Pressure: Air

Pressure. That’s how I found myself pushing, prodding, prevailing over the keyboard to arrive at “Proselegy and Coda,” my publication in Brevity’s Fall 2007 issue.

Since 2005, I’ve been digging up a memoir. That book is tentatively set for Fall 2008 publication through the University of Iowa Press. During the revision stage, the editor said “You’re not showing much emotion when you described the death of your parents, especially considering they occurred so close together.”

That communication arrived before I signed a contract. I understood I was being challenged to show that I can convey scene, character, and emotion with words – to do, in fact, what I thought I could not: evoke the visceral subconscious remembrance of the pain of my parents’ deaths.

I read through the original memoir chapter, that recitation of facts, that grave of memories, reluctant to exhume and reexamine what cannot be changed. Need I know more? Need I grieve more? And let people watch? The questions hissed, lightly, persistently in the background – like the sleep apnea respirator that feeds me air all night.

Air. That catalyst for the fuel we consume to live. Air. That creates words that mean nothing, that are fit only to cheapen the loss upon the death of the woman and the man who made you flesh. Such a thing nearly overwhelms words, causing even the glib to descend into inarticulate gloom, at least for a time, unless you’re Didion. The best that could be had from my psyche two decades post-loss was fragments, thoughts, broken images memory-seared and gathered up from pieces of all that was shattered by death.

Thus, a prose-poem, “Proselegy and Coda,” because I have no coherent thought about love and loss that might transcend all that I think I remember.

– Gary Presley

The Genesis of “What If?”

Every once in a while, a recent or past BREVITY author will weigh in on the origins of their brief essay. Here, Ira Sukrungruang launches this feature with a discussion of his essay “What If?” from Issue 24:

“What If?” started when I received an email from my Polish friend after five years without any communication. Yo, I’m in some shit and the cops are looking for me. I’m coming to stay at your crib for a couple of months. P.S. I love you. He didn’t sign his name, but his email address gave his identity away. I replied quickly—Don’t forget the guns!

In the first draft of the essay, I used my friend’s name. Instead of the direct-address “you,” my friend was a “he.” After I completed the piece, the essay did not sit well with me. I read it out loud over and over—this is part of my process—and at the end of every reading, the essay seemed wrong. In fact, the reading made it worse.

 

The remedy came a couple of days later when I was teaching one of my favorite essays, “Tracks and Ties” by Andre Dubus III, in my beginning creative nonfiction class. I’ve been teaching the essay for years, and an incredibly compelling aspect of the piece is how Dubus addresses his dead friend. This direct address immediately makes the piece more intimate—something students will readily point out—but it also allows a deeper exploration of time and friendship. I asked my class, as I often do, “Why does Dubus use the ‘you’?” And for the first time, a student offered this answer: “Well, if he used “he,” it would sound like a eulogy.”

 

There it was. The reason my essay seemed off—especially when read—was because it sounded like I was delivering a eulogy. I did not want to close the book on my friend, especially because he was alive and still wreaking havoc in Chicago. Although he is part of my past, he is part of the living and breathing past that I carry with me daily, a past that is alive with questions and complexities, a past that makes essay writing challenging and exciting. It was the simplest of fixes, the change of a pronoun, but the “he” presented a finality in the piece that was inauthentic to the relationship of these two Chicago boys, while the “you” seems to represent a continuity.

Do Giraffes Write Creative Nonfiction?

Brevity’s editor is profiled this week on Critical Mass, the blog of the National Book Critics Circle.

Apparently, there are animals involved.

Two Grand (Canyon) Job Opportunities

Creative Nonfiction, Assistant Professor, starting August 2008. Duties include graduate and undergraduate teaching in creative nonfiction workshops, directing/reading theses, and advising students. Additional assignments may include teaching poetry writing, advising our literary magazine, Thin Air, and coordinating our creative writing area. 3/2 load. Minimum Qualifications: MFA or Ph.D. in Creative Writing (or English with an emphasis in Creative Writing) at time of appointment, graduate coursework in creative nonfi ction writing, and publications in creative nonfiction. Review of applications will begin on Nov. 1, 2007. Send letter of application, c.v., transcripts, three letters of recommendation, evidence of effective teaching, and copies of books/publications to: Dr. Jane Armstrong Woodman, Chair of Creative Writing/Assistant Professor Search Committee, Department of English, Northern Arizona University, Box 6032, Flagstaff, AZ 86011-6032.

