He’s a little bit rock-n-roll? Or maybe it’s the other way around. Not sure, but with the Osmonds all over the news these days, I couldn’t resist. Anyway, this here’s a pic of an engagement present our friends Rebecca and Jeremy Wallace-Segall (aka Rebeccemy) and Katie Orenstein gave Marco and me the other night. The photo on our chests was taken of us, in our cowboy hats, at Rebeccemy’s wedding (runaway bride scene now immortalized on YouTube) earlier this fall.
These here are pics from last night’s party for RED–at a dim sum palace. I finally learned why this title. “RED,” it was explained to me, signals the outpouring of feeling that 58 emerging teenage girl writers spill onto the page of this anthology, which the editor referred to as “The real Daring Book for Girls.” (Hey, I still maintain the original Daring Book is daring too.)
The girls were terrific–talented, moving, and real. And it was fun hanging with Laura from Catalyst, Lauren Sandler, and Lauren’s awesome dude Justin, too (pictured above, from left to right). More on the book here.
I am SO having my next book party somewhere where they serve sticky pork buns. Mmmm.
Tonight on The O’Reilly Factor at 8pm EST,Courtney Martin will be battling it out with conservative pundit Laura Ingraham over issues of sexual freedom, and more. Courtney, you’re my hero. Hang tough.
A quick update from the Woodhull Institute of Ethical Leadership (which has partnered with the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty in order “to share success building tools through online training sessions that promote ethical development and empower women to act as agents of positive social change”):
Right now, Public Speaking trainings instructed by Woodhull co-founder Naomi Wolf and non-profit development professional and poet Tara Bracco are available online, here. There’s also an opportunity to “ask the experts,” Naomi and Tara, your questions.
The next module, Negotiation, will begin on December 3, 2007, and is led by our own dear Susan Devenyi. More info on all the online trainings here.
Sometimes I am just blown away at the talent of friends in my midst. This week, I ran into an old friend (um, crush?) at a film screening, who I found out has cut two CDs of late. I downloaded Racing Grey by “Steven Mark” and love it. His other one is called Aloneaphobe. If you’re into folk rock, I highly recommend.
And if that weren’t enough, my 23-year-old friend Sarah Ann Corkum is part of a band called Cordoroy Days (pictured left). They played on the Lower East Side this week to much acclaim. Their album is called Lose the Map and falls under alt-country-folk-rock. Killer harmonizing, Sarah Ann!
Man, and I can’t even play the tambourine.
We know that men dominate the op-ed pages, left and right. (My friend Catherine Orenstein is doing much to counter that.) But you would think that in a new media mode, like the video opinion site Bloggingheads.tv, and the related feature at the New York Times online, there might be an effort to correct the imbalance from the start. Right? Wrong. I just did a count and only 3 of the 20 bloggingheads debating issues of the day at the New York Times online are women. And there’s nary a woman on Bloggingheads.tv homepage. I don’t know how the heads are chosen, but come on. Can’t we do a little better?
For those of you unfamiliar with this new opinion format–and for the female among you who are ready to step up and offer yourself up to Bloggingheads.tv–here are some samples:
I am inwardly jumping up and down with excitement at this news: feministing has won the Bloggers Choice Award for Best Political Blog–by a landslide! As the gals over there might say, hells yeah! Angryharry came in second, and DailyKos came in third.
My heartfelt congrats–and kudos!–to Jessica, Ann, Vanessa, Samhita, Courtney, and everyone else who works so hard to make feministing the sassy, savvy, edgy, witty, informative, provocative, intelligent blog that it is. And do check out the very prolific Jessica Valenti’s new book, already available for pre-order, here.
Just wanted to gush for a moment about the participants in my current “Making It Pop: Translating Your Ideas for Trade” class. I’m jazzed by the book projects they’re working on, and last night we had Seal Press managing editor Laura Mazer as our guest via conference call, fielding their questions. She was, as always terrific, and I definitely learned a thing or two (or ten) myself.
Meanwhile, I thought I’d start sharing here some of the “advice” that my guests and I are dishing out on the private group blog I’ve established for participants of the course, in the hope that it might be helpful to others of you out there. For what it’s worth!
A few participants asked me the question the other week, “What if I get scooped?” Meaning, what if you find out, as you’re working on your book proposal, that someone else is coming out with a book that sounds frighteningly similar to yours. Here’s my response:
NO one else has your brain, your particular constellation of experience and perspective. So even if you hear of someone else writing about the very topic that has become your heart and soul, TRY not to let it get you down. It’s hard, I know. I learned this the hard way.
Let’s say, however, that you just learned through the grapevine about something in the works that feels way too similar to your vision. There are infinite ways to regroup. Say you were working on a proposal for a cultural history of single women, structured chronologically from the early 20th century-present, and you just heard about a book coming out called Bachelor Girl, that is already in galleys, and that follows, gulp, the very same structure. (This happened to me. My cousin knew the book’s editor.) Instead of folding up your tent in defeat–which is, ahem, exactly what I did–you could considering transforming your idea into an anthology. Or into a compilation of writings about singleness written by single women through the ages. Or you could ask to see a copy of the galley and find out what that other author is *not* covering and make that your jumping off point. There is never just one book that can be written on a subject. If the topic is worth one book, chances are it’s worth more.
Reviewers like to review books in twos and threes, so overlap sometimes works to your advantage, if the timing is right. Also, remember that a newspaper or magazine article is not the same as a book. Often, the journalist who writes a piece that’s close to your topic, or your perspective, can become your ally (and review your book later on!). Chances are, he or she is not already writing your book. Because your book is YOUR book. It’s you.
That said, there is, as they say, very little that’s truly new, under the sun. Much of what we write and think and teach is a continuation of what’s already out there. So the trick is to tap into your particular contribution–from the start. What perspective/experience/angle do you have, because of who you are, that others don’t? Answer that, and you will never, ever, be “scooped.”
Does anyone know of any? Do they exist? Someone recently asked me for a list, and I’m not sure where to look. Thanks for any tips out there!
…but can’t envision your next step?
Once again, something–or rather, someone–I’ve come upon who is too good not to share. Her name is Shari Cohen, and she’s the Principal at Intersections Resources, her coaching firm.
I know Shari through her work at Demos, where she currently heads up the Fellows program. Shari has been helping leaders (including thought leaders) solve problems more effectively for ten years and brings the depth of a political sociologist, the breadth of a scenario planner, and the insight of a coach and a teacher to her work coaching individuals and organizations. And let’s just say she “gets” academics who decide to leave academia. She has a Ph.D. from Berkeley in political science.
Shari has worked with individuals in international development, health, philanthropy, advocacy, market research, technology, and publishing. (Organizational clients include the World Bank, Charney Research, Demos, SHARE, and the Carnegie Corporation.)
If you’re wondering what it’s like to work with a career coach, do give her a shout at sjc@intersectionsresources.net. Shari is generously offering a 20-minute sample session and a special rate on her five session package to readers of Girl with Pen. (Just mention that you heard about her through this post.)
