Comments on: On Publishing with A Small Press

By: Kathy Breen Herald

Kathy Breen Herald — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 04:06:33 +0000

Lucia, I haven’t read this book but am interested in it. I am sorry but I would love to hear from you too. Please email me back you know me you have been my friend for years and I miss you. Please talk to me at least email me. i would also love for my daughter to be able to meet you. She is a great poetry writer and she is working on a book. Please forgive me for whatever I have done. I love you like a mom and miss you tool. email me if possibility of forgiveness. Thanks if no congrats on your success in writing hopefully you will read some of my daughters books someday. Jamie Breen, Thank you so much, love kathy

By: Lucia Nevai

Lucia Nevai — Mon, 05 May 2008 14:29:25 +0000

Sue Ellen,
I am horrified to hear of the physical suffering you’ve endured. Not that it hasn’t taken its toll — but you sound as if your spirit is bright, strong and undimmed. How wonderful that you’re writing! You always had such a great heart for people. I always thought of you as a soul truly committed to making the world a better place. Congratulations on making it into the Patient Voice book! I will order it. The Iowa City reading is scheduled for June 27, a Friday. I’ll be arriving earlier in the day, depending on brother Tom’s schedule — he’s driving. You and I will have to spend every possible minute together. Another Iowa friend who is a wonderful , prize-winning short fiction writer lives in Iowa City now — Kate Kasten. She was from Des Moines originally — our families were friends.
Keep writing!
xxxooo

By: sue ellen(cross) (dunn) crosslea

sue ellen(cross) (dunn) crosslea — Mon, 05 May 2008 03:35:57 +0000

Lucia- I see that you are reading at Prairie Lights in a while. I am busy trying to find/buy all your work as I have things scattered & stored about. I am dying to read Salvation as I’ve been able to find a fair amount of comment about it. I know almost nothing about writing, as you know, but have learned some from a program here in IC, where I have been living for @5 yrs. due to health problems that took me out of work at 57. The program in Patient Voice—grad students at the Workshop volunteer to teach disabled people to write, hoping that the creative process will help us eventually. And, it does, almost immediately–I’ve loved it when I’ve felt able to focus on it. I am post BD w/ mastectomy, have an auto-immune disorder called which is fairly manageable, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (similar to the Plague) and severe depression plus PTSD from family life-long abusee which I didn’t realize until the physical stuff got so bad I decided to move back home to the loving arms of my family. HA Right into the lions’ den. Currently have NO family involvement whatsoever per all my doc’s orders. It has been a rough few years, but the worst is over. I’ve written several poems about it along the lines of “A Million Tears.” Not great, but say what I needed to say. Had another published in the Patient Voice book–am verrrry proud of that accomplishment. Am exhausted, vulnerable to germs, the flu and stuff, so lead a fairly narrow life which is okay with me since my work was always extremely people intensive and I enjoy the solace of my wonderful little house and my two great canine companions with whom I share a lot of ‘puppy love.’
Never dreamed I would be totally alone at this age, almost 66 yrs., but have found most people’s problems, and mine, are rooted in the expectations we had for ourselves. Thus, I have stopped making plans too far into the future and just think about getting up tomorrow and finishing the strawberry bed I’m planting in the front yard.
Would not have moved here—I had lived in Atlanta for 19 yrs.–but I really came here for the family bit–that is such a tricky little sword trick that gets pulled on us. Would have moved to Nashville, I think now, but that was 2000, and I am too old and debilitated to learn my way around one more big city now. Life is good here,although a little cold, and also a little hot, but the hospital is okay, and when I get fed up with them I go to Mayo, which is a fabulous place to go to seek answers. I spent six wks. there a few years ago, and it saved my life. Sorry to go on so much about my health. It’s hard not to, however, as it influences–mainly limitis—everything I do. I read a lot, still try to write some—not writing as you know it, but writing as I know it. I write lots of letters to people about my life, but don’t send them as I can’t often just sit down and write.
I very immodestly love most of my poems, however, and feel proud that they represent my feelings, and sometimes a bit of creativity I did not know I had. The only other writing I’ve ever done was dozens of grant applications, and I was Maynard Jackson’s personal letter draft writer to consituents for a couple of years. Now, there was a very smart and articulate man. I felt so proud to work for him. Blah. Blah. Blah. Write me a note with your schedule when you will be in IC. Maybe we can find some window washer and bake him a chocolate cake. Love, SE

By: Lucia Nevai

Lucia Nevai — Thu, 01 May 2008 14:40:30 +0000

Katherine, I stuck with the first person p.o.v., but it only worked because I truncated the story line. I believe you are on the right track. The third person p.o.v. can have all the immediacy of the first person p.o.v. Also, third person has the advantage of allowing you to interpret the narrator’s physicality — not easily done in first person. Good luck! It sounds like you have a deep commitment to your novel!

By: Katherine

Katherine — Thu, 01 May 2008 00:09:22 +0000

What a fabulous process, Lucia. That sort of editorial assistance and advice is becoming rare.

What point of view did you end up choosing? (It’s a subject close to my heart as I’ve been struggling with a 100,000 word omniscient first person pov in my novel and have just started again in third person.)

Would love to hear what worked for you and look forward to reading the book.