Friday, December 12, 2014

Entry # 232 - "Interview with Deepan Chatterjee"

Entry # 232 – “Interview with Deepan Chatterjee”

By Jan Bowman

b22aea_4bc5c21faebd4b1e8f9fefea55a8ebb1.jpg_srz_p_196_320_75_22_0.50_1.20_0Interview with Deepan Chatterjee – “The First Propetical: A collection of poetry and short fiction.”
Dr. Deepan Chatterjee is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist in Maryland. He has over fourteen years experience (eight of them postdoctoral) in providing diagnostic evaluations, individual, family and group psychotherapy, crisis counseling, psychopharmacological consults, as well as psychological assessment services to children, adolescents, adults, couples, geriatric adults, families and criminal offenders. Dr. Chatterjee’s writing has appeared in several newspapers, online blogs and literary magazines, including The Statesman, The Telegraph, The Tower, The Harbinger, The Daily Kos, Altarum Institute’s Health Policy Forum, among others. His poetry has also been featured in art exhibitions, including “Poets and Painters” at The Artist’s Gallery in Columbia, Maryland. He is the author of a recently published collection of short fiction and poetry entitled “The First Prophetical.” Dr. Chatterjee lives with his wife in Columbia, Maryland. Learn more about him at www.drdeepanchatterjee.com.
Jan: For whom did you write this book? Who would be your ideal reader?
Deepan: I wrote this book for a variety of readers – those who grew up in a foreign country (like I did) and then immigrated to the United States, those who reside here and wish to learn about other cultures and traditions, and anyone in general who loves reading short fiction and poetry. I have tried to include a variety of stories, including a murder mystery, a O’Henry type short story with a twist and a story with a psychologist as the narrator. Also, there are a variety of poems that I feel reflect many different moods. As such, I do not have an “ideal” reader in mind.
Jan: How does your background as a Clinical Psychologist influence your writing? And why do you write?
Deepan: I think my profession has a lot to do with my writing. I see writing as a sort of therapeutic catharsis, if you will. I write to relieve the stress and anxiety that inevitably comes with my job. I also write to escape the everyday mundane world of work and family life. Writing brings me great joy, and I would love to do it full-time if I could.
Jan: Many of the short prose pieces are listed as fiction, but seem more like they could be regarded as creative nonfiction. Why did you decide to write them as fiction?
Deepan: The stories are actually fiction. I have been asked by some readers and friends who have read my book if the characters depicted in the short stories are any of my patients in real life. My answer has always been that all the characters in my stories are fictional. They are part amalgams of different patient narratives, as well as part creative imagination.
Jan: This collection combines both fiction and poetry. Which do you prefer to write?
Deepan: Both, actually. I used to write poetry a lot at one time in my earlier life. I have started writing short stories again after a long time, and feel like I am really enjoying the process. I might go back to poetry again, who knows? However, I am thinking of writing another collection of short stories in the near future.
Jan: You have three poems on the topic of “Perfection” that are separated by short prose works, tell me about those poems and why you’ve positioned them as you have in the collection?
Deepan: That is a great question.The three parts of Perfection are interspersed between a story with a shocking ending, a reflective short piece, and a murder mystery. I think I was trying to evoke a variety of emotions in the reader, going from shock to a neutral pondering to the thrill of a “detective” story. If you read the three parts of perfection, they act as buffers between the different emotional states.
Jan: I try to take at least two intensive writers workshops each year, mostly in the summer to build connections with other writers and to help me grow in my development as a writer. Have you explored taking intensive summer writing workshops, and if you did, what would you consider the most valuable thing you could gain from that experience?
Deepan: I have considered participating in intensive writer workshops before. The only thing that prevents me from doing so is my full-time job as a Clinical Psychologist. I am also a Partner in our practice, and between my full clinical caseload and the added administrative responsibilities, I haven’t had the time. However, I am hoping to make some time in future for workshops. It would be really nice connecting with other writers.
Jan: Who are among your favorite authors? What are you reading now?
Deepan: As far as prose goes, I love Ernest Hemingway, Paulo Coelho, Satyajit Ray, and Amitav Ghosh. My favorite poets are Rumi, E.E. Cummings, Rabindranath Tagore, and Walt Whitman. Right now I am reading “Beyond the Pale Motel” by Francesca Lia Block.
Jan:  How can readers find out more about your new book and perhaps order it?
Deepan:  Here are links to my website.   www.drdeepanchatterjee.com.

About My book

I have written and published a collection of my short stories and poems. This collection includes many stories that draw upon my own experiences as an immigrant and as a psychologist. I have tried to include several genres in the writing, including minimalist styles, abstract postmodern styles, as well as a murder mystery. All the stories and poems have a common psychological thread running through them. In keeping with the Eastern philosophy of “daana”, I have decided to donate all the proceeds from the sale of the book to charity. Please visit the following websites to buy this book:

Thursday, December 4, 2014

Entry # 231 - "Tips to Beat Block & Banish Fear - using Pat Schneider's Writing Alone and With Others"

By Jan Bowman

Pat Schneider’s Writing Alone and With Others, is a fourth entry in a series about craft books that I have reread recently and found useful. And while many wonderful books on the writer’s craft are available, sometimes when the flame of inspiration flickers, it helps to read practical books on craft. In recent blog entries I have given my impressions about four books that offer ideas that have helped me improve my writing. Perhaps these will be useful to you.

PatSchneider's bookSchneider’s craft book is divided into three sections.
Part 1 – The Writer Alone - explores a range of topics essential to the individual writer, whether facing fear, finding your voice, or practicing your craft and working toward a disciplined writing life. A final topic in this section examines ethical questions writers face, whether they are concerned about spirituality, privacy and the politics of what they write.

Part 2 – Writing with Others – guides writers through the process of working in workshops or in small writing group settings to promote healthy growth experiences. The last topic includes an insightful discussion of ways to empower the silenced, so that writers who find the process of working with others intimidating, feel empowered to grow and risk in a place of safety.

Part 3 – Additional Exercises – offers more than 60 pages of writing exercises and story starters designed to address specific problems writers face in writing and revising. This section alone is worth the price of the book.
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Craft books can help writers grow. Truman Capote said, “Writing has laws of perspective, of light and shade, just as painting does, or music. If you are born knowing them, fine. If not, learn them. Then rearrange the rules to suit yourself.”

Special Note:  I have turned off the comments section temporarily. Am having hundreds of inappropriate email/comments from websites unrelated to writing. 

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Entry # 230 - Some Thoughts on the Craft Book: Leaving a Trace: On Keeping a Journal by Alexandra Johnson

Entry # 230 – Leaving a Trace: On Keeping a Journal by Alexandra Johnson.

