At last, the three Medusa's Muses were all together.

Jane, punctuation wonder girl and Medusa's Muse lead editor, is on leave from graduate school for a few months. To escape the ice encrusted Boston winter that refuses to end, she loaded up her little car and drove across the US via route 66, arriving just in time for Spring, and to join Laura Fogg and I at the Association of University Women's brunch. The event was at the North State Cafe in Ukiah, and the food was delicious, complete with chocolate covered strawberries.

Our presentation focused on the creation of Medusa's Muse and development of Laura's book, "Traveling Blind; Life Lessons from Unlikely Teachers." Laura also read from the prelude and the chapter about my daughter. Afterwards, Laura answered questions before she had to leave early to begin her journey to Washington State for the gallery opening of an exhibit of her quilts. I finished our presentation by answering questions about the press and Medusa's two, new books, coming in Fall 08 and Spring 09. Overall it was a mellow, fun, stress-free event with good food and a great, interactive audience. We also sold quite a few books.

Jane stayed at my house that evening and we shared a bottle of champagne, given to me by my dear friend Jody Gehrman back in November to celebrate the launch of Laura's book. I've been holding on to it for a special occasion and having Jane and Rick, the two people who helped me start my press, together for the first time since the book launched, was perfect. We popped the champagne and raised our glasses to each other while I said a toast.

"To us. And thank you. I couldn't have pulled this off without you."

That champagne was the best I've ever had. Perrier Jouet Grand Brute from France; crisp, light, with a hint of spicy vanilla, and perfectly formed, tiny bubbles which vanished as soon as touched my tongue. None of that soda pop feel from the cheap champagne I usually grab. Dang, Jody, you know your champagne! The three of us laughed and chatted and dreamed about Medusa while sharing chocolate and cookies with our champagne.

Script Frenzy

My Muse was reading the posts on Blood and Ink when she saw this about Script Frenzy. "Terena," she yelled across the room. "I've found something for you!"

"Something else? You've found something more to fill my to-do lists?"

"Oh, hush. Look." She pointed to the computer screen where the website for Script Frenzy appeared. "It's a challenge. Write a 100 page script in one month, like that Write-a-Novel in a month challenge you wouldn't do."

"I'm really busy. I have zero time to write anything."

"Then make time." She stood and placed her fists on her hips. "You're not just a book peddler, you are a writer. You're forgetting that. And this is the perfect opportunity to write one of those scripts you have in your head that I've seen you jotting notes for."

I sighed. "I have Laura's book to promote, another book to edit and design, the Punk book to pull together, plus school. I don't have time to write."

Her eyes narrowed. "The last time you said that you almost lost me. Don't make that mistake again."

I remembered when I'd had to get a "real job" and stopped writing, and then the day I found her in the back yard, her skin baked black from lying in the sun for 2 months, the lawn littered with empty bottles of red wine. "You're right," I said. "This is getting ridiculous. I need to write the play and if a challenge like this will get me started, so be it." I sat at the computer. "When does it start?"

"April 1st."

"Great. The same day the new writer's manuscript is due."

"Terena, this is a challenge, not a test. If you can't get it done in one month, you can always finish it later. This is simply an opportunity to start."

A 100 page play in one month? I can do that.

Rocket Girls Celebrates Small Press Month

I just posted a piece about Small Press Month on the Rocket Girl's blog. Click on the link to read it.

Happy Small Press Month! Buy a small press book today.

