TBR: In the Key of New York City: A Memoir in Essays by Rebecca McClanahan

TBR [to be read] is a semi-regular, invitation-only interview series with authors of newly released/forthcoming, interesting books who will tell us about their new work as well as offer tips on writing, stories about the publishing biz, and from time to time, a recipe!

Give us your elevator pitch: what’s your book about in 2-3 sentences?

Can we pretend it’s a high-rise elevator (it’s a New York City book, after all) so that I can take 3 long sentences? I’m pushing the elevator button now. Here goes:

Alternating between brief vignettes and sustained narratives, this memoir-in-essays tracks the heartbeat of New York through the ears of a newcomer: in overheard conversations on park benches, songs and cries sifted through apartment walls, and in encounters with street people dispensing unexpected wisdom. Having uprooted their settled life in North Carolina to pursue a long-held dream of living in Manhattan, the author and her husband struggle to find jobs, forge friendships, and create a home in a city of strangers. The 9/11 attacks and a serious cancer surgery complicate their story, merging the public with the private, the present with the past, to shape a journey richer than either could have imagined.

Which essay did you most enjoy writing? Why? And, which essay gave you the most trouble, and why?

Since my book is a hybrid (a memoir-in-essays) rather than a collection of essays, it’s difficult to separate my process of writing the independent essays from my process of shaping the full book, but I’ll do my best: “Signs and Wonders,” the opening piece, was fun to write, as it represents the briefer, voice-propelled essays in the book. For me, this kind of essay comes naturally, as I can snap into my musical history (I was a vocalist) and delight in the sounds and rhythms of the lines. This is not to say that I don’t attend closely to the language of the longer braided, segmented, or narrative essays as well. But because longer essays require so much revising and reordering and reshaping before they are finished—a process that often stretches into years—I tend to remember their hard labor rather than the more joyous moments that were of course part of their making as well.

Tell us a bit about the highs and lows of your book’s road to publication.

Oh dear, do I have to? Chronicle the lows, I mean? Following up on the “hard labor” note above, I prefer to be like those women who claim not to remember the pain of childbirth. Suffice it to say that it was indeed a long road we traveled—the book and I—on the way to publication. But each step (or misstep, perhaps) brought the manuscript closer to the book it was destined to become. I guess what I’m saying is that the highs and lows merge in my memory. Both were necessary, as I imagine they are for all writers who are committed to remaining on the long road of writing, wherever it may take them.

What’s your favorite piece of writing advice?

Writing begets more writing. Meaning grows on the page. And this, from William Faulker’s Nobel speech: “. . . the human heart in conflict with itself which alone can make good writing because only that is worth writing about . . . “

My favorite writing advice is “write until something surprises you.” What surprised you in the writing of this book?

Every sentence I write is a surprise; I’m always amazed to witness words growing into sentences and then paragraphs or stanzas and then, if I’m lucky and hang on long enough, into whole poems or essays or stories or books. However successful or flawed the final product might be, the process itself always feels miraculous to me. Imagine: we writers have only the alphabet to work with, yet so many possibilities arise! As for this particular book, what surprised me was how organically related the essays actually were, once I discovered the threads that connected them. Though the pieces vary in length, timeline, form, and thematic emphasis, they all touch on what I imagine as the soundtrack—or heartbeat—of my New York experience. I was delighted when early readers of the manuscript heard this soundtrack. Their responses led me to the final title of the book: In the Key of New York City.

Who is your ideal reader?

In some ways, my ideal reader is always the same for every book: a reader who is willing to step into the pages with me and complete the transaction I’ve begun. I covet readers who are emotionally smart, who can do the work that I believe readers want to do: to make the text their own in any way they can. In the case of this book, of course I hope to touch any reader who has some connection to New York. But I hope that the book’s reach extends beyond that—to anyone who has ever been uprooted or who has felt like a newcomer or outsider, who has longed for connection, and who has been lucky enough to experience a place that changed them in remarkable ways. Maybe that’s reaching too high, but that is my aim. I am grateful to each and every reader. Readers make books possible.

