Kern Carter's Blog, page 147
June 5, 2020
What authors need to know about pitching manuscripts— [Interview]
Olivia Taylor Smith gives emerging authors advice on what independent publishers are looking for.
What authors need to know about pitching manuscripts— [Interview] with Editor Olivia Taylor Smith
Olivia Taylor Smith gives emerging authors advice on what independent publishers are looking for.
June 4, 2020
Vietnamese Liberal Publishing House wins international prize
This is ultra important. Liberal Publishing House publishes books out of Vietnam, an environment where the government controls the publishing industry. That means employees of Liberal Publishing House put their safety and freedom on the line for the love of printing books they believe need to be read.
They’re forced to take super-clandestine measures not to get caught, and even readers who are caught with their books face harassment, arrest and allegedly even torture.
The Prix Voltaire prize was awarded by the International Publishers Association (IPA) for “courage in upholding the freedom to publish.” It’s the IPA’s most prestigious award.
CRY
was originally published in C.R.Y on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
June 3, 2020
June 1, 2020
Race and Writing — We’ve Been Here Before
It’s not often that I’m at a loss for words. Especially when it comes to sharing my thoughts through writing, I’m usually bursting with opinions and creative stories I want to share.
This time is different. I don’t have too much to say. As a black writer, I’ve purposely not written about race. I’m someone who has insisted that I be judged by the content I create without the expectation that content be rooted in race. I just want to tell stories and so when I did mention race, it was in opposition to feeling forced to mention it. They were pieces like the ones below:
My Black Writers — Let’s Stop Telling the Same Stories
Why Do I Have to Write About Being Black
Being Black Doesn’t Make Me DifferentBut re-reading these posts have brought me to a different realization; we need black stories more than ever. First, for the people within our own community. We need to be heard, to feel represented, to feel like we are controlling our own narratives and telling stories that reflect our truth and reality.
Then, for those outside of our community. You need to understand who we are. You need to know what’s important to us and read or see or hear the stories that have gotten us to this point. There’s no compassion without caring, and it’s clear that there are still far too many outside of our community who lack compassion.
And I’m not saying that all of the stories we tell need to be the same. What I’m saying is that there is a need for these stories to be clearly established from a black perspective.
I certainly don’t have all the answers, but I’m hoping we can all find some common ground in our love for creating.
CRY
Race and Writing — We’ve Been Here Before was originally published in C.R.Y on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
My Writing and Full-Time Job Do the Dance of Compromises
Committed to their relationship, the two sides regularly balance compromises in a world with real demands and desires