An Inspiring, Busy Weekend With Laura and my daughter

My daughter and I went to Laura's quilt showing at the One Earth Gallery on Saturday. Great turnout. The gallery did an excellent job with this event and the space is perfect for viewing large pieces, like Laura's "Samba" quilt which is 12 feet by 10 feet. Also, you can see the quilt "Laura takes a leap" that is featured in the Until the Violence Stops Documentary. The imagery on the quilt, from the stream made of shining blue fabric to the grinning, nude woman leaping across it, is more vibrant when seen in person. Even my 12 year old daughter loved looking at the quilts and we spent an hour examining each one, discovering the hidden treasures Laura includes with the fabric, like large feathers, shells, beads, antique earrings and heavy necklaces, lace and bone. She peered closely at the quilt with the four faces representing the seasons and said, "That one looks like it's made of leaves, like fall." I loved spending this time with my child; a reminder of how much she's grown. Gone are the days when I'd have to chase her around the gallery begging her not to touch the art with her sticky fingers. Now we can talk about the creation of the art, laugh over the images, and enjoy the beauty created from bits of fabric, thread, and buttons. Plus, I'm sure she enjoyed it because it was made by Laura her teacher, and a very important person in her life. She did like the other artist's works too, especially the mosaic tiles. We plan to attempt a mosaic together this summer.

Sunday was definitely not a good Mother/Daughter day, but she did have an ice-cream date with her dad. I sold some of Laura's books at the Women's Political Caucus/Women's Art Awards event at the Fairgrounds (see prior post). Laura received an award for her quilts, along with four other women artists. Unfortunately, we didn't sell many books. Pretty much everyone Laura knows in our little town has already bought one. Happily though, I got to hear directly from people how much they love her book and how impressed they are with the quality of the book itself. One person said she's heard nothing but praise. It was also an excellent opportunity to let people know more about Medusa's Muse. Several didn't realize we're a local press. Whether sales were good or not, going out and talking to people about the press and the project was well worth my time. I gave away a few books, chatted with several people, met someone interested in submitting her own work, and got to spend time with my favorite author, Laura.

While Ronnie Gilbert was receiving her award, I looked out across the audience and suddenly felt a profound sense of home. Mendocino County. I listened to Ronnie sing one of her songs and watched the crowd soak up every word, felt the room humm with praise and hope, and realized I am exactly where I need to be. This community, especially the Mendocino Book Company, has been incredibly supportive of this little endeavor of mine and Laura's. Of course it helps when you publish the work of someone who knows EVERYONE and is respected by EVERYONE; makes selling the book a lot easier. But the community has also been supportive of me and the press, irregardless of Laura. People here support the arts, especially women artists, and they respect the work I've done creating the physical book from Laura's manuscript. I realized just how welcome I am here.

Just listening to Ronnie was inspiration enough. Here is a tiny elderly woman who has spent her entire life fighting for Social Justice with only her passion and music. And no matter what happened, even through being blacklisted in the McCarthy era of the 1950's, she has remained true to that cause. I hope I can someday be just as strong and outspoken as she.

Next weekend Laura and I are giving a talk at the American Association of University Women's brunch. Saturday, March 15th, 11:30 to 1:30, at the North State Cafe. We'll be discussing the process of developing her book, from the moment I asked to publish it to today, and talk about working together on the book, as well as working to help my daughter grow and gain independence. And with luck, Jane, the editor of Medusa's Muse, will be there too. Books will be available.

Laura Fogg Events This Weekend

This is a busy weekend for my author, Laura Fogg, and is the beginning of an even busier month.

On Saturday, March 8, One Earth Studio will open an exhibit of contemporary artwork called Pieces, so entitled because all three artists use "pieces" of things to create their work. Elizabeth Raybee creates mosaic, Susan Hadley works with collage, and Laura creates decorative quilts. If you are in the Ukiah, Northern Californa area, drop by. The gallery is located at 310 Mason St., and the opening reception begins at 4:00. This is a great opportunity to see Laura's textile art.

Then on Sunday, March 9, Laura will receive an award for her work in the arts at the annual Women's History Gala, hosted by the National Women's Political Caucus of Mendocino County. This event, now in its 25th year, honors women in Mendocino County and features Ronie Gilbert as well as many others. This is what the Willits newspaper has to say about Laura:

Laura Fogg's collage art quilts have been shown regularly since 2000 and received awards across the United States. Among her unique art quilts, Fogg's "An Unexpected Manifestation of Menopause/Laura Takes a Leap" was included in the documentary "Until the Violence Stops" aired on Lifetime TV and shown in theaters around the country in conjunction with performances of Eve Ensler's "Vagina Monologues." Of her success Laura says, "I couldn't have done it without my community-being nurtured and inspired as an artist and growing in all ways." Working in the field of Special Education for the past 35 years, Fogg recently authored a memoir of her experiences with blind children and their families, "Traveling Blind: Life Lessons From Unlikely Teachers."

