The Book I HAD To Write podcast

#Arts #Paul Zakrzewski #Society #Conversations

32:17

Jay is more than just the host of All About Change podcast. He is a lawyer and international activist, who has focused his life’s work on seeking social justice by advocating for the rights of people with disabilities worldwide. On the special episode of All About Change, Mijon Zulu, the managing producer of the "All About Change" podcast, is taking over hosting duties to interview Jay Ruderman about his new book, his activist journey, and why activism is even more important today. Episode Chapters (0:00) intro (02:38) How does one choose a cause to go after? (03:33) Jay’s path to activism (07:50) Practical steps a new activist can take (09:24) Confrontation vs trolling (17:36) Learning from activists operating in different sectors (19:20) Resilience in activism (22:24) Reflections on Find Your Fight and goodbye For video episodes, watch on www.youtube.com/@therudermanfamilyfoundation Stay in touch: X: @JayRuderman | @RudermanFdn LinkedIn: Jay Ruderman | Ruderman Family Foundation Instagram: All About Change Podcast | Ruderman Family Foundation To learn more about the podcast, visit https://allaboutchangepodcast.com/ Looking for more insights into the world of activism? Be sure to check out Jay’s brand new book, Find Your Fight , in which Jay teaches the next generation of activists and advocates how to step up and bring about lasting change. You can find Find Your Fight wherever you buy your books, and you can learn more about it at www.jayruderman.com .…

The Book I HAD to Write

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THE BOOK I HAD TO WRITE features interview with critically-acclaimed writers about the stories they just HAD to get out in the world. Listen to stories about the stuff that gets in the way of showing up; or about craft challenges; or just how to navigate the changing landscape of publishing. "A killer interview podcast" -- Sarah Fay from Writers at Work.
bookiwanttowrite.substack.com

34 episodes

The Book I HAD to Write

updated about a year ago

Series home•Feed

34 episodes

#Arts #Paul Zakrzewski #Society #Conversations

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The Book I HAD to Write

1
Two reasons you're not landing a memoir book deal in 2024, with Courtney Maum 42:46

28 weeks ago42:46

42:46

In today’s episode I talk with author and creativity coach Courtney Maum of Before and After the Book Deal about what it means to write and publish memoir in 2024. She describes her own unconventional route into publishing, highlighting the importance of hard work and persistence over connections. She also shares insights into the craft of memoir, including the benefits of using a " dual timeline ” structure, plus the need for writers to turn personal stories into universally relatable books. We also talk about the importance of publishing “off the book” pieces to gain attention, and the evolving landscape of self-publishing. Key Takeaways * There’s often a major disconnect between writers’ neuroses and what agents/editors think writers are worried about . This was a driving factor behind writing and publishing Before and After the Book Deal in 2020. * More than a developmental editor or book coach, Courtney calls herself a creativity coach . That reflects the core of her approach—diagnostic, focused on moving past emotional and psychological blocks, and providing “big picture” guidance. * Many writers of memoir set all the action in their books in the past; there’s no “present day” story in their books. This leads to “no forward momentum…no motor in the car,” as Courtney says. You can help resolve this issue by using a Dual Timeline structure. * In today’s market, writers of memoir also make the mistake of sticking to hyper-specific and personal stories. However, the books that are connecting most with publishers and agents now have a strong universal topic woven in. Again, a challenge that a Dual Timeline structure helps you address. * The idea that you’ll score a “quick Big 5, 6-figure book deal” in 2024 is a fantasy. Be prepared to put in hard work, and lots of trial and error with your agent queries, book drafts, proposals etc. Consider doing readings, book reviews, and publishing “off the book” pieces to help build your author platform. * Today many successful writers can move between self- and traditional publishing during their careers. Self-publishing can be a viable and lucrative option for authors, offering more control over their work and direct engagement with their audience. Discussed on this Episode * Before and After the Book Deal , by Courtney Maum. Buy it here . * Writing & Pitching Hybrid Memoir in Today’s Market was a course offered by Courtney Maum for Jane Friedman on June 26, 2024. * Memoir: Write a Personal Story for a Universal Audience is Courtney Maum’s online course introducing the “3-Act, Dual Timeline” structure * “ Let’s Talk Self-Publishing ,” published at Before and After the Book Deal , explores many of the same points Courtney makes on the show About Courtney Maum Courtney Maum is the author of five acclaimed books, including the groundbreaking publishing guide that Vanity Fair recently named one of the ten best books for writers, Before and After the Book Deal and the memoir The Year of the Horses , chosen by The Today Show as the best read for mental health awareness. Her parallel 20-year career in marketing and advertising has allowed Courtney to help writers improve their craft while also learning about the business of publishing so they can feel empowered—instead of bewildered—in a competitive and often classist industry. A Joyce Carol Oates prize nominee and frequently published essayist, Courtney writes across multiple genres and has published with the “Big 5,” Indies, Micro-presses, Audible and vanity presses, making her the perfect companion for the writing journey you are on. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bookiwanttowrite.substack.com…

The Book I HAD to Write

1
From a rejected memoir to a 6-figure book deal with Melissa Petro 39:23

30 weeks ago39:23

39:23

In today’s episode I talk with author and cultural journalist Melissa Petro about her new book, Shame On: How to Be a Woman in the Age of Mortification . The book explores how, in a patriarchal society, shame is often weaponized against women, keeping them small and lessening their impact. Petro weaves in her own personal story, which included an early stint with sex work and her brush with public humiliation in 2011. We also talk about Petro’s 20-year journey to a six-figure book deal, the challenges she had selling a previous (PEN-nominated) memoir, and how becoming a mother triggered deeper insights into her own experience with shame. Her journey included interviews with over 150 people, which allowed her to understand how shame can be used as a tool for social control. ---------- “I had this idea that I was going to write a memoir. And for the next 20 something years, I wrote, edited, revised, rewrote, pursued agents, went to the New School [to study] creative nonfiction, and I really was determined to write and publish a memoir. Only recently did it become the project it is.” ---------- Key Takeaways * Shame as a weapon of control: The book argues that in a patriarchal society, women are indoctrinated to feel shame about almost every aspect of their lives—be it career, motherhood, or personal choices. * Intersection with motherhood: Melissa’s experience as a mother deeply influenced her understanding of shame. “The shame I experienced as a mother was so profound and familiar," she says. It gave her a broader perspective on societal expectations. * Hybrid memoir is a story bigger than yourself: A turning point in her writing journey came when her agent, Laura Mazer, told her she didn’t represent memoir. But she also suggested that her story could be about about something bigger. The work of excavating this bigger “what” shifted her writing career. * Becoming a “shame whisperer”: Beyond her own personal story, the book incorporates insights from over 150 interviews. Melissa describes herself as a “shame whisperer,” someone people naturally open up to with their deepest, most shameful experiences. * Confessional Essays: The confessional essay boom of the early 2010s was a pivotal moment for Petro and other women. Despite backlash, it gave women permission to tell their stories publicly, breaking down taboos. It led to stories about “complex sexual experiences, including assault and other forms of sexual violence,” which anticipated #MeToo by a few years. ---------- "Shame doesn’t do anything to make us better. It does not make us work harder. It doesn’t make us correct our behavior. Shame just suppresses us, puts us down, and keeps us from rising up." ---------- About Melissa Petro Melissa Petro is a journalist whose writing has been featured in The Washington Post , Allure, Cosmopolitan, Rolling Stone, Good Housekeeping, The Guardian, InStyle, and many other national publications. She was a finalist for the PEN/Fusion Emerging Writers Prize, and she holds a bachelor in Women’s Studies from Antioch and an MFA in Creative Nonfiction from The New School. She lives with her husband and two young children in Upstate New York. Credits This episode was edited and produced by Chérie Newman at Magpie Audio Productions . Theme music is "The Stone Mansion" by BlueDot Productions. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bookiwanttowrite.substack.com…

