baltimore Book Fest

2010-09-21T12:28:00.000-04:00

This weekend is the 15th edition of the Mid-Atlantic’s biggest literary event: the Baltimore Book Festival. Three days of readings, music, readings, food, literary panels and discussions, and readings. The festivities begin on Friday, September 24 and continue through Sunday, September 25.

The regular Lit & Art Reading Series travels north from its usual meeting place at the Watermark Gallery for a second annual event at the Baltimore Book Festival. This year’s Lit & Art at the BBF is hosted by the CityLit Tent. It takes place from at 2 p.m. this Sunday, September 26.

Readers include Lauren Beth Eisenberg, B. Morrison, Fernando Quijano III, and Eric D. Goodman. The Watermark Gallery’s Manzar will display her original art and give a performance. Live music is provided by the Lit & Art house band, Red Tractor Factory.

The Baltimore Book Festival offers something for everyone. Whether you want to meet Jessie Ventura or learn about Wes Moore One and Wes Moore Two, this is the place to be this weekend.

Learn more about the Baltimore Book Festival at their website.

http://baltimorebookfestival.com

Learn more about Lit & Art at the Baltimore Book Festival at the same website.
http://baltimorebookfestival.com/index.cfm?page=schedules&id=665

Ox-Bow's New Writer-in-Residence

2010-08-18T18:20:00.002-04:00

Flightless Goose Author Eric D. Goodman has been selected as a writer-in-residence for Ox-Bow!

Affiliated with the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Ox-Bow is located along the shores of Lake Michigan and offers 115 acres of inspirational space: pristine natural forests, dunes, a lagoon, and historic buildings.

Writers at this artists’ colony are provided with a small apartment, private studio with inspirational view, three meals a day and snacks around the clock all from local farms, an opportunity to meet other artists from around the world, and (most importantly) uninterrupted time to write. Ox-Bow’s residency program is about immersion, commitment, freedom, and focus.

Founded in 1910, Ox-Bow is celebrating 100 years as a haven for visual artists, writers, and thinkers.

Learn more by visiting their online campus at www.ox-bow.org.

And check this link for more about the writing residency.
http://www.ox-bow.org/residency/artists/index.html

Goose Featured on Ideas in Writing TV Show

2010-08-04T12:35:00.001-04:00

If you’re starting to wish schools was back in session, here’s a television program you won’t want to miss! The first episode of Ideas in Writing: Kids Club!

The episode features a group of children who love to read. In episode one, the kids interview songwriter and country music star Phil Vassar, authors Jeff Smith and Tim Egan, and the author of Flightless Goose, Eric D. Goodman.

You can enjoy the entire program at the link below. Or, if you’d like to fly right to the Flightless Goose segment, you can fast forward to about two-thirds into the program.

Enjoy Ideas in Writing: Kids Club at the link below.

www.ideasinwriting.org/kidsclub.html

NPR Podcast of Goose Authors's Fiction

2010-07-16T08:57:00.002-04:00

Last Friday Flightless Goose author Eric D. Goodman read an abridgement of his story, “One Last Hit,” on Baltimore’s NPR station, WYPR. The serialized excerpt from TRACKS aired on The Signal, on the air and online at noon and 7. TRACKS is a novel in stories that takes place on a train traveling from Baltimore to Chicago.

Miss the broadcast? Listen to the podcast at the link below!

“One Last Hit” was originally published in the Freshly Squeezed anthology published by Loyola’s Apprentice House. It follows a hit man as he prepares to carry out his last job and contemplates how he got into the unscrupulous business to begin with.

Be sure to hit this lit! The reading is about 22 minutes into the podcast at the link below.

http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wypr/arts.artsmain?action=viewArticle&id=1672430&pid=347&sid=14

Tune in to NPR for a "Hit" of Fiction

2010-07-09T08:25:00.003-04:00

Today Flightless Goose author Eric D. Goodman returns to the local NPR station (WYPR) to read from his fiction on The Signal. Each week The Signal explores the cultural landscape of Baltimore.

Tune in on the radio or online. The broadcast is at 12 noon and repeats at 7 p.m. today: Friday, July 9. Adjust your radio to 88.1 FM or log on to www.wypr.org.

“One Last Hit” is an abridged story from TRACKS, a novel in stories that takes place on a train traveling from Baltimore to Chicago.