Because this event has grown so large, with over 300 people in attendance, it has moved to the Fine Arts Building, Redwood Empire Fairgrounds, 1055 N. State St., Ukiah. The doors open at noon with time to view the silent auction, and the program will begin at 1 p.m. Ticketa are $10 and must be purchased in advance. Get yours at Mendocino Book Company, in Ukiah; Leaves of Grass, in Willits; Tangents, in Fort Bragg; or Out of This World, in Mendocino.

I'll be there as well, selling Laura's book, plus CD's from Ronnie Gilbert and books from Holly Brackmann. Stop by the table and say hello.

Memoir Lies: Why do writers make up stories and call them true?

I've read several articles about recent bestselling memoirs turning out to be fiction and the subsequent outcry against the authors. Kathy O'Beirne's 2005 memoir, Kathy's Story: A Childhood Hell Inside the Magdalene Laundries, about growing up in a Catholic home for fallen women. Love and Consequences, by Margaret B. Jones, in which she chronicles her childhood as a half Indian, half white girl living in foster care and running drugs in East LA. And there is the holocaust survival story, Misha: A Memoir of the Holocaust Years, by Misha Defonseca, a story in which six year old Misha travels Europe during WW2 looking for her lost Jewish parents. At one point in her journey she is rescued by wolves.

Why are so many writers creating works of fiction and trying to pass them off as truth? And why are we readers buying these outlandish tales to begin with? Why are wild, gut-wrenching, true-tales so compelling, and therefor, so profitable?

As a publisher of memoir, I am concerned by the possible backlash against the memoir genre. Because of a hand full of writers manipulating the truth, real, well written memoirs may take the penalty. If these high profile, lucrative memoirs are proven to be fake, then the entire memoir genre can be held as suspect. Laura Fogg wrote a beautiful memoir about her work with visually impaired children which is absolutely true and which I am proud to have published. I am afraid that no matter how good the writing or authentic the story, the fact that it is a memoir will make readers doubt her life's work as true. The children's stories chronicled in the book will be dismissed as melodrama, regardless of how real these children and their stories are.

As a writer, I am concerned that other writers feel it's perfectly fine to embellish their tales to get a bigger audience. Sadly, it looks like their action is justified, if unethical. Everyone wanted to read James Frey's A Million Little Pieces because of his incredible, bloody, dramatic voyage from addiction to sobriety. It was hard to believe he managed to overcome such insurmountable odds, but he did, or so we were led to believe. We are hungry for those stories; the little girl protected from the Nazis by wolves, the half Indian foster-child who escapes the ghetto and goes to college. We want to believe humans are that resilient, because if they can change their lives for the better, so can we.

Take a look at the Medusa's Muse mission statement on the website. One of the reasons I started the press was to publish the stories of people who were able to overcome great hardship and joyfully transform their lives. Laura's book shares her journey working with children who many of us would find difficult to interact with. Each one of those children taught her something about life.

I wrote a memoir several years ago about my best friend Paul who died of AIDS. It's been sitting on a shelf for 8 years and I've finally gotten back to it. I tried transforming it into a work of fiction so I could add to the plot and make the story more compelling to more readers. But fictionalizing what happened feels inauthentic, like I'm going for the laughs. I'm returning to the memoir format and I am trying very hard to revise it in a way that brings the scenes to life without adding lies. Memory is a tricky thing. Did he say he hated me when he threw me out of our apartment? Or did I add that to my own memory as I relive each moment with him? Truth is far more complicated than simple fact.

However, claiming "this is what I remember" to a blatant fictionalized "memoir" is no excuse. Nor is saying the events in your memoir are what happened to people you "know" and you were simply trying to give a voice to the voiceless as Margaret B. Jones stated in an article in the Times. That's what fiction is for.