The Book I HAD to Write

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Book coach Joelle Hann: There's a big gap between the dream and the published book (Re-release) 31:11

32 weeks ago31:11

31:11

Book coach Joelle Hann—aka “The Brooklyn Book Doctor”—joins me to discuss the journey from book idea to finished product. Joelle delves into common obstacles for first-time authors, the transformative nature of writing, and the importance of mindset and resilience. She also shares insights from her Book Proposal Academy and highlights trends happening in the publishing industry, especially post-pandemic. Whether you’re stuck at the beginning or seeking to refine your manuscript, this episode provides great guidance on navigating the daunting path to publishing. (This episode was originally released in July 2023.) --------- "When people get serious about writing a book and fulfilling this desire to have a book, that voice is really loud. Voice that says, no one wants to hear from you. This is not a good idea. It's already been done before. It's not interesting." --------- Key Takeaways * What many writers need is “mindset guidance” and “expectations guidance,” says Joelle Hann. * Developmental editing vs. book coaching: It's not just about refining the manuscript but nurturing the author's confidence and creative process. * Traditional publishing has shifted, especially since the pandemic. Joelle highlights the pressures on big publishers and how it affects new authors trying to break in. * One thing that surprises Joelle—and flummoxes new authors—is that while they bring enthusiasm to the process, they also face a big crash when confronted with their inner demons. * “When you get serious about the thing you want to do, your inner resistance comes and says, hold on a second,” she says. One way around this? Introducing mindfulness and somatic techniques to help authors move past blocks. * As a book coach, Joelle emphasizes the transformative process of writing, which often reveals bigger personal revelations beyond just the book. For those who face down their inner critics, they often discover unexpected resilience—a key to successful authorship. --------- "Editors can love a book and think it's phenomenal, still not be able to sign it because they don't have what they call a ‘vision’ for the book, which usually means they can't quite see directly how it'll turn into big sales…Now, that said, people are still getting book deals. My clients are still getting book deals. But it can take more work.” --------- About Joelle Hann & the Book Proposal Academy Joelle Hann is a book coach & writer helping authors write their books and proposals, discover their ideas, and harness their creative process. Her clients have been published with Big 5 and independent presses such as TarcherPerigee (Penguin Group), North Star Way (Simon & Schuster), Harper Wave, Workman, Wiley, Sounds True, Shambhala Publications, and more. Joelle’s Book Proposal Academy is a live, hands-on coaching program to help writers craft a top-tier book proposal, structure their book, write chapters, and prepare to become an author. Pitch a book that agents and editors are excited to buy! Past clients include authors Jillian Turecki, Sebene Selassie, Amanda Griffith-Atkins, Eileen Rosete, Catherine Simone Gray and more. This six-month program is the fast track to publishing and making book dreams come true. Learn more and apply here . The next cohort starts October 15th. Credits This episode was edited and produced by Chérie Newman at Magpie Audio Productions . Theme music is "The Stone Mansion" by BlueDot Productions. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bookiwanttowrite.substack.com…

The Book I HAD to Write

1
Joan Leegant:"I have no clue what I'm going to do when I sit down to write stories" 34:46

34 weeks ago34:46

34:46

In today’s episode, I’m joined by Joan Leegant to discuss her new short story collection, Displaced Persons . Joan shares insights into her writing process, including how she often begins stories with no preset idea and allows stories to emerge from a first sentence. Many of Joan’s stories are set among immigrants and Americans living in Israel. And while Joan’s collection was accepted for publication before October 7th, it came in June, in the midst of a highly polarized and frightening time for people on every side of the current conflict. So we talk about what it’s been like for Jewish writers publishing today, and also the way that fiction allows for empathic connections not always available in daily life. "My method of writing anything, particularly short stories, is that I have no clue what I'm going to do when I sit down to write it. I have no clue what it's going to be about." Key Takeaways * Joan's collection is set in Israel and America, focusing on displaced individuals. She highlights the interplay of naive Americans with complex realities, particularly in Israel. * A notable story, Displaced Persons , features an American teaching English to African refugees. Joan explores the absurdity of a country founded by displaced persons dealing with new displaced populations. * "The material just was kind of urging itself to come out," Joan says about the stories she wrote while working on other novels. It's a testament to the compelling nature of the themes she explores. * In Remittances , the narrator empathizes with marginalized workers in Tel Aviv. It's a story of immigrants in a land that symbolizes a second chance, reflecting Israel as a haven for those on the edge. * Another powerful story, Beautiful Souls , follows two American girls in Jerusalem. Their naivete leads them into dangerous situations, showcasing the often startling collision of American innocence with Israeli realities. * Joan’s stories on mental illness are deeply human, exploring family dynamics through the lens of mental health, not as a central theme but as a way to navigate complex relationships. * We discuss the impact of the Israel-Gaza war and the polarized publishing landscape. Though accepted before the October 7 attacks, Displaced Persons landed post-crisis, and Joan says she’s navigated the current landscape by focusing on the universal human elements of her stories. * Fiction is transformative. Joan cites the power of fiction to expand empathy, offering a “glimpse into some deeper truth.” It’s about illuminating the complexities of life through imagined worlds. * Leegant’s belief in the power of fiction to expand empathy is echoed by George Saunders , who describes a story as a "black box" that provides a deeper glimpse into human nature. "You need to illuminate human truth, but you do it through imagined stories," says Leegant. * Joan’s idea of “associative leaps” in writing, where characters’ truths emerge organically, enriches her storytelling. Her characters' voices and feelings drive the narrative, rather than a pre-planned agenda. * On navigating the current volatile landscape: Joan learned to balance sensitivity with openness, not shying away from broader literary and academic engagements, while being mindful of the potential for polarization. * During a recent visit to Israel, Joan facilitated writing workshops helping teachers process trauma through expressive writing, a poignant testament to the healing power of storytelling. * We discuss fiction’s ability to explore complex human conditions and to bridge gaps of empathy and understanding. "Our capacity should not be just read about people we already know, or we are exactly alike, but people we are nothing like," Leegant remarks. "Our capacity should not be just read about people we already know, or we are exactly alike, but people we are nothing like." About Joan Leegant Joan Leegant's new story collection, Displaced Persons , won the New American Fiction Prize. Joan's first collection, An Hour in Paradise, won the PEN/New England Book Award and the Wallant Award, and was a finalist for the National Jewish Book Award and a Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers pick. She is also the author of a novel, Wherever You Go, named a "Significant Jewish Book" by the Union of Reform Judaism. Formerly a lawyer, from 2007 to 2013 Joan was the visiting writer at Bar-Ilan University outside Tel Aviv where she also gave talks on American literature and culture under the auspices of the U.S. Embassy and was a volunteer ESL teacher for African refugees and asylum seekers. She has taught at Harvard, Oklahoma State, and Cornish College in Seattle where she was the writer-in-residence at Hugo House Additional Links * Displaced Persons has been selected for Hadassah’s One Book, One Hadassah read! Register here to join the virtual conversation on August 22 at 7 PM (ET) * Joan Leegant ’s website and events schedule * On Moral Fiction (Kirkus Review) , by John Gardner, 1978 * Ron Carlson Writes a Story , by Ron Carlson * “ Writing About Jews ,” by Philip Roth, Commentary Magazine, December 1963. Credits This episode was produced by Magpie Audio Productions . Theme music is " The Stone Mansion " by BlueDot Productions. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bookiwanttowrite.substack.com…