By Jan Bowman LeavingATraceEntry # 230 – Week Three – Leaving a Trace: On Keeping a Journal by Alexandra Johnson.
Here is a third entry in a series about craft books that I have found useful. And while many wonderful books on the writer’s craft are available, sometimes when writers face a temporary lag in their productivity, when the flame of inspiration flickers a bit, it helps to read practical books on craft. I offer my impressions about these four books in no particular order, other than the order in which I plucked them from my reading desk. I hope to offer just enough information to whet your appetite for more. For the next four weeks, I will present some thoughts on each of four books that I recently reread.
A quick scan of the contents of Leaving a Trace, reveals an inviting organization of three parts that explore: Part 1 – The Successful Journal: Practical Inspiration, Part 2 – Transforming a Life: Patterns, and Part 3 – Meanings, Crossover: Moving a Journal into Creative Work. Johnson’s book inspired me to dig through dozens of my old notebooks to see what kinds of things I had recorded in more than thirty years of writing journal entries about my life and what I have seen and done.
Part One – explores ways to use past journal entries to trigger memories of events and to increase our observational skills of the world around us. Whether writers decide to use single purpose journals dedicated to topics like travel or books read, or whether they combine a range of experiences in daily journals, the journal is rich soil to replenish the imagination when we feel depleted and come up empty in our writing.

Part Two – looks at finding hidden patterns in journal entries that can only be recognized as writers see anew those topics and descriptions recorded over time.

Part Three – moves forward describing methods for using journal information in both fiction and nonfiction. Mining the journal data allows writers to “leave a trace by regaining a past and imagining a future.”

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I did not reread the chapters in order. Instead I dipped into some that were particularly relevant to my current projects. And am pleased to say that after a couple of days of reading only two of my old  journals I gleaned three ideas that I will use in three stories that had stalled to a crawl.

 Special Note:  I have turned off the comments section temporarily. Am having hundreds of inappropriate email/comments from websites unrelated to writing.

Monday, November 17, 2014

Entry # 229 - More Crafty Essays About Notebooks

Entry # 229 – More Crafty Essays About Notebooks

By Jan Bowman Week Two – Entry # 229 – looks at a collection of craft essays, Writers and Their Notebooks, edited by Diana M. Raab and with a Foreward by Phillip Lopate.

writers_and_their_notebooks
During a recent blog entry #228, I mentioned that many wonderful books on the writer’s craft are available and useful. Sometimes writers face a temporary lag in their productivity and the tiny flame of inspiration flickers a bit, and at those times, it helps to read good books on craft. I offer my impressions in no particular order, other than the order in which I plucked them from my reading desk. I hope to offer just enough information to whet your appetite for more. For the next four weeks, I will present some thoughts on each of four books that I recently reread.
Essays in Diana Raab’s (editor) Writers and Their Notebooks, explore a diverse group of writers who use journals to develop their writing craft. Section essays examine five topics. Here are my favorite essays in each section:
  1. The Journal as Tool – Kim Stafford’s essay, “the Place of No Limit” examines her journal methods as she uses intuitive pocket journal notes that move from the personal into poetry (upon reflection), and her methods recording notes on her computer into files that evolve into prose. Stafford offers examples of each and sample poetry and prose that came from those notes. 
  2. The Journal for Survival – Zan Bockes’ essay, “Musements and Mental Health” speaks candidly of using the journal as a tool for therapy. Bockes’ entries deal personally with her own struggles with mental illness and her attempt to use journals to cope and reach catharsis.
  3. The Journal for Travel – Bonnie Morris’s essay,”Writing in Public Places” describes the process of writing in public places and the rich insights writers can gather in observational notebooks. Whether journaling at a local coffee shop, doctor’s office, or a train in China, the writer’s notebook captures specifics of essential human behaviors in particular times and places.
  4. The Journal as Muse – Rebecca McClanahan’s “Thoughts on a Writer’s Journal” explores multiple purposes for writing journals in the development of a writer’s life. Journals function as compost bin, life record, confessional booth or playroom for ideas.
  1. The Journal for Life – Kyoko Mori’s “Forgetting to Remember–Why I Keep a Journal” describes his memory of his grandfather’s notebook, in which details of culture, language and ancestors were carried from the old world to the new world. It’s a profoundly touching essay.
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The following review of this collection appeared in the Midwest Book Review.
I did not write it. Wish I had.

“Writers And Their Notebooks is an anthology of essays by established and professional writers, discussing the value of simple notebooks to collect ideas, play around with words, discover new insights into evoking emotion with language, and much more. From sample journal entries that evolved into published pieces, to valuable advice for aspiring writers, to individual approaches to notebook keeping and much more, Writers And Their Notebooks is filled with tips, tricks, and techniques for getting creative juices flowing. An excellent supplementary reference for any would-be writer’s shelf.”
~Midwest Book Review

Please note that I have closed my blog comments sections - temporarily - because I was getting hundreds of inappropriate posting attempts from unpleasant sources.  Until further notice, if you wish to contact me directly try this email address:      email:  janwriter@comcast.net      




Saturday, October 18, 2014

Entry # 228 - "Crafty Readings for Beginning Writers"

Entry # 228 – “Crafty Readings for Beginning Writers”

By Jan Bowman OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAWriters who want to grow in their writing do well to spend their time actually writing. But sometimes when I’m feeling burned-out in my keyboard work, I take a break and read books on the writing craft. Yes. Writing requires attention to details, just as painting or carpentry does, but writing also requires stepping back from work and looking at the resulting efforts from a distance to see how even and whole it is.
During a recent lull in my productivity I turned to four splendid books on craft and I can recommend them highly. For the next four weeks, I will present some thoughts on each of these books. Here they are in no particular order, other than the order in which I plucked them from my reading desk. I offer just enough information to whet your appetite for more, I hope.
Steering the Craft 
Week One: Steering the Craft by Ursula K. Le Guin.  

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAThis week let’s look at the craft book, Steering the Craft by Ursula K. Le Guin, because this is a wonderfully useful book filled with common sense discussions and exercises whether you are, as Le Guin says, “the lone navigator or the mutinous crew” in a writers’ group seeking to improve a story. She says that the title comes from a workshop she gave by the same title in 1996 and that “. . . exercises are consciousness raisers: their aim is to clarify and intensify your awareness of certain elements of prose writing and certain techniques and modes of storytelling.”

In ten short chapters, Le Guin deals with setting your sails, sheets, and jibs for keeping your writing – on course. She offers the usual attention to basic writing elements, such as grammatical issues, but explores more complex issues like point of view and voice, with great humor and examples from master writers that can help even more experienced writers stay their course. I found that Chapter Ten, “Crowding & Leaping” – and the exercises – “A Terrible Thing To Do” helped me take a new look at one of my current stagnant writing projects.

Le Guin says, “Some people see art as a matter of control. I see it mostly as a matter of self-control. It’s like this: in me there’s a story that wants to be told. It is my end; I am its means.”



