TBR: The Odds by Suzanne Cleary

 Established in 2018, TBR [to be read] is a semi-regular, invitation-only interview series with authors of newly released/forthcoming, interesting books.

 

We don’t expect an elevator pitch from a poet, but can you tell us about your work in 2-3 sentences?

 

I usually write a narrative poem that, along the way, dives into single moments and/or explores associations that arise as I write. I like poems that think-on-the-page, and find those especially fun to write.

 

Which poem/s did you most enjoy writing? Why? And which poem/s gave you the most trouble, and why?

 

I most enjoyed writing “For the Poet Who Writes to Me While Standing in Line at CVS, Waiting for His Mother’s Prescription” because the subject welcomed a wide range of material and emotion. It’s about those early months of the COVID quarantine, when I compulsively surfed the Internet for both information and distraction, which is how I got to reference both the royal family and snack food. It’s also one of the poems I most enjoy having written because it’s found a wide readership, especially in England and Ireland.   

 

I most struggled with writing “At the Feet of Michelangelo’s David.” The ending originally included lots of facts about the statue’s long trek to the museum, and lots (and lots) of speculation on my part as to what that might have looked like to passersby. Eventually, I realized I needed to look again at the statue itself in order to find the poem’s final lines.  

 

Tell us a bit about the highs and lows of your book’s road to publication.

 

First, the low: For four years I submitted The Odds manuscript to all the best publishers and competitions, where sometimes it was a finalist or otherwise near-miss. I found this mostly encouraging, until the day that my dream publisher told me that The Odds had lost publication to one other book, essentially because my poems “sound too much alike.” This observation felt damning, and too accurate for comfort. So I gave up on The Odds. I turned my attention to a new-and-selected manuscript I’d begun a few years earlier; maybe that manuscript, instead, might be my fifth book. When, slowly and grudgingly, I returned to The Odds, I reordered the poems to highlight variation of subject, length, and form. I added poems I originally thought hadn’t fit.  When Jan Beatty selected the revised The Odds as winner of the 2024 Laura Boss Narrative Poetry Award, I’d won the jackpot! Not only did a fabulous and accomplished poet select my work, but I had “grown as a poet.” Ultimately, the struggle was good for me and for my book. As a bonus, that new-and-selected manuscript is nearly complete, which also feels good.

   

What’s your favorite piece of writing advice?

 

“Follow the poem, don’t lead.” I’m all about discovering as you write, about welcoming unforeseen ideas, associations, images, sounds. If I begin a poem knowing where the poem will end, the poem hardly feels worth writing; it feels restricted to the conscious mind, closed to the subconscious. Discoveries add resonance and depth to the poem, and—really important for me—add fun to the writing process.

 

My favorite writing advice is “write until something surprises you.” What surprised you in the writing of this book?

 

Every poem includes something that I did not foresee, but, overall, I didn’t expect that the pandemic, either overtly or covertly, would appear so often in this book. I knew that I’d write about the passing of time, since I often do, but with The Odds I found myself feeling as if I were a historian, responsible for recording the quarantine years.

 

How did you find the title of your book?

 

I like a short book title because it’s easy for readers to remember. The Odds is my fifth full-length poetry collection and the odds were against this happening. The odds were against my living this long. Not coincidentally, I am drawn to writing about odd things, things that are unlikely subjects for poems. Also, I love the iamb, love it.

 

Inquiring foodies and hungry book clubs want to know: Any food/s associated with your book? (Any recipes I might share?)

 

A figure in one of the poems eats a granola bar. Salted cashews also appear. As for recipes, sorry. I’m better at recommending restaurants.

 

*****

 

READ MORE ABOUT THIS AUTHOR:

www.suzanneclearypoet.com

 

ORDER THIS BOOK FOR YOUR TBR STACK: https://nyq.org/books/title/the-odds

 

 

 

 

TBR: crossing over by Kim Shegog

TBR [to be read] is a semi-regular, invitation-only interview series with authors of newly released/forthcoming, interesting books who will tell us about their new work as well as offer tips on writing, stories about the publishing biz, and from time to time, a recipe.

 

 

Give us your elevator pitch: what’s your book about in 2-3 sentences?

 

The stories in this collection give voice to the history and soul of a rural collective.

These people want to belong—to themselves, their families, their communities, and their God. From the dizzying Thanksgiving table to the sobering graveside service, these stories exist in their acts of agency and grace.

 

Which character did you most enjoy creating? Why? And, which character gave you the most trouble, and why?

 

“Breath to Bones,” the novella in the collection, was my favorite to write but also the toughest. There were only a few characters, but I wanted to get them right—their voices, motivations, and interactions. They’re confronting a tragedy, individually and collectively, and bringing all of their history on the page was exciting and terrible at the same time. These are generations of people born in the same place and roughly the same economic circumstances, so while they’re alike in many ways, their personalities and lived experiences vary a great deal. It was a high-wire act, of sorts, to maintain a distinct yet similar voice in each character.

 

Tell us a bit about the highs and lows of your book’s road to publication.

