Janet Fitch's Blog

African Lit Book List! Happy Thanksgiving

I had the good fortune to meet two African writers at Thanksgiving this eyar--Henneh Kyereh Kawaku, a poet and non-fiction writer from Ghana, currently a grad student working for his MFA, and Socrates Mbamalu, a working journalist from Nigeria--so of course I had to hit them up for their book recommendations--with a preference for fiction but they included everything.

Via Socrates, mostly Nigerians--
Pemi Aguda
Ayobami Adebayo
Eloghosa Osunde
Chigozie Obioma
Nneka Arimah
Yewande Omotosos
Maza Mentiste
Zukiswa Wanner
nonfiction--Emmanuel Duma (A. Strangers Pose)
Teju Cole
Einathan John
Abubabakar Adam Ibrahim
Chike Frankie Edozien (Nonfiction)
Imbolo Mbue

Via Henneh, mostly Ghanaian
Nana Kwame Adjoin Brenya
Yaa Gyasi
Ayesha Hruna Attan
Ama Ata Aidoo
Ayikwei Armah
Bisi Adjapon
Nii Parkes
Caleb Azuman Nelson
Marin Egblewogbe
DK Nnuro
Nadia Owusu
Ama Asantewa Diaka
Plus Patron Henekou poet, Togo
RAy Ndebi, poet, Cameroon

Also talked about the two recent African authors whose books I've read and loved, My Sister the Serial Killer by Nigerian author Oyinkan Braithwaite and The Old Drift by Zambian author Namwali Serpell, who Socrates said has a new one out! Can't wait to dive in to this list.

Happy thanksgiving!

Susan Straight's "Literary Map of America"

The award winning, ever-thoughtful, doggedly optimistic, novelist of grass roots America Susan Straight (author of eight novels including this year's Mecca, plus a memoir, In the Country of Women), has just released a Literary Map of America, real America, in 1000 works of fiction. As a reader, I'm screaming with delight to see regions of the nation through her eyes. The diverse collection of novels and story collections is eye popping--some of the classics, but many many books that have not yet exited their own region to find readership in the nation as a whole. I know what I'll be doing this morning!

https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story...

ROCK IS LIT interview

The Rock Is Lit podcast, focusing on rock in literature, spent some time with me talking about my punk rock novel Paint It Black and. my thoughts about the rock novel. Let's talk rock! https://rockislit.simplecast.com/epis...

DIALOGUE FOR FICTION WRITERS

My students often say that I hate dialogue. I don't hate dialogue, I love it--when it's really well done. What I hate is bad dialogue. Dialogue that marches down the page like a screenplay. Dialogue that's just a bunch of 'meet and greet'. Dialogue without conflict. Dialogue that's weighed down by exposition like a racehorse carrying a bathtub. Dialogue that no actor would want to say. Dialogue that's exactly what the reader expects.

So, I'm teaching a virtual writing workshop the weekend of Dec. 3-5, in Dialogue for Fiction Writers - five two hour Zoom sessions through the Community of Writers, where we'll address what makes good dialogue in fiction. This is dialogue for the page. Not the stage, not the screen. Fiction has tools these other media don't have. We'll examine those tools and other elements of great fictional dialogue. For more info, go to

www.communityofwriters.org/events/eve...

THE REVOLUTION OF MARINA M LIVE Book Club SESSION

To celebrate the coming publication of CHIMES OF A LOST CATHEDRAL on July 2, I'm offering a LIVE Book Club session on the first book, THE REVOLUTION OF MARINA M. through my Facebook Author page,
https://bit.ly/2ZIm7hV
It will be held on Wednesday, June 26, 7 p.m. Pacific/ 10 p.m. Eastern, and all the other time zones accordingly. No need to dress up or bring anything, just pour yourself a glass of wine! For people who have read Marina M. and rebels who just want to plunge in.

Marina M. Paperback Giveaway

Hi All--
Today is paperback publication day for THE REVOLUTION OF MARINA M. and the publisher, Little, Brown, is giving away 30 copies here on Goodreads! The giveaway goes on until November 13, check it out and sign up here: https://goo.gl/QsTrpS
Now, a MARINA M. that fits in your purse. Perfect for book clubs!
Wish you good reading, and good luck on winning a free paperback!
all best wishes,
Janet

Reading list of Native Writers from Elissa Washuta's Twitter Feed

I saw this thread of Native American and First Nations Writers we should be reading now on Elissa Washuta's twitter feed and knew I had to share it on Goodreads. Washuta is the author of A BODY IS A BOOK OF RULES and STARVATION MODE.