Jan’s fiction has appeared in numerous publications including, Roanoke Review, Big Muddy, The Broadkill Review, Third Wednesday, Minimus, Buffalo Spree (97), Folio, The Potomac Review, Musings, Potato Eyes and others.   She is working on two collections of short stories while shopping for a publisher for a completed story collection, Mermaids & Other Stories.  She has nonfiction publications in Atticus Review, Trajectory and Pen-in-Hand. She writes a weekly blog of “Reflections” on the writing life and posts regular interviews with writers and publishers.   Learn more at: www.janbowmanwriter.com
 




Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Entry # 227 - Breadloaf - 2014 Notes from Julie Wakeman-Linn

By Jan Bowman

BreadloafIn my previous Entry # 226 – Interview with Julie Wakeman-Linn, we spoke mostly about her experiences as an Editor of the Potomac Review. Today my blog entry presents a post she shared with me – written about Breadloaf Conference on day four in August 2014.

Jan:  In August you returned for the third time to the Breadloaf Conference. Please tell us about your experiences there. Who taught your workshop and who impressed you in the craft talks. What new things did you discover about your own writing?

Julie:    Ursula Hegi, who is amazing, taught me a lot about point of entry into fiction. Andrea Barrett gave an incredible craft talk on Point of View.  And as for my own writing? Breadloaf is so much fun but it also gave me a nice shot of confidence in my work. It is a competitive admission conference and being there makes a writer feel good. Being surrounded by other serious and talented writers leads to marvelous conversations about the writing life, too.

Julie's  Blog Notes from Day Four – Breadloaf Writers Conference – 2014   
 

Vermont, whether cold and rainy or sunny and balmy, is beautiful. The mountains around us soothe. I am always optimistic but somehow it seems people check their egos at the bottom of the mountain before they come up. The US Poet laureate asked my table of regular writers, if she could join us. She was lovely, by the way. There is a flood of hope for opportunities, a sharing of information and don’t get me started on the swapping of books-essays-poems-you must read. I think only at end of semester English Major parties or in grad school after the killer comprehensives do you participate in such a sharing of ‘you must read this.

I’m studying with Ursula Hegi, an incredible writer and teacher. The workshop leaders’ credentials are too extensive to list here. Check out the conference website for that. The workshop group of ten is acting like old friends, although we’ve only been together 4 days. Certainly it is a competitive admission conference and even within that there are hierarchies—the talented hard working waiters are here on full scholarship. The Scholars have been granted the competitive tuition scholarships and our Fellows selected for their publication records and awards. I’m here as a participant. I’m lucky because my college foots my bills as professional development so I’ve never even applied for a scholarship and that probably takes away any concern I have about who is who.

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Ursula Hegi is a bi-cultural writer who has published twelve books. Her Burgdorf Cycle encompasses Stones from the River, Floating in My Mother’s Palm, The Vision of Emma Blau, and Children and Fire. Hegi’s work has been translated into many languages. Her awards include the Italian Grinzane Cavour prize, a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship, and the PEN/Faulkner Award. She is on the MFA faculty at Stony Brook Southampton. She has also taught at Barnard College and at the University of California at Irvine. She has served as a juror for the National Book Award and the National Book Critics Circle Award.       
online search website link:   Ursula Hegi
barrett_andreaphoto_9526 
Andrea Barrett is the author of six novels, most recently The Air We Breathe, and three collections of short fiction, Ship Fever, which received the National Book Award; Servants of the Map, a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize; and Archangel, which was published in 2013. She has received fellowships from the MacArthur Foundation,  the New York Public Library’s Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers, the Guggenheim Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts. She lives in western Massachusetts and teaches at Williams College.  search online or go to website:     http://andrea-barrett.com
PotomacReview 
Julie says: As Potomac Review editor, I am looking among the scholarship writers for likely contributors to the next issue.
In a way, I’m here as triple threat– writer, editor and friend. Yes, I also come to be with writer friends and study with them. So it’s day four of another great year at Breadloaf, although it is the coldest of the three times I’ve been here.  Here’s contact information if someone wants to follow up with me about writing, my work and the Potomac Review.
 


Friday, September 26, 2014

Entry #226 - Interview with Julie Wakeman-Linn, Editor of the Potomac Review

Julie Wakeman-Linn, Editor of Potomac Review answers questions about the joys & sorrows of editing a literary journal and my next post (Entry #227) will share more details of her experiences at the Breadloaf Workshop.

Jan:   Eli Flam founded the Potomac Review back in 1993. How has the Potomac Review changed since those early days and what do you see as the current mission?
Julie:   Our mission is very different. Eli published quarterly and only accepted submissions from the region (Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and Delaware). He also had an environmental focus. It was a beautiful regional journal.

We, on the other hand, accept submissions from all over the globe. In our last issues, we have published writers from Australia, Taiwan, Canada and the U.S. We don’t have a thematic focus—instead we strive for a combination of styles and content, ranging from formal poetry to free verse to traditional narrative to experimental fiction. We also try very hard to represent a variety of writers, balancing the number of men and women and including people of color.

Jan:   How did you get involved in this publication, taking on the role of Editor-in-Chief?
Julie:   In 2004 The Potomac Review was housed in name only at Montgomery College. None of the faculty or students were participating at all. I volunteered to re-shape it to include faculty as editors and students as interns. In fact, the Potomac Review internship is one of the coolest things I get to do. We select a team of the best, brightest, most eager creative writing students and teach them the publication business from the inside. I have an incredible supportive Dean and Vice President above me.

Jan:   Although the guidelines and deadlines are online, what kinds of work are you most interested in publishing at this time?
 Julie:   We are on the prowl for more excellent nonfiction. I, personally, like magic realism, but any story has to go through our three-tier system, so it’s not just a matter of what I like.

Jan:   What kinds of mistakes do you most often see in submissions that are deal-breakers for you and your section editors? What advice do you offer to those submitting work for publication consideration?
PotomacReviewJulie:   Mistakes in writing and in submitting can be deal-breakers. The funniest one occurs when a writer submits in the wrong genre. If a poet clicks fiction or a fiction writer selects poetry, the submission often gets lost in a “no-man-nobody’s-reading-it-land.” A big mistake in writing is a weak opening line or paragraph. A huge deal breaker is forgetting to tell us if the piece has been accepted somewhere else, leaving us wasting our time. That mistake usually puts the writer on our black list. And yes, editors can block writers from submitting.

Jan:   Tell us a bit about the annual Potomac Review‘s involvement in the F. Scott Fitzgerald Conference.
Julie:   We are involved with Barrelhouse Magazine in the lively one day “Conversations and Connections: practice advice on getting published.” Dave Housley, Susan Muaddi Darraj and I founded the conference in 2007 and it keeps rocking on. We are launching a new variation of it this January with a one day craft-intensive event at Montgomery College. We are no longer involved with the F. Scott Fitz Literary Festival.