 

Many of the stories began in some form during my time in the Converse University MFA program. All of this stories experienced rejection on some level. Finally, one story was published, “Goodbye Alice” in Appalachian Review, then another, then I won a writing prize, and so on. This process took years. Years of “Thank you, but…” and “You have not been selected” (all the while continuing to write because that’s what we do, right?) until one day much better news was delivered to the inbox. I was thrilled beyond measure when this collection was selected as a co-winner to the Converse MFA Alumni Book Award.

 

What’s your favorite piece of writing advice?

 

In light of my comments about the book’s road to publication, Marianne Moore’s words come to mind: “Humility, Concentration, and Gusto”

 

My favorite writing advice is “write until something surprises you.” What surprised you in the writing of this book?

The sheer amount of will power writing takes amazes me every time. Also, I did a great deal of research for several of these stories (I listened to many radio ads from the 1940s and made many visits to cemeteries, which I find fascinating and always surprising).

 

Who is your ideal reader?

 

My ideal reader is one who knows how much I appreciate and respect their time. I have faith in my characters and believe their stories need to be told, and I have done my best to abide by Raymond Carver’s motto: “Get in, get out. Don’t linger. Go on.”

 

Inquiring foodies and hungry book clubs want to know: Any food/s associated with your book? (Any recipes I might share?)

 

Yes! The first story in the collection is set during a southern Thanksgiving—so biscuits, dressing (similar to stuffing), fried apples, and more. In fact, I think every story mentions some type of food or candy.

 

Buttermilk Coconut Pie

 

1 stick oleo (I use unsalted butter)

5 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

¾ c. buttermilk

2 cups white sugar

2 cups coconut flakes

 

Melt oleo and add buttermilk. Beat eggs and add sugar. Pour together and then add vanilla and coconut and mix well. Place mixture in two unbaked pie shells. Bake in preheated oven at 350° F for 45 minutes.

~~Courtesy of Great Aunt Nancy

 

 

*****

 

READ MORE ABOUT THIS AUTHOR: https://www.kimshegog.com/

 

ORDER THIS BOOK FOR YOUR OWN TBR STACK: https://libraries.clemson.edu/press/

 

 

 

 

TBR: They Always Wave Goodbye by Katie Sherman

TBR [to be read] is a semi-regular, invitation-only interview series with authors of newly released/forthcoming, interesting books who will tell us about their new work as well as offer tips on writing, stories about the publishing biz, and from time to time, a recipe.

Give us your elevator pitch: what’s your book about in 2-3 sentences?

 

They Always Wave Goodbye is about women: the choices they make, the children they shape, and the lies they tell in order to survive. These award-winning stories are set in the heart of Appalachia.

 

Which story did you most enjoy writing? Why? And, which story gave you the most trouble, and why?

 

None of them were easy to write. But I would say “The Easiest Thing” was the quickest story I wrote within the collection. It’s about a mother who has a momentary compulsion to leave her family. I think you would be hard pressed — especially given the recent pandemic — to find a mother who hasn’t had one of those days where they thought, I could chuck it all and move to Mexico. “The Easiest Thing” perfectly encapsulated that rollercoaster of emotions. I loved the idea of looking at a myriad of small frustrations rather than one explosion of anger. So, to me it was the story and the character I most identified with.

 

“Love, Mom” was incredibly difficult to edit. This story is told in letter form with advice for future generations. There are so many things within the story directly from my life. The scene where the daughter has seizures was especially difficult as it’s something my daughter, Addie, struggled with. As I was putting together the collection, it was suggested that I dig a little deeper on this story and it didn’t feel as if that was possible. Thankfully, it was. I am truly proud of the end result. So proud, in fact, it was the story I read for my graduate thesis. (Editor’s note: link below.)

 

Tell us a bit about the highs and lows of your book’s road to publication.

 

I like to say this book was always a bridesmaid and never the bride. It got flagged for a number of contests and named as a finalist in open reads but wasn’t ever picked up. I sent it to agents who would write back saying they loved the voice but couldn’t sell a story collection. After about two years, I was going to hang up my hat and call it. Then, I saw six different calls for presses looking for quality collections. I thought, why not? I submitted to all of them and was thrilled to hear from Finishing Line Press.

 

What’s your favorite piece of writing advice?

 

I love Anne Lamont’s essay, “Shitty First Drafts.”  I sometimes need a reminder that no one writes a masterpiece on the first go round. My fear of creating something awful can often be paralyzing and keep me from writing at all. I read that essay once a month as a reminder that writers write, even when it’s bad.

 

My favorite writing advice is “write until something surprises you.” What surprised you in the writing of this book?

How personal I allowed it to get. Many of the characters had a fragment of myself within them.

 

What’s something about your book that you want readers to know?

 

Parenthood is complicated and this project started as a way to vocalize taboos, the things women never felt comfortable saying aloud. You’ll find stories about work/life balance and societal expectations. Hopefully, I have created characters women relate to and understand.

 

Inquiring foodies and hungry book clubs want to know: Any food/s associated with your book? (Any recipes I might share?)

 

In one story, a father and daughter are trying to recreate their matriarch’s fried cauliflower. Luckily, that is a recipe my family would never lose.