The Book I HAD to Write

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Matthew Specktor on hybrid memoir, Hollywood failure & that time Marlon Brando left a voicemail 38:28

36 weeks ago38:28

38:28

In this episode, I talk with author and novelist about his recent hybrid memoir and cultural exploration, Always Crashing in the Same Car . We discuss his fascination with figures who faced creative crises in Hollywood, from F. Scott Fitzgerald , filmmaker Hal Ashby or musician Warren Zevon to more overlooked but similarly brilliant figures like Carole Eastman , the screenwriter of the 1970s classic Five Easy Pieces . We also explore the realities of growing up in LA, including being “celebrity-adjacent.” That’s perhaps best illustrated by the time Marlon Brando left an incredible monologue in the form of a voicemail. We do a deep dive into the attraction of hybrid memoir for fiction writer, Matthew’s approach to research, and whether it’s possible any longer to be a middle-class creative in Hollywood. -------------------------- “All of those kind of impulses fused in me, and eventually, and I sort of realized, like, oh, this is what I want to write. I want to write a book that's a memoir that isn't about me, or a memoir that's only kind of, you know, partly about me.” -------------------------- Key Takeaways * Always Crashing In the Same Car pays homage to figures who've faced both genius and marginalization in Hollywood, including Thomas McGuane, Renata Adler, Carole Eastman, Eleanor Perry, Hal Ashby, Michael Cimino, Warren Zevon & more. The book is about “those who failed, faltered, and whose triumphs are punctuated by flops...” * Matthew shares his fascination with Carol Eastman, best known for Five Easy Pieces . He was deeply touched by her prose writings, comparing her to poets like Hart Crane and Wallace Stevens. * The book and the interview also delves more deeply into women's contributions to Hollywood, focusing on other overlooked talents like Eleanor Perry and Elaine May. Matthew reflects on his mother, a one-time screenwriter, and how her generation had less opportunity to develop their skills. * Why a hybrid memoir? Matthew was reading, and inspired by, writers like Hilton Als, Heidi Julavits, and Olivia Laing. He wanted to create a narrative that wasn’t limited to—or rather moved beyond—the self, weaving together cultural criticism about Hollywood and creative crises. * We talk a lot about voice, which Matthew says is crucial for him to discover early on. “Once I can locate the voice for any piece of writing... I have it in the pocket,” he says. The narrator of this book blends personal reflections with a noir quality, he says. * Matthew sees himself as a novelist at heart. He considers the narrative tools of a novelist indispensable, even when writing memoirs and cultural critiques: “I am fundamentally a novelist….I think that's part of being a fiction writer or novelist is, you know, anything that you write is a kind of criticism in code. You're always responding to other texts.” * Matthew begins by explaining his unique research style: "I'm kind of ravenous and a little deranged about it…” His research process involves intuitive dives, like a two-day blitz through Carol Eastman's archives. * The discussion also touched on Matthew's upbringing with a mom who was a one-time screenwriter and who crossed the picket line during one writer’s strike, and his father, who had modest beginnings but went on to become a famous Hollywood “superagent” representing Marlon Brando, Morgan Freeman, Helen Mirren & many others. * At the same time, Matthew explores misconceptions around Hollywood glitz, addressing the middle-class reality of many involved in the film industry. For a long-time, Hollywood could support such middle-class creatives, Matthew contends, something that is no longer really possible. * Addressing the evolution of the entertainment industry, Matthew notes the shift towards debt servicing, influenced by corporate acquisitions. This financial pragmatism often overrides the creative impulse, squeezing the middle class out. * Another takeaway? The creative world, especially in Hollywood, is fraught with periods of drift and struggle. In one sense, Always Crashing In the Same Car is a love letter to that state of things. -------------------------- "I still kind of think of [Always Crashing…] as being secretly a novel. Not because it's full of made up s**t…but because I think sometimes our idea of what a novel is is pretty limited. You know, there's no reason why a novel can't be, like, 98% fact." -------------------------- About Matthew Specktor Matthew Specktor’s books include the novels That Summertime Sound and American Dream Machine , which was long-listed for the Folio Prize; the memoir-in-criticism Always Crashing in The Same Car: On Art, Crisis, and Los Angeles, California , and The Golden Hour , forthcoming from Ecco Press. Born in Los Angeles, he received his MFA in Creative Writing from Warren Wilson College in 2009. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, GQ, The Paris Review, Tin House, Black Clock , and numerous other periodicals and anthologies. He is a founding editor of the Los Angles Review of Books . Resources: Books by Matthew Specktor: * Always Crashing in the Same Car: On Art, Crisis, and Los Angeles, California * American Dream Machine * That Summertime Sound * Slow Days, Fast Company by Eve Babitz, introduction by Matthew Specktor Referenced on this episode: * The Women , by Hilton Als * Low , by David Bowie * The Great Gatsby, This Side of Paradise, The Last Tycoon, The Pat Hobby Stories, and The Crack-Up , by F. Scott Fitzgerald * F. Scott Fitzgerald on Writing , edited by Larry W. Phillips * The Folded Clock: A Diary , by Heidi Julavits * The Lonely City , by Olivia Laing * 300 Arguments , by Sarah Manguso * “ Bombast: Carole Eastman ,” by Nick Pinkerton * “ The Life and Death of Hollywood ,” by Daniel Bessner, Harper’s , May 2024. Credits This episode was produced by Magpie Audio Productions . Theme music is " The Stone Mansion " by BlueDot Productions. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bookiwanttowrite.substack.com…

The Book I HAD to Write

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Evan Dalton Smith:"'You can make a career out of writing weird, little books'" 32:10

38 weeks ago32:10

32:10

Today’s guest is the writer and poet Evan Dalton Smith. His first book, part personal story and part cultural study, is called Looking for Andy Griffith: A Father’s Journey . We talk about the power of nostalgia, finding personal resilience, and pursuing meaningful storytelling. We also discuss the nearly decade-long journey of taking an 8,200-word essay (published in the Los Angeles Review of Books in 2013) and turning it into a full-length manuscript. And we talk about Andy Griffith's impact on pop culture, Evan's own experiences with father figures, and the challenges of writing through life's upheavals. I think Evan’s story exemplifies the intense and highly personal journey of writing a book—and how the most unexpected things can happen once you embark on that journey. -------------- “When we first met, [my agent said], ‘this is a weird little book, but you can make a career out of writing a lot of weird little books.’ —Evan Dalton Smith -------------- KEY TAKEAWAYS * The book explores the power of cultural nostalgia: Nostalgia is a power force in our media consumption. And The Andy Griffith Show is a rare phenomenon, like Star Trek or the Twilight Zone , in that its become a touchstone for many generations of viewers. Even in the 1960s, the show’s writers were feeling nostalgic—for them, the show’s setting and characters were based on their own experiences of the 1930s. * Evan's personal connection to the show is rooted in his childhood experiences of loss and search for father figures . Evan’s father was tragically killed in an car crash when he was 5, and his mother grew dependant on narcotics. Discovering The Andy Griffith Show provided something stable missing at home. What Evan discovered writing this book is that the show’s mythic, idealized version of small-town America has provided a similar balm for its many fans. * The journey of transforming an essay into a book-length manuscript can be a tough one. Transforming an essay into a full-length book can be fraught with challenges, especially when it involves personal stories interwoven with cultural analysis. Particularly when, as in Smith’s case, real-life intervenes. * Writing a book that balances cultural inquiry with personal narrative means pushing past discomfort into telling your own story . “I did struggle putting myself into the narrative…I added a lot more about my life than I intended to,” he says. * Often times one book project will point to the next one. In this book, Evan explored his mother’s struggle with narcotics, something he hadn’t originally planned to do. But it also laid the groundwork for his next book, which will wrestle with the personal and cultural costs of this particular drug. * Evan’s story dramatizes the very real life struggles many authors face to balance their writing with their life. Over the decade of this book’s journey, Evan went through an unexpected divorce and relocation, and he found himself working multiple jobs. In the end, it’s always about figuring out figuring out how to make use of little bits of time and learning to become more resourceful. -------------- "I learned to write on my phone, which is annoying for the people in my life [who] think I'm just, you know, jerking around on my phone. But a lot of times I'm working." —Evan Dalton Smith -------------- ABOUT EVAN DALTON SMITH Evan’s writing has appeared in the Washington Post, LA Times , Slate , Salon , LA Review of Books , Paris Review , Ploughshares , The New Yorker , and elsewhere. Formerly, he served as Associate Web Editor at Poets & Writers, Inc., and Director of Publications for the Student Press Initiative at Teachers College, Columbia University. Originally a native of North Carolina, he now lives in Ipswich, Massachusetts. Looking for Andy Griffith: A Father’s Story is his first book. DISCUSSED * Looking for Andy Griffith: A Father’s Story UNC Press | Bookshop | Amazon * Our Town: Andy Griffith and the Humor of Mourning , Los Angeles Review of Books, April 20, 2013 * “ Ten Questions for Evan Dalton Smith ,” Poets & Writers , May 28, 2024 * Out of Sheer Rage , by Geoff Dyer * Another B******t Night in Suck City , by Nick Flynn * Sherman’s March , a classic documentary by Ross McElwee CREDITS This episode was produced by Magpie Audio Productions . Theme music is " The Stone Mansion " by BlueDot Productions. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bookiwanttowrite.substack.com…

