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I am honored to come before you tonight as a guest of the
Books Etc. series to discuss my novel, Anthropology
of an American Girl.
It bears mentioning at the outset that I am not simply
a new author, I am an independent one. I have moved so
far without industry ties or connections. I have no agent,
and my publisher, Vernacular Press, of which I am part
owner, is very, very small. I do not necessarily endorse
moving this way, nor do I intend to speak disparagingly
of the system of publishing as it exists today. I mean
simply to say that my presence as a guest is proof that
this series is truly devoted to providing the Barnard community
with a plurality of voices. Though I am humbled to follow
in the footsteps of such authors as Alice Walker, Jhumpa
Lahiri, Anna Quindlen and others, I am proud to be the
guest of a college which pays real tribute to artistic
diversity. I hope that I can live up to the honor of my
inclusion by offering some modest insight into the writing
and publishing processes.
 Perhaps
it is best to focus not on what I have done, which is to
have written
a book, but on what I have done differently, which is to
have retained ownership of that book in order
to use it as the cornerstone of a small publishing company.
Though this process has demanded a serious investment of
time, money, and professional focus, and in many respects,
I have simply exchanged one set of challenges for another,
I can tell you honestly that I feel uncompromised by the
experience. It is not uncommon to hear artists talk of
the book they wanted to write or the film they wanted to
make. I wrote the book that I wanted to write. I wanted
to write a personal story. I wanted to experiment
with voice. I wanted to bring to writing the freedom of
process
that a painter might experience, and I wanted to
bring to publishing the freedom of production that an independent
filmmaker might enjoy.
 If
there have been mistakes that we’ve made along
the way, I trust that they work to our advantage. Hopefully,
they demonstrate that what we are striving for at Vernacular
is an experience of literature that is a little wild, electric,
insurgent, fearless, and ultimately, personal. We believe
that originality is a precious commodity, and we are committed
to protecting and preserving “voice.”
The only advice I might offer young writers is the advice
I try to follow myself. I try to think of risk in terms
of opportunity. I try to stay on top of fear. I try to
maintain a reasonable relationship with hardship. I try
to maintain a view of resources that is not exclusively
financial. Vernacular has come this far based upon the
kindness of friends and the generosity of strangers. Young
people are uniquely blessed in this regard. Go to your
friends, find areas of overlap, and work together to accomplish
mutual goals.
I would like to thank Suzanne Trimmel and Petra Tuomi of
the Barnard Office of Public Affairs for their generous
time and attention, and Maire Jaanus and Timea Szell of
the English and Creative Writing Departments, respectively.
As a lifetime New Yorker and a longtime listener and supporter
of WNYC I am very happy that it has taken on sponsorship
of the Books Etc. series. There are so many opportunities
to berate the media and so few to praise them, that I want
to take a minute to express my gratitude to WNYC and to
offer my best wishes for that station’s continued
independence. I hope you will all help them maintain it. |