 

Ingredients:

1 head cauliflower

(12) Large Eggs

2 ½ cups Parmesan Cheese

½ cup Cracker Meal

1 ½ Tbsp. Parsley

Vegetable Oil

 

Cut the leaves and stalk off the cauliflower. Separate the florets into medium sized pieces. Bring a large pot of water to rapid boil. Add the salt and florets. Cook for 5 minutes. The cauliflower should be fork tender but still firm. Beat eggs well. Then beat in cheese, cracker meal, and parsley. Dip each floret into the batter. Heat vegetable oil (about a quart) or deep enough to cover half of the florets. Drop florets into the oil. Fry at 365 degrees until golden brown.

 

*****

 

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS AUTHOR:  www.katiepsherman.com

 

ORDER THIS BOOK FOR YOUR OWN TBR STACK: https://www.finishinglinepress.com/product/they-always-wave-goodbye-by-katie-sherman/

 

 

READ A STORY, “Love, Mom,”:  https://literarymama.com/articles/departments/2018/11/love-mom?fbclid=IwAR35BNZByVI19xtr8JHeXYzAn4GeUQmirDXMDCgBQA_SQ7chIA07FCkaKPE

 

 

TBR: Children of Dust by Marlin Barton

TBR [to be read] is a semi-regular, invitation-only interview series with authors of newly released/forthcoming, interesting books who will tell us about their new work as well as offer tips on writing, stories about the publishing biz, and from time to time, a recipe.

 

Give us your elevator pitch: what’s your book about in 2-3 sentences?

 

In 1880s Alabama, Melinda Anderson gives birth to her tenth child who does not live a full day and dies under somewhat questionable circumstances. Melinda thinks her husband’s mixed-race mistress, Elizabeth, killed the child, and Rafe, the husband, thinks Melinda killed him. A century later, in short chapters interspersed throughout the novel, descendants, one white, one Black, who are also cousins, attempt to understand not only what happened but how to relate to one another.

 

Which character did you most enjoy creating? Why? And, which character gave you the most trouble, and why?

 

The husband and wife in the novel are based loosely on my great-great grandparents. I know a good deal about my great-great grandfather but very little about my great-great grandmother. So I most enjoyed creating Melinda because as I wrote the chapters that are in her point of view, I felt as if I were getting to know my ancestor in a way I’d never been able to. It may sound odd, but I feel I know her now and know how she struggled and survived what had to have been a difficult life. She is so much more real to me, despite the fact that I was creating a fictional character.

 

The most difficult character to write was Rafe because he is such a hard man, and though I would not call him evil, he has a capacity for evil that manifests itself in some quite horrible ways. What made the writing so difficult was that he is also a point of view character. So I had to enter into his mind and develop him as a fully three-dimensional character and convey his rationale behind what are really some evil acts. Writing from his point of view was often unpleasant, but I did it for two reasons. First, I want the reader to feel in a complete and visceral way what Melinda is up against. And second, I think examining evil from the inside looking out instead of always from the outside looking in is a valid undertaking that can make for a more complex character. I do want to make clear here that Rafe is no psychopath. I’m not interested in writing about a psychopath because they are one-dimensional, by definition, it seems to me, incapable of empathy and what we think of as normal human emotions.

 

 

Tell us a bit about the highs and lows of your book’s road to publication.

 

Ah, where to begin? I decided at the outset that I would query up to fifty literary agents, which I ended up doing without getting an offer of representation. Some of them, after reading my query and maybe a first chapter, let me know they weren’t interested. Others asked to read more of the novel or maybe all of it, and some of them responded and some didn’t. I also, through somewhat unusual circumstances, managed to have two editors at major publishing houses read the novel early on. One seemed to genuinely like the book but said he didn’t feel he had enough clout at his press to push the book through because of its difficult subject matter, which I took to mean race. The other editor wrote a detailed critique, and though I didn’t agree with much of what she wrote, there were points I took to heart when I wrote another draft. So she did help make it a stronger book. After I felt I’d exhausted possibilities in New York, I began querying and submitting to smaller, independent publishers. After about eight rejections, Regal House Publishing in Raleigh, NC accepted the novel in January of 2020. (I thought, Wow, 2020 is going to be a great year! Boy was I wrong about that.)

I’d found Regal House when I carefully scouted out the book fair at the AWP conference in Portland. And here’s something I didn’t notice about them even after looking at their website—my wife Rhonda had to point it out to me: the press is owned and staffed completely by women, which I thought was pretty cool.   

 

What’s your favorite piece of writing advice?

 

I sometimes have students tell me they’re stuck in the middle of a story and don’t know how to move the story forward. My advice, which I’ve used myself and found it works, is to think about the situation the character is in and to think about what the character wants, which is always a central question. I tell the student to then think about what a person (not their character so much but a real person) might do in that situation. In other words, what actions might a person perform in order to obtain what he or she wants. I tell the student to list all the possibilities and after looking at the list, choose the one that feels most unexpected but still right for the character. I did this with Melinda in my novel. After she loses her child, I wasn’t sure what she might do. One of the choices on my list for her was going to see a conjure woman. And that’s the one I picked. Without the list, I wouldn’t have made that unusual choice.

 

My favorite writing advice is “write until something surprises you.” What surprised you in the writing of this book?