The Book I HAD to Write

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How Jennifer Lang turned a "boring" 90K-word book into a 14K-word gem...& got her groove back 30:24

40 weeks ago30:24

30:24

Today’s episode features my interview with Jennifer Lang . Her memoir, Places We Left Behind , is a marvel of brevity and form. It’s the story of how one woman, a hybrid of American-French-Israeli identities, navigates cultural and religious differences with her husband over the course of three decades, as her family searches for what it means to find a sense of home. In our interview, Jennifer shares how she transformed a “long-winded, boring, and flat” 90,000-word draft into a concise and sharp 14,000-word memoir told through a fragmented structure—what she’s calling a “memoir-in-miniature.” She also addresses the critical feedback from a developmental editor, which helped her uncover an innovative structure. Finally, we talk about writing about other”: the emotional and creative negotiations involved in writing about her husband and their marriage, revealing how this process has both challenged and strengthened their relationship. ---------------------- "I had a very traditional manuscript of over 90,000 words when all was said and done. And it was really long-winded and boring and flat, and I hated it…I hired a developmental editor who gave me a lot of feedback. And one of the last things she said was, put it away for a while. Just let all of this sink in. And I think that was the best advice she gave me." ---------------------- KEY TAKEAWAYS * Transformation Through Editing: Jennifer Lang's journey from a 90,000-word manuscript to a 14,000-word concise and effective memoir underscores the fact that it can take time to figure out to figure out your story, and that brevity can be a crucial factor to remember. * Cultural Identity and Belonging: The memoir reflects Jennifer's complex relationship with her Jewish identity and her experiences living in California, France, and Israel. * Marriage and Memoir Writing: Writing about others is one of the most fraught areas of memoir for a reason. And writing about intimate relationships requires especially careful consideration. In Jennifer’s case, it ended up unexpectedly strengthening the bond with her husband. * Innovative Structure & Form: The fragmented, playful structure of Jennifer's memoir, with elements like strike-throughs and “chapterettes” as she likes to call them, adds a unique layer of engagement and depth to her storytelling. * Literary Community Engagement: Jennifer's work with the Israel Writer Studio highlights the importance of community in a place with fewer English-language writers. ---------------------- "The level of pain, trauma, loss is so beyond. I don't know how we're going to get out of it." —about the impact of Oct 7, 2023 on the Israeli psyche ---------------------- NOTABLE QUOTES "I have been writing around it for years, if not decades. I have been writing about longing, belonging, culture, language, community, other, and home. In short, in long, in essay, in short, memoir, in flash. I just kept going around and around and finally had time to figure out how to get through it." (0:02:50) "I really feel like the story of me bouncing between cultures starts way back. Like kindergarten way back." (0:03:46) "I think that when we write long or when we write without any kind of constraint, we are lazy with our word choice. And so putting the constraint on makes a writer understand that every word counts." (0:21:16) "If you're going to reveal a character's underbelly, you have to reveal your own. If you're going to fault a character for their flaw, you have to do the same for yourself." (0:24:01) "I think I did anything but make him a villain. I think in the end, it's like a love letter." (0:24:41) ABOUT TODAY'S GUEST Jennifer Lang was born in the San Francisco Bay Area, lives in Tel Aviv, and runs Israel Writers Studio. Her essays have appeared in the Baltimore Review, Crab Orchard Review, Under the Sun, Ascent, Consequence , and elsewhere. A Pushcart Prize and Best American Essays nominee, she holds an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts and serve as Assistant Editor for Brevity . She is the author of the memoir Places We Left Behind. Her forthcoming memoir Landed: A Yogi's Memoir in Pieces and Pose s , will be published by Vine Leaves Press in October 2024. Building off themes explored in her first memoir, Landed spans seven years (and then some), each punctuated with chakra wisdom from nationally-acclaimed Rodney Yee, her first teacher. LINKS * Jennifer Lang at the Israel Writer Studio * Places We Left Behind: A Memoir-in-Miniature * Landed: A Yogi's Memoir in Pieces and Poses (October 15) * “ From Writer to Publicist: An Unexpected Pivot ,” Brevity, March 15, 2023. CREDITS This episode was produced by Magpie Audio Productions . Theme music is " The Stone Mansion " by BlueDot Productions. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bookiwanttowrite.substack.com…

The Book I HAD to Write

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What do you need to know about marketing your book in 2024? with Kathleen Schmidt 34:13