Inquiring foodies and hungry book clubs want to know: Any food/s associated with your book? (Any recipes I might share?)

In one of the essays, I write about offering my homemade cookies to New York apartment neighbors—and the Con Ed guy—to entice them to become friends. Sadly, the scheme didn’t work too well, but the cookies were excellent! I used the traditional Toll House recipe for chocolate chip and the inside-lid recipe on Quaker Oats for the oatmeal ones, which were the Con Ed guy’s favorite, by the way.

[Editor’s note: Here’s the recipe for the chocolate chip cookies…a favorite in my house!]

READ MORE ABOUT THIS AUTHOR: www.rebeccamcclanahanwriter.com

ORDER THIS BOOK FOR YOUR OWN TBR STACK: https://redhenpress.org/products/in-the-key-of-new-york-city-by-rebecca-mcclanahan

READ AN ESSAY FROM THIS BOOK, “’And We Shall be Changed’: New York City, September, 2001”: https://kenyonreview.org/kr-online-issue/remembering-911-web-feature/selections/‘and-we-shall-be-changed’-new-york-city-september-2001/

TBR: Etiquette for Runaways--A Novel by Liza Nash Taylor

TBR [to be read] is a semi-regular, invitation-only interview series with authors of newly released/forthcoming, interesting books who will tell us about their new work as well as offer tips on writing, stories about the publishing biz, and from time to time, a recipe!

Give us your elevator pitch: what’s your book about in 2-3 sentences?

A sweeping Jazz Age tale of regret, ambition, and redemption set in rural Virginia, New York and Paris and inspired by true events, including the Great Moonshine Conspiracy Trial of 1935 and Josephine Baker’s 1925 Paris debut in Le Revue Nègre.

Which character did you most enjoy creating? Why?

I think that bad characters are fun, since we can have them act out things the rest of us (hopefully) repress, like fantasies of revenge, and throwing stuff. The trick is to make these characters sympathetic or likable in some way so they don’t come across as melodramatic stereotypes, right? My character Dora is a street-smart petty thief and probably a sociopath, but she’s generous with the spoils of her pilfering, and she’s a lot of fun at a nightclub.

And, which character gave you the most trouble, and why?

Each of the three parts of this novel are set in different places and each has its own set of characters. I’d have to say that my main character, May Marshall, brought me the most grief. I went through two agents, an MFA program, and several workshops and classes working on this novel. My friend Mary Kay Zuravleff (who’s a fabulous teacher and author) told me early on that May needed to have more agency. She was right. With each revision and draft May’s character became more complex and conflicted. She found her own voice, and I was surprised at how much I was able to tap into my own memories of feelings—especially shame and social anxiety—and attribute those emotions to her. Sometimes that means delving into those locked drawers and reliving some painful stuff. In some cases, I found myself wondering why I continued to hold onto some of this old crap. But we do, don’t we? And here, look! It’s has a use, at last. As it turned out, May develops agency as the plot progresses, and maybe I was also developing some agency as a writer. In the final edits with my publishing editor Jen Pooley, May learned to speak up for herself and make a stand. Agency ended up being a primary theme in the story, and every scene seemed to tie back to that one thing. But it was a process and as a writer, I needed to give myself permission to write a character who is flawed and vulnerable.

Tell us a bit about the highs and lows of your book’s road to publication.

As I said above, this book took a lot of revising. I even did a big revision after it was under contract. It took a whole year for me to get my publishing contract once it was negotiated. During that time I didn’t touch the manuscript or even look at it, so when I did go back in with my editor I had fresh eyes. So that was something of a blessing, I suppose. As I said before, I submitted this manuscript in 2016 and signed with an agent. When it became clear, after almost a year that our separate visions for this story diverged, we split up, the manuscript having never been sent out to publishing houses. It was tough, and I had a lot of self-doubt. I had to revise and submit all over again. After I found a new agent the manuscript went out right away and took about six months to sell. During that time I finished my MFA and a second manuscript, which is a stand-alone sequel to ETIQUETTE FOR RUNAWAYS. I was fortunate that my agent, Mark Gottlieb, brokered a two-book deal for me.