Jan:   What are the joys and sorrows that you’ve discovered about working for a small literary journal? What is the best advice you have received, and what advice have you chosen to ignore about editing a literary journal?
Julie:   The joy of hearing that somebody loved something we published or the joy of meeting an author in person whose work we loved makes it worthwhile. I was at AWP and this guy walked up to our book fair table. I saw his name badge and called out “Coyotes”! Will Donnelly! Then  I had a great chat about how much we loved his work and how pleased he was with Potomac Review. We’ve had some incredible success stories. Jennine Capo Crucet—I heard her read at Breadloaf in 2008, published her in 2009, she won the Iowa Review Prize in 2010. Stories and essays we adored have been recognized in the Best American series. We haven’t cracked the Pushcart yet, but we hope to soon. For me,  joy comes with success for our authors.
The advice I ignored was from David Lynn of The Kenyon Review. We were having a casual chat at Sewanee in 2005 and when I asked his advice about editing a lit mag — he said, “Don’t.”

Jan:   What is the most useful thing that you have learned about your own writing as a result of working with the Potomac Review?
Julie:   Hmm, good question. I’ve learned about having patience with editors and I’ve gained a much greater understanding that any editor is only one reader on any given day. Another editor tomorrow may love a story or have room for it.

Jan:   What are you working on in your own writing right now?
Julie:   A new novel is out in circulation even as I type. Next up for me is to polish my novella, Challenges of Non-native Species, and to prepare my African short stories collection.
Breadloaf 
Jan:   In August you returned to the Breadloaf Conference once again; please tell us about your experiences there. What new things did you discover about your own writing?
Julie:    Ursula Hegi, who is amazing, taught me a lot about point of entry into fiction. Andrea Barrett gave an incredible craft talk on Point of View.  And as for my own writing? Breadloaf is so much fun but it also gave me a nice shot of confidence in my work. It is a competitive admission conference and being there makes a writer feel good. Being surrounded by other serious and talented writers leads to marvelous conversations about the writing life, too.

Jan:   What question do you wish I had asked? And what would you say in response to it?
Julie:    My question–Why don’t editors respond immediately to writers? And I’d answer this way: Try to respect that each issue is also an artifact, an object of literary art and it takes time and care to do it, if not perfectly, at least as polished as possible. Editors are people, too, usually with demanding teaching jobs, so be patient.

Jan:   Finally, thanks so much, Julie for taking time for this interview. Please provide readers with the Mission Statement of the Potomac Review and relevant links.

Potomac Review opens windows into the complexity of literature: in each issue, our selections span the spectrum of voice and style. We sample realistic and experimental prose and poetry. Drawing 95 % of our content from unsolicited submissions, we publish writers at all stages of their careers. Every issue includes work by emerging and by established writers. The Potomac Review features award-winning writers and has been recognized in the Best American series.  Our philosophy welcomes variety, and through it, we create an organic flow of ideas to contribute to the literary conversation.
Potomac Review no longer accepts paper submissions. Instead, submit your work electronically via our Online Submission Manager. 

About Jan Bowman
Winner of the 2011 Roanoke Review Fiction Award, Jan’s stories have been nominated for Pushcart Prizes, Best American Short Stories, and a Pen/O’Henry award.  Glimmer Train named a story as Honorable Mention in the November 2012 Short Story Awards for New Writers. Her stories have been finalists for the 2013 Broad River Review RASH Award for Fiction, 2013 finalists in the Phoebe Fiction Contest, 2012 “So To Speak” Fiction Contest.
P5080027Her fiction has appeared in numerous publications including, Roanoke Review, Big Muddy, The Broadkill Review, Third Wednesday, Minimus, Buffalo Spree (97), Folio, The Potomac Review, Musings, Potato Eyes and others.   She is working on two collections of short stories while shopping for a publisher for a completed story collection, Mermaids & Other Stories. She has nonfiction publications in Atticus Review, Trajectory and Pen-in-Hand. She writes a weekly blog of “Reflections” on the writing life and posts regular interviews with writers and publishers. Learn more at: www.janbowmanwriter.com

Saturday, August 30, 2014

Entry # 225 - Interview with M.J.O'Brien, Author of WE SHALL NOT BE MOVED - 2014 Lillian Smith Book Award Winner

M.J.O'Brien
WE SHALL NOT BE MOVED: The Jackson Woolworth’s Sit-In and the Movement It Inspired, is based on the iconic photograph by Fred Blackwell, which captured crisis moments in the Jackson, Mississippi Woolworth’s Sit-In in 1963. Those moments sparked major change in the trajectory of the Civil Rights Movement in the US.