1 year ago34:13

34:13

Last year, I came across an essay called “ Book Publishing is Broken ” by today’s podcast guest, Kathleen Schmidt . Using her decades of experience in book PR & strategy, Kathleen laid out several reasons why traditional publishing fails writers. (If you haven’t already read that post, you’ll get to hear Kathleen’s reasons in our interview). And the essay really stood out…not just because Kathleen presented solutions to the problems she diagnosed…but also because her perspective was clear-sighted, well-informed, but also so honest, direct, and personal. I’ve been hooked on Publishing Confidential , Kathleen’s Substack newsletter, ever since. With over 5,000 subscribers, I think of it as one of the must-reads for any writer looking to understand today’s publishing landscape. In our interview, we talk about that landscape, about the utility of hiring an independent publicist, and the value of creating work that reaches beyond traditional media outlets. We also discuss why memoirs are one of the hardest categories for agents to sell right now, and what authors can consider to make their books more marketable. Kathleen Schmidt is the Founder and President of Kathleen Schmidt Public Relations , a boutique firm specializing in branding, PR, marketing, consulting, and business strategy for authors, publishers, and booksellers. She also writes and publishes the Publishing Confidential newsletter. Warning: this episode includes a brief mention of suicidal ideation. If you or someone you love is struggling with a mental health crisis, you can contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). (In Spanish, dial 1-888-628-9454). Some of my biggest takeaways: Publishing too many books and lack of marketing support are primary reasons why the industry struggles. Publishers produce more books than the market can sustain, often neglecting to back many with substantial marketing efforts. "They publish far too many books," Schmidt states unequivocally. It's a perplexing situation that challenges authors and industry insiders alike. The ramifications of this are profound—not just for the discoverability and success of individual titles but for the long-term sustainability of publishing entities themselves. Schmidt expresses her consternation over the lack of direction regarding advances and acquisitions: "It's all kind of garbled and I feel like if you're not able to pay authors an amount that they can live on, what are we doing?" These pivotal industry dynamics are not just numbers on a spreadsheet but represent the livelihoods of creatives whose stories shape our culture. Authors need to participate actively in the marketing and publicity of their books, using strategies tailored to their specific audience. In the digital age, a robust social media presence is often considered non-negotiable. But where should authors concentrate their efforts? Schmidt advocates for targeted strategies—"find where your audience lives when they're not reading books"—and identifies threads and Instagram as effective platforms. However, she aptly recognizes that "every author should do" does not mean straitjacketing all writers into a one-size-fits-all approach. Instead, authors need to be authentic, engage with their readers, and leverage digital surrogates when necessary to carry their message. Schmidt's distinction between pitch-focused publicity versus sales-driven strategies underscores the complexity of book marketing in the current landscape. "I am the publicist who thinks about how are we going to sell the book?" she poses, aligning author success with commercial viability and practical application. Memoir faces challenges due to market oversaturation and authors should consider additional angles to be sellable. The realm of memoir publishing is undergoing profound change, leaving many authors pondering the fate of their personal stories. With the market oversaturated by similar stories, distinguishing a memoir requires more than just a riveting life story—it requires a unique angle or an additional layer of value such as the 'Memoir Plus' concept. Schmidt pushes authors to grapple with the real question: "is it a book or is it an essay?" This discernment is crucial in a world where the distinction between public sharing and a publishable memoir is increasingly blurred by the constancy of social media narratives. The trend now demands memoirists to consider if their life narratives are enough to stand alone as books or if they are better shared in smaller, perhaps digital, formats. "Know who your audience is. Be very specific about that because, again, your book is not for everyone." Writing and sharing personal stories can connect with audiences deeply, but authors should thoughtfully consider the platform and format. In a moment of vulnerability, Schmidt shares her battles with depression, shaping a compelling narrative of resilience. This particular insight is significant not only for its personal nature but for its illustration of the human element that pervades the publishing world—a reminder that beneath industry trends and strategies lie individual stories of struggle and perseverance. Writing her substac essay on depression was both a personal catharsis and a means to reach others amidst their trials. Her advice resonates powerfully: "tomorrow is a new day... it's a brave decision to be alive." Additional Links: * Kathleen Schmidt Public Relations * Find Kathleen on Twitter | Threads | Instagram | Tiktok * “ Do You Need to Build a Platform ?” by Kathleen Schmidt, Feb 6 2024. * “ Book Publishing is Broken ,” by Kathleen Schmidt, July 19, 2023. * “ A Personal Note About Mental Health ,” by Kathleen Schmidt, May 12, 2023. Credits This episode was produced by Magpie Audio Productions . Theme music is " The Stone Mansion " by BlueDot Productions. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bookiwanttowrite.substack.com…

The Book I HAD to Write

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The past is every bit as unpredictable as the future, with Abigail Thomas 29:04

1 year ago29:04

29:04

In this converation with memoirist Abigail Thomas , we discuss the backstory of writing Safekeeping , and that now-classic memoir was initially turned down by all the editors the book was sent, except for one. We talk about how crafting a memoir-in-fragments like Safekeeping allows a writer to depict memories in a way a more conventional structure doesn’t permit. She talks about why writing what you don’t remember is as important as what you do; and the value of following what interests and obsesses you, even if it doesn't seem to go anywhere at first. Thomas’s is one of the great voices in memoir—shrewd, warm, devoid of self-pity—and like all wise teachers, she imparts insights about a life well spent, even when talking about a book well-crafted. This conversation was recorded in 2022 and just updated. Abigail Thomas is the author of several memoirs, including Safekeeping , A Three Dog Life , What Comes Next and How to Like it, and most recently Still Life at Eighty, as well as three works of fiction: Getting Over Tom , An Actual Life , and Herb’s Pajamas . Some of my biggest takeaways “Chronological order makes little sense to me…” Most of Thomas’s memoirs eschew the conventional chronological approach, opting instead for fragmented structures that mirror the way memory works. Abigail Thomas believes that "life has been lived like a series of moments," and memoirs are stronger when they reflect that. "Well, I will confess that I have a poor memory, except for the things I remember. So putting them in chronological order makes very little sense to me. It's why this now? Why am I thinking of this now? Why this memory? Write it down. You'll find out why. The trick is not to boss them around, you know. Just let them come, and they will." This memoir-in-fragments approach unexpectedly draws the reader in Safekeeping , for example, is comprised of dozens of short sections—some four or five pages, others as brief as a single sentence. Then there’s the narrator herself, frequently switching between past and present tense, or between first- and third-person. With all that lack of connective tissue, all that shifting of tenses and point-of-view, you’d expect the narrative flow to be constantly disrupted. Instead this approach creates a genuine connection with readers, in part because it invites them to piece together the narrative puzzle The key to writing a great memoir-in-fragments is to have a strong, unified voice Married for the first time at 18, remarried at 27—Abigail Thomas’s life was full of wrong turns. She had a lot of living under her belt. Yet the narrator here keeps things light and crisp, avoiding self-judgment. Instead, here the persona is vulnerable, startlingly honest, unsentimental, wry, and above all, entertaining. In The Situation and the Story , Vivian Gornick writes that great memoirs feature a “truth-telling” narrator. We trust the voices of George Orwell, Annie Dillard, or James Baldwin because they seem so honest and self-aware. Thomas’s narrator is one of these. "The more vulnerable you make yourself, the stronger you become” Thomas urges writers to be honest and vulnerable, since revealing truths about oneself tends to have a liberating effect. This openness serves as a conduit through which readers can see their truths reflected in the author’s life, reinforcing the fact we all tend to feel similar things inside. The key is to write without an agenda—to connect with an emotion and let go of outcomes. “ You need to write about the stuff you don't wanna write about…[but] you have to find a side door, and it isn't therapy. Writing isn't therapy. But if you're truthful, and honest, and write what you need to write, it has the effect of you've made something out of it separate from yourself, you've revealed things to yourself about yourself, and it's a way of forgiving yourself, you know, and others.” “The past is every bit as unpredictable as the future” The unpredictable nature of memory can be troubling for both writer and reader. Yet, Thomas says that this unpredictability is where the real magic of memoir writing lies. The unpredictable becomes an asset, turning writing into a journey of self-discovery and an act of creative courage. “I don't believe in chronology. And the older you get, the more you don't believe in chronology or even time. What is it? I mean, I'm at the age now where I live entirely in the moment. Sometimes the moment is a good one, sometimes it's a more interesting one, but that's where I am. I never think about the future. I do have memories, and I write about them because I wrote somewhere, ‘You discover that the past is every bit as unpredictable as the future.’ And for me, the future is behind me. You know, I don't have... I just have now.” What you don’t remember can be as powerful as what you do Many writers (me included) tend to get hung up by the fact they don’t remember enough when it comes to memoir. But embracing the fallability of memory is exactly the point of memoir, says Thomas. It’s what makes a narrator more authentic—and believable: “I really do think that what you don't remember belongs in there, because in the course of writing this, you may begin to remember, or you may begin to remember why you don't remember. But it is interesting for the reader to know that the writer is at least honest enough to say, ‘I don't remember why I did this. I don't remember what came before,’ because it's so human.” Discussed on this episode * “ Getting Started ” - reflections on how Abby started writing Safekeeping * Safekeeping : Some True Stories from a Life Bookshop.org | Amazon * What Comes Next and How to Like it Bookshop.org | Amazon * Still Life at Eighty: The Next Interesting Thing Bookshop.org | The Golden Notebook | Amazon * Read my essay “How to create narrative tension in a memoir-in-fragments” Credits This episode was produced by Magpie Audio Productions . Theme music is " The Stone Mansion " by BlueDot Productions. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bookiwanttowrite.substack.com…

