What Do You Know About Female Authors?

This week we are going to try something different and let you write the blog post. March is Women’s History Month, and we would like to hear some interesting facts about female authors. Please post your comments to this blog or, if you have accessed it through IWC’s Facebook feed, you can reply there. We will then add your Facebook comments to this post.

Here’s something to start it off.

From Kathryn Page Camp: George Eliot was one of my favorite authors when I was in high school and college. Mary Ann Evans said that she used a male pen name to ensure that she was taken seriously. While a lot of women used their own names during that time (the 1850s through the 1870s), they were all romance writers, and Mary Ann wanted to escape the stereotype. But in recent years I learned there may have been another reason for the pen name. She lived with a married man (no, he wasn’t married to her) and may have wanted to create a wall between her reputation as a writer and her private life.

Wanderlust, Women, and Writing

by

Shelby Engelhardt

 

I often find myself daydreaming, filled with wanderlust. The desire to travel and roam over a foreign land can be overwhelming at times. Lucky for me, who is firmly planted in Northwest Indiana for the time being, relatable female writers are becoming more and more prominent in the travel writing world. Through their journeys, I can explore different areas of the world and dream about my future travel plans. Let me share a few of my favorite reads with you.

 

Tales of a Female Nomad: Living at Large in the World by Rita Golden Gelman

            I love this book and I think my ability to relate to the writer is a major factor in doing so. Rita Golden Gelman, an out of shape, middle-aged woman going through a divorce, is looking for a niche in life. On a trip to Mexico, she finds it. She travels the world and allows others to live out their dreams of doing so through her writing. Gelman recounts 15 years of travel in places such as Bali, New Zealand, and Thailand

 

Holy Cow: An Indian Adventure by Sarah Macdonald

            After traveling to India once, all Sarah Macdonald could recall was the filth and odor that she encountered; however, her husband’s acceptance of a job lands them back in India. She is not thrilled by the prospect of living in this country. Tagging along, she garners a new love for modern New Delhi.  Macdonald, an atheist, becomes enchanted by India’s religions. This book is an easy read, is honest, and often comical.

 

Somebody’s Heart is Burning: A Woman Wanderer in Africa by Tanya Shaffer

            After turning down her boyfriend’s marriage proposal, Tanya Shaffer sets off to travel through Africa. Like many, Shaffer tries to travel as cheap as possible and accomplishes this by volunteering in many of the communities she visits. Her travels take her to Mali, Kenya and Ghana. Her descriptions of the people she meets along the way are captivating. Shaffer has an audaciousness in her writing that keeps the reader wanting more.

 

Traveling in foreign lands requires wit and fortitude, neither of which are lacking in wandering women writers.  The next time you are daydreaming and need to fill that wanderlust that sets in, pick up a woman’s travelogue and quench it. Or maybe, one of their tales will spark the planning of your own adventure.



Eat & Exchange Series: Spring 2014 Schedule

The first Eat & Exchange session of 2014 was a big hit. Held at Sip Coffee House in Crown Point, the session was well-attended and thought-provoking. IWC President Janine Harrison facilitated the discussion on “Kit and Kaboodle of Creative Nonfiction: Truth, Investigation, Tense, and Trends.”

If you missed the first session, there are five more to come during March, April, and May. All sessions are open to the public. The schedule follows, and be sure to join us when you can.

March

Wednesday March 19^th at 6 PM, Grindhouse Café, 146 N. Broad St., Griffith, IN

"Where Do You Get Your Ideas?" -- the Question We Love to Hate

Facilitator:  Michael Poore

Supposedly, this is the question all writers despise...or DO we? Just this once, because the moon is in the seventh house and Venus has aligned with Mars, it will be okay to ask. And to tell. 

April

Saturday, April 5^th, at 11 AM, Red Cup Café, 115 Broadway, Chesterton, IN

A Walk in the Woods:  Nature, Exercise and Writing

Facilitator:  Gordon Stamper, Jr.

Throughout the history of letters, nature and long walks have inspired our great writers, from Wordsworth and Dickens to Frost, Joyce, Woolf, and recent award winning poet Harryette Mullen (Urban Tumbleweed:  Notes from a Tanka Diary).   Moderator Gordon Stamper, Jr. will lead a discussion of how exercise and nature have been and can be wellsprings of inspiration.

Wednesday, April 16^th, at 6 PM, Sip Coffee House, 11 North Ct., Crown Point, IN

Outside Your Demographic: Creating Characters with an Authentic Voice

Facilitator:  Julie Larson

This discussion will focus on writing race and  thoughts on writing beyond one’s own ethnicity. Is writing characters of another race a matter of imagination, as some writers claim, or forbidden? Discussion about regional dialect and vernacular, along with what expert linguists have to say, will be highlighted. Examples in prose and poetry will be provided. 

May

Saturday, May 3^rd, at 11 AM, Grindhouse Café, 146 N. Broad St., Griffith, IN

Self-Publishing with a Professional Flair

Facilitator:  Kathryn Page Camp

Many self-published books are riddled with typos, inconsistencies, and just plain bad writing. How do you keep yours from being judged guilty by association? This roundtable discussion will focus on ways to show readers, libraries, and bookstores that your self-published book is professional quality and worthy of their time and money.