Jan: Thanks Mike for agreeing to this interview. Congratulations to you in light of breaking news that your book has won the 2014 Lillian Smith Book Award, a prestigious civil rights book honor and you will be attending the awards ceremony on August 31 (this very weekend) at the Decatur Book Festival near Atlanta, GA to receive your award. And I find this book particularly interesting in light of the recent news stories of the terrible events in Missouri, New York, Florida and other states in which African Americans continue to experience violence, often at the hands of those who should provide protection to all citizens. You have said, “Fred Blackwell’s iconic photograph of the Jackson Woolworth’s sit-in captivated you.” Tell me more about what led you to write this book?
coverphoto
Mike: I met one of the main characters in the book, Joan Trumpauer Mulholland, through her five sons in the summer of 1977. The kids would always tell me that their mom was “in a famous picture” and would pull out mom’s scrapbook to prove it. It wasn’t until 1992 that I came to understand the full impact of that photo. I visited for the first time the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change in Atlanta, Georgia, and there, off in a small room, away from the formal exhibits, were all of the photographs that the King Center deemed important enough to portray the scope of the civil rights movement. Among those photos—mostly of Dr. King’s stellar career—was the picture that the Mulholland kids had shown me in their living room. Suddenly I realized in a flash that this was no ordinary scrapbook snapshot. This was living history! And I knew the woman at the center of that photo!
I call this my “electric moment.” A shot of adrenaline pumped through me as I felt called to explore what this image was all about: “Who took the photo? Who were the other people in the frame? What did it mean for the city of Jackson? What was its significance in the long and troubling history of the Mississippi movement?” If I didn’t know these things, I figured most people were in the dark about them as well. So I determined that I’d try and tell the story of this significant moment in civil rights history.
Jan: Your use of elements of documentary and historical research, combined with photographs and personalized interviews, provide a fascinating account about a game-changing day in the Mississippi Civil Rights Movement. In the face of so much varied material, how did you arrive at the overall structure for the book?
Mike: Honestly, I started out thinking I’d just tell Joan’s story and how she ended up at the counter that day. I gathered a deep trove of interviews with her and studied her substantial archives in order to tell her story. But as I read more broadly, I began to realize that her story was just one thread, interwoven with many others, that formed the impressive yet ultimately tragic fabric of what we know now as the Jackson Movement. The concept of telling each person’s story and how they happened to be at Woolworth’s in Jackson on May 28, 1963, provided the framework for the first part of the book.
The second section is what I call the “historical section.” There I provide the background and the footnoted, documented, data-driven yet highly dramatic account of how the Jackson Movement came into being and how it gradually pushed the mayor and other city officials in Jackson to the brink in an effort to secure basic human rights and dignity for all of Jackson’s citizens. This section details the three-week period of the Movement’s history from the day of the sit-in to the assassination and burial of the Movement’s leader, Medgar Evers. It breaks my heart every time I read that part because this tragedy was so avoidable, but Jackson’s leadership was simply unwilling to give an inch, unable to see that the time for white supremacy and racial segregation was coming to a close.
The final section provides a coda, if you will, allowing the reader to find out what happened in Jackson once the dust settled and the battle ended. It provides an overview of each of the main characters and what they did with the rest of their lives, after the heat of the media spotlight had shifted elsewhere. I wanted the reader to know what I knew about the lives of these individuals whom I had spent so much time getting to know. I wanted to recognize these heroic individuals who for a moment stood up against great oppression and then got on with their lives.
And the entire book—all three sections—hinge on the central image of Fred Blackwell’s famous photograph. A full description of what’s going on in the photo is the center point of the narrative and actually appears almost at the dead-center of the book. I tell the very moving story of what happened to Fred Blackwell that day in the Epilogue.
Jan: How do you account for what caused this moment, and Blackwell’s photographs, to extend the movement’s power and reach beyond the state’s borders? Many photographers covered that sit-in and other earlier sit-ins. What made this moment different?
Mike: It’s really hard to comprehend how this one moment, this one blink of a camera shutter, has come to represent so much of what occurred during the civil rights movement. This photograph shows up in nearly every historical account of the movement. It’s in children’s books, text books, major retrospectives, scholarly works, and popular nonfiction. It’s everywhere. At the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee, there is a larger-than-life reproduction of Blackwell’s photograph that looks down upon an entire room filled with civil rights memorabilia, including a life-sized sculpture of demonstrators and hecklers at a lunch counter, modeled on that photo.
I think the easiest way to explain its impact is that the photograph tells a story. You don’t need to have much understanding of the civil rights movement to grasp that a small group of citizens—one black and two white—is being attacked at a lunch counter because they have chosen to sit down together. The group behind them is jeering them. One is pouring the final remnants of a sugar container on the white woman. It is obvious that all three have already been doused with all sorts of other food products—ketchup and mustard, as well as sugar. You can tell that these three are nonviolently challenging the “Southern way of life.” They are suffering because of their beliefs that racial segregation is morally wrong and an insult to people of conscience everywhere.
As I say in the Epilogue of the book, Fred Blackwell managed to “capture the essence of an era” with this one incredible image. That’s what great art does.
Jan: I understand that you initially wrote and published a version of this book in the 1990′s. I had not heard of it until 2013, after the University Press of Mississippi decided to publish it. Tell us about that. What happened?
Mike: Let me clear up that misconception. The book was never published until 2013, but ever since 1999, there had been a draft of an early manuscript that I circulated to various presses and agents. I had initially been offered a book contract with a small, start-up publisher back in the mid-1990s. That’s what really provided me with the impetus to plunge in and seriously get to work on the manuscript. For four years, I worked every day on this project—all the while holding down a full-time job and raising a full-time family. But I was just driven to tell this incredible story. By early 1999, we thought we were ready to go, but two things happened to stop the book’s release. One, some knowledgeable sources read the draft and felt it wasn’t quite fully baked. Two, the publishing firm I had contracted with was shuttering its doors and going out of business. It just wasn’t making any money. So even though Publisher’s Weekly had announced the book’s release in early 1999, the book never actually published at that time.
Instead, I sat on it for almost 10 years, always working to improve the content and structure while awaiting the opportunity to offer it to a new publisher who might take on this first-time author with an important story to tell. That opportunity surfaced in late 2008 when I received word that a revitalized University Press of Mississippi was expressing interest in telling Mississippi civil rights stories. I submitted a proposal to the press and within a week, UPM’s director was on the phone with me encouraging me to send her the entire draft manuscript.
In that sense, it’s a Cinderella story, but it took 15 years of hard work to get to that point! Ultimately, UPM took me on, sent the draft to a knowledgeable source for comment, and provided me with a complete critique. I used those comments to rework certain sections and shore up others. After two rounds of this and a complete copy edit, the book was ready for publication. The timing was fortuitous. The book was released in March 2013, just in time for the 50th anniversary of the Jackson Woolworth’s Sit-In.
Jan: I was in the eleventh grade, living in upper state South Carolina in 1963. I remember the fear and hatred that I heard on a daily basis in my school and community. Where were you and what do you remember about the 1960′s Civil Rights Movement?
Mike: I was in sixth grade in June 1963 at a Catholic school in Arlington, Virginia. My family had moved from Philadelphia (PA) three years earlier. The Catholic schools had just integrated, so my experience, though even in the upper South, was different from most.
My own experience of the world at that time was much more informed by the Catholic philosophies and social teachings of the church. June of 1963 is memorable to me because it was the month that Pope John XXIII died. I wasn’t tuned into the daily news yet, even though I delivered The Washington Post door to door during that period. It wasn’t until college that I began to explore the nonviolent philosophies of Mohandas Gandhi and Marting Luther King, Jr. And even here, I became interested in their teachings through the Catholic social activist Dorothy Day.
What I remember most of that period is simply how turbulent it was. I may not have known of Medgar Evers, but I knew about the March on Washington, particularly since it happened just over the river from where I lived. I may not have been very socially aware, but I knew of the Kennedy assassination later that year. We got on our knees in school and prayed for the soul of the first Catholic president once we heard the announcement that he had been shot. What on earth was happening to America that our president could be killed? Five years later, another Kennedy and a King would be similarly murdered. It seemed as if our country was pulling apart at the seams.
[I wrote a blog post about this that you might find interesting or want to share w/ your readers: http://blog.notbemoved.com/post/70860824911/black-christmas-1963]
It may seem facile, but my education about race in America came through the music of the day. I was drawn to that extraordinarily expressive music of Motown and soul music. It was through that youthful pursuit that I developed an overriding empathy for the black struggle for equality.
[Here’s my blog post about the impact of soul and Motown on my early consciousness of race: http://blog.notbemoved.com/post/75205314799/the-sound-of-young-america-1964]
Jan: One of my early memories as a young girl occurred when I went with my father to a Sears store in Anderson, SC. I must have been about six, and I drank from a water fountain near the shoe department. A woman yelled at me because I drank from the “colored” fountain. My father explained that blacks and whites had to use different water fountains. I was shocked. That was the first moment I became aware of this inequity. I remember telling him that made no sense at all. And he agreed.
Mike: Yeah, I never witnessed anything like that. For Joan Mulholland, however, who is 10 years older than I am and who grew up in Arlington, exposure to those kinds of racial segregation were transformative. Although she initially accepted these practices as part of life, when her eyes were opened to the extreme inequities in that system, she determined that she would do everything she could to change her beloved Southland. Her story is explored fully in WE SHALL NOT BE MOVED, and is also the subject of the documentary film An Ordinary Hero: The True Story of Joan Trumpauer Mulholland.
Jan: WE SHALL NOT BE MOVED presents a straightforward account of the terrible personal realities and tragedies in the public and private response to the Civil Rights Movement for both blacks and whites. And now 50 years have passed. What mistakes do you still see in the way people talk about race and diversity in this country?
Mike: The realities of white privilege and the underlying currents of white supremacy are still so very present in our daily interactions and in our cultural and political lives. The fierce and extreme opposition to President Obama and his progressive agenda is a clear expression of lingering racism. There is an element of our society that doesn’t want him to succeed simply because of the color of his skin. The fact that he is president is an affront to their sensibilities. It is reminiscent of attitudes during the Reconstruction period when blacks became enfranchised and some of their more prominent and skilled representatives were elected to the U.S. Congress. White Southerners couldn’t bear the indignity and resorted to violent tactics to overturn elections and to ensure that black elected officials and the whites who supported them would fail.
I have a certain amount of empathy for whites who were raised under segregation. After all, they were taught in school, in churches, by their political leaders that this was morally and absolutely correct—the only way things could be. Anything else was an abomination. There’s an individual whom I profile in my book, D.C. Sullivan—the guy with the cigarette in his mouth in the famous photo—who even today still believes in the separation of the races. But I also know that these individuals have to search their hearts and realize that now, fifty years hence, they are obstructing progress by holding onto these false premises. They have to allow their hearts to be softened by honoring the humanity of their fellow citizens, whatever their racial makeup may be. Their obstructionism is dividing America and hurting this country that they hold so dear.
Jan: What do you hope readers learn and experience from reading, WE SHALL NOT BE MOVED?
Mike: In WE SHALL NOT BE MOVED I wanted to tell the complete story of one movement, from beginning to end. I wanted to show how messy it can be to attempt to change the status quo, but also how complicated and challenging and invigorating it can be to engage in social activism. I wanted to recognize the foot soldiers of the movement, as they are called—the unsung heroes who put themselves on the line for freedom with no expectation that they’d ever be personally recognized for what they did—I wanted to put their stories front and center to honor them for their service.
I would hope that readers would take from this story an appreciation for what happened in this country half a century ago—the fact that in a very real way we were at war with ourselves over the fundamental principal, outlined by Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence, that “all men” [and women] “are created equal.” And those who stood up for that principle deserve our appreciation and respect and yes, our praise, just as much as the men and women who fight to protect our country from external harm. In this “domestic war,” as I call it, people were killed, people were terrorized, people were displaced just as they are in foreign wars.
I would hope that through reading WE SHALL NOT BE MOVED, readers would experience, even if vicariously, what it meant to stand up for freedom and equality during this extremely turbulent and divisive period of our history. As a corollary, I would hope that understanding how troubling those times were, we might work harder to find common ground to solve today’s issues and challenges. We are so much more than our differences. Every day we have the opportunity to rise above our individual preferences and create something wonderful for our future and for the future of the planet.
Jan: Finally, what advice about writing have you found helpful and what advice have you chosen to ignore?
Mike: Writing is such an individual act, it’s hard to generalize. I was compelled to write this story because of its power and because of the grip it had over my imagination. I wrote it as honestly and simply as I could, attempting to give everyone involved their say and their point of view.
I would say that the most important thing about writing is staying true to your creative vision. At one point during the long saga of getting the book into print, I was offered the opportunity to publish only the oral histories of the main characters, but not the entire dramatic developments that make the story what it is. Though the opportunity to get published was tempting, I had to remain true to my artistic vision and realize that the individual biographies had to serve the greater purpose of telling the whole story of the Jackson Movement. I turned down that offer, uncertain that the book as I wrote it would ever see the light of day. That was a hard choice. Now that the book is out, I feel vindicated because so many people have told me how gripping the story is and how it gave them a sense of what it must have been like to be on the front lines of the civil rights movement. I am thrilled that the story is finally out, and out in the way I had originally envisioned it.
So persistence and staying true to your vision are my advice. The way will eventually be made clear.
Jan: Thanks for the interview. How can readers obtain a copy of your book and contact you to speak?
Mike: The book is available through all of the online outlets: IndieBound.com, Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com. It can also be ordered through local bookstores. And, of course, it’s sold by the University Press of Mississippi (www.upress.state.ms.us). I’m also grateful to UPM that it is available in an e-read version for both Kindle and Nook.
I can be reached by e-mail at notbemoved.com@verizon.net. Interested readers can also visit my blog (www.blog.notbemoved.com), which focuses primarily on civil rights and equality issues.
I appreciate the opportunity to tell the story of how WE SHALL NOT BE MOVED came to be. Thanks, and best wishes to you, Jan!

