On Literary History

By the way, once in awhile I shift my editing hat to my research hat (although they often are the same hat): I'm now administering the Filipino-American literature section (and believe me, it's a big unit) of Literary History.com. The New York Public Library has chosen Literary History.com as one of the 25 "Best of Reference" sites online for 2003. Hey, the New York Public Library's nothin' to sneeze at.

The Lives of My Characters

An emergency meeting of my 3-person writing group was called on Monday. Even though I'd gotten little sleep, was exhausted from a trip up to the City (to do a reading a Cody's -- turned out great), and have not worked on the novel for almost a month (although I've been putting in hours upon hours editing my clients' manuscripts), I went. Why? Somehow a meeting at Lulu's, the local café (the one that's open till midnight), with a couple of friends seemed comforting. And because I got to take some time to think about my novel, and talk out the purported plot over a piece of pie and some homemade New York style cheese cake (sneaked into the café). And because I've been wondering what's happening to my characters in the interim.

Last I recall, they were at that party in Angel's ramshackle apartment. Dora's friend, Marta was getting a little drunk, and dancing with Angel. Harry was restless, and kept getting up to smoke a cigarette out on the porch. He'd smoke it down to the nub, flick it out onto the street, then go in and check on Alice, who had sequestered herself in the bedroom with a book. Out on the streets, outside of the apartment it was dark, except for a couple of streetlamps illuminating the huge construction site that was slowly scouring the lower Rincon Hill neighborhood of its shoreside tenements, in preparation for the building of the Bay Bridge.

Never a Dull Moment

Really, the life of a free-lance editor is never dull. One moment I'm editing a detective novel -- the next I'm editing a lengthy document on foreign policy...(maybe it sounds dull, but it's not...)

Vertical Kill & The Found Diary (redux)

For quite awhile I have been working on non-fiction books, which have their own attractions, to be sure. However, of late the focus has been on fiction, particularly of the "dark" variety. (speaking of which, let me introduce you to my new friend, Dr. Baden -- you know,the Interactive Autopsy guy?). These novels are particularly fun, if occasionally grisly. I'm now editing Vertical Kill, by Peter Van Gardner.


Michael Fink, author of the Found Diary of Avery Alexander Myer.

I also want to get back to The Found Diary of Avery Alexander Myer for a moment. It's a fascinating piece, but do check it out soon, because it will disappear from the internet at some point. I'm not editing this novel, but have been fortunate enough to have some lengthy conversations with the author, Michael Fink (see image, above) about its creation. Those conversations have started me thinking about the various alternatives for presenting fiction. For example, what are the ramifications of placing your entire novel online? Have you ever considered converting your fiction into a "graphic novel"? I began to understand the potential of graphic novels a few years ago, when I realized that Art Spiegelman's Maus had become a classroom staple for some of my colleagues teaching English reading and composition to undergraduates at U.C. Berkeley (including myself). And by the way, anyone who thinks that teaching or learning about graphic novels in college is an easy way out -- please think again. Graphic novels can be incredibly complex and challenging, both textually and graphically, and very rewarding to teach.

But graphic novels are also interesting to think about from an editor's viewpoint, in terms of both process and marketing.

And how many authors think about the vocal/audio possibilities for their work?

More on this, later...

Jainakú

The Universidad Veracruzano in Xalapa, Mexico has hosted a conference on the anthology (and the poetic form that it features) that I co-edited with Mark Young, The First Hay(na)ku Anthology! (see a picture of the cover in the sidebar-->) Poet, blogger, deejay and cultural critic, Ernesto Priego, introduced the book for us and did a reading, for which I am very grateful...Ernesto's report is here.

A Found Diary

I have just been introduced to The Found Diary of Avery Alexander Myer.

It probably sounds like hyperbole, but I'm really not exaggerating when I say that book editing is just one adventure after another -- and that includes all of the synchronous events that ripple outward from that activity. What an amazing vocation.

Clients & Collaborators

Continuing my editing news from below, I have been working with David Mariant on his book, Surviving Bipolar's Fatal Grip. We are nearing completion on the project, and looking forward to publication. One of the issues we've been discussing lately has been that of the recent shootings of people with bipolar disorder by security forces in the U.S. While the intent of air marshalls and other homeland security is certainly (or hopefully) to protect the public -- David is hoping to educate security people on how to identify and deal with people who have bipolar disorder in this age of insecurity, so that these terrible accidents don't recur.

I am also pleased to be taking on editing and copywriting duties for the beautiful, spunky and dynamic motivational life coach, Diana DeMar.

Ah, a mystery....

I think that editors are viewed as a bookish, stay-at-home sort, generally. But the fact is that since I have begun editing, every new job and every new client has represented an adventure for me, and this aspect of editing has been very rewarding.

Previously it seemed that I was about to embark on a (possibly dangerous!) ghostly adventure (see the post below), however those potential clients seem to have been spirited away, and I wish them the best of luck with their otherworldly tenants. And, well, just between you and me, I'm a little relieved that I don't have to meet those, uh, tenants.

In the meantime, I have a new client. Mostly I have been editing non-fiction. But when I get a chance to edit a mystery novel, it's a real treat. So I am looking forward, later this month, to reading and working with author Melie Fiase, a French writer and translator who has done a lot of good work using her linguistic expertise for worthwhile causes in France and Francophone Africa. And while I'm at it I might as well plug her French translation service here.