Curious about how former LitPark guests are doing? I have a few updates. And let’s hear from you, too! Any new projects or publications? Joys or struggles? At the very least, post your website so folks can visit you.
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Remember Pierre Berg?
Last September, at age 83, Pierre granted LitPark his very first interview, and we talked about his experience as a prisoner at Auschwitz, as well as his unsold manuscript. And guess what?
Pierre Berg’s Holocaust memoir, SCHEISSHAUS LUCK (co-authored by Brian Brock, published by Amacom Books) will be available in bookstores September 4th (that’s tomorrow!).
Originally penned shortly after the war when memories were still fresh, this autobiographical account of a gentile French teenager’s odyssey of horror and survival recounts Berg’s day-to-day struggle for survival in the camps, escaping death countless times while enduring inhumane conditions, exhaustive labor, and near starvation. Relentlessly unsentimental, yet tinged with a sense of brutal irony, SCHEISSHAUS LUCK provides a new perspective on some of the Nazi’s most notorious concentration camps and is a searing reminder of man’s inhumanity to man. The Kirkus Review said SCHEISSHAUS LUCK is “a worthy supplement to the reports of Primo Levi and Elie Wiesel.”
I’m so so happy about this news! And if you’re on MySpace, you can “friend” both Pierre and Brian.
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Wondering what Neil Gaiman‘s up to?
On September 30th, THE GRAVEYARD BOOK goes on sale. I’m very excited about this one because it’s written for my kids’ age group. It takes its concept from The Jungle Book, but instead of a young boy being raised by wolves, this young boy is raised by ghosts and other inhabitants of the graveyard.
I’ll have to preview it, of course, because if it’s as freaky as Coraline, it will go on the high shelf, along with The Gashlycrumb Tinies, and other good books they’re not allowed to read just yet.
By the way, the movie, CORALINE, is scheduled for release in February 2009.
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Was that Brad Listi, author of the bestselling novel ATTENTION. DEFICIT. DISORDER., blogging at the DNC?
Yep. If you’re a political junkie like I am, you can’t stand the slow pace of newspapers and go straight to the political bloggers. Brad blogged for Huffington Post at the Democratic National Convention, and most of you know he does his regular blogging over at TheNervousBreakdown.com.
TheNervousBreakdown, founded by Brad and featuring a brand new design this season, is an online publication and literary community that features the work of more than 100 distinguished writers from around the world. Contributors include Jonathan Evison (All About Lulu), Pia Z. Ehrhardt (Famous Father & Other Stories), Tao Lin (Bed), Ron Currie, Jr. (God is Dead), Kiara Brinkman (Up High in the Trees), Noria Jablonski (Human Oddities)… and, of course, the one and only Brad Listi! Content is updated daily, and the new site includes all sorts of bells & whistles, including the highly enjoyable and always unpredictable TNB TV. Please be sure to bookmark the site, visit often, leave comments, and spread the good word to friends!
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Remember when Ellen Meister was interviewed by her eight-year-old daughter?
Since then, her daughter turned double-digits and Ellen turned out another book, THE SMART ONE.
She describes it as “a sister story with a bright voice, a dark crime and more humor than I expected (sometimes my characters surprise me).” And if you’d like to follow along, she’s blogged about her book tour here.
Ellen’s done a number of appearances over the past two years, including this one with her literary hero, Alice Hoffman.
You can visit Ellen at ellenmeister.com. Enjoy!
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And what about the prolific Lauren Baratz-Logsted?
She has just written a children’s series with her eight-year-old daughter and her husband. It’s called THE SISTERS 8, and it features octuplets whose parents disappear one night. And the reason I won’t say more is because I want you to get details over at this cool new website, which features animated pictures, photos, book excerpts, and a podcast!
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Now it’s your turn! Where are you now?
Kimberly
September 3, 2008I feel like I’m back in 5th Grade and I’m writing my “What I Did On My Summer Vacation” report. 🙂
So, Mrs. Henderson… here’s what I did:
– – – – –
I was the Associate Producer on a film that shot here in the city this summer: 7 to the Palace. For those of you who are longing for a better definition of an “Associate Producer”, it means that I basically picked up whatever was falling off of the other producers’ plates – dealing with visas, unions, agents, crew, interns, actors, press, product placement, legal clearances & releases, etc, etc, etc.
My latest short doc, Why We Wax, played in a few festivals across the country, but ended the summer in Palm Springs, CA, where Aurelio O’Brien was kind enough to trek all the way out to the desert to join me for the screening! We had an amazing day together!