The Book I HAD to Write

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From Pet-Sitting to Publishing, with Chérie Newman 33:08

1 year ago33:08

33:08

In this episode, I talk with author, musician and audio producer Chérie Newman about her humorous experiences pet-sitting unruly critters during the pandemic. The need to turn this one-time side hustle into a fulltime gig coincided with a more sobering reality: the way that wealthy out-of-state residents reshaped her hometown of Bozeman, Montana. Newman merges both stories into her debut memoir, Other People’s Pets: Critters, Careers, and Capitalism in Yellowstone Country . We also discuss her highly focused approach to writing, which helped her complete a first draft of her memoir in 83 days. And we delve into her decision to pursue an unconventional publishing route, one that allowed her to retain control and profits, and permitted her to get her book out quickly. Chérie Newman is a former producer and and on-air host for Montana Public Radio, and a freelance writer. She founded a weekly literary program, The Write Question , which is still broadcast on several public radio stations, and her articles and essays have appeared in many publications. She is the owner of Magpie Audio Productions, and produces The Book I Had to Write podcast. Some of my biggest takeaways: Chérie was compelled to write Other People's Pets less as a typical “feel good” story and more to explore the humorous challenges of corraling disobedient pets—and her own deep connection to animals. In this interview, Newman describes how she set about writing her memoir after frequently hearing from friends that she ought to record her stories. But while the unexpected challenges she faced pet-sitting unruly dogs made for humorous stories, the reality of her job sometimes left her unmoored. "I came away from this year of intense pet sitting with a little bit of PTSD," she says. The pandemic brought about immediate and dramatic changes to Bozeman, Montana as real estate prices soared and community dynamics shifted. Newman's memoir addresses some of the significant societal shifts she saw in her home city of Bozeman, Montana during the pandemic. And our interview highlights rapid socioeconomic changes, with real estate prices doubling and the influx of people seeking “ the last best place ,” as writer William Kittredge dubbed Montana. One of the drivers of this influx was no doubt a glorified depiction of Montana in shows like Yellowstone , which don’t have a lot of basis in reality, at least as Newman sees it. She juxtaposes media depictions of Montana with some of starker realities for long-term residents. People were moving here so fast that there was no place for anybody to live. We started getting, for the first time, rows and rows of RVs parked on streets that were near places that were going to be subdivisions but weren't yet. And it was just insanity. This phenomenon, fueled by the pandemic, led to a bifurcation of the local community where “there's a lot of animosity between people who've lived here for a long time and people who've moved in.” Newman set an ambitious and structured writing goal, completing the first draft of her book in less than her goal of 90 days… While Other People’s Pets isn’t Newman’s first attempt at a book, it’s one she was able to draft in record speed, thanks in part to her discipline of setting a writing schedule of (at least) 90 minutes a day for 90 days, and the transformational journey of taking that manuscript through numerous drafts. And so there were some times when it would be 7.30 at night and I still hadn't done my 90 minutes, but because I had this little chart on the wall and I was making, I was ticking off….I committed to those 90 days, and I committed to those 90 minutes, and I wasn't gonna let bad self-confidence defeat me. …But the book really came together in revisions. In this interview we also discuss the ways Newman’s approach mimicked but also diverged from strategies such as one recommended by Allison K. Williams in her book Seven Drafts: Self-Edit Like a Pro from Blank Page to Book . I did pay attention to [Williams’s] Seven Drafts but I just also went way beyond seven drafts because every time I went through it I found a way to make it better and I found a way to make it more succinct and I found a way to say what I wanted to say in a richer, deeper, clearer way. Choosing the Path Less Traveled in Publishing The publishing journey that Newman chose reflects a rising trend among authors seeking greater autonomy. She discusses the importance of time, quality control, and financial considerations in her decision to forgo the search for an agent and large publishing deal. In her case, Newman chose a publisher that served as both a curator and distributor, enabling her to maintain control over the final product and gain a more significant portion of profits from sales. In many ways, Newman’s approach is also indicative of the changing relationship to hybrid and self-publishing, as authors now feel more empowered to make decisions that align their financial goals with their visions for their work. "I decided I didn't want to... wait two years to have my book published and getting none of thse [returns],” she says. Discussed on this show * Other People’s Pet: Critters, Careers, and Capitalism in Yellowstone Country Bookshop.org | Barnes & Noble | Amazon * Magpie Studio Productions , specializing in storytelling and podcast production * “ Economic Disparity in the Treasure State ,” blog post about economic realities in Montana * “ How to Write a Book ” blog post about publishing Other People’s Pets * Listen to my episode with editor Allison K. Williams , author of Seven Drafts Did you enjoy today’s episode? Please consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. Reviews really help the show get discovered by new listeners! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bookiwanttowrite.substack.com…

The Book I HAD to Write

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Mystic vs. Mainstream, with Jay Michaelson 35:34