SPECIAL NOTICE - AS OF THIS POSTING - I HAVE MOVED MY NEWLY REDESIGNED BLOG TO WORD PRESS. ACCESS IT BY GOING TO MY WEBSITE. Thanks for reading. www.janbowmanwriter.com


About Jan Bowman
Winner of the 2011 Roanoke Review Fiction Award, Jan's stories have been nominated for Pushcart Prizes, Best American Short Stories, and a Pen/O’Henry award.  Glimmer Train named a story as Honorable Mention in the November 2012 Short Story Awards for New Writers.  Jan's stories have been finalists for the 2013 Broad River Review RASH Award for Fiction, 2013 finalists in the Phoebe Fiction Contest, 2012 "So To Speak" Fiction Contest.
Jan’s fiction has appeared in numerous publications including, Roanoke Review, Big Muddy, The Broadkill Review, Third Wednesday, Minimus, Buffalo Spree (97), Folio, The Potomac Review, Musings, Potato Eyes and others.   She is working on two collections of short stories while shopping for a publisher for a completed story collection, Mermaids & Other Stories.  She has nonfiction publications in Atticus Review, Trajectory and Pen-in-Hand. She writes a weekly blog of “Reflections” on the writing life and posts regular interviews with writers and publishers.   Learn more at: www.janbowmanwriter.com

Friday, August 22, 2014

Entry # 224 - Interview with Sue Collins & Nancy Taylor Robson - Authors of OK - Now What? A Caregiver's Guide to What Matters