She wrote: “I see some non-Native readers looking for recommendations of works by Native writers who aren't Sherman Alexie. It's honestly pretty tiring to fight for attention and only get it at times like these, but I'm willing to take the opening and make some recommendations:”

So glad you did, Elissa! I have to catch juicy recommendation lists like this whenever I can.

"BAD INDIANS: A TRIBAL MEMOIR" by Deborah Miranda
"NATURE POEM" by Tommy Pico --“A book-length poem about how an American Indian writer can’t bring himself to write about nature but is forced to reckon with colonial-white stereotypes.”
"PERMA RED" by Debra Magpie Earling [I’m hearing a lot about this one] Novel.
"THIS IS THE PLACE"—Anthology, a NYT Book Review Editor’s Choice, asking “What makes a home?”
"FROM THE HILLTOP" by Toni Jensen. Short stories.
"CRAZY HORSE'S GIRLFRIEND" by Erika Wurth. Novel
Zines created by Demian DineYazhi
"ANOTHER ATTEMPT AT RESCUE" by M.L. Smoker. Poetry
"THE BEGINNING AND END OF RAPE" by Sarah Deer. [Confronting sexual violence in Native America]
"WHERE THE BULLET BREAKS" by Casandra Lopez. Poetry chapbook.
"THIS WOUND IS A WORLD" by Billy-Ray Belcourt “Just read everything.”
“Read Everything by Michael Wasson.”
“Read Everything by Jake Skeets.” Poetry.
"SOVEREIGN EROTICS: A Collection of Two-Spirit Literature" edited by Qwo-Li Driskill, Daniel Heath Justice, Deborah Miranda and Lisa Tatonetti.
"REINVENTING THE ENEMY'S LANGUAGE," Anthology of writing by Native women.
"NAMING CEREMONY" by Chip Livingson. Fiction. [He also has a new novel "Owls Don’t Have to Mean Death."]
"THE WOMAN WHO MARRIED A BEAR" by Tiffany Midge. Essays.
Byron Aspaas, nonfiction.
Sasha LaPointe, essays.
"ROCK, GHOST, WILLOW, DEER" by Allison Hedge Coke. Nonfiction.
"GENESIS" by Crisosto Apache
“Read everything by Held E. Erdrich.” Poetry.
"HYPERBOREAL" by Joan Naviyuk Kane. Poetry
"THIS IS PARADISE" by Kristiana Kahakauwila
"THE TAO OF RAVEN" and "BLONDE INDIAN" by Ernestine Hayes.
"MONKEY BEACH" by Eden Robinson. “One of my favorite novels.” She has a new one, "Son of a Trickster."
“David Treuer’s Native American Fiction: A User’s Manual was influential to me as a young writer.”
Stephen Graham Jones
Alicia Elliot
"THE LESSER BLESSED" by Richard Van Camp
"THE GRASS DANCER" by Susan Power
"MIKO KINGS" By LeAnne Howe
"WORDS LIKE LOVE" by Tanaya Winder
"WHEREAS" by Layli Long Soldier
"TRAIL OF LIGHTNING" by Rebecca Roanhorse (not yet out).
"TRIBUTARIES" by Laura Da’. Poetry.
Kenzie Allen, poet.
"LEAVING TULSA" by Jennifer Foerster
"SHE HAD SOME HORSES" by Joy Harjo
"STRANGER IN TOWN" by Cedar Sigo. Poetry.
Travino Brings Plenty. Poet.
"THERE THERE" by Tommy Orange. Novel. (Coming soon)
"AS WE HAVE ALWAYS DONE: Indigenous Freedom through Radical Resistance" by Leanne Betasamosake Simpson.
Ruby Hansen Murray—available online.
Natanya Ann Pulley.
"WHY INDIGENOUS LITERATURE MATTERS" by Daniel Heath Justice. (Coming soon)
"PASSAGE" by Gwen Benaway. Poetry.
"FULL METAL INDIGIQUEER" by Joshua Whitehead. Poetry.