What’s your favorite piece of writing advice?

Let constructive criticism marinate.

While I worked on this novel I was getting my MFA, and I was learning SO much about dialogue, and character, and pacing—everything! It seems now like every lesson and workshop and advisor is represented in the final product. Taking constructive criticism can be tough, but I leaned that sleeping on it always helps. My first, gut reaction is usually feeling wounded or defensive, or misunderstood, and when we feel that way I think we stop listening. I know I do. The writer’s ego needs to go wait in the car while we get about the business of sifting through suggestions and criticism, picking out what resonates and implementing it, even when it’s hard and we’ve heard something we know is true (but didn’t want to spend the time fixing) like changing from third person to first person, or something huge like that—and once you accept it it’s actually a relief and you can get back to work with purpose.

My favorite writing advice is “write until something surprises you.” What surprised you in the writing of this book?

Endings! In both of my novels the endings didn’t reveal themselves to me until I was about three-fourths of the way through. I realized, once I had an ending, that I needed to know my characters more deeply before their behavior could be predicted. I needed to let them fall down, and make stupendously stupid choices even while I was (silently) yelling, “No! Don’t DO that, you idiot!” or something similar. When the endings came to me, they weren’t tied up in a pretty bow. Life seldom is.

How did you find the title of your book?

ETIQUETTE FOR RUNAWAYS was not the original title. I liked my first title, The Thin End of the Wedge, but it proved, alas, to be problematic. It was a British idiom I first read in Nancy Mitford’s fabulous 1945 novel, The Pursuit of Love. As proclaimed by her character Uncle Matthew Radlett, “the thin end of the wedge” denotes a seemingly insignificant event or action certain to lead to catastrophe and ruin. So, being that the phrase was British and somewhat antiquated, most Americans had never heard it. So it had to be explained, which involved describing not only the meaning of the idiom but also the source. This became tedious. People’s eyes glazed over before I even got to start describing my plot. Then, adding on to that, there was an ongoing issue of the title being repeated with the wrong wording. The title was THE THIN END OF THE WEDGE, but people kept saying “The Thin EDGE of the Wedge.” I got tired of correcting, then going on to explain the meaning, source, etc. as eyes glazed over. So after this happened several times, I asked my publisher if we could re-think it, and they agreed.

I pulled a lot of hair out, wondering, What makes a title great? If I figure it out, maybe I’ll write a book about it titled, Titles for Dummies, or similar. Here’s what I do know: good tiles are evocative and intriguing. Many of them challenge us to puzzle out their meaning—what the hell is a clockwork orange? What was the curious incident/ the something wicked? Those phrases would entice me to pick up the book and have a closer look, and maybe read the cover copy.

So, the final title comes from several references in the story to Emily Post’s premier guide to manners: Etiquette in Society, in Business, in Politics and at Home, which was first published in 1922. My main character would have owned a copy. At several points in the story she wonders what Mrs. Post would do in similar circumstances.

Inquiring foodies and hungry book clubs want to know: Any food/s associated with your book? (Any recipes I might share?)

Yes! I have a signature cocktail called a Bitter Blow. The book is set during prohibition, and at that time people were coming up with creative cocktails to mask the flavor of corn liquor. In the book it’s described this way: “Shadblowberry cordial, moonshine, soda water, and a dash of bitters.”  Shadblow berries are sort of a cross between a blueberry and a currant. My dogs eat them off the bushes in our yard. I’m working on translating this into a modern-day recipe. I’m thinking it will be something like a Cosmopolitan with Cassis instead of cranberry, or something similar.

*****

READ MORE ABOUT THIS AUTHOR: https://lizanashtaylor.com/

READ MORE ABOUT THIS PUBLISHER: https://www.blackstonepublishing.com/

ORDER THIS BOOK FOR YOUR TBR STACK:  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1982603941?pf_rd_r=B02JCYEYXM38Q8VJFAA4&pf_rd_p=ab873d20-a0ca-439b-ac45-cd78f07a84d8

TBR: With or Without You by Caroline Leavitt

TBR [to be read] is a semi-regular, invitation-only interview series with authors of newly released/forthcoming, interesting books who will tell us about their new work as well as offer tips on writing, stories about the publishing biz, and from time to time, a recipe!