I will continue to publish memoir and hope the backlash won't silence the many talented writers out there with true stories of transformation and resiliency. But I can guarantee we will fact check every story thoroughly. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the publisher to ensure that what is claimed to be true is actually true. Yes, a publisher can only go so far in fact-checking, but from the articles I've read on these false memoirs, it appears the publishers didn't do their homework. Maybe they were too caught up in the story, just as we readers were.

Small Press Month

Small Press Month
March 1 - 31, 2008
Small Press Month, now in its 12th year, is a nationwide promotion highlighting the valuable work produced by independent publishers. An annual celebration of the independent spirit of small publishers, Small Press Month is an effort to showcase the diverse, unique, and often most significant voices being published today. This year's slogan is “Celebrate Great Writing”.

Celebrate Small Press Month with a good book from one of the many excellent small presses, such as Seal Press, Dzanc, McSweeneys, Percival Press, and of course, Medusa's Muse.

For a list of some of my favorite small presses, check out my links list in the right hand column.

My Muse put on a Power Suit and got to work

I was shocked to find my Muse sitting at my desk, a list in one hand, a cup of coffee in the other, and my glasses perched forcefully on the end of her nose. She was dressed in a pale blue wool business jacket and skirt, and her mass of curly snakes was pulled up tightly into a trembling bun.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

She continued to stare at the computer screen, reading an article from Publisher's Weekly about the rise of internet book sales. "Catching up."

"Catching up? On what? Reading?"

She shook her head and spun the chair around to face me. "No. I'm helping you catch up on all this work that's been piling up since you became ill. I thought you could use my help today."

"Thanks. I don't know what to say."

"Don't say anything. Just get me more coffee." She held out her mug while turning back to the computer screen.

I did as I was told, then returned with two cups of coffee. Handing her one, I sat beside her on the wooden stool. "What are you doing now?"

"Double checking you haven't missed any opportunities for book sales." She sipped her coffee without looking at me, then scowled. "Too much milk."

"Have I?"

"What?"

"Missed any sales opportunities?"

"Not sure yet. I'll let you know." She finished reading the article, then hit the browser back arrow to return to the Galley Cat website.

I said, "Nice outfit."

She smiled and smoothed her skirt. "Never underestimate the power of a costume. If you dress professionally you will be professional. It's very hard not to feel in control in a power suit." She turned to look directly at me while reading from the list. "Let's see... you need to send notes on the Punk submissions to the writers. They're waiting for your direction. It is not good to let them wait too long. You should know that from your own experience of waiting for feedback."

"Of course."

"And then you need to contact someone about that form 571-L." She rummaged around in the pile of papers on the desk until she found the yellow form. "What is this, anyway? Property? You don't have any property?" Tapping the computer she said, "Unless you count this ancient lap top."

"Eight years is not ancient."

"In technological terms, it is. Have you considered buying a new one?"

"Right after I sell the Lamborghini"

My Muse set her cup down and folded her arms. "Very funny. I'm trying to be serious. You could use new equipment."

I nodded. "Yes I can. I could also use health insurance and new shoes, so the lap top will have to wait."

Studying the list again, she said, "Very well. Back to the task at hand. Why haven't you contacted H and R Block?"

"Because every time I tried to talk I would cough."

"You're not any more. Call them. You need to finish those taxes."

"Yes Ma'am."

Her eyes narrowed. I said, "I'm not trying to be funny. I'm simply respecting the power suit."

My Muse continued. "Get the contract in the mail for the new writer, send two books to PMA for the conferences, reserve a hotel room for Expo, call KUGS again, contact the gallery for Laura's exhibit to see if they need books early, oh... and get that Audio book finished." She smiled, set down the list, took a large sip of her coffee, then stood. "There. That should get you started."

"And what will you be doing in that lovely power suit?"

"I'm going to look over that story you've been working on. Hopefully your latest revision has improved it."

I sat in the chair which felt warm from the heat of my Muse. "I think you'll be pleasantly surprised."

"Perhaps..." My Muse vanished.