Visiting Writer/Instructor in Creative Writing, Spring 2008. This is a one-semester, nonrenewable instructorship for a visiting writer in creative nonfiction and poetry for spring 2008. Minimum qualifications include an MFA or Ph.D. in Creative Writing, publications in creative nonfiction and poetry, and successful experience teaching creative writing at the college or university level. Non-benefit eligible. Review of applications will begin on Oct. 24, 2007. Send letter of application, c.v., transcripts, three letters of recommendation, evidence of effective teaching, and copies of books/publications to: Dr. Jane Armstrong Woodman, Chair of Visiting Writer/Instructor Search Committee, Department of English, Northern Arizona University, Box 6032, Flagstaff, AZ 86011-6032.

Response: DOES BREVITY ONLY PUBLISH PUBLISHED WRITERS?

A thoughtful response to last week’s post

That was an interesting email you posted at the Brevity site from the reader who wanted to know if only published writers get published. While I agree with your assertion that there’s a reason we keep seeing certain writers published again and again in literary journals (they’re darn good writers), I also believe their success sometimes feeds on itself.

The problem with that is writers–even famous and the famously published ones– are a lot like songwriters: not everything they write is a great song. Yet, I’ve seen some good writers with name recognition get certain essays and stories published that were whiffs and misses (in my humble opinion). We recently studied an essay by a very well-known and established writer in one of my comp classes where I thought “if a student handed this in I’d suggest it needs some revision.” The essay, I felt, went off-topic in the middle, delayed the “what the hell is this about?” far too long, and hastily tied things up in an abrupt conclusion. Not only was this an essay that had been published once, but it got in that magical wheelhouse of the Society of Academic Gatekeepers where it had been printed and reprinted many times.

The bottomline is that I have far less precious time in front of an editor’s face with my piece than do writers whose reputations precede them. Whereas an editor might read through pages 4,5, and 6 to find the payoff from an established writer, I better sure as hell hook that editor in the first couple of paragraphs–and even then only if the story isn’t of the kind or sort the editor has a personal pet peeve about (re: “I don’t do coming-of-age stories. Next”).

And the famous writer isn’t going to have his/her submission crumpled and tossed in the recycle bin because he or she didn’t include an SASE or forgot to put the story title in bottom-left corner of every page.

That said, it would be unfair to paint all publications and all editing staffs with the same brush (as those good and sincere souls reading this who are feeling indignant because they know what I’m saying doesn’t apply to them or their publications). I’ve certainly received rejection letters that were fairly earned once I saw the issue come out saw all the strong writing in it (Brevity comes to mind). And I’ve certainly been surprised on occasion by a nice handwritten note from an editor. But I’ve more times than not in the submission game been made to feel like an unimportant number, someone burdening an already burdened staff who has been jaded and burnt out by the heavy load of submissions. I’ve certainly read more than my share of editorials and editor interviews in journals and magzines of the “if you want me to sniff your submission, you sure as hell better jump through these hoops correctly–because you wouldn’t believe the crap I have to put up with on a daily basis.”

Understood–and right back at you.

As a wise colleague of mine once said: “if you can’t handle the work load, don’t cash the check.” I realize many of these publications aren’t money-making enterprises, but I believe that if you can’t treat those who submit like human beings and remember EACH one of those submissions contains a naked part of the author’s soul, well, you should consider shutting the operation down and go do something you can handle with quality customer service–whether that be selling beads at a flea market or cutting meat at the local deli.

But the real question is why writers keep putting up with the abuse: a submission done right costs about $1 or more to send out. That adds up in a hurry–especially when the payoff is “two copies and a pat on the back” if that writer does miraculously get a bite. And especially when the rejection notes are more often than not robotic form letters stuffed in your SASE by college students or interns.

Editors sometimes think writers need to hear the hard truth about their writing. The truth is a lot of stuff that comes across their desks isn’t that good. Understood. But I also think editors need to hear the hard truth–like this–right back at them at times.

Best regards, Bill Milligan

–

Bill Milligan teaches composition, journalism, and creative nonfiction at Bay College in Escanaba, Michigan. As he has tenure and his dean doesn’t care if he ever publishes or not, he feels secure in sharing his feelings openly about the writing business. He can be reached at milligab39@yahoo.com Please feel free to use profanity when contacting him if it helps. He understands the therapeutic value of venting.