1 year ago35:34

35:34

In this episode, I talk with author, professor, journalist, and rabbi Jay Michaelson. After publishing nine other books of nonfiction and poetry, and hundreds of stories for publications like Rolling Stone, The Daily Beast, and New York magazine, Michaelson has just come out with his first work of fiction, The Secret That's Not a Secret . We discuss the nearly 20-year journey behind the writing of this book, and how the tensions between sexuality and religious beliefs in the lives of its Orthodox Jewish characters reflect some of Jay’s own journey. As an expert on Kabbalah and heretical (historic) figures like Jacob Frank, Michaelson has made a career of carving out a space for mystical imagination beyond patriarchy and heteronormativity. Finally, we also talk about how writers pick between esoteric and more mainstream topics when choosing between book projects, and how current events—including the rise of authoritarianism and the Oct 7th Hamas attacks— reveal and the intersection of religion and politics today. Some of my biggest takeaways * Writing fiction gave Jay Michaelson access to describing experiences and inner states not always accessible through nonfiction. Michaelson began the first versions of some of these stories almost 20 years ago, and he’s written 8 books of nonfiction alongside the development of this collection. And though those books deal with many of the same subjects—Jewish mysticism, the interplay between sexuality and religion, and so on—he was able to depict their inner reality in ways that feel deeper or more liberating than he was able to in nonfiction: I now have written [several] non-fiction books and hundreds of articles. And that does come very naturally and easily to me. And yet I really feel like…this really is the book I'm the most proud of. It feels the closest to my way of seeing the world, even though it's fiction…And I think a lot of that is that….there's a lot of imagination in this book and that was so freeing. * The book represents Jay's own journey of self-discovery and the evolution of the stories over two decades. Michaelson talks about the fact that when he started writing these stories, he himself was closeted—not just sexually, but in terms of his ability to be honest with himself about the writing he wanted the freedom to do: “When I was finishing up college, deciding what I wanted to be when I grew up, there were two main choices on the agenda. My experience of the closet for me was, it wasn't just about sexuality. It was like closeted from all kinds of desires. And so for me, it was like being an English lit professor or being a lawyer and trying to save the world. And being a writer….that was like the dream that wasn't mine to reach for.” * The book delves into the tension within Orthodox Jewish communities and their potential for spiritual liberation. Recent American Jewish fiction has featured plenty of Orthodox Jewish characters, but most often these depict people who have left the restrictive confines of their faith. By contrast, the characters in this collection remain in their Orthodox environment, but are seeking spiritual and sexual liberation: "[The stories] deal with gay orthodox men who are wrestling, sometimes quite literally, with the tension between their sexuality and their religious beliefs." By focusing on the sensory details and physical depictions of these struggles, Michaelson transforms abstract spiritual conflicts into immersive experiences. * This book’s exploration of Kabbalistic thought is connected to Michaelson’s previous scholarship on heretical figures like Sabbatai Zevi (1626-1676) and Jacob Frank (1726-1791). The interview also touches upon Michaelson's broader academic and journalistic work, which considers the significance of Jacob Frank and other heretics who diverged from orthodox religious traditions. It suggests that these historical figures may reflect a desire for a spiritual revolution that could have lasting impacts on contemporary socio-religious dynamics. “One of the things that Jacob Frank also did was preach a kind of a teaching of liberated sexuality and sexuality as spiritual messianic experience…as a kind of, the world to come, the messianic age, through a kind of spiritualized sexual act or ritual. And that's in the book, definitely.” * This was very much a book Michaelson had to write—but it also made him think consciously about choosing smaller and more esoteric projects versus writing bigger, more mainstream books. Some of Michaelson’s previous books, such as God vs. Gay, where very much written with a mainstream audience in mind—an attempt to write an activist book that would appeal to as large an audience as possible. By contrast, Michaelson understood his story collection might draw a smaller readership. The calculus of personal passion vs readership is one that many seasoned writers have to make: “There are times where I've chosen consciously, that book God vs. Gay was an example, where I chose to write a more mainstream book and I wanted to do something with it with a larger audience and I was lucky I found a somewhat larger audience… But when it comes time to think about the next book I have to write, which is where I am now…I have one [idea] that I think would [potentially attract] a larger audience, and then there's like the other one that I sort of want to do anyway, even though it wouldn't [attract as large] an audience. And it's such a question of what our creative hopes and ambitions are, I think, as well as financial ones.” Discussed on this episode * Buy The Secret that is not a Secret at Bookshop.org | Amazon.com | Ayin Press * The Heresy of Jacob Frank: From Jewish Messianism to Esoteric Myth , by Jay Michaelson * Jay Michaelson’s website * Jaymichaelson.substack.net * ‘Deprogramming" the Trump Cult,’ CNN appearance on how people develop conspiratorial and group-think beliefs... and how they can be coaxed out of them, July 6, 2023 . Show Credits This episode was produced & mixed by Magpie Audio Productions . Theme music is " The Stone Mansion " by BlueDot Productions. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bookiwanttowrite.substack.com…

The Book I HAD to Write

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What is the future of literary journals? with Travis Kurowski 23:29

1 year ago23:29

23:29

Last fall, administrators at Gettysburg College announced the shuttering of the prestigious Gettysburg Review . This just seemed like the latest in a long string of magazines and journals that have closed the past few years. Curious about what’s going on, I called Travis Kurowski , a leading expert on literary magazines, to help me understand what was happening. Today’s podcast features the interview we recorded in the immediate aftermath of the news last October. But, Kurowski, who has also appeared on CNN.com and elsewhere, was able to shed light on broader themes and trends. We discuss why an entire ecosphere of literary journals—supported for nearly 100 years by institutions of higher ed—may also be in deep trouble. And we explore the ways in which recent tech has changed reading habits, and why that will continue to doom some journals, even as others are adapting themselves to stay relevant to 21st century literary culture. This conversation is well worth listening to for anyone who wants to publish in—or is concerned about the well-being and future of—literary magazines and journals. Some of my biggest takeaways from this interview * Outside prestige isn’t enough to save storied journals like The Gettysburg Review . While many writers took to social media to point out that most of the world wouldn’t know about Gettysburg College if it wasn’t for the Review , that argument didn’t seem to matter much to administrators. The problem was, rather, one of economics…and the readiness with which both college administrators and corporate interests are willing to cut arts funding. As with pretty much every business in the world, the pandemic gutted operating revenues at Gettysburg; it has been running significant deficits recently—a $6.7 million deficit in 2021 alone. When the college was looking for expense lines to cut, they focused on those (like the Review ) which, they claimed, didn’tdirectly enhance student life. That last argument is a highly dubious one, by the way. Plenty of students learned a ton about literary publishing thanks to helping to produce the Review over the years. But this is the story that the administrators told themselves and the rest of us. * The sustainability of literary journals—especially those connected with colleges and universities—feels more fragile than ever. Literary journals have been associated with higher ed for almost a century. Often these journals were seen as prestige projects, aimed at enhancing the institutions beyond its walls—even as these journals were often subject to the vagaries of institutional budgets, priorities, and department allegiances. "Literary journals have been on higher education campuses for...almost 100 years now...and sometimes they get cut from the budgets," Kurowski says. The difference today? Higher ed is facing greater economic pressures than ever before. Bloated administrations and a major decrease in enrollments—what Kurowski calls “the cliff of 18-year-olds”—are shrinking budgets. And with college and university budgets facing bleak prospects for the foreseeable future, the days of university-funded literary journals and similar prestige projects may be behind us. * Many literary journals haven’t adapted to the digital “literary economy”…and they’re getting left behind. It won’t be news that the way we consume media has radically changed even in the span of a decade or two. With the advent of the internet and mobile technology, readers have migrated, en masse, to the digital landscape. And that has major implications for old-school print literary journals: “You walk down any hallway, anywhere in your house, right? And we're just staring at their phones. We’re reading differently, we’re writing differently, we’re talking differently online. But our literary journals kind of look the same as they did 50 or 70 years ago,” Kurowski says. By way of example, Kurowski points out that when he went to look at the Gettsyburg Review website to prep for our interview, he wasn’t able to click on any of the poems or short stories. So it’s really necessary for journals to reassess how readers today (and beyond) are accessing their content. * Readers are no longer reading cover-to-cover…and journals need to embrace that change. The problem goes beyond clickable websites. The very way we consume print magazines has profoundly shifted—something that publishing expert Jane Friedman has explored extensively. In her book The Business of Being a Writer , Friedman argues that the digital revolution has brought about the “disaggregation” of media. She means that journals are no longer consumed whole, cover-to-cover, but experienced in pieces, sometimes on platforms or in environments disaggregated , or pulled out, from their original format. Today, you can engage with the New Yorker through its website, podcast, app, or even live, as with its New Yorker festivals. In other words, the magazine has unbound—or disaggregated—itself. Similarly, lit journals may have to learn to move beyond their print editions if they want to connect with new readers today. “You don't want to focus too much on the container but rather the content,” Kurowski says. * Additionally , journals need to do a better job of “community building” …and those that are doing so are succeeding. Kurowski underscores the importance of creating community beyond the physical pages of the journals. The value of literary journals today goes well beyond the content they feature…and has a lot to do with the cultural experience they can offer. “If a journal is not doing that, if they're not creating a brand, creating a community, creating an experience…it's going to be hard for them to fit into the 21st century, where content is essentially expected to be free,” he says. He cites publications like The Georgia Review and even the newly-revived The Believer magazine as examples of journals that have successfully reconceptualized what it means to be connect with readers today. About My Guest Travis Kurowski is an associate professor of creative writing at York College. He’s the editor of Paper Dreams: Writers and Editors on the American Literary Magazine , winner of an Independent Publisher Book Award, and co-editor of Literary Publishing in the Twenty-First Century (Milkweed). Further reading/discussed on this episode * Paper Dreams: Writers and Editors on the American Literary Magazine, edited by Travis Kurowski (Atticus Books) * Literary Publishing in the Twenty-First Century , coedited by Travis Kurowski, Wayne Miller, and Kevin Prufer. * The Little Magazine in Contemporary America , coedited by Ian Morris and Joanne Diaz. * “ Are Literary Journals in Trouble? ” by , July 18, 2023. * Get the latest updates about literary magazines and journals from the wonderful by * Check out my own essay, “What is the future for literary journals?” Credits This episode was edited and produced by Chérie Newman at Magpie Audio Productions . Theme music is "The Stone Mansion" by BlueDot Productions. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bookiwanttowrite.substack.com…