This is the first time my Muse has paid any attention to the business side of publishing. It made me feel that the two sides of my creativity, the artistic and the practical, were melding, which was an excellent sign for the health and viability of Medusa's Muse. If my brooding, hungry, writing side and my optomistic, intuitive business side could work together, then I wouldn't be pulled apart by the dueling parts of my nature. I could approach publishing holistically. My Muse taking an interest in tax forms was a start.

New Rocket Girls Post

Go to Rocket Girls to read a new posting from me about Writing and Aging. Or more specifically, how hard it can be to be published when you're over 50.

Helvetica

If I had any doubt that I am not cut out to be a publisher, that doubt was completely erased last night when I watched with absolute fascination a documentary about Helvetica. You know, Helvetica? The type face/font so popular in graphic design? Yes, I sat for an hour and half and watched interview after interview with designers from all over the world talk about the creation and development of a font. I am a nerd!

The documentary is called Helvetica and is distributed through Netflix. It examines how Helvitica transformed graphic design as part of the Modern arts movement in the 1950's and how it is still the dominant type used in advertising today. Look around. Everywhere you look, you will see Helvetica. Crate and Barrel, Target, JC Penny, Mervyns, the words on your Starbucks take out cup, all use Helvetica. Even IRS forms use Helvetica.

Helvetica is not a good font to use for books, but I still found the documentary riveting. Wow! I didn't know Helvetica was named after the Roman word for Switzerland. Cool! Which is proof positive that I am a font nerd. A book slut. Because to me, a book is more than just the story it contains. It is the font used to tell the tale, the paper it is printed on, the overall weight of the book, how it is bound, what the cover looks like, how the spine crackles when you open it, and what the cover design reveals about the story inside. A book is a work of art in itself, regardless of the story. Not that the story isn't important; of course it is. But everything else that goes into the creation of that book brings the story to life. And that's what I love. The nerdiness of that creation process.

Mom's don't get sick days.

It's been quite a while since I've posted here. Blame it on the flu mainly, but also blame it on creative exhaustion. After my luxurious stay at a friend's house which got me focused into my own writing and creative energy, I'm back to feeling worn out and creatively fizzled. My Muse doesn't even want to be around me much right now. Who can blame her? I spend all my time figuring out how to squeeze a drop of advertising money from a dry well and revising my inventory and sales spread sheet. I stare at my multi-colored post-it-note to do list and feel nothing but questions. And as always happens when I get in this mood I start asking, am I cut out for this publishing life?

Just like a novelist who stares at her half completed manuscript and bemoans that she can't write, I too feel a loss of direction. What am I doing? Why am I doing this? Why don't just I go out and get a job at Starbucks and stop playing with books? Bad enough I try to write my own, now I think I can publish them? I must be insane!

"Yes, you are definitely insane," my Muse says. She snuck up on me while I was writing the above paragraph and rested one long fingered hand on my right shoulder. "But all artists are insane. What makes you think you're any different?"

"I don't feel much like an artist right now."

"I know. You're tired is all. You have a cold and you've been taking care of your sick daughter and haven't had enough sleep. No reason to shut down production."

"Maybe it is. Maybe I can't do it. Taking care of my girl while trying to work and be creative... it's too much."

"And I've never met a mother who didn't feel that way, too." My Muse sits down on the edge of my desk to look at me. "What else would you do?"

"I don't know. Clean the bathroom more often."

She smiles. "You would die of boredom in two days. Maybe less. No, face it my dear, you're an artist, and a mother, and right now you have a cold. Therefore you feel like all you want to do is hide on the couch and watch Northern Exposure reruns with four boxes of tissues."

"Why don't moms get sick days?"

"That's why I'm not a mom. I can't imagine giving up my entire existence to another human being, someone who is needy and whiney and never says thank you for anything you do. And then when they grow up they hate you. Sounds like hell."

I stare at her. "You know exactly what to say to make me feel worse."

"I try." She grins. "Come on. Stop feeling sorry for yourself. Turn off this computer and make a cup of tea. Tomorrow you'll feel better and then you can finish up that contract for the new author."

"Oh God. The new author. Can I actually take on another author?"

