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In defense of Big Ideas in fiction

American creative writing instruction, in my experience, tends to discourage would-be novelists from working with philosophical concepts. Large, abstract ideas are seen as the province of scientists and Nobel laureates. Everyone else, the thinking goes, should stay squarely in the realm of concrete troubles like adultery or thievery or murder. But don’t the best novels — Crime and Punishment, for . . .

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Poets & Writers 2008

The relaunched Poets & Writers site includes searchable databases of literary magazines, jobs, and grants & awards.

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