The story was originally published in the Freshly Squeezed anthology published by Loyola’s Apprentice House. It follows a hit man as he prepares to carry out his last job and contemplates how he got into the unscrupulous business to begin with.

The novel is represented by the Doris S. Michaels Literary Agency Inc. in New York.

Enjoy this hit of fiction today at 88.1 FM or www.wypr.org. Tune in at noon or 7.

Flightless Goose Lands at LakeFest

2010-06-09T17:15:00.001-04:00

Flightless Goose has found a new lake!

Gilbert will be featured at the Columbia Festival of the Arts’ BookFest at LakeFest.

LakeFest is a weekend full of free, fun events for the entire family. With books, art exhibits, music, kids’ entertainment and crafts, demonstrations and a variety of activities for all ages, it’s a jam-packed weekend guaranteed to be fun for everyone!

BookFest at Lakefest puts a literary spin on the festivities.

From 1 to 2 p.m. on Saturday, June 12, BookFest at LakeFest offers a free Kid’s Lit Hour. Flightless Goose author Eric D. Goodman will partner with Laura Shovan, the Maryland State Arts Council Artist-in-Education for Poetry and winner of this year’s Harriss Poetry Prize. After a reading of Flightless Goose, Laura will conduct a family poetry craft with the kids.

Eric will be signing copies of Flightless Goose for kids and their families — so come for the poetry and stay for the books!

Learn more about Laura Shovan at her website.

www.laurashovan.com

Find out more about Columbia Festival of the Arts’ BookFest at LakeFest at the official website.

www.columbiafestival.com/lakeFest.aspx

Goose Featured on Digital Review

2010-05-19T09:00:00.001-04:00

Once again Flightless Goose author Eric D. Goodman was asked to be a guest on a student-produced, literary-focused television show at Loyola college’s Baltimore campus. In the interview, Eric was asked about Flightless Goose, TRACKS, WOMB, tips on writing, the creative process, finding an agent and editor, and the Baltimore literary scene. Most of the interview is about Flightless Goose, and a huge poster Gilbert shares the screen with his creator.

The program is called Digital Review: An Interview with Eric D. Goodman.

But you don’t have to be affiliated with Loyola to enjoy the show – you can view it now on YouTube. Tune in below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgF7d4CKcgI

Goose Author Shares Lit & Art on April 25

2010-04-24T11:51:00.002-04:00

Get Lit & Art on April 25
You’re invited to join a group of local writers, poets, musicians, and artists for this Sunday’s Lit & Art at the Watermark.

Like all Lit & Art events, it is free and open to the public. Wine, food, and refreshments will be served—along with healthy helpings of lit, art, and music. An open mic session gives you the opportunity to share your work as well.

Featured authors this time include Kathy Cottle, Meg Adams, Barbara Friedland, Sonia Linebaugh, and Flightless Goose author Eric D. Goodman. Nitin Jagdish emcees. The art of Manzar and music of Red Tractor Factory will fill out the afternoon.

The event takes place from 2 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, April 25 at The Watermark Gallery, located in the Bank of America Center Skywalk Level, right across from the Inner Harbor, at 100 S. Charles Street, Baltimore, Maryland. The phone number is (410) 547-0452.

Come experience what has been called “the best excuse to get lit in Baltimore on a Sunday afternoon.”

Apprentice House Showcases Authors at Loyola University

2010-04-12T14:30:00.001-04:00

Flightless Goose Author Eric D. Goodman will read from his novel in stories, Tracks, this week at Loyola University.

The country’s only student-staffed, campus-based book publisher, Apprentice House of Loyola University, celebrates a selection of recently published books on Thursday, April 15, 2010, at Loyola University, 4501 N. Charles Street, Baltimore.

“One Last Hit,” a story from Tracks, was published in the Apprentice House anthology, Freshly Squeezed. Eric will read his story as part of the Author’s Showcase.

The reading and reception takes place from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Student Center’s Fourth Floor Programming Room at Loyola’s Evergreen Campus.

The publisher has been featured in Publishers Weekly (twice), The Sun, City Paper, The Examiner, The Urbanite, and the newsletter of the Independent Book Publishers Association. Its annual chapbook contest draws more than fifty entries per year.

