Sybil Baker's Blog, page 18

Engine Books publishing Into This World

Big news--my novel manuscript INTO THIS WORLD will be published by Engine Books in August 2012. The novel is about two sisters, one an adopted Korean, and the secrets they discover about their family. Much of the novel takes place in Korea, in the late 1970s up to the Kwangju uprising in 1980 and then 30 years later in 2010.
Engine Books is a new boutique fiction press that has started off with a bang. This year they are publishing Debra Monroe's celebrated memoir ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF NORMAL and her novel SHAMBLES and National Book Award finalist Patricia Henley's OTHER HEARTBREAKS.
Check out Engine Books website. They are having an Indie-pendence Sale on their books through July--get them while they're cheap and hot.
www.enginebooks.org

Week in Linden

Last week, we had a wonderful time at our friend Madalyn's cabin by the Buffalo River in Linden, Tennessee, which is in Perry county about an past Nashville toward Memphis. I got a lot of work done (there was no internet at the house and I don't have a smart phone) and did some neat walks near where we stayed in in a few parks. We had our 5th anniversary dinner in downtown Linden (about 5 minutes from the cabin) and also went to Lobelville to hear what was offered for "Music on Main'--and Lobelville was even smaller than Linden.
I was also able to stop and visit William Gay. We sat down for an interview, which I worked on after in the cabin. Talking with him is always transformative for me. On our way back I bought one of his paintings (he paints haunting landscapes) which I'm putting in my office.
Rowan did even more outside stuff and read Kant's Critique of Pure Reason and Critique of Judgment. You know, the light summer beach reading we all do.
Anyway, below are some pictures from the trip. I was surprised how invigorating is was just to change venues for a week. I hope to go back again. Thanks Madalyn!

Downtown Lobelville:
The "Music on Main" in Lobelville:

Linden:
Anniversary dinner:


The cabin:
Rowan on the Moose River:

Author Talk with Xu Xi at Asian Cha

My author talk with Xu Xi has been linked at Asian Cha, a cool online literary magazine. Check out the journal and the link to our talk here:
http://asiancha.blogspot.com/2011/06/author-talk-xu-xi-and-sybil-baker.html

Finding your subject Part II at Book Trib

My second post for Book Trib was out a few days ago, on finding your subject. Thanks to Patricia Henley for this advice--her latest short story collection will be coming out from Engine Books this fall.
http://booktrib.com/2011/06/finding-your-subject-part-ii-%E2%80%94-write-your-obsessions/

Thoughts on the New Yorker summer fiction issue?

Those of you who've read the New Yorker's fiction issue (most pieces are subscription only but you can read George Saunder's story for free see http://www.newyorker.com/fiction/) I'd be curious about your thoughts. Here are mine in brief.
1. George Saunders "Home" --this was my favorite story in the issue. I tend to like Saunder's stuff generally, and this one for me, did not disappoint for the usual reasons in his portrayal of a broken America.
2. "Asleep in the Lord" Jeffrey Eugenides. Since this story deals with a young "lost" American in Calcutta, this story was right up my own alley--and yet, while there were some great descriptions and scenes, it didn't quite pull together for me.
3. "Above and Below" Lauren Groff. A story about female protagonist English grad student who "runs away" from society after her boyfriend dumps her and (spoiler) years later seems to have re-connected to the world by having a baby--really? Again? Please, no more disconnected English grad student stories. Please.
4. "The Aquarium" Alexander Hemon. This essay about a father with one healthy daughter and one very sick one was heartbreaking and insightful. Worth reading.
5. "Trading Stories" Jhumpa Lahiri. This essay seemed familiar almost from the get-go, and then I realized it was basically the text of her keynote address at AWP 2011 in DC. So she got paid a lot of money to give the speech at AWP, then basically polish the piece for another nicely paid essay for The New Yorker. Must be nice to get away with that kind of double dipping.
Would love to hear your thoughts on these pieces.

Teaching News

I'm really excited to be on the faculty for the low residency MFA program at City University of Hong Kong. I'll be flying to Hong Kong at the end of July for a week for the summer residency. I'll be with an amazing group of writers and Junot Diaz will be the Distinguished Visiting Writer this summer. The students come from all over Asia, and I can't wait to meet them in person.
This program is the first (and only) low residency MFA in Asia and the only program to work on Asian writing. I'm so happy I got my MFA from Vermont College, but if this program had been around when I was living in Seoul I probably would have done this MFA instead.
check out their amazing website here:
http://www.english.cityu.edu.hk/mfa/

Author talk with Xu Xi at Daily s-Press

I'm excited that my author talk with writer Xu Xi is up at Daily s-Press.The conversation ranges from themes like fiction generally, teaching creative writing, and the general state of things for writers today. You can read the whole discussion at

http://dailyspress.blogspot.com/2011/06/author-talk-xu-xi-and-sybil-baker.html

Guest Post at Book Trib

My first of five guest posts Finding Your Subject Part 1: Trust Your Material is up at BookTrib

http://booktrib.com/2011/06/finding-your-subject-part-i-%E2%80%94-trust-your-material/
Remember you can also sign up all week for a free copy of Talisman!

This and that: readings and book giveaway

Just a reminder, the VCFA 30th anniversary reading is tomorrow from 10:30 to 3 at the Comedy Catch off of Brainerd Road (with a long break for lunch)--I'll be reading second, at around 10:45 or so, but please stay for as much as you can--lots of great readings are in store. Go here for more information:
http://www.chattanoogan.com/articles/article_201580.asp

Second, 10 copies of Talismans will be given away at booktrib and I'll be guest blogging that week as well. Look forward to posts about how to find discover what to write about, recommended linked short story collections, all about my book cover, and a conversation with Summer in the South author Cathy Holton. Drop by and sign up to win a free copy!
http://booktrib.com/

Seoul--a great city

My friends in the States who have never been to Seoul or Asia, don't understand why I love the city. It's hard to explain unless you've been there. I'd much rather go to an Asian city than a European one for a vacation--but that's me. Anyway, here are 50 reasons why Seoul rocks:
http://www.cnngo.com/seoul/life/50-reasons-why-seoul-worlds-greatest-city-534720?hpt=hp_bn10