Sue Collins, R.N. and Nancy Taylor Robson’s new nonfiction book, OK Now What? A Caregiver’s Guide To What Matters   is dedicated to friends, family, loved ones and caregivers past, present and future. This book asks – What matters most when someone close to you has been diagnosed as terminal? The authors explore ways people can address the all-important time and quality of life issues for the caregiver and the loved ones while coping with the practical and emotional questions of this challenging passage.
Jan:    Sue, what led you to become a hospice nurse and to continue in that role for 29 years?
Sue:    I was working at a Nursing Home when they started one of the first hospice programs in Baltimore in the early 80′s. I did not transfer to hospice initially but I noticed the colleagues who did begin to change. I wanted to know what was happening on the fourth floor. There was something different about them, they seemed very content, happy and enthused. Once I made the decision to work in hospice in 1985 I never looked back. It is very gratifying to help people with the difficulties, the decisions and validate their choices. They may not have a complete understanding about what lies ahead but they have a better understanding which makes this work satisfying knowing I was able to make a difference in their lives
Jan:   Nancy, as the author of three other books on a variety of topics, what led you to become a co-author on this book with Sue Collins?
Nancy:     I’m also a gardener, which gives you annual proof of the cycle of life, the fact that life here is finite. That is one of the things that makes it all so precious. But it’s also what can be so discouraging and begs the question: If it’s all going to be gone sometime, what’s the point?
I get discouraged like everyone else, but also firmly believe that there is something beyond this life. Hospice nurses usually do as well. Sue and I immediately discovered we were on the same page spiritually, so the idea of writing about how to walk that last piece here – difficult though it may be at times — as well and as gracefully as possible clicked between us. We each came to the project with different but complementary skill sets, which also helped.
Jan: And tell readers about the title and the significance of the red bicycle.
Nancy:  A bike implies transition and forward motion, but it doesn’t move on its own. We need to get on and pedal; it’s up to us to use our energies, our intent to keep it (and ourselves) going. The effort builds muscles, both physical and emotional, and takes us out into the world.
Sue:  About half way through writing the book, I became restless about a book cover and title. One night I had a dream about a bike. Excited I called Nancy. I love cool colors so I saw a teal ( my favorite color) bike. Nancy, who enjoys the warm colors, said No it’s red! Immediately I knew she was right, red felt right. I called a hospice friend and colleague, a word smith, and we had fun and got a little silly ( because it helps cope) putting the title together.
Jan: What parts of the book have readers found to be most useful?
Nancy:   I’ve had several people say to me that the explanation of what is ‘normal’ physically as the body is slowly shutting down is very helpful, but that they most appreciated was hearing others’ stories that are interspersed in the book. One reader said it was like having a non-judgmental friend hold her hand through the whole process.
Sue:  The stories. I believe it is easier to read stories then it is to read about death and dying in clinical terms. Stories are real and people can relate.
Jan: OK Now What?  presents a straightforward account of the difficult personal reality for caregivers and families of terminally ill people.   How do you, Sue, as a hospice nurse and you, Nancy as someone who has been a caregiver for a loved one, see attitudes in the medical community changing in both the public and private response to death and dying?
Nancy:    I’m not very much in touch with the medical community, though I do go to doctors, two of whom are friends. In my experience they like many others wrestle with how to approach this topic effectively yet kindly and practically.
Sue:   Some doctors don’t want their patients to feel they have abandoned them with the reality of a disease progression. And the American Society generally wants to make sure every possible treatment has been tried no matter how much things have spread. It often can be a struggle for both the doctor and the patient. The trend I am noticing, people seemed more informed, perhaps because of the internet, which results in honest conversations, and that is a good thing.
Jan: What do you see as critical mistakes families often make initially in addressing a terminally ill person? And how can they avoid these mistakes?
Nancy:   Not getting their paperwork in order in time. It’s crucial. And not that difficult.
Sue:   Not having straight forwarded discussions about what the dying want, what is happening and how to approach care. Some folks still want to avoid ‘talking about it’. I was very fortunate enough to have a colleague teach me early on to use the words, dying and death in my conversations with families. “Don’t sugar coat it! she said” I always encourage families to do the same and they do just fine.
Jan: It seems to me that often people use denial or repression and false hope in dealing with the pending loss of a loved one.
What do you see as the long-term effects of this approach?
Nancy:   You miss the opportunity to sit with the person and kind of recap that life with them. When we could see that my mother-in-law was slowly declining, I stop trying to have discussions with her about politics or books and instead asked her questions about what her childhood had been like, things that she had never talked about, at least with me, that gave me something of an insight into who she was. She was more animated when she talked about some of that stuff. Even if you try to do this and don’t get that kind of response, at least you’ve made the effort, so you don’t end up saying: Gosh, I WISH I had asked how he felt about being the youngest kid in high school or what it was like to lose your mom so early, or whatever.
Sue:    Putting off does not stop what is coming. Unfortunately, I have witnessed the regret felt when the dying person’s decline has brought them to a unresponsive state. It can be painful for the families because any opportunity is lost….except we assume they can hear us even if they can’t respond which is somewhat helpful…..but “it’s not the same.”
Jan: How did writing this book help you both deal with trauma and provide catharsis?
Nancy:    I actually found parts of this book very difficult to write because they were so specific, both the physical and mental decline that you are often witnessing. The pain of losing someone you love and the struggle to do it with grace and without recrimination for whatever slights or mistakes you feel you suffered at their hands, or conversely whatever parts of that relationship you depend on and will sorely miss is a constant spiritual journey. But at the same time, the stories of those who have managed this and the flashes of grace and glimmers of hope that you get kept me writing. And rewriting!
Sue:   It certainly is not something you get use to, each situation is different and each loss is different. Again, the stories help put emotions into perspective. Stories of courage and the generosity of families to stand behind the dying person choices is inspiring. I find myself wanting to share the stories in hopes that the reader may finds some comfort. Meeting weekly to discuss a piece of writing made us laugh, cry, feel frustrated, empathic, sorry but always energized to move forward. I enjoyed this writing process and learned a lot.
Jan: What do you hope readers learn from reading this book?
Nancy:    I hope that foremost that it will act as the friend who is always there to hold your hand even when you can’t get anyone on the phone, or maybe don’t want to confide in someone else what you’re going through at that moment. But I also know that the clinical details that Sue has laid out here are a great help and encouragement – -for example, the chapter on drugs, which was very thoroughly vetted by a geriatric specialist, are really helpful in easing someone’s mind about what a huge help drugs, when properly prescribed and administered, can be to quality of life in these situations.
Sue:    I hope they learn to relax a bit and not walk around acting glum and sad 24/7. I hope they learn to share some laughter and joy, the dying want that too.
Jan: I was pleased to see a resource section in this book that addressed dealing with young children on death and dying issues, but I was also quite surprised to see a section devoted to recipes? Tell readers about these sections.
Nancy:    One of our editors suggested I add them and when I thought it over, it made sense. This was specifically for the harried caregiver, who often neglects him or herself in these situations. I used to write a food column called Sunday Cooking, which is what I did when my children were in school. I cooked several things on Sunday (and included them so they both learned to cook), and we ate well all week. So few people these days either cook, or even know how to cook easy, wholesome meals, yet quality food/nutrition is key to our health, especially when you’re stressed. I wanted to offer some easy, strategies for healthy meals.
Sue:    This was Nancy’s inspiration. The readers have been pleasantly surprised to see the recipes and are grateful.
Jan: What advice about writing have you both found helpful and what advice have you chosen to ignore?
Nancy:    I’ve been writing professionally for a long time. The big thing I learned early on is: Distill, which means hone your work as you would the edge of a knife – carefully, mindfully and with an eye to its ultimate use. I’ve written for newspapers and magazines for years, and it teaches you to get to the point and to write for your audience. You work really hard to convey whatever you’re writing about clearly, gracefully, and as engagingly as possible in the space allotted. No one’s got time or patience to wade through purely self-indulgent prose.
Sue:    Nurses are taught to write in disjointed statements with the threat of a lawyer looking over your shoulder. The first piece I sent Nancy I wrote and re-wrote, woke up in the middle of several nights to change a sentence or paragraph, it was bit daunting. But when Nancy said it was ‘not bad’ I slept great that night. Meeting weekly to discuss a piece of writing made us laugh, cry, feel frustrated, empathetic, sorry yet always energized to move forward. I enjoyed this writing process and learned a lot. And I discovered what is meant by the book wrote itself. When we were struggling with a piece a situation always presented itself and guided us….I loved it.
Jan: In case I’ve missed something essential: What question(s) do you wish I had asked? Ask it here and add your response.
Nancy:   Who is this book for? Anyone who is going to be primary caregiver or in some way associate with someone you care about who is walking that last mile. It will help you understand better what you might see, how you might help and how not to trip over your own emotions and flaws any more than necessary!
Sue: I totally agree with Nancy
Jan: Thanks for the interview, Sue Collins and Nancy Robson. Everyone will face the tough issues addressed by this book. It is not a question of – IF -  RATHER -  it is a question of WHEN. How can readers obtain a copy of this essential book, contact you to speak, or find out more about you both?
Nancy:   Thanks so much for such terrific, thought-provoking questions and for this opportunity, Jan!
Sue:    A BIG thanks to you Jan for this interview. I enjoyed the questions.
To obtain a copy of the book, contact us to speak or find out more about us, visit our website…oknowwhat.net