The event marks a rare area appearance for Seattle-based poet Paul Nelson, founder of the nonprofit Global Voices Radio and past president of the Washington Poets Association. In his epic poem, Nelson re-enacts the history of Auburn, Washington, originally known as the town of Slaughter. Written in the spirit of William Carlos Williams, Charles Olson, and Michael McClure, A Time Before Slaughter explores the history of this Northwestern place from the myths of Native people to the xenophobia toward Japanese-Americans, from the urge to control to the hunger for liberation.

Light refreshments will be served. Books will also be available for purchase.

Loyola University is located at 4501 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21210. The Student Center is adjacent to the athletic fields near the intersection on Millbrook Road and East Cold Spring Lane. The event is free and open to the public. For more information about Apprentice House, please visit www.ApprenticeHouse.com, or for directions and parking, please visit www.loyola.edu and enter search term “directions.”

Flightless Goose at CityLit Fest

2010-04-06T08:43:00.001-04:00

Author Eric D. Goodman will be sharing his book, Flightless Goose, at the seventh annual CityLit Festival. Dubbed "a can't miss event on the city's cultural scene," the free, day-long festival is presented by CityLit Project and Enoch Pratt Free Library.

The Festival features many authors and poets, including Elizabeth Kostova, who wrote The Swan Thieves. It may sound similar since it includes waterfowl in the title, but it is a very different book.

Other featured writers include Sam Lipsyte, Stanley Plumly, Laura Shovan, Victoria Rowell, Maud Casey, Michael Downs, Lia Purpura, Rosalia Scalia, Ron Tanner, and Rafael Alvarez.

If you come for the festivities, be sure to stop by the Flightless Goose booth where you’ll have the opportunity to get your own autographed copy of the full-color, hardcover storybook for children.

The free festival takes place from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Saturday, April 17, at the Enoch Pratt Central Library, 400 Cathedral Street, downtown Baltimore.

More details and a complete schedule can be found on the CityLit website.

www.citylitproject.org/index.cfm?page=news&newsid=49

Goose Author's Future on NPR

2010-03-02T09:27:00.002-05:00

Last month, Flightless Goose author Eric D. Goodman read an excerpt from his novel in stories, Tracks, on WYPR’s The Signal. We recently shared a link to the podcast featuring “Prewitt’s Plans,” which you can find in an entry last month.

But did you catch his NPR reading of “Futures” which aired on The Signal last fall? You may have caught it on the radio or online … but we never got around to posting it. We figured we could share “Futures” sometime in the future.

The future is now.

“Futures” is another abridged story from TRACKS. It follows a young woman struggling with the choice between a new career in Chicago or the home and people in Baltimore she’s known all her life.

NPR describes TRACKS as “a book that zooms into the interior lives of a group of strangers on a train from Baltimore to Chicago.”

Catch the train at WYPR’s website.

http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/wypr/arts.artsmain?action=viewArticle&sid=14&pid=347&id=1553157

And catch the goose at www.RunGoose.com

Goose Author's Latest NPR Podcast

2010-02-17T07:49:00.001-05:00

For those who missed the broadcast, Goose Author Eric D. Goodman's NPR reading of “Prewitt’s Plans” on The Signal is available as an online podcast.

The Signal airs on Baltimore’s NPR station, WYPR, every Friday at noon and again at 7 p.m. Tune into 88.1 FM for a tour of Baltimore’s cultural landscape. You can also catch it online at www.wypr.org or www.signalradio.org.

In “Prewitt’s Plans,” the main character watches the scenery pass by from his train window as he contemplates how life has passed by too quickly, considers his future plans, and gets to the heart of whether he is the master of his planner or the other way around. “Prewitt’s Plans was published in the most recent issue of Scribble Magazine.

“Prewitt’s Plans” is a story from TRACKS, a novel in stories.

Listen to “Prewitt’s Plans” on The Signal at the link below. The entire program is well worth listening to. If you’d like to rush ahead to my reading, it’s about 32 minutes into the broadcast.

Enjoy the program. It may even encourage you to cast aside all other plans!

www.publicbroadcasting.net/wypr/arts.artsmain?action=viewArticle&id=1608334&pid=347&sid=14

Snowed In? Read!

2010-02-10T17:11:00.001-05:00

Snowed in? That can be a good thing. What better time than a snow day (or snow week as some of us seem to be experiencing) to catch up on some reading? And if you happen to be snowed in with children, you can have a great time reading to the kids.