"This author? Definitely. I have a very good feeling in my bones about her."

"But what if..."

"Enough!" My Muse reaches over and turns off my computer.

Submissions

Medusa's Muse is starting to receive submissions from writers on a regular basis now, which makes me realize I really need to decide EXACTLY how to deal with them. So far, we've received just a few now and then, usually via a polite, but not very professional, email. One has peaked my curiosity, but I'm not sure we can even take on any more projects right now. So, how do I manage a steadily growing slush pile?

It's weird being in this position. I have written two novels and numerous short stories, as well as four plays, and from all that work I've received over seventy rejection letters. I've only been published once. Hip Mama magazine, 2001. I know how much a rejection letter hurts. I've been pummelled to the point I don't want to send out any more work. Ever! Now here I am, looking at a writer's work, trying to decide if I like it or not.

To like or not to like is a completely subjective thing. But I need to set up certain guidelines for myself when reading someone's query so that I can create the rules for how I want submissions sent. What am I looking for in a manuscript? What excites me? What annoys me? It's kind of like asking yourself what you like in a mate. My turn-on's are a well crafted, polished manuscript full of passion and honesty, and a sense of humor. Turn-off's are cleverness for cleverness' sake, poor spelling and grammar, and anything smelling of elitism. Translation: send me something that is beautiful and honest, but save the rhetoric. Write from the heart, not the ego.

Transforming Chaos into Art. That is the Medusa's Muse mission. What that means for a writer is that we like stories about people who have overcome some kind of challenge and have grown from it. If that person can craft a story around that challenge, whether fiction or non-fiction, then we're interested. It doesn't have to be a tragedy or an illness. Write about your love of baseball or dogs, just as long as it inspired a transformation in your, or the character's, life.

Do not send genre fiction such as Sci Fi or Romance, and please no Poetry. I like to read them, in fact I'm a huge Steam Punk fan, but I don't publish those books.

Now, the how to send a query part. I only accept queries via email. That is because the editor lives in Boston and the only way she and I can work together on a project is through email. If you send it to me in the regular mail, I'll just send it back. Send a query letter to medusasubmits@gmail.com, in the body of an email. No attachments. Your email should explain who you are, what your book is about, how long it is, how it fits with the Medusa's Muse mission, and if you've ever been published before. Don't worry if you haven't been, it's just nice to know. I don't care if you have an MFA or not, I only care if you can write. A well crafted query letter will show me that you are professional and know how to write a book. A rambling, disorganized email tells me you're not quite ready to work with a publisher, so really take your time with the letter. Look up examples of query letters. Have a friend help; sometimes a fresh pair of eyes can really help. I'll post a sample query later.

If your query grabs us, we'll ask for the first chapter and a synopsis. The first chapter shows us your writing ability and tells me if you can write a book that grabs a reader from page one. The synopsis shows us what your book is about and helps us see if it is a good fit for Medusa. Please finish your book before submitting. Half written books are not accepted. And send us your BEST work. Writing is a time consuming art that takes energy and focus. Take that time. It's worth it.

Can I take on any more projects? For now, we'll take query letters any time. There may come a point when we'll have to close the reading period and only accept queries at certain times of the year. We already have two projects (possibly a third) that will take up the next year, so any other book will have to wait until 2010.

I love discovering new, talented writers. It's the judging part I don't like very much.

Correction Regarding Etymologist's Corner

I was just informed by Ray Succre, another contributor to Blood and Ink, that The Etymologist's Corner isn't written by Elijah Brubaker, but is a contribution of newcomer Andrew King.

Thank you Ray for pointing that out, and my apologies to Andrew King.

Etymologists Corner

On the collective literary blog Blood and Ink (I should tell you that I am a contributor) there is a new writer, Elijah Brubaker, who posts a regular piece called "The Etymologists Corner." Etymology is defined by Webster as:

1 : the history of a linguistic form (as a word) shown by tracing its development since its earliest recorded occurrence in the language where it is found, by tracing its transmission from one language to another, by analyzing it into its component parts, by identifying its cognates in other languages, or by tracing it and its cognates to a common ancestral form in an ancestral language
2 : a branch of linguistics concerned with etymologies

Now this might sound like dull reading, but Elijah Brubaker is a very good writer who shares his thoughts and knowledge about words in clear and thought-provoking prose. And as writers and book lovers, isn't it the word that really captures our heart? The right word at the right moment, that's what great literature is.