 

When I first began writing the novel, I thought I knew exactly how the child died and exactly who was guilty of the death, which I would reveal late in the novel. What surprised me most is that I slowly found I didn’t know exactly how the child died or if anyone was guilty of its death. What became much more interesting to me was who the other characters thought was guilty and what that revealed about them. Even the mother of Rafe’s mistress, whose name is Annie Mae (and who is the midwife who delivered the child), believes strongly that her daughter Elizabeth is guilty, which made for an interesting and conflict-filled dynamic between the two characters.

 

How did you find the title of your book?

 

I’d had the idea for the novel for some time and had been doing research on the period, but I hadn’t begun writing yet and hadn’t even thought about a title. Then one Sunday in church we were all singing (well, I was at least mouthing the words because I can’t quite bring myself to sing) the hymn “O Worship the King,” and I read the phrase “children of dust” in the lyric and knew immediately that was my title. Melinda, I’d already decided, had lost four earlier children in either infancy or at very young ages, which of course was common then. So the phrase from the hymn seemed right. I actually wrote an opening line for the novel right then and there on the church program, though it later went by the wayside.     

 

Inquiring foodies and hungry book clubs want to know: Any food/s associated with your book?

 

I’m not really a foodie, so I can’t say food plays any kind of central role in the book, but I do describe a few meals that Annie Mae prepares (in addition to being a midwife, she is also the cook and live-in maid for Melinda and Rafe’s family). One staple of their meals is cracklin’ bread, which is cornbread cooked with cracklings inside the cornmeal. Cracklings, for those who might not know, are fried pork rinds rubbed with salt, and they crackle when you bite into them. (And no, you won’t find cracklings at the health food store.) By the way, I have sometimes had “cornbread,” usually outside of the South, that has the texture and sweetness of poundcake. Cornbread should never look or taste like a piece of cake. My grandmother sure knew how to cook it. What I’d give to have some of her cracklin’ bread right now.

 

*****

 

READ MORE ABOUT THIS AUTHOR: https://marlinbarton.com/

 

ORDER THIS BOOK FOR YOUR OWN TBR STACK: https://www.regalhousepublishing.com/product/children-of-dust/

 

TBR: Permanent Marker by Sarah Cooper

TBR [to be read] is a semi-regular, invitation-only interview series with authors of newly released/forthcoming, interesting books who will tell us about their new work as well as offer tips on writing, stories about the publishing biz, and from time to time, a recipe! 

We don’t expect an elevator pitch from a poet, but can you tell us about your work in 2-3 sentences?

Permanent Marker follows a speaker as she remembers her dead brother, imagines a life with him and attempts to speak to his son.  Set against a southern backdrop, this is a story of addiction, of family and queer identity.  These poems do attempt to reconcile the loss of a sibling and yet resist asking “why.”

Which poem/s did you most enjoy writing? Why? And, which poem/s gave you the most trouble, and why?

The first poem, “We Thought About It,” was not one I enjoyed writing, but it did give me the least trouble.  This poem oozes honesty and hesitation.  I chose to place it first because the story of this chapbook is not “addiction is sad” or “this poor speaker lost a sibling.”  The story is complicated because the emotions of loving someone who is an addict are vexing.  This poem strives to encapsulate one experience with the brother where feelings of anger, love, fear and protection intersect. [link to this poem below]

“Always, my mother said,” went through numerous renditions.  My mother, father and I shared the experience the poem addresses and I wanted to tell the story through a perspective that was not mine.  My brother was an addict.  And yet, the reality of watching your parents make decisions about his body is one that I can’t explain.  So, opted not to with me as the speaker.  I think this poem works best from my mother’s perspective especially the part of watching my father and recounting his words to the funeral director.  Invoking persona here, and a few other spaces in the book, makes the collection feel collective and collaborative because that’s what life has been for me. [link to this poem below]

“The Lump” is a poem I wrote in a day while ruminating on bodies and embodiment.  These visceral connections to a person who is gone are ones I carry most intimately.  This poem attempts to take a childish act (though potentially quite harmful) and spin it into a story about gratitude. 

Tell us a bit about the highs and lows of your book’s road to publication.

This manuscript was rejected five times from various chapbook competitions. (Yes, I kept track.)  But, to be honest: it needed to be rejected. The more distance I gained from the experience of loss the more I became able to craft poems about the experience instead of just narrating the experience.  Looking back at previous drafts of poems I find myself thinking: I’m so glad this went through twenty revisions or The rhythm now fits the pacing of thought of the speaker.

One of the great highs to this process was getting to work with Eli Warren (@eliwarrenphoto).  He did the cover art and head shot for this book.  Eli is a local photographer whose work is stunning. 

What’s your favorite piece of writing advice?

“You own everything that happened to you.  Tell your stories.  If people wanted you to write warmly about them, they should have behaved better.” (Anne Lamont, Bird by Bird).

How did you find the title of your book?

When I was working on my MFA, Rick Mulkey, during workshop, suggested I title my thesis Permanent Marker.  I had a series of poems about my brother in the thesis and “Permanent Marker” was the title of a poem in the thesis (the same one that’s in the chapbook).  At the time that phrase felt strong and intriguing.