That film’s next scheduled stop is in Amsterdam at the International Documentary Film Festival of Amsterdam (IDFA), where I will be going in late November. Can’t wait for that one!
Also, I was invited to join the ranks of Those Who Write for Brad Listi at The Nervous Breakdown. I’m humbled, to say the least.
And then, I moved out to Brooklyn and when I’m not stripping baseboards, ripping out sheet rock or painting anything that will stand still, I’m working on setting up my next film – which this time, I’ll be the writer/director/producer.
And my website for links to other tidbits, blogs, etc is located here: She Shoots to Conquer.
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I hope I get a good grade. I double-checked for typos and everything.
Aurelio
September 3, 2008Fun follow-ups! I had no idea Brad Listi had gone all political on us. What an amazing group! Congrats all around.
As for me, I’m still working on novel #2. I hang out, when I can, on MySpace, and I keep my own website:
http://www.aurelioobrien.com
Aurelio on MySpace
lorioliva
September 3, 2008Thank you for the great update! I am enjoying reading everyone’s news. I’m hunkered-down and focused on revising my novel. I plan to have it finished by year’s end. My website is: http://www.lorioliva.com
EllenMeister
September 3, 2008Thanks for posting my update, Sue … and for this whole entry. I love reading what everyone is up to, both in the blog and in the comments section.
xo
EkEkEkEk07
September 3, 2008thanks for the updates!
i am revising a personal essay and writing an annotation. good tiiimes!
LaurenBaratzLogsted
September 3, 2008In addition to what you already noted – thanks, Susan! – my latest adult novel pubbed two days ago, BABY NEEDS A NEW PAIR OF SHOES, about an obsessive-compulsive window washer whose sudden shoe fetish turns into a casino blackjack problem. Oh, and I got sun-poisoning on my vacation!
SusanHenderson
September 3, 2008Hey all you lovely people, I’ll catch up with comments tomorrow. Today was my boys’ first day back to school, and I cried when they got off the bus because I got used to them being around all day and it was just that good to see them coming home again.
5speener0
September 3, 2008WOW! You guys are too busy…how do you do it?
Ms. Kimberly–you get an A+ with a double-WOW! I’m tired (and really interested in how you did it all) looking at your list of accomplishments here, on the playground, and on your site.
Mr. Aurelio…you are too cool. Oh, just workin’ on that second novel…well, let me finish any ONE of the 10-plus projects I’ve got going! Can you tell me how to do that? 🙂 Working on a second novel is SUCH a thing to be proud of! We may have to start calling your “Our Coolio”…kinda rhymes with ‘Aurelio’, doesn’t it?
Speaking of cool…my favourite Atlantina, Ms. Lori Oliva, who’s been cleaning the cobwebs and dusting off her work and life, is getting ready to dish out her lovely “Southern Fried Latina” novel. I visited you new site and, well, I, um, er…I was downright impressed! When you can communicate so clearly who you are and what you do, you’ve sold prospective clients on your work! I am not quite so clear up front. Oh, no! I’ve got to take you on a little journey first. This reminds me–here I go, on another journey–I clicked on your Latina site/blog and did the little Myers-Briggs thingy and guess what? I’m still an ENFP. Yes, Ms. INTP, every time you need to retire to the quiet of your thoughts, I’m more interested in going out to meet new people. 🙂
It seems that you and I are both rather rare–2% of the population for my type and only 1% for yours! I remember doing this “professionally” a couple of years ago and I came back as an ENFJ!!!, but all of the folks who are around me (who also had to complete a test, filling it out as though they were me) said that I was an ENFP. Seems I’ve compensated, having been in demanding real world jobs. This ENFJ type is even rarer than the others I’ve mentioned…is that good or bad? You may all like to try this out, even though you’ve done it before. Go to http://southernfriedlatina.com, read Lori’s latest blog entry and follow the link to a quick self-test to find or confirm your type.
SO….what have I been up to? AND…where am I now?
The obvious answer is, distracting myself from the “paying” work by doing fun things, like the Myers-Briggs Type thingy.
Other things I’ve been up to:
Organizing, marketing and promoting my artist friend Jeffery Callaham. Do any of you know how consuming it is to try and organize an artist? http://www.jefferycallaham.com
Trying to re-focus on my book, The Kindness of Strangers: Stories of kindness that changed people’s lives. You can see more at http://www.myspace.com/kindnessconnection
Also looking for time to edit and upload more books to my download center at http://www.alphaconnections.net This is my business web site; if you’d like to be added to my links page, which I am JUST finishing up, please let me know. I’d love to add you. One connection, Two connections, Three connections–Four. I do love connecting with others.