This entry was posted by Jan Bowman on Friday, August 22, 2014.
Filed under: Book Reviews, DELMARVA Writers
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About Jan Bowman
Winner of the 2011 Roanoke Review Fiction Award, Jan's stories have been nominated for Pushcart Prizes, Best American Short Stories, and a Pen/O’Henry award.  Glimmer Train named a story as Honorable Mention in the November 2012 Short Story Awards for New Writers.  Jan's stories have been finalists for the 2013 Broad River Review RASH Award for Fiction, 2013 finalists in the Phoebe Fiction Contest, 2012 "So To Speak" Fiction Contest.
Jan’s fiction has appeared in numerous publications including, Roanoke Review, Big Muddy, The Broadkill Review, Third Wednesday, Minimus, Buffalo Spree (97), Folio, The Potomac Review, Musings, Potato Eyes and others.   She is working on two collections of short stories while shopping for a publisher for a completed story collection, Mermaids & Other Stories.  She has nonfiction publications in Atticus Review, Trajectory and Pen-in-Hand. She writes a weekly blog of “Reflections” on the writing life and posts regular interviews with writers and publishers.   Learn more at: www.janbowmanwriter.com






Friday, August 1, 2014

Entry # 223 - "Bad-Ass Dudes" in Fiction

Bad-Ass Dude - Iguana - BUT YOU KNOW - He can't read.
Writing fiction requires writers to explore parts of what Charles Baxter in The Art of Subtext, has called, "the problem of the unknowable," especially as we think about characters. Baxter ponders whether "it makes any sense to reason from what we do know to what we don't know?" 

I thought about this recently in the context of story revisions that involve a not very Bad-Ass Dude (BAD) character in one of my stories after a writer friend read one of my almost done (I thought) stories and said something to the effect, "Jan, you need more Bad-Ass Dudes (BADs) in your fiction. Even the bad people are too sympathetically drawn. It's almost like you want to understand what makes them behave badly and forgive them." All of which has led me to think a bit about what I know and don't know about Bad-Ass Dudes (BADs) and the truth is, I really don't know much. So, what is a BAD and what does one look like?

Maybe BAD - Maybe NOT
In fact, I am not sure what characteristics a BAD would have. I would imagine a range of possibility. I have been lucky that I haven't lived a star-crossed life littered with BADs. Even my flawed first (training-wheels) husband at his worst, was more of a SAD than a BAD. I see and recognize people who are flawed and who carry a burden of unresolved emotional and physical pain. I see people who seem driven by ignorance, greed, shame, hatred and fear, yes - especially fear.

Most of the truly terrible, and what appears to be evil in the world, I see from a distance in the media coverage of events. But we survive by developing a filtering system to limit the toxic levels of continuous exposure to the unthinkable and unknowable that bombard our senses and sensitivity 24-7. And if we are going to survive in our world, we have to tune some of it out. The media seems too skewed for me to see the complex layers of what causes people to be unkind, mean, cruel, and careless. But I am left to consider the question of cause and effect, on a more personal level, because the BADs seem to be demonstrating the visible, writhing consequences of pain and ignorance more than anything else.

My early years of academic work in cognitive psychology, and my years teaching, provide the prism through which I view the world, and while I recognize that there are psychopaths and sociopaths roaming the earth, I don't feel skilled at capturing them on the page. I am not sure that I even would want to capture them on the page. It doesn't seem true to the kind of fiction I write, and for me this seems to be the stuff of bad, reoccurring dreams. So I am left with the problem of exploring the unknowable in my fictional BADs.

And yet, while I admire work by skilled and successful writers such as:  Patricia Highsmith, Joyce Carol Oates, Stephen King, Lorrie Moore, John Cheever and many others, who demonstrate the subtle ways to present carefully drawn Bad-Ass Dudes, I realize that I do need to know more as I attempt to fully develop my fictional characters.

NOTE:   MONDAY LAUNCH - August 4, 2014 of my newly redesigned website. Thanks to Angela Render for her brilliant assistance. Training Lessons are planned over the next couple of weeks as I learn how to "drive" this new site.
Also - all next week - I'll be California Dreaming - with family time scheduled.
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Not So BAD - Jan - in Scotland - Once Again
About Jan Bowman
Winner of the 2011 Roanoke Review Fiction Award, Jan's stories have been nominated for Pushcart Prizes, Best American Short Stories, and a Pen/O’Henry award.  Glimmer Train named a recent story as Honorable Mention in the November 2012 Short Story Awards for New Writers.

A recent story was a finalist for the 2013 Broad River Review RASH Award for Fiction, another story was a 2013 finalist in the Phoebe Fiction Contest; another was a 2012 finalist in the “So To Speak” Fiction Contest.  Jan’s fiction has appeared in numerous publications including, Roanoke Review, Big Muddy, The Broadkill Review, Third Wednesday, Minimus, Buffalo Spree (97), Folio, The Potomac Review, Musings, Potato Eyes and others.   She is working on two collections of short stories while shopping for a publisher for a completed story collection, Mermaids & Other Stories.  She has nonfiction publications in Atticus Review, Trajectory and Pen-in-Hand. She writes a weekly blog of “Reflections” on the writing life and posts regular interviews with writers and publishers.   Learn more at: www.janbowmanwriter.com  
Facebook:  janbowman.77@facebook.com