CNF Job, On Another Lake

The English Department at Columbia College Chicago seeks a nonfiction writer, with a strong secondary interest in poetry, for a tenure-track creative writing faculty position, to begin Fall 2008. Successful candidate must have a terminal degree, minimum of one book of nonfiction from press of national standing, and significant poetry publications; deep commitment to teaching writing at all levels; and a desire to participate in, and help shape, an emerging nonfiction program. Successful candidate will teach core courses in the creative writing nonfiction and poetry programs. Interviews at MLA. Review of applications will begin Nov. 1. Please send letter of application and c.v. to:

David Lazar, Chair, Creative Writing Search Committee,
Department of English, Columbia College Chicago,
600 South Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL 60605-1996 

(Chicago is a nice town, if you like water and can stand some snow — Dinty) 

CNF Job, On the Lake

Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, is accepting applications for a tenure-track position as either Assistant or Associate Professor of English and Creative Writing, with a primary specialty in literary nonfiction and a secondary specialty in either fiction or poetry, beginning August, 2008. Review of applications will begin October 8, 2007 and continue until the position is filled.

(Erie is a nice town, if you like water, and can stand some snow — Dinty)

Brevity Bob Says, Click My Picture

Mailbag: DOES BREVITY ONLY PUBLISH ‘PUBLISHED’ WRITERS?

BREVITY received an interesting e-mail recently, and it got me to thinking about our purpose and our history. We’re about to launch Issue 25: the Silver Anniversary, so that’s as good a time as any to take stock.

Here’s an excerpt from the e-mail:

“I have enjoyed reading your journal (but) … honesty would go as far in your submission guidelines as it does in the essays themselves. Be honest upfront and say that every essay accepted is written by a published writer … Not everyone who reads your journal is a published writer. And not everyone who submits an essay is a published writer. But only those that are get published. Honesty is the best policy in all things … — Karen”

Keep reading here:

http://www.creativenonfiction.org/brevity/ednote.htm

Hunger Mountain Nonfiction Prize

Hunger Mountain, The Vermont College Journal of Arts & Letters, is pleased to announce the establishment of this new literary prize, judged by Sue William Silverman, author of Love Sick: One Woman’s Journey Through Sexual Addiction. Deadline: September 10. One $1,000 prize winner receives publication in the Spring 2008 Issue; two honorable mentions receive $100.00 each. $15 entry fee

Visit http://www.tui.edu/hungermtn/nonfiction.asp for complete guidelines.

Latte Time

A prize of $1,000 & publication is given annually for a personal essay. Submit a manuscript of up to 8,000 words with a $10 entry fee by September 15. Send an SASE or visit the Web site for complete guidelines. Materials to: Literal Latte, Ames Essay Award, 200 East 10th St., Suite 240, New York, NY 10003. (212) 260-5532. http://www.literal-latte.com

Folks Read the Darndest Things

The crew here at Brevity’s gleaming new corporate offices have been known to occasionally bemoan the state of nonfiction book publishing. All those celebrity memoirs and diet books!! Well, here’s the bestseller list from 50 years back. Not that different, except when did we lose our interest in arranging flowers?

N O N F I C T I O N
1. Kids Say the Darndest Things!, Art Linkletter

2. The FBI Story, Don Whitehead3. Stay Alive All Your Life, Norman Vincent Peale

4. To Live Again, Catherine Marshall

5. Better Homes and Gardens Flower Arranging

6. Where Did You Go? Out. What Did You Do? Nothing, Robert Paul Smith

7. Baruch: My Own Story, Bernard M. Baruch

8. Please Don’t Eat the Daisies, Jean Kerr

9. The American Heritage Book of Great Historic Places

10. The Day Christ Died, Jim Bishop

http://www.caderbooks.com/best50.html

And Now for a Bit of A Diversion …

As we complete Issue 25:

SUB-LIT NEEDS DISSIDENT CREATIVE NONFICTION — !

The editors at SUB-LIT — “Sex. Literature, and Rock & Roll” — have let it be known that they are “in desperate need of creative nonfiction submissions. Tell your friends! Please repost!”

Check out the dissidence at www.sublit.com

Graywolf Deadline Upcoming

Graywolf Press Nonfiction Prize
An advance of $12,000 and publication by Graywolf Press is given annually for a book-length work of creative nonfiction by a writer who has published no more than two books in that genre. Robert Polito will judge. Submit a manuscript of 175 to 400 pages by September 30.

www.graywolfpress.org