In the market for a new children’s book? There’s no need to fight the snow for a trip to the local book store or library. Save that for better weather. You can order Flightless Goose from the cozy comfort of your own home by going online!

There are a number of places you can go, but a good start is www.RunGoose.com, where you can find information on the book, sample illustrations, and a nice list of the good ink the book has received.

Or, visit The Muse Books at www.thetenthmusebooks.com/bookstore.html.

Of course, if you order your copy at www.Amazon.com, you can qualify for free shipping with orders of $25 or more. Two copies of Flightless Goose would do the trick. Or, take the advice of Amazon, who pairs Flightless Goose up with Jamie Lee Curtis’s book, Big Words for Little People. See the product rating, the five-star review, and other info at http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/097544025X/sr=8-1/qid=1265839559/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me=&qid=1265839559&sr=8-1&seller=

Enjoy the snow. If you’ve read the book, you know that Gilbert did!

Goose Author Reads Fiction on NPR

2010-02-03T13:15:00.001-05:00

This Friday will see Flightless Goose Author Eric D. Goodman's first radio reading of 2010. He'll read his story “Prewitt’s Plans” from Tracks, a novel in stories, on NPR’s The Signal.

The Signal airs on Baltimore’s NPR station, WYPR, every Friday at noon and again at 7 p.m. Tune into 88.1 FM for a tour of Baltimore’s cultural landscape.

In “Prewitt’s Plans,” the main character watches the scenery pass by from his train window as he contemplates how life has passed by too quickly, considers his future plans, and gets to the heart of whether he is the master of his planner or the other way around.

“Prewitt’s Plans was published in the most recent issue of Scribble Magazine.

Tune in to The Signal this Friday at noon or 7 p.m. at 88.1 FM. Or listen to the podcast of the program at www.wypr.org.

Goose Author Published in Scribble

2010-01-26T12:13:00.002-05:00

January may be coming to a close, but some writers and readers are still working out their goals, resolutions, and plans for 2010. What better time than now to announce Flightless Goose author Eric D. Goodman's first published fiction of 2010?

“Prewitt’s Plans” has been published in Scribble Magazine.

Published three times a year, Scribble features poetry, short fiction, and creative non-fiction from both established and emerging writers from around the globe.

“Prewitt’s Plans” is an excerpt from Tracks, a novel in stories. As the main character of the story watches the scenery pass by from his train window, he contemplates how life has passed by too quickly, considers retirement, and gets to the heart of whether he is the master of his planner or the other way around.

Although Scribble does not have “cover stories,” Editor Sherry Audette Morrow pointed out that she selected Jeff Rozenweig’s cover photo (of a man walking toward a speeding train) because it was a good representation of “Prewitt’s Plans.”

Check out Scribble online, where you can order your copy of the current issue (Vol. 7, Issue 2).

www.Scribblemagazine.us

This Holiday, Buy Baltimore!

2009-12-24T11:05:00.001-05:00

Still looking for a few last-minute gifts? Buy Baltimore! Not the city, but products produced by and in Charm City. To help you find some great Baltimorian gifts, Baltimore's own Eight Stone Press (known for it's nationally-recognized Smile Hon, You're In Baltimore zine) has published an online Baltimore Gift Guide! You can view it online at www.eightstonepress.com/shoppingguide.htm.

Under the "Words" section, you'll find the perfect gift for any children on your list -- the full-color, hardcover story book for children written and illustrated by Baltimorians: Flightless Goose.

Take a look at Eight Stone Press's Baltimore Shopping Guide now at the link below.

And Happy Holidays from the Goodmans and the Goose!

www.eightstonepress.com/shoppingguide.htm

Goose Gets a Companion?

2009-12-14T14:33:00.002-05:00

Fresh from a book event and television interview in York, author Eric D. Goodman took a bit of a break from everyday life to go on a writing retreat.

This time, it was a trip to the town of Sainte-Adele in Quebec, Canada. While there in the mountains, the area got the heaviest snowfall of the year. Rushing riverside locale, steaming hot tubs and Finnish sauna, snow-topped evergreens blowing in the wind, a comfortable rocking chair next to a crackling fireplace … the perfect setting for writing a new childrens’ book set in a cold climate.

Artist Nataliya A. Goodman is at work illustrating the new book, and a solid draft is completed. It may be a few years before the new book sees a book shelf, but in the meantime, there’s always the current book!