A few years later, as I began putting a chapbook together, I kept finding artifacts with my brother’s name written on them.  Each time I was startled to not only see his name but his handwriting.  I kept thinking, How did I not see this before?  Or, was this even here before?  Then, one day, I went to visit my parents, got out of the car and saw the ax (that’s the cover art) nestled in a tree stump near a pile of chopped wood. I took some photos of it and knew I had to go back to Permanent Marker as the title.  Those two words hold the weight of perceived permanence and the ways we are marked by living.

*****

LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS AUTHOR: https://www.sarahcooperpoet.com/

ORDER THIS BOOK FOR YOUR OWN TBR PILE: https://readpapernautilus.wordpress.com

READ AN EXCERPT, “We Thought About It” & “Always, my mother said”:
https://thedrowninggull.wordpress.com/2017/07/07/2-poems-sarah-cooper/

Should Writing Teachers Suggest Students Abandon a Book?

By happenstance, I was in a folder of old blog files, and I found this piece that I wrote nearly 7 years ago…and thought, but I’m still pondering this question! So I did a couple of updates, and here we go…and, as noted, I’ve been pondering this question for a long time, so if you’re a current student of mine, please don’t freak out and imagine that I’m talking specifically about you and your work.

 My question: Can—should—I as a teacher tell a student not to write about a certain topic?

 I don’t mean out of a fear that a topic is taboo in society (ha, if anything is anymore) or because I personally don’t care for stories about family vacations. I also don’t mean the blanket statements that you find on the syllabi of many beleaguered undergrad creative writing teachers: “No vampires, no ghosts, no gnomes, no protagonist suicides to end the story.”

 There are several different times that trigger this question in my mind. First would be a story that (I’m guessing, but I know it’s a good guess) is very close personally to the student’s life in some way, but that’s a topic that is terribly overdone and hard to make fresh: an adult thinking back on his parents’ divorce, say, or two sisters cleaning out the house of their dead mother and discovering a so-called life-changing secret. Obviously there are always ways to make these stories interesting, but the student isn’t finding those ways (despite my excellent teaching skills, haha). Or maybe the student is a good writer—the skill is there—but the story itself is just plain dull. And is there a difference if by “story” what I mean is “novel-in-progress”? It’s one thing to work for several weeks on a 15-page story that’s trite, but a far different picture if the student is setting forth on a years-long journey to complete a novel that’s trite. 

On the other hand…do I really know with absolute certainty that this book will “never” get published? Is that the only goal for a writer? It shouldn’t be, though it seems that most students state that this IS their goal, of course. I wrote some novels that didn’t get published and learned quite a bit about writing from the experience. Wasn’t that enough? What would I have done if someone told me the stories were trite? Honestly, I’m pretty sure that wasn’t the exact flaw of these particular works, but someone surely could have pointed out many other gigantic flaws during the process. Would I have listened? Would I have wanted to hear that? Would that have been helpful? 

In these situations, I often focus my teacher comments on ways to deepen the story and find more complexity, look at the hard parts of the story the writer is leaving unmined. When the story is too personal, that approach can be a problem, as the student writer may not want to discover (via a writing workshop) that, OMG, my relationship with my father is more challenged than I realized! They like their simplistic story as is, because that’s the story in their head. In real life that’s fine(ish), but not on the page. Is it my job to assist a student toward writing a dull, simple novel that (I know) will never be published? Is that a good day at the office for me?

 Another tricky time that makes me wonder about whether I should tell a student to choose another topic is when the student is turning in competent stories about, oh, married couples in Washington, D.C., but I happen to know that in real life this person has an amazing past of some sort that would provide material that I, as a writer, would KILL to have access to. When I mention this interesting other stuff they might write about, there’s usually a response along the lines of, “Oh, I don’t think so,” and sometimes, “I would never write about that,” or the the full stop: “Not while my mother is still alive.” I always murmur some sort of encouraging something and say, “Maybe someday you’ll be ready for that” and reiterate that I, personally, think that stuff would make an AMAZING book or story, and we go back to the competent stories. While I harbor hope that someday they’ll be ready and that I’ve planted a seed, I’m still sort of sad watching them struggle away, mired in competency, when they could soar. 

And what about the student who isn’t a very skilled writer (yet) who is determined to tackle a giant subject—sometimes personal—that he/she just isn’t able to handle right now? I long to say, “Can’t you practice writing on a smaller canvas for a little while? You’re not Tolstoy (yet).” On the other hand, none of us are, and what’s the harm? I think a lot about this one while I’m writing up critiques that focus on first level things—commas, details, characterization—when on a smaller canvas, this same poor writer could also start learning about bigger issues like structure and conflict that would better serve the writer-in-training. 

Now, I also keep an eye out for a writer who is tackling a story that’s perhaps not theirs to tell (ahem, American Dirt < https://www.vulture.com/2020/01/american-dirt-book-controversy-explained.html>). But even this situation makes me uncomfortable, as no one technically “owns” a story, so instead I bring up the complications in choosing to write about an experience well beyond one’s real-life parameters and outline the literary culture’s current response to such projects and suggest the publishing pitfalls that may be ahead and offer excellent resources like Alexander Chee’s response to the question “Do you have any advice for writing about people who do not look like you?” <https://www.vulture.com/2019/10/author-alexander-chee-on-his-advice-to-writers.html>. But should I tell this student NOT to write American Dirt? 