Wednesday, May 14^th, at 6 PM, Red Cup Café, 115 Broadway, Chesterton, IN

“Yes I'm a Damsel. Yes I'm In Distress. I can handle this.":  Avoiding generic female characters in genre fiction

Facilitator:  Kayla Greenwell

Although there are a few great female genre fiction writers, like Margaret Atwood and Ursula LeGuin, fantasy and science fiction writing is still a "man's world." As a result, many female characters in these genres are static at best.  In this workshop we will be discussing how to avoid weak, stereotypical female characters in genre fiction writing.  We will discuss archetypes and character building within a genre fiction frame.
 

All discussion sessions are open to the public.

Women in the Multiverse! Comic Books and Gender Representation

by

Kayla Greenwell

 

Happy women's history month, all! I knew when I sat down to write this blog that I wanted to write something substantial about women, but I was perplexed.  I wanted to avoid being political, but I also didn't just want to give a  big history or literature lesson.  I wanted to show how far women have come in a way that people don't usually think about, and then suddenly it came to me: comics.

Comic books may seem like the last place to find diverse, non-stigmatized writing about women, but when looked at closely, female super heroes are some of the most diverse, well-written characters.  Super Dames have been dominating popular culture since the 60's, but there is a stigma that genre fiction and comics are somehow less than their counterparts of "real" literary fiction—that genre fiction is just a means of escape. Really though, genre isn't just escapism. A lot of the time the worlds we read about in genre fiction are much worse than our own, but it does give us something invaluable. These writings give us the tools we need to escape similar situations in our real lives.  They deal with real issues, even if those issues are veiled through tropes and literary devices.  This is true for women and gender as well.

Comics are a great record of women's rights and equality, because unlike some of the greatest feminist novels (not to diminish their importance)—most of these women are still being written. They change and become more current. They evolve.  You can track the thought of popular culture through these women—see how public thought on women involved into what it is today.  Women have come far, but there is still further to go and comic books, when looked at closely, reflect that perfectly.

There are  two examples that I want to share with you:  first is a classic, Wonder Woman (DC), and the other is brand spankin'-new, just announced this month--Ms. Marvel (Marvel).  I'm sure most people know who Wonder Woman is—but, just for good measure, I'm going to tell you anyway. Simply, she's an  Amazonian princess who kicks butt and does not take no for an answer.  I think her writing is fair in the portrayal of women not just because she is stoic, independent, and powerful, but she is also compassionate, she gets confused, and she had a tough time making certain decisions.  Over the past 50 years writers have done a great job portraying her in different lights, and giving her more complicated emotions that many people have to deal with in reality. 

More recently Marvel announced a new Ms. Marvel, and it is something that made headlines in papers internationally.  The new Ms. Marvel is a 16-year-old Pakistani girl Kamala Khan.  I think her addition to the long list of super heroes is so important, because it brings a sense of globalism to equality and gender representation.  The first comic came out on February 05, and if you have the time and three dollars I would definitely suggest checking it out.  It's well written, even if it can be a bit silly. 

Or even if you're not interested in Ms. Marvel, pick up a comic or graphic novel.  See for yourself how these writers have created a vast, diverse universe in which women thrive.  Women's history and the ideas of society towards women can be documented throughout the thousands of issues written over the past several decades, and now—they are looking towards the future.  It's a great feeling.



Black Presses: How Three Got Their Start

*In celebration of Black History Month, the Indiana Writers’ Consortium presents…

 

Black Presses: How Three Got Their Start

By Shelby Engelhardt

It doesn’t take one long to come to the realization that publishing, as many of us know it, is becoming a dying art. With the rise of e-books it seems that the end may be near for a traditional book consisting of a spine and bound pages. Now add in the challenge of finding a publisher who is dedicated to bringing forth some of today’s best African-American literature, and you can find yourself facing a conundrum.  After searching high and low, I have compiled a short, and by no means all inclusive, list of African-American owned publishing companies and a little about each.

Small Press Publishing

The owner of Small Press Publishing, Haki Madhubuti, started peddling books on a street corner in Chicago.  He sold his poetry collection for one dollar per copy and sold 600 copies in one day.   After winning a literary award for $400, he purchased a mimeograph machine and set up shop in his basement. In 1967 Madhubuti, a lead figure in the Black Arts Movement, was distributing the work of many writers including Gwendolyn Brooks, Sonia Sanchez and Amiri Baraka.  What emerged from this was a mix of scholarly works and literature promoting some of the greatest black thought in the world.

Africa World Press/Red Sea Press

Searching for the American dream, Kassahun Checole left Eritrea (then still a part of Ethiopia) to settle in upstate New York. He began teaching sociology and African studies at Rutgers University. While teaching, he realized that there needed to be more scholarly texts on African history and culture.  He launched Africa World Press (AWP) in 1983 with Barrel of a Pen: Resistance to Repression in Neo-Colonial Kenya by Ngugi wa Thiong’o. The Red Sea Press (RSP) was established in 1985 to distribute AWP’s catalogue, a task it took on for other presses as well. Each year it now publishes over 100 titles, mostly scholarly offerings, but poetry and international fiction have also found a home with these presses.

