Terry Gross has an interview with Lloyd Schwartz, who recently co-edited Elizabeth Bishop: Poems, Prose and Letters. Schwartz established a friendship with the reclusive poet toward the end of her life.

At one point, Bishop was in the hospital, so she asked Schwartz to get some of her things from her home–including her notebook. At some point, he was left alone with the notebook in his hand. Well, who wouldn’t want a peek at a famous writer’s notebook?

When Schwartz opened the notebook, he read an unpublished poem Bishop had written called Morning Song. It moved him so much that he got a piece of paper and copied the poem out so he could keep it with him–without Bishop’s knowledge, of course. The poem was never published and didn’t show up with Bishop’s papers when she died. Schwartz finally sent the poem to her estate and it was subsequently published.

Gross asked him if he felt guilty for “borrowing” Bishop’s poem. He said:

She didn’t show me the poem so in some way I was doing something behind her back. I’m not exactly proud of that. On the other hand, I wasn’t doing it for gain or anything like that. I copied it because I loved the poem and I wanted to be able to read it and re-read it.

If someone did that to me, I would not like it. On the other hand, if he hadn’t done it, no one would have ever seen that poem. Bishop only published a small fraction of the poetry she wrote in her lifetime, which is a shame. However, she was the one who should have been able to decide what was publishable, not Schwartz or anyone else. On yet a third hand, the poem was released after her death, when it is typical of unpublished works to come out. So where does this leave us? Does it matter how the poem was acquired since we all ultimately benefit from it? Where does the writer’s wishes fit in here?

Oy… this kind of thing makes my brain hurt.

~ Joy

Vladimir Nabokov’s son says he will publish his father’s unfinished work “The Original of Laura” rather than destroying it. Since Nabokov’s death in 1977, his son Dmitri has been torn about whether he should follow his father’s last wishes and destroy the novel or share the work of a great 20th-century novelist with the world. Now in his 70s, Dmitri says his father would want him to stop suffering and go ahead and publish it.
As a writer, it makes me itchy to think that work that I didn’t think was ready for publication would be published before I was done with it. On the other hand, I am alive and not a world-famous author of significant literature.

My scholarly interest and personal itchiness are at odds in this case. Even with the context, will this unfinished novel diminish the other works he toiled to perfect? Do historical figures lose their right to control their legacies?

Current temperature: I’m not going to read it … until eventually curiosity takes over and I do.

-Marcia

via Guardian Unlimited

Now, these are tattoos I like.

Sample:

~ Joy

There’s an interesting, heated conversation going on at this blog about whether editors of literary journals solicit work instead of digging from the slush pile. Then, the writer from the aforementioned Writer, Rejected (which is fast becoming one of my favorite writing blogs, I must say) questioned whether editors should be soliciting work in the first place, saying, “The answers may make you start to think that getting published is who you know, not what you write. Seriously, some of the candid responses will make your hair curl.”

Well! That made some editors very angry, including Ellen Parker, editor of FRiGG, who Word Pirates interviewed awhile back. There’s some interesting commenting going on.

The way I see it, there are two kinds of solicitation:

A. The editor reads work she admires and asks the person to submit to the journal. I don’t see a problem with this. There’s no rule that a literary journal has to take from the slush pile. In fact, it’s good that these relationships exist because most likely, there is some sort of aesthetic connection between the writer and editor, and that can lead to great artistic partnerships and even, in the best cases, entire shifts in the literary landscape.

B. The editor solicits from friends and people she wants to network with to promote her own career. Naturally, this brings up issues of nepotism and favoritism, which go on in every industry there is. In the worst cases, it turns the lit journal into little more than a vanity publication for the editor’s friends.

In the case of A., the solicitation is based on writing. In the case of B., it is based on who the person knows. However! It gets further complicated, because most literary journals want to publish big names, which means soliciting writers based on their reputation, which is a little from column A. and a little column B. But you know, even that is understandable, as long as the journal doesn’t become something that is built purely to chase reputation and prestige.

As a freelance writer, it’s much easier when an editor and I have a working relationship. Trust is built. If they have an assignment, they come to me first because they know I can do it. If I have a great idea, I go to them first because I know they will be receptive. I don’t have to work so hard, neither does the editor. Does that mean that no other writers can write for that magazine? Of course not. It’s true that I am taking up a slot that keeps other writers out. The editor knows that my work will be clean, well-written, and turned in on time, so taking a chance on a new writer is more of a risk than using me. However, if a new writer approaches the editor with a pitch that is a great idea, fits in with the publication, and clearly demonstrates the ability to write the piece, the majority of editors will take that pitch.

Lit journals are similar. The editor is concerned with finding writers who not only can write a good story, but who can write a story that fits in with the journal’s aesthetic tone. It’s natural, then, that the editor would be more concerned with finding those writers through whatever means–solicitation, relationships based on respect (not favoritism), what have you–than digging through the slush pile for the one or two good stories that are in there. However, that doesn’t mean that when she does dig through the slush pile, and your story stands out, she’s not going to take it. It sucks that the odds are so low, but that’s the writing life. And really, if I were in that editor’s place, I would probably do the same thing.

~ Joy

Following yesterday’s post, what happens if David Foster Wallace is stranded on a desert island? (Via)

~ Joy

Don DeLillo in The Onion magazine:

~ Joy

I enjoyed Slate’s poetry FAQ, where Robert Pinsky answered “frequently asked questions about the business of verse.” It made me want to re-read William Carlos Williams.

9. Well, I like poetry that is amusing, that maybe makes me chuckle a little. I’d rather read something reassuring and light than something complicated or gloomy. Is that bad? Does that mean I am a jerk?

Yes.

~ Joy

Two places seeking your submissions:

Dossier Journal is a new independent arts and culture journal bringing together writing, photography, fashion and art in one publication. We are a bi-annual publication with a circulation of around 5,000 copies with worldwide distribution. Our format is a bit different than traditional literary magazines as we are incorporating other varied disciplines, but we hope that inclusion allows creative writing to reach a wider audience than normal.

Our first issue, which will be released May 8, includes contributions from artists Robert Longo, David Armstrong, Nan Goldin and James Welling, a short story by Dan Pope, interviews with Alice Waters, artist Francesco Clemente, writer Yiyun Li, producer Mark Ronson, along with creative writing, essays, art, fashion and photography from lots of emerging talents.

We are currently putting together our second issue and are looking for submissions of creative writing, poetry, essays, etc..Submissions should be sent to submissions@dossierjournal.com.

ALSO:

Quiddity (what a name, huh?) is seeking submissions. “Quiddity international literary journal is a publication of Springfield College-Benedictine University. It is published semi-annually in April and October. Quiddity’s companion public-radio program is produced by Illinois Public Radio’s hub station, WUIS/WIPA, NPR member and PRI affiliate, and airs regularly. Contributors to the print journal may be invited to read their work for the public-radio program.”

There you go, Word Pirates. What are you waiting for?
~ Joy

At last night’s meeting, the Word Pirates celebrated our second anniversary since Marcia, Leona, and I founded the group in 2006. Wow. Time flies, huh?

~ Joy

I prefer the somewhat utilitarian trade paperback to the hardcover book. I usually take off the jacket and am left with a bland inflexible book. However! I saw photos of the elaborate jacket and cover design for Michael Chabon’s new book “Maps and Legends.” And wow. Cool and pretty! Also: If you remove the jacket from the book, the hardcover itself is also cool looking. The jacket comes in separate layers for each color to make the design.

-Marcia

via Design Related