Our culture is so bound and determined not to harbor any quitters…is this why students feel that need to plow through these novels that aren’t working?  Is there no way to bow gracefully and admit defeat? To step back and gather new resources before returning into the fray? To pause, instead of constantly plow forward? And yet, I’ve said it to classes a thousand times: Writing a novel is a marathon…sometimes you don’t feel like writing, but you just have to…persistence will triumph over raw talent. Blah, blah, blah. I know I even use the word “plow.” Often.

 I remember meeting a very accomplished writer who told me about a time in her MFA days when she had been struggling for months on a novel, bringing in chapters to workshop, and finally her instructor spoke with her privately and said, “You know, you just shouldn’t be writing that. It’s not a novel.”

 “Wow,” I said. “That must have been hard to hear.” 

The accomplished writer said, “Actually, it was very useful to hear. I stopped writing that novel and wrote something else instead.”

 Could it be that simple?

Etiquette for Post-MFA Life

This is a rerun, but my craft talk at the last Converse MFA residency was about life 

after the MFA, so I got to thinking about this old post, which I think is still relevant. Here are my thoughts, especially directed to those navigating post-MFA life. 

First, do not expect your teachers to keep in touch with you. They may adore you and your work, but their own writing (and life) is always going to be their priority. This does not mean that they aren’t interested in what you’re doing…just that, for the most part, you will need to be the one to keep in touch. (The teacher-student relationship is, of course, also structured around a certain power dynamic and it is plain wrong for a teacher to pursue a student after graduation [unless that student wins a Pulitzer, haha].) So think about which teachers were especially meaningful to you and your writing life, and think about how to stay connected with them.

Social media is a nice way to keep a casual relationship going with your professors, but if they (or you) don’t use social media, an occasional email/text is, it seems to me, welcomed by most professors. A few dos and don’ts on that occasional email/text:

DO reread what I said and take to heart that word: occasional. Don’t overdo it.

DO follow what your beloved professor is up to and acknowledge his/her publishing successes.

DON’T (ever) attach work you’d like to be critiqued (unless invited, which I'm pretty sure won't happen).

DON’T write only when you want/need something.

DON’T take it personally if your professor is too busy to respond to you immediately, or perhaps ever.

DON’T write only when you want/need something. (Oh, did I say this already? Hmmm…must be important.)

DO ask for letters of recommendation/blurbs if you need them and you have maintained a good relationship with your teacher…but DON’T imagine you can make this request for the rest of all eternity. DO understand that your beloved professor will be beloved by many students who will come along after you. DO imagine that perhaps you’ve got a couple of shots at this sort of favor. DON’T (ever) ask for any letters that are due in less than two weeks.

DO understand that favors go both ways. You are now an MFA graduate, a member of the writing community, and that means you are allowed (encouraged!) to use whatever power you may have to help the people who helped you…can you invite your teacher to read at your reading series? Is your journal looking for a contest judge whom you will pay? Did you write a glowing review of your teacher’s book on Amazon? Can you interview your teacher for a writing blog? DO send an email offering something to your teacher!

DO follow up with your professor with a thank you after he/she has helped you in some way, whether it’s a letter written or advice offered or a question answered or whatever. At this point, your professor is not required to help you and is doing so only from the goodness of his/her heart. Saying thank you is FREE!

DON’T forget that your professor is first and foremost a writer whose job was to teach you. Note the distinction. Once you have graduated from the program, your professor takes no responsibility for you (unless you win a Pulitzer). Sad but true: your professor may not want to stay in touch with you. This might feel like a rejection. But please be gracious. A good teacher will have given you the tools to you need to forge ahead on your own and find your place in the community.

***

I’ll also offer a suggestion that revolves around that word “gracious.” Maybe it turned out you didn’t like your program so much. I’m sorry. I really am. (I wish you would have joined us at the Converse low-res MFA!) But now that you’re “free” of all those “%$#$-ing” teachers who think they’re such “hot $#@$” it might be tempting to let loose on them, either in your writing or on social media or in scathing, tell-all articles.

Don’t.

I’m only offering my own views here, but it’s been my experience that our lovely writing community is a small-small-small-small world, not only in size (I promise I could play six degrees of separation with about any MFA grad and get to a mutual acquaintance) but it is also small in terms of pettiness, which means that people WILL remember that you were the one who trashed the program or your teacher on The Rumpus or in The New Yorker or wherever. (Also, no one will be fooled by your pseudonyms and the tricks you use to disguise people/places…remember what I said about six degrees of separation?)

And think about it: why would you trash the crazy-imperfect-infuriating-inspiring program you graduated from? Now that you’re out, you should feel invested in the success of the program: you want your fellow grads to win awards and bring prestige to your school because that will help you and your degree. When your book is published, you should want to return in triumph to your program, invited back for a reading or a class visit. You should want your name proudly listed on the website as a “famous alum.” The fact is, you are connected in some way to your MFA program for the rest of your writing life.