Hey, tell me, really–honestly–do I digress too much? 🙂
jessicaK
September 3, 2008Susan,
Thank you for what you do to help others here and for providing this wonderful forum for connecting. I remember when you posted an interview with Pierre last year. After the exposure you gave Pierre, I felt compelled to get in touch with him and his co-author, Brian. I then had the rare pleasure of reading the manuscript before a publisher bought it. I knew it would sell and it did!! I love seeing what others are doing here and how we are making our way forward, backward, sideways or otherwise. Jessica Keener
SusanHenderson
September 4, 2008I think that meant the world to them, your immediate response to his interview and then to his manuscript. What matters most of all to writers is for their stories to connect with others.
Miss you. Seems like forever ago we were eating that split pea soup together. Remember how many packets of salt we had to put in it to make it edible?
SusanHenderson
September 4, 2008Here, let’s link it: http://www.amazon.com/Baby-Needs-Pair-Shoes-Dress/dp/0373895763/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1220543109&sr=8-1
I remember you telling your stories of washing Nile Rodgers’ windows. Glad to see it slip into your fiction.
SusanHenderson
September 4, 2008Where are the good markets for sending personal essays? I wish NewPages had a button for fiction and non-fiction. http://www.newpages.com/litmags/index.htm
SusanHenderson
September 4, 2008Thanks for the salad/diet Coke outing the other day. We’ll have to do it again soon.
SusanHenderson
September 4, 2008I know ALL about revisions! You’ll feel so good when it’s done, and you won’t regret having taken that time to get it just right.
SusanHenderson
September 4, 2008Brad is like the Energizer Bunny, isn’t he? You know I feel for you doing the hard work of revising. Mine felt like running back to back to back to back marathons.
SusanHenderson
September 4, 2008Wow, I really like how Jeffery Callaham messed with size and perspective on that outhouse painting. Makes it so emotional!
Love the concept of your book.
SusanHenderson
September 4, 2008I know very well that the Associate Producers and Stage Managers of the world are the ones who get everything done! Excited about your new apartment, and, damn, but you did a lot this summer!
EkEkEkEk07
September 4, 2008I’m an MFA student, so my personal essay is being submitted to my professor, aaah! thanks for the link.
RustyB
September 4, 2008Oh God. This summer has been brutal. My daughter Logan was born a month early, after an incredibly difficult pregnancy, my mother-in-law (who lived with us) died a month later, my wife had kidney stones throughout the pregnancy, and yet I managed to finish my first novel, titled Youth and Young Manhood, from the Kings of Leon CD lying nearby when I finished the 365th page. I started a new side project, a blogazine called Fried Chicken and Coffee (friedchickenandcoffee.blogspot.com), about Appalachian and grit lit fiction, and this week I’m putting up Night Train Issue 8.2, ten fiction writers and ten poets guaranteed to please.
I’m happy the summer is over, to be honest.
Kimberly
September 4, 2008All designed to keep me out of trouble, but somehow, I managed to find a little of that too! 😉
SusanHenderson
September 4, 2008Rusty, I’m so sorry you had such a tough summer. Here, let me link Night Train for everyone: http://www.nighttrainmagazine.com/
Love the name Logan!
Aurelio
September 4, 2008Lauren, you are amazing, and one of my role models.
SusanHenderson
September 4, 2008I just realized I didn’t give my own update. After a year with three rounds of edits, my novel is done! And I have websites here: http://www.publishersmarketplace.com/members/SusanHenderson/
Here: http://www.redroom.com/author/susan-henderson
And here: http://www.myspace.com/susanhenderson
lance_reynald
September 5, 2008did we both just really edit for a year?
sheeesh.
well, that part being done I’m beginning work on the next one and trying to shape up another project that is all hush hush… hopefully I get to share something about that soon.
and I’m certain all of you will want to rush right over to amazon as soon as I have a pre-sales link for Pop Salvation, right??
xoxo.
SusanHenderson
September 5, 2008My question is more like, Was it really only a year? It felt like five!
And absolutely on those pre-sales!
xoxo
LaurenBaratzLogsted
September 5, 2008I love you!
LaurenBaratzLogsted
September 5, 2008And I love you too!