Is a book-store reading worth the energy?

Laura had her second reading at the bookstore in Cloverdale; a lovely, small store across from the movie theatre called Cover to Cover books. The owner is very friendly and the space lovely. Big comfy chairs, lots of books, plenty of light. I dropped off a box of books for Laura to bring with her (I couldn't go. My family was throwing a birthday party for me that day) and explained that the owner would deal with the sales.

Afterwards, Laura returned the box with a note from the bookstore saying five were sold. I called Laura and asked how it went. She explained it was fun and six people came.

"Five books sold to six people is really good," I said.

"No. Two books sold. The bookstore bought three for the shop."

Laura and I chatted about how helpful the owner of the store was, and how appreciative the people who came to the event were. She had a wonderful time and we sold a few books. It sounded like a standard, normal, kind of book-store reading. And that's the thing... sometimes you start to wonder, is it worth it? Readings take a lot of energy to set up and prepare for, as well as the time it takes the author to come and read and meet people. The gigantic turnout we had for the book launch was a once in a book's life-time event. What normally happens at a store reading is a few people come to meet the author, listen to her read, eat a few cookies while waiting to chat with her, maybe buy a book, and then they leave. Total run time: one hour tops. Preparation time: 5-8. That doesn't take into account the amount of energy spent by the author figuring out what to read, what to wear, and what to eat to help her stomach stay down where it should while her heart starts pounding from nerves. Or how about the night before, when the author lies awake asking, "What if no one comes?"

That does happen sometimes. I have a friend with three succesfull books published by big houses and she had a reading at a store where only the staff attended. She waited around for a while, then signed some books for the store and thanked the staff for setting up the chairs and putting out cookies. This had been her biggest fear, and it came true one day. It will come true at least once for every author. And every author survives.

There is a lot of talk about cutting the traditional bookstore readings by authors all together. Economically, you sell more books on Amazon.com than at a live event, and you don't have to leave your house. Some bookstores have stopped hosting readings and some publishers don't bother setting them up. I think reading at a bookstore is a wonderful event that works in certain areas and at certain times, but shouldn't be the only thing the author does to promote her book. Do readings in your local area because your community will come out to see you and local stores usually like to support its local talent. But don't expect to get a big turnout in Cupertino if you are from Ukiah, not unless Oprah's just talked about your book. And think about other places you could do a reading. What is the topic of your book? Are there any conferences or festivals where your book would be a good fit? If you're book is about home improvment you might have better luck selling your book at a home improvement workshop than a bookstore. Don't forget libraries either. You may not be able to sell books, but you usually have a greatly appreciative audience.

Part of the dream about what being a published author is like includes standing in a beautiful bookstore, surrounded by adoring fans who rapturously devour every word we speak as we read to them from our lovely manuscript. There's nothing wrong with that dream. Even if only one person comes to hear you read, or if only the woman behind the cash register is listening, you are still bringing that dream to life. Whether 5 or 25 come to your book-signing, they are there to discover you and your book, so give them a great show, thank them warmly, and sign their books with a smile.

Later, you can go home and ponder whether bookstore readings are right for you.

Dryer Update

Okay, I promise I will get back to the serious business of running a small press soon. And my Muse is around, she's just been reading a lot (she's hooked on David Sedaris at the moment). But right now, I want to talk about how great my dryer is. It's hooked up (finally!) and I started doing laundry last night and I don't know what it is but I felt so much better about the chaos in my office simply by making progress on that gigantic pile of laundry. I read the manual, transfixed by different heat levels (delicate, normal, jeans...). I giggled over the fact that when I open the front door, there is a lip at the bottom of the opening so the clean clothes don't fall out all over the dirty garage floor. And there is an actual sweater rack. I had no idea what that was, but now I have one!