Bitch and gossip privately, to your friends or at the AWP bar or Treman after you scope the scene to ensure your teachers are out of spitting distance. But always think twice and then twice again before going public about all the crap you endured while at your MFA program. (Unless we’re talking about something illegal or an abuse of power.)

In short, don’t burn bridges…until you win your Pulitzer.

***

Here are a couple of suggestions from some helpful people on Facebook:

DON'T write your former professors to ask questions you can google, and definitely DON'T ask vast questions that cannot be easily and quickly answered (i.e. "how does self-publishing work and should I do it?").

DO offer this advice to your buddies who are still in the program...I'm guessing that this information will be even momre helpful earlier in the program, so you can plan your exit strategy.

***

You may not want to keep in touch with all or any of your former professors, and that’s fine. While many segments of the writing world run on blurbs and letters of recommendation and such, your former teachers are not (and should not be) the only source for acquiring those documents. You will move forth and build your own network of support, and memories of that horrible MFA workshop will fade in time, and maybe soon you will be the teacher opening emails from former students. But one last tip:

DO thank your teachers in the acknowledgements of your first book, and DO spell their names correctly. And if you’re one of my former students, DON’T send me a free copy: I will happily and proudly buy it!

TBR: Jesus in the Trailer by Andrew K. Clark

TBR [to be read] is a semi-regular, invitation-only interview series with authors of newly released/forthcoming, interesting books who will tell us about their new work as well as offer tips on writing, stories about the publishing biz, and from time to time, a recipe!

We don’t expect an elevator pitch from a poet, but can you tell us about your work in 2-3 sentences?

Above all else the poetry in Jesus in the Trailer evokes a cogent sense of place.  Whether addressing police violence on the cobblestone streets of Savannah, the loss of a loved one to dementia, or coming of age in a trailer park in Appalachia, my poems address matters of faith, death, love, lust, and the beauty of the natural world, while not masking the pain of Southern history.

What boundaries did you break in the writing of this book? Where does that sort of courage come from?

I think the book breaks boundaries with regards to how modern society thinks about religion, particularly the notion of the “gospel of prosperity” in modern Christianity.  This is the idea that those who are God-like are blessed with wealth and success, and that if you are not blessed those with things then you must not be sufficiently pious or religious.  The title itself tries to decry this with the idea of Jesus appearing in a trailer park.  I think the best poetry from this collection emerged when I allowed myself to write about religion and hypocrisy without holding back.

Tell us a bit about the highs and lows of your book’s road to publication. 

I begin submitting the manuscript in late 2017, after workshopping most of the poems with multiple writer friends and mentors.  I had several cases where I was a semi-finalist in a contest, or notes from publishers suggesting that I was “close” to ready.  All the while I kept writing new poems, revising the manuscript, trying to focus on the order of the poems, and replacing weaker poems.  I received word at the end of 2018 that Mainstreet Rag was interested in publishing the book.  I had another publisher interested at the same time, which is often the case, and went with MSR based on their long-running reputation in the poetry world.

What’s your favorite piece of writing advice? 

Of course we all know that to write well we need to read – a lot.  But one of my writing mentors suggested when I was in the midst of a fiction manuscript, to read tons of poetry; if writing poetry, read lots of fiction.  I don’t know why, but it really works well for me, seeming to fire something different in my brain when I need it.

My favorite writing advice is “write until something surprises you.” What surprised you in the writing of this book?

I was surprised by how often religious themes came up in my writing, way back before I had a title. I was raised in a conservative religious tradition, a world of tent revivals and camp meetings, but it wasn’t what I wanted to write about necessarily.  Something opened up for me when I just allowed myself to go there.  I also was surprised that I could write love poems that were readable and popular at readings (the cynic in me didn’t think poems about love could be “good”).

How did you find the title of your book?

In deciding on a title, I asked my critique partners and mentors which titles they liked of maybe a half dozen. Over and over, folks preferred Jesus in the Trailer to the other options.  I felt some of the other poems actually represented the body of work better than the title poem, but it does capture several of the book’s themes well. 

Inquiring foodies and hungry book clubs want to know: Any food/s associated with your book?

Food doesn’t come up a lot in the book, but one poem talks about my ninny’s biscuits and cornbread.  I don’t have any recipes, but if you make gravy for your homemade biscuits it must be with white flour, bacon grease and whole milk (along with water, salt and pepper).  I know there are other gravies, but you really shouldn’t let them anywhere near a biscuit if you have any self-respect.

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READ MORE ABOUT THIS AUTHOR:  http://www.andrewkclark.com

ORDER THIS BOOK FOR YOUR OWN TBR STACK:  http://mainstreetragbookstore.com/product/jesus-in-the-trailer-andrew-k-clark/

READ SOME POEMS FROM THIS COLLECTION: https://www.andrewkclark.com/writing

TBR: The Lightness of Water & Other Stories by Rhonda Browning White

TBR [to be read] is a semi-regular, invitation-only interview series with authors of newly released/forthcoming, interesting books who will tell us about their new work as well as offer tips on writing, stories about the publishing biz, and from time to time, a recipe!

Give us your elevator pitch: what’s your book about in 2-3 sentences?