Give us your elevator pitch: what’s your book about in 2-3 sentences?

 Simon, a 40-year-old once famous rocker is arguing with his long-time partner, Stella, about coming with him for a possible breakout tour. But Stella wants him to settle down and grow up—she wants a child, to buy their NYC apartment. Arguing, they drink, and then drug, and both fall asleep. In the morning, Simon wakes, but Stella has gone into coma, and when she wakes, months later, Simon’s chance is gone and Stella now has a completely different personality, something that will dramatically change both their lives, as well as the life of Libby, the young doctor caring for Stella.

Which character did you most enjoy creating? Why? And, which character gave you the most trouble, and why?

Truthfully, my favorite chapters to write were Stella in her coma. I’m not sure why, but it felt so different, so somehow freeing. What gave me the most trouble was the first chapter where it all is so fraught, and they are fighting and it’s blizzarding outside and everything, everything is falling apart. I was so into the scene, I kept going into my husband’s office across the hall to make sure he was there and we were all right!

Tell us a bit about the highs and lows of your book’s road to publication.

I’ve been blessed to be with Algonquin for my past four novels, so that is a definite high! My low was that just as I had this book sort of mapped out to sell, my editor there left! I cried, she cried, and though I could have moved on with her to another publisher, Algonquin had changed my life—they had truly given me a career—and I just couldn’t do it. So I was working with a new editor who bought the book, the award-winning Chuck Adams, and I was anxious. Would this work out? Would he like me and like my work? It turns out it was a brilliant move, and that is always the best, because the relationship between a writer and your editor is something sacred.

I’m writing this answer now months before things begin to happen, though I’ve already sold audio rights in auction, and the book was named 202 Most Anticipated by She Reads. There’s film interest. BUT there is a lot more scary things to come, like pre-pub reviews, etc. etc. You can never know how a book is going to be received. The only way I can protect myself from obsessing is to hurl myself into a new novel, which I’ve already started!

What’s your favorite piece of writing advice?

Never ever give up. When you most feel that what you are writing is junk and you should give it up and apply to dental school, it means that you are really digging deep into your subconscious, and your subconscious is doing push-back. Write what scares you.

My favorite writing advice is “write until something surprises you.” What surprised you in the writing of this book?

I was surprised by the emotions that the book brought up in me. I didn’t realize that I was so tortured by the idea of fame, who gets it and why, what it does and doesn’t mean, but it all came out with my character of Simon. I also didn’t realize I was writing about midlife, and how what we want changes as we change, until I reread some of my pages!

How did you find the title of your book?

Ah, titles! NO ONE liked my original title, which I honestly don’t remember. I had to come up with 20 more titles and they all hated those, too. (This is par for the course. I had wanted to call Pictures of You, Breathe, and they nixed it. I had so many titles, I finally told my editor to call it whatever she wanted so we could move on!) Same thing happened with Cruel Beautiful World, and my actor son Max, named it! Chuck, my editor, decided on With or Without You. And it stuck! (Hilariously, I am not a U-2 fan.)

Inquiring foodies and hungry book clubs want to know: Any food/s associated with your book? (Any recipes I might share?)

STRAWBERRY SMOOTHIE

Stella’s mom makes this for her, and being Stella’s mom, she has no exact recipe.

Throw into a blender:

2 cups of nut milk of your choice, or whole milk if you want

1 ½ cups of fresh strawberries (or frozen is okay, too)

Dash of cinnamon
Drip of vanilla (almond extract is also the bomb!)

If you are daring, a dash of chile powder

Whir to the consistency you want!
Add a paper straw!

*****

READ MORE ABOUT THIS AUTHOR: www.Carolineleavitt.com

ORDER THIS BOOK FOR YOUR OWN TBR STACK:

https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781616207793