Flightless Goose is available for purchase now at www.RunGoose.com, Amazon.com, and at bookstores.

Or, if you want it personally inscribed and autographed, feel free to shoot us an email at www.RunGoose.com.

Now … back to the work of writing in the real world.

Flightless Goose Stars at York Emporium

2009-12-01T10:38:00.001-05:00

Fresh from his flight to the Ottawa Book Fair, Gilbert the Flightless Goose is going to the first capitol of the United States: York, Penn.

That’s because Flightless Goose is the star of a book signing event this Saturday, December 5 at the York Emporium located at 343 West Market Street in York, Penn., 17401. The event begins at 1 p.m.

Come on out and get your signed copy of Flightless Goose. While you’re there, be sure to browse the 250,000 books available at the York Emporium.

Visit the Emporium online at www.theyorkemporium.com/about/index.html.

Flightless Goose Featured at Ottawa Book Fair

2009-11-23T13:51:00.001-05:00

If you’re planning to attend the Ottawa Small Press Book Fair on Saturday, November 28, you’re likely to run into a native goose. Flightless Goose is available all day at the fair!

The annual book fair features exhibitors with poetry books, novels, cookbooks, posters, t-shirts, graphic novels, comic books, magazines, gum-ball machines brimming with poems and, of course, children’s’ books!

The Tenth Muse Books will have copies of Flightless Goose available, as well as books from the popular “Mis-Adventures of Alyson Bell” series by Kristin Groulx, including the latest: The Oracle of the Missing Dryad.

The Ottawa Small Press Book Fair takes place Saturday, November 28 at the Jack Purcell Community Centre. The address is 320 Jack Purcell Lane, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

Fulfill your muse and get your goose!

Goose Goes to Formal Charity Ball

2009-11-17T14:13:00.001-05:00

The Flightless Goose has been known to play ball, but on Thursday, November 19, he will sport a black tie and attend his first formal ball. That’s because Flightless Goose is one of the features of the Buddy Project’s Charity Ball: Underwater Fantasea.

The black tie event will be held at Ceresville Mansion in Frederick, Maryland, from 6:30 to 11:00 p.m. on November 19. The ball includes a cocktail hour, gourmet dinner, and live music by 23 Days Rewind — a band that plays a blend of 80’s and 90’s alternative and today’s electronica. The band has opened for Modern English, Violent Femmes, and members of Fuel.

The night’s agenda features an auction of collectables such as autographed jerseys, helmets, posters and footballs that boast the signatures of Baltimore Ravens and Washington Redskins football players like Chris Cooley, Clinton Portis, Joe Flacco, Santana Moss and others, as well as an autographed copy of Flightless Goose, a full-color, the hardcover story book for children.

In addition to the copy donated for the auction, author Eric D. Goodman and illustrator Nataliya A. Goodman will be selling and signing copies of Flightless Goose at the ball from 6 to 8 p.m. and proceeds from the sales will benefit the Buddy Project.

The Buddy Project is a 501(c)3 that provides refurbished computers to help close the digital divide for people with disabilities.

Eric Zimmerman established The Buddy Project in October of 2007, soliciting used computers from colleges, universities, and high schools. To date he has put 125 refurbished computers in to service, and this year will expand to offer computer training with the help of grant funding from the Ausherman Family Foundation.

Flightless Goose is the perfect book to partner with The Buddy Project because it teaches important lessons about dealing with disability, focusing on positive strengths, and treating others with respect and dignity. The book is fun for children and it educates as it entertains.

Flightless Goose is available in book stores, at www.Amazon.com, and at www.RunGoose.com, where you can see some of the illustrations and read more about the exciting new book destined to become a classic.

But why not meet the author and artist in person and get your autographed copy inscribed to the children on your holiday gift list — and help The Buddy Project in their mission to make a difference at the same time.

The formal ball takes place on November 19 from 6:30 to 11 p.m. at the Ceresville Mansion in Frederick, Maryland. Individual tickets are $50 and full tables are $400. The Buddy Project’s goal is to raise $5,000 and to distribute 150 computers. Tickets can be purchased at: www.thebuddyproject.net/ball.

Visit the Ceresville Mansion online at www.ceresville.com.

Read www.Writeful.blogspot.com for more information about this and other events.