What Is Autobiography? A Conversation with Debut Memoirist Victoria Chang, by Amy Wright

Interviews Victoria Chang’s new collection, Dear Memory, expands the field of the memoir for readers to explore a full-color archive of family photos and historical documents collaged between lines of poetry and letters. It prompts us to ask, with her, What composes a life and what makes of life art? What makes of memory history, and whose history, and how do we survive loss? We might expect the author of five books of poetry and two children’s books to incorporate the lyric in her first book of nonfiction, but Chang goes further. If her memories arrive at times as poetry, she denies them the protection of a poem. For instance, at the end of a letter that begins, “Do you remember those Fridays in gym class . . . ,” she realizes that memory may be “the exit wound of joy.” Such insights pierce us before we can register surprise. Elsewhere, she covers her mother’s mouth with three Mandarin characters in the photo on her certificate of naturalization, inserting her reservation into the official record along with her daughter’s grief. I reached out to Chang, moved by this book’s innovative form. “It was always my goal as a writer to be able to make whatever I want,” she told me via Zoom video hosted by the low-residency MFA program at Antioch University, which she directs. The winner of a Guggenheim Fellowship, the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award, the PEN Voelcker Award, a Sustainable Arts Foundation... Continue reading at 'World Literature Today'

[ World Literature Today | 2022-01-05 19:50:39 UTC ]
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Bookseller Profile: Amy Oelkers of the Red Balloon

Like so many young booksellers, Oelkers never considered bookselling as a viable career choice. But what started out as a temporary job until she could find a permanent position in her chosen field has turned out to be a dream come true. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-12-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Self, Amis, Faber among 80 Folio Prize nominees

The Folio Prize has revealed the 80 books put forward for consideration for the 2015 award. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-12-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Ecco Buys Debut Novel 'The Nest' for Seven Figures

In a seven figure deal, Ecco has acquired world English rights to Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney's debut novel, 'The Nest' about, as HC put it, a "wonderfully dysfunctional" family. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-12-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Costello debut voted Irish Book Awards' Book of the Year

Mary Costello’s debut novel Academy Street (Canongate) has been voted the Bord Gáis Energy Book of the Year for 2014. The book was chosen via public vote from the list of category winners announced at the recent Bord Gáis Energy Irish Book Awards. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-12-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Blogger Zoe Sugg sets new record for fastest-selling debut novel

Sugg's debut book, 'Girl Online,' now holds the record for the highest sales in its first week for a new writer in the UK.  Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-12-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Slicebooks Debuts Customizable Storefront App

Founded in 2011 by Jill and Ron Tomich, Denver-based Slicebooks is a digital publishing platform that gives publishers the ability to “slice” their titles into smaller chunks and sell them by chapter. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-12-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Ordinary Grace: PW Talks with Amy Julia Becker

Amy Julia Becker’s first book told how Penny, who has Down syndrome, became her first-born daughter. In her newest, Becker writes about all of her three children and shows how they don’t define Penny by her Down syndrome. ‘It’s just something she has.’ Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-12-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Big Rights Deals for Barcelona Author’s Debut Novel

The 26 rights deals for Milena Busquets' short debut novel have raised eyebrows — but looking at the author's passion and personal history, it makes sense The post Big Rights Deals for Barcelona Author’s Debut Novel appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-12-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Orchard Books acquires debut YA author Hunt

Orchard Books has acquired Thirteen Days of Midnight by debut YA author Leo Hunt. The book is about a boy called Luke Manchett who, when his father dies, acquires $6m and a collection of ghosts. The eight spirits want revenge for their enslavement by Manchett senior and Luke has just 13 days to... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-11-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Oyster Debuts Online Literary Journal

Oyster, the ebook subscription service, is launching the 'Oyster Review,' an online literary journal that will publish original material on books and writing. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-11-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Executive Changes at McGraw-Hill Education

McGraw-Hill Education has restructured its domestic education operations under Peter Cohen, who had been president of its K-12 group. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-11-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Canongate signs Kavanagh debut

Canongate has signed a debut novel from Tasha Kavanagh, who has previously published picture books under her maiden name, Tasha Pym. Editorial director of fiction Louisa Joyner acquired world English language rights to Things We Have in Common in a deal with Sue Armstrong at Conville & Walsh. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-11-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Perseus Makes Changes to Sales Team

Following the appointment of Sabrina McCarthy as senior v-p, group sales at Perseus Books, part of CEO David Steinberger's restructuring efforts, the publisher announced further reorganization to its sales division. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-11-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Transworld signs Jasmon debut

Transworld is to publish a “spellbinding and charged” debut novel by Sarah Jasmon. Assistant editor Bella Bosworth bought UK and Commonwealth rights to The Summer of Secrets and one other novel from Carrie Plitt of Conville & Walsh. The Summer of Secrets tells the story of Helen, a shy... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-11-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Debut Novelist Wins Canada’s Biggest Lit Prize

When the winner of the C$100,000 Scotiabank Giller Prize was announced at a gala in Toronto last night, the spotlight was on a new writer, Sean Michaels, and his debut novel 'Us Conductors,' published by Random House Canada. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-11-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Madefire, JumpStart Debut Neopet Motion Books

Madefire, creator of the Motion Books interactive comics platform, is teaming up with educational games creator JumpStart to create motion books digital stories for its Neopets online community. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-11-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Print Media Buying Has Stabilized, Agency Execs Say, But Change is Still the Watchword

The most dominant story in magazine media over the last decade-the decline in print as digital media surges-may be changing, according to an all-star panel of ad agency executives at a min breakfast Thursday. There was general consensus on the panel of four that the decline has stopped and... Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2014-11-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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SMP Buys 'Times' Journo's Debut Novel for Seven Figures

St. Martin's Press has acquired the debut novel 'Everybody Rise,' by Stephanie Clifford, in a seven-figure book deal. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-11-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Kent Leaving HC Canada Amid Fulfillment Changes

HarperCollins Canada president and CEO David Kent will leave the company at the end of the year following the decision to move fulfillment of HC Canada's titles in Canada to R.R. Donnelley. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-11-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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H&S acquires debut from 15-year-old

Hodder & Stoughton has acquired The Catalyst, the first novel in a fantasy crossover series from 15-year-old debut author Helena Coggan.   The book, which Coggan started writing when she was just 13, is about teenager Rose Elmsworth, who lives in a world divided into the Gifted (who have... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-10-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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