Readers of Washuta’s twitter thread added some favorites of their own. Some are older writers which maybe Washuta assumed non-Native people had already heard about:
"Writer in the Blood" by James Welch [His novel "Fool’s Crow" has long been a favorite of mine]
"The Dance Boots" by Linda LeGarde Grover
“Adding names I don’t see... Joy Harjo, Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, Leslie Marmon Silko, Paula Gunn Allen, Louis Owen, Simon J. Ortiz, Luci Tapahanso, Natalie Diaz, Linda Hogan.”
"Mean Spirit" by Linda Hogan
"Exploding Chippewas" by Mark Turcotte.

As many of you know, I’m already completely reeling from reading "HEART BERRIES" by Terese Marie Maillot,. You can read my review here on Goodreads. I cannot wait to dig into this list. Thank you Elissa!

Writing Tip Videos--Writing Wednesdays

Writers, writing students, nanowrimists! Do you have writing questions? I haven't been teaching much in the last three years--too busy finishing Marina M. I'm sure I'll get back to it, but in the meantime, I thought I'd create some little writing tip videos, "Writing Wednesdays". So let me know what you want to know! And watch my Facebook author page https://www.facebook.com/Janet-Fitch-... for Writing Wednesdays.

Wish you good writing!
Janet Fitch

Russian Names

Something people often ask me is to explain is why Russian names in novels are always so dang long. I've written about this on my website in the Extras/For Book Groups, section of The Revolution of Marina M.

1. WHY DO RUSSIANS HAVE THREE NAMES?

Simple — because in the old days, you were referred to as your father’s son or daughter. Historically, last names came later.

So Marina Dmitrievna Makarova, is Marina, Dmitry’s daughter (evna or ovna for women, ovitch or evitch for men), Makarov. (If you’re a woman you end your last name with an a.)

It’s a matter of respect for an older person to be called by first and middle name, (called a patronymic -- literally 'father-name.') the same way we would call an older person Mrs. Smith instead of Deborah or god forbid, Debby.

Only older people who command respect are called by first and patronymic. It’s a clue as to the relationship that person has to the speaker. Thus, when Marina’s school friend Varvara calls Marina’s dignified father Dmitry, instead of Dmitry Ivanovitch, we know the fat’s in the fire.

When someone calls a young person by first and patronymic, it’s often a parent speaking sternly. Or, as when a young man's flirting with a young woman, there's a touch of mockery in it.

If someone's referred to by patronymic alone, that’s a slight to-not-so-slight put-down.

2. WHY DO RUSSIANS HAVE SO MANY NICKNAMES?

The Russians love nicknames — called diminutives, meaning “making little”. These nicknames aren’t the name-calling type (Squinty, Shorty etc.). It’s the John, Johnny, Jojo variety.

Each name has a standard nickname or two—Ivan becomes Vanya, Nikolai becomes Kolya, Sergei becomes Seryozha, Alexander becomes Sasha.

Then there’s rougher nickname, with a slight rascally edge — Vanka. That Ka… What boys will call other boys, watch for that.

And the enkas and ushkas, that’s babytalk — affectionate, in-the-family stuff. Marina’s old nanny is the only one who calls her Marinoushka. It’s funny that the more affectionate the diminutive becomes, the longer get gets. Seryozhenka gets the same treatment.

For more Russia insights, check out my website, www.janetfitchwrites.com

Eight Russian Poets who taught me how to write a novel about Russia

New piece on Lit Hub--talking about the eight Russian poets who shaped my sense of Russia and my character Marina, a poet, in my new book THE REVOLUTION OF MARINA M.

http://lithub.com/8-russian-poets-who...

Here's a bit of the intro:

"On a student exchange to England, I took Soviet literature—in Russian, fully exploring the level of my linguistic incompetence. It was in this class where I met the great poets of the Russian Silver Age—the time before and after the Revolution. The names still thrill me, like the names of old lovers. Akhmatova. Tsvetaeva, Mandelstam. Mayakovsky.

"The professor was an elegant Soviet émigré named Valentina. While the other professors dressed in baggy cords and bulky scarves, she wore knee high suede boots and pearls. And she read aloud. Russians don’t recite their poetry, they sing it. The poets affected me differently than the fiction writers. Their voices weren’t disguised, in the way of the novelists’, they were direct—unique, variegated flavors of Russian genius, speaking directly to the hearer. Thought condensed to lightning."

I hope you enjoy the piece and explore their remarkable work.