These stories allow us to peek in on the lives of a wide range of strong people, from West Virginia miners to Florida bikers, from Appalachian medicine-women to heavy equipment operators. These characters, like all of us, wrestle with the people, places, and memories they cling to, belong to, and run from, learning (sometimes too late), that these experiences remain with them forever. The nine stories in The Lightness of Water and Other Stories are bound by a strong sense of place—Appalachia and the South—and prove that no matter where we go, there’s no place far enough to leave home behind.

Which story did you most enjoy creating? Why? And, which story gave you the most trouble, and why?

I loved writing “Things Long Dead.” I’d relocated to the Daytona Beach area, home of the nationally renowned “Bike Week” and “Biketoberfest,” in which bikers and MCs (motorcycle clubs) descend upon the town twice a year, and our local culture changes. I found this fascinating, especially the brotherhood—largely military veteran in nature—shared by these bikers. I knew there was a story there, and once I started interviewing some MC members, the story of this veteran biker facing his own morbidity poured out of my head. It’s one of the easiest first drafts I’ve ever written, though it still took me years to polish. I wanted to make sure I correctly represented the one-percenter biker culture, before sending this story into the world. 

“Heritage” was, conversely, more difficult. The story was always there, but it took more digging to unearth, and I changed the ending no less than a dozen times. In a near-final draft, my main character, Claire, was pregnant. My publisher found her pregnancy a bit too much, as it took the focus away from Claire’s internal conflicts. He was right about that. I was still revising the story right up until the last minute, but I believe I finally achieved the right balance, and I’m proud of how the story came together.

Tell us a bit about the highs and lows of your book’s road to publication.

My high and low are one and the same: I received two contract offers for publication from reputable small presses on the very same day! I received a call at work that morning from Green Writers Press in Vermont, offering publication. I came home, planning to celebrate with champagne, and before my husband could pop the cork, I received a call from Press 53 in North Carolina, also offering me a contract. It was thrilling and surreal. Quite literally, I felt breathless. I was immediately elated (They like me! They really like me!), but before nightfall, I became anxious, realizing the choice of which contract to accept could make a world of difference in the path my writing career will take. It was a difficult decision based on many factors—which took away a bit of the fun—and while neither press would have been a wrong choice, I feel I made the right choice for me at this early time in my career.

What is your favorite piece of writing advice?

Oh! Tough question, Leslie! My favorite is, of course, the one that makes sense at the time; the one that gets me over the hump of whatever writing problem I’m facing. If I had to choose one that fits all the time, it might be Barry Lopez’s admonition that the story must be about us, not about me or you. It’s sometimes too easy to fall back on what’s affecting, or has affected, me, and how I feel about that, when instead, I should be telling a story about “ourselves,” not about “myself.” I want my stories to help every reader, in some small way, to better empathize with other people and the environment in which we live.

My favorite writing advice is “write until something surprises you.” What surprised you in the writing of this book?

Without doubt, I’m most surprised by how my characters Romie and Jasper Grodin got under my skin and stayed there. They appear in my collection’s bookend stories, “Bondservant” and “Big Empty,” and they are now the main characters in my novel-in-progress, tentatively titled Filling the Big Empty. They face some ugly hardships, both individually and as a young married couple, but even when they fail, their determinedness and hopefulness overpower their fatalistic tendencies. They embody the human condition in all of us, and I’m learning a lot from them.

How do you approach revision?

In her excellent writing-craft book, Wired for Story, Lisa Cron says, “There’s no writing; there’s only rewriting.” My mind is always spinning, always revising multiple stories at one time. I’m revising when I’m showering, or doing the dishes, or driving. I never read through one of my stories when I don’t think of a way in which I could tweak it to make it better; a word change here or there, a sensory detail I could add. I don’t believe my writing is ever “done,” but when I reach the point where I can read the last line and smile with satisfaction, I know the piece is finished. For the time being.

Inquiring foodies and hungry book clubs want to know: Any food associated with your book?

All of my characters love to eat and drink! (We have much in common.) In “Bondservant,” Romie makes cornbread for Jasper, and I imagine she makes it, using my very own recipe:

Rhonda’s Sweet & Corny Cornbread

1 cup yellow cornmeal

1¼ cups milk

1 cup unbleached flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

¼ cup cane sugar

2 tablespoons oil

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon of honey or molasses

1 cup (canned) creamed corn

Place your lightly greased iron skillet in the oven and preheat oven to 425 degrees. (You may use a lightly greased round cake pan, but don’t preheat it.) Stir together the dry ingredients. In a separate, large bowl, combine the other five ingredients, blending well. Stir in the combined dry ingredients, just until moistened. Pour the batter into your now-hot iron skillet, and bake for 25-30 minutes, until the center springs back when touched. (Preheating the iron skillet provides a nice, crisp crust for your cornbread.) Romie and I recommend dunking a hot, crusty piece of this cornbread in a cup of milk and eating it with a spoon, like cereal. Yum!

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READ MORE ABOUT THIS AUTHOR:  https://rhondabrowningwhite.com/ 

ORDER THIS BOOK FOR YOUR OWN TBR STACK:  https://www.press53.com/rhonda-browning-white 

READ A SHORT STORY, “Things Long Dead”: http://hospitaldrive.org/2016/12/things-long-dead/