The Book I HAD to Write

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How to Jumpstart Your Memoir the Low-Stakes Way, with Amity Reed & Paul Zakrzewski 22:40

1 year ago22:40

22:40

Why would anyone want to jumpstart their memoir? For one thing, you’re tasked with plumbing your memory for sometimes difficult material. Added to that is the burden of turning out writing that often feels underwhelming—so much less than we know we can do. For recovering perfectionists, the combination can be daunting. In today’s episode of The Book I Had to Write , UK-based author Amity Reed and I discuss strategies for starting a book that we picked up at a recent generative memoir bootcamp led by writing coach Katie Bannon . (Learn more about Katie Bannon by reading her post, 5 Reasons To Write Your Taboo Stories , or her reported essay, “ I couldn’t stop pulling my hair, What was wrong with me? ” published recently in the Washington Post ). We talk about the importance of staying in drafting mode, letting go of perfectionist tendencies, the benefit of doing plenty of “scaffolding” before writing, and embracing a flexible approach to structure. We also discuss the value of accountability and finding a writing practice that works for your schedule and temperament. Amity Reed is an author and midwife. Her first book was called Overdue . It’s part memoir and part manifesto—a look at her experiences in maternity care in the UK. She’s currently working on a second book, also a memoir. She lives on the south coast of England with her husband and two children. Some of our biggest insights and takeaways Keep focusing on lower the stakes: In an episode two weeks ago, described being a “recovering perfectionist.” I can cop to that label too. In my case, it meant spending more than my fair share of time over the years writing and rewriting beginnings and then running out of time; or else not really getting to the things I most wanted to. How ‘slowing down and letting go’ helps with perfectionism: Amity talks about how, at one point, she felt the need to have a perfectly polished sections before moving forward. But she realized this approach hindered her progress. One big transformation happened when she embraced the idea that writing a memoir is a long-term commitment, and that it will take time . Scaffolding exercises really help—even if you haven’t written a word of your book. Katie’s generative memoir bootcamp was filled with exercises to help participants better understand the building blocks of literary memoir. We came up with character traits, sketched out possible narrative arcs, and developed a potential list of key scenes, among others. One big takeaway from the week is that doing some planning work even at the beginning stages of drafting can be incredibly helpful in both sharpening the focus and creating more of an arc from the outset. Your book’s structure is going to evolve…if you let it. In our conversation, Amity describes how, initially, she tried to force her writing into a predetermined structure. But she soon realized that it was constraining her creativity. With guidance from Katie Bannon, Amity explored alternative structures, drawing inspiration from art, poetry, and philosophy. She learned that the structure doesn't have to be explicitly spelled out for the reader but can be an implicit guide for her writing process. Build in some accountability through co-writing groups and some kind of writing schedule. Accountability is crucial for writers, especially when working on a long-term project like a memoir. Amity says found support and accountability through Zoom writing groups that provided her with a place to share progress, set goals, and hold each other accountable. As for me, I recently signed up for a co-writing “container”—a Zoom co-writing group, led by author , that meets three times a week for two hours over 12 weeks. It’s still early days, but I’ve found that knowing I have to show up at least those hours every week has allowed me to produce many more super-rough pages than I would’ve otherwise during a very busy time. Further reading/discussed on the show * Overdue: Birth, burnout and a blueprint for a better NHS , by Amity Reed Bookshop (UK) | Amazon (UK) * “ The Illusion of the First Draft ,” by Katie Bannon, Brevity magazine * “ Five Reasons to Write Your ‘Taboo’ Stories ,” by Katie Bannon * Katie Bannon’s Generative Memoir Bootcamps Credits This episode was edited and produced by Chérie Newman at Magpie Audio Productions . Theme music is "The Stone Mansion" by BlueDot Productions. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bookiwanttowrite.substack.com…

The Book I HAD to Write

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Brutalities: Crafting truth thru braided essays with Margo Steines 33:16

1 year ago33:16

33:16

In this week’s episode of The Book I Had to Write , I talk with Margo Steines , the author of Brutalities: A Love Story . This memoir-in-essays documents her journey through a series of extreme experiences including her time as a pro dom, a welder on a high-rise crew, her addictions to exercise, her interest in MMA fighting, and more. We talk about her journey to discovering the power of the braided essay—in her case, a combination of memoir, essay, research, and reporting—that allowed her to write about several difficult experiencees “in conversation with one another.” We also discuss other key issues for anyone engaged in memoir: about her commitment to truth in her writing, the challenges of self-exposure, finding confidence in one's writing, and how to write about difficult material without retraumatizing yourself. Some of my biggest takeaways: How pain can reveal an authentic self: The concept of pain and its role in self-discovery is a central theme in Brutalities . Steines explores her own fascination with physical extremes, such as her enthusiasm with MMA fighting and her dedication (bordering on addiction) to intense physical exercise, even (most difficult for me) an early fascination with being hit in the face. I admired Steines’s approach to truth-telling in her work . In an author's note at the beginning of Brutalities , Steines described the challenges of writing memoir and the limitations of memory. Writing about violence and physical extremes is hard work… Steines says mining her own experiences was emotionally and psychologically challenging. …yet it was the emotional intimacy of her current relationship that proved even harder to render : “The parts that were the hardest to write were actually the memoir, interstitial pieces about my partner... It felt like it broke me open in a certain way,” she says. Writing can be both a means of self-exposure and self-acceptance: “Once I tell the truth on the page, I can't redact it to myself anymore,” she says. Steines’s needed the unconventional form of the braided essay to get closer to her own truth. She describes the braided essay as a hybrid of memoir, essay, cultural criticism, and immersion journalism. This form allows her to bring together multiple strands of thought and experience, creating resonance between seemingly unrelated ideas. Speaking of structure, finding the final form for her book also proved challenging. Steines had to navigate the balance between narrative storytelling and idea exploration, ensuring that each essay contributed to the overall theme of the book. As a teacher, one of her jobs is helping writers find a sense of agency in their own writing . She tells me she believes that writers already possess the resources they need within themselves and that her role as a teacher is to provide hard skills and belief in their own convictions. Writing about trauma without retraumatizing oneself is key for writers of difficult personal material. She’ll be broaching that subject at an AWP panel this February. She acknowledges the importance of self-care and (somatic experiencing) therapy in navigating the emotional challenges. Check out more of Margo Steines’s work * Buy Brutalities: A Love Story via Amazon | Bookshop | W.W. Norton * “ Run Home ,” The Sun , August 2023 * “ A Very Brutal Game, ” The Sun , November 2020 * “ Depredations ,” Brevity magazine, January 17, 2020 Show Credits This episode was compiled by Paul Zakrzewski and produced by Magpie Audio Productions . Theme music is " The Stone Mansion " by BlueDot Productions. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bookiwanttowrite.substack.com…

The Book I HAD to Write

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An urgent & possibly helpful conversation with Jeannine Ouellette 38:15

1 year ago38:15