I seriously need to get out more.

My Muse has looked up from her book and is staring at me while shaking her head. "I wanted Henry Miller, and instead I got Suzy Homemaker."

A New Dryer

Right in front of my bedroom/office door is a gigantic pile of laundry which has been growing since Saturday, the day I went to the laundry mat. My dryer broke, so we bought a brand new one, which Sears promised to deliver on tuesday. It arrived today, thursday. Through several scheduling mishaps and poor communication, it took two days to finally show up.

This morning, I made a cup of coffee and watched the guys haul it through the house to the laundry room, trying not to giggle about finally being able to do laundry. I know I need to get out more if I'm excited about doing laundry. But that pile of laundry has become a mental block to my sense of organization and creativity. Every time I go in and out of my room, I have to climb over dirty towels, jeans, t-shirts and socks while tripping over the idle laundry baskets. This chaos impacts the rest of the chaos in my room: the piles of paperwork. One pile for taxes. One pile for school. One pile related to book promotion. One pile of magazines and stories to read which I will never get to, but I can't throw them away until I do. But somehow, with a new dryer and full bottle of laundry soap, all those piles felt less threatening.

And then the delivery guy said he couldn't hook up the dryer because it isn't attached to the washing machine because the washing machine doesn't have the necessery holes to connect the stacking kit. "You just need to get some self-tacking screws, ma'am, to screw into your washer. I'm not allowed to drill into your exsisting appliance, but it's easy to do. Screw them in, stick the vent hose on and then plug the dryer in. You're good to go." Before I could kick him for calling me ma'am while telling me I couldn't use my dryer, he ran away.

So here I sit. I have a dryer, but I still can't do laundry. Which means I'm still tripping over a pile. Paperwork and dirty socks are intermingling. There are bills hiding under unwashed towels. My brain remains soiled, and not in a fun way.

What is a self-tacking screw, anyway?

Until The Violence Stops

V-Day is here again, a time to focus our energy on stopping violence against women. Across the country, The Vagina Monologues by Eve Ensler is being performed, including this weekend in Willits (Willits High School Auditorium, Sat. at 7:00, Sun. at 2:00), just north of Ukiah on hwy 101.

There is also a documentary about the worldwide performance of the Vagina Monologues, called "Until the Violence Stops." And I just learned that my author, Laura Fogg, is in it. Ukiah is a featured city in the documentary because of the Vagina quilts (see the movie to understand) and Laura is one of the quilt makers. I hear her interview is beautiful!

Here's a link for more info about the movie:

Happy Birthday

Today is my 41st birthday. When I look at the start of my 40's, I have to say, I'm exactly where I want to be doing exactly what I want to do. More money would be nice (isn't it always?) but really, when I take away the bills and budgets and other concerns, I realize that I am doing my life's work, which is what we all long to do, especially when we hit that big 4-0. Last year, I was daydreaming about "possibly" starting a small press. What would it be like to be a publisher? Then Laura arrived serindipitously, manuscript in hand, and before I could talk myself out of it, I asked her if I could publish it. Thank goodness she said yes. A year later, Medusa's Muse Press has succesfully launched a book with two more in production.

Of course, the money part does need to be attended to, which is why I'm applying to grad school to find fulfilling work that actually pays the bills. And who knows, maybe some day, Medusa's Muse will pay my rent?

What am I planning to study? In another serindipitous turn, I am following in the footsteps of Laura Fogg and applying to my alma mater; San Francisco State's Orientation and Mobility Specialist's Program. Laura will be my master teacher.

Whose my real Muse? My daughter, of course, who is both Laura's student and my child, the person who brought Laura and I together.

Interview in Daily Journal

Dot Brovarney interviewed me about Medusa's Muse Press for the local paper. If you'd like to read that interview, follow this link

http://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com/frontpage

then click on Sunday (or Jan. 27).

scroll down to page two where you'll see the headline, Medusa's Muse.

Dot did an excellent job. She writes a regular column about local literary people and events called In Our Own Words.