RedBone Press

After being told that there was no market for her collection of works on coming to terms with her sexuality, Lisa C. Moore self-published her work, does your momma know?, in 1997. Not long after, Moore was asked to publish another writer’s works on the same topic and that is how RedBone Press came to be. The Washington, DC based company has become a highly respected source of black queer fiction and poetry. Its authors have been recognized by many organizations including the Pen American Center, The Hurston/Wright Foundation and the Lambda Literary Foundation. All of this becomes more impressive when one realizes that RedBone Press is still a one-woman operation.

 

From a man peddling his poetry on street corners to a woman self-publishing her stories about coming out, many black presses have interesting histories and offer a wealth of knowledge to those seeking it. They give many black writers their start in a rewarding career. As writers, we know how hard it is for publishers to continue their art. Please support these independent presses, as they are the key to keeping publishing alive.

Yours, Mine, Ours: Is it a memoir?

by

Sandra J Nantais

 

Fuzzy details?  Fading colors? Forgotten dates?  All these concerns plague a memoir writer along, as does the bigger question: “Can I ask someone and still make it my own?”

Unless you have an incredible memory, you will have to do research or interviews to nudge recollections and sketch them out.  It is still your story.

I had wanted to write a slice of my childhood about a circus that set up around the block from us one year.  I had started thinking it was an imagined childhood fiction because I couldn’t find anyone who remembered it, nor could I find the photograph of me that I remembered my dad taking.  Thanks to social media, I finally discovered this was not a dream. 

Not only did I find truth in my memory, but I also discovered the name of the circus.   Using this tidbit of information doesn’t mean I have to give credit to the person who provided it, nor does it mean the memoir isn’t mine because someone else filled in the minor details.

Here’s another example. For years I had two memorial events stuck in the second grade years of my life.  I remember picking up my oldest brother from the airport when I was in the second grade and that I was a flower girl in my sister’s wedding.   But now as my oldest sister’s 60^th birthday looms, I realize there was no way she married when I was seven years old.  She was still in high school.

Verbally I could keep holding on to my story, but once ink hits the paper it becomes set and an eagle eye reader (or my own sister!) could catch this error.  I would lose credibility.

From mentioning a candy bar to a television show, you need to make sure they existed in the time frame you are using. 

Timelines also can be sketchy, but taking a few moments to get dates in a sensible chronological order will help with the flow of your memoir.

You can also use other resources to fact check.  Photographs, public records, letters, school year books, and the Internet all can assist with details and add accurate facts to you memoir.

Not every detail needs to be exact.  If you remember the local park having patchy grass and dented slides, but your brother remembers it being a lush green with shiny, slick slides, it’s okay to describe how you perceived it.

Remember, you will run into some difficulty remembering exactly what happened and possibly when.  Whether you ask a sibling about a detail you deem important or enlist records to secure correct dates, the memoir is still your story.



Distractions or Motivators in Disguise?

by

 

Shelby Engelhardt

 

It has happened to us all. We have set aside a block of time to do nothing except write. All distractions are banned: no cell phone, no kids knocking on the door, no television. Maybe a pot of coffee is brewed or another favorite drink prepared. We go into the space we have designated as our writing spot and open the clean page, either in our favorite notebook or word processor. Then, we sit…staring. We write a sentence or maybe two, then shake our heads and delete them. Soon, we find ourselves surfing the internet, scrolling through our newsfeed, or tweeting about our problem. Maybe this has described you at this very moment. Well, good news! I have a few ideas to overcome this problem!

                First, congratulate yourself on actually blocking off time to write! That sometimes is the hardest part of writing. Often, we take for granted the flexibility that being a writer offers; however, we need to make sure we set aside the time and make it an important part of life. Violinists are sure to practice daily, painters paint regularly, so as writers we must also practice our craft diligently.

                Now, take a deep breath. Writing topics are all around you. Are you logged on to social media? Pull a tweet or a status update and use that as a prompt. Sometimes life is definitely more interesting than what even the most brilliant fiction writer can come up with. Googling? Why not search for something that interests you and use that to start a line or two?  Do some research; find out what made Chicago interesting in 1912 and write about it. Make your main character a child seeing the Empire State building for the first time. Oh, you haven’t been there? Google it! Browse Craigslist, find an interesting listing on there and envision the transaction. Why is the person selling their prized comic collection or looking to buy a baby goat?

                Those ideas sound great, but what if you still need more? Maybe your friends aren’t quite as addicted to social media as mine or nothing pops into your mind to research. Okay, Google is still your friend! Google writing prompts and you get numerous interesting results. Pick a few that strike your fancy, set a timer for ten minutes, and write! If at the end of the time, you still want to write on that topic…continue, but if you are done, move to the next.

                Maybe after you try all these suggestions, you have still only written a paragraph or a page and maybe what you have written is not anything you would consider a good piece. That is acceptable! Not every session we sit and write will yield a chapter or a complete poem. The idea is to practice our craft. One can only improve by working at something. So, pick up your pen or open a new page, and do what you do best…WRITE!