You tried to disguise it, but clearly you were referring to the first book of my planned quadrilogy about underwater dragons living in an Atlantis-like paradise who are visited by time-traveling Mormon scuba-divers whose attempt to convert them instead leads to their transformation into half-human sea creatures, hence the title "Book of Mermen." Okay, maybe not traditional Pulitzer material, but my publisher (my Mom) absolutely forced me to submit it everywhere.
(Your reveal about what happens behind the scenes reminded me of the travails of Jeffrey Wright's character in "American Fiction" on a jury. So funny.)
Yeah, American Fiction got it relatively well (for a much abbreviated version of the whole process)... And listen, Book of Mermen is a gotdamn treasure, don't let anyone tell you different
Thanks for this. So many small details that were surprising, yet not surprising on further thought. I appreciate all the ways you bring transparency and insight to the writing/publishing/literary life!
Great piece, Rebecca. My judging experiences have been much more modest than yours, but the notes you share about the process are exactly what I saw.
I was interested in your observation about critics calling panels to "woke", etc. When I first began writing fiction and joining writers groups (circa 2012), many of my colleagues were women and the almost universal complaint about the industry was that it favored male authors. A glance at the best seller list in those days seemed to support that contention, even though a great many authors were women and women were said to be the majority of the reading public. Today, when I look at lists of best sellers, women dominate. Similarly, listings for agents and editors are dominated by women. That may be the source of the "woke" complaints, but it seems more like a market correction to me. Anyway, thanks for a terrific post.
Thank you for a fascinating and informative peek behind the judging curtain. I feel smarter in a bunch of ways, especially now that I know how to properly pronounce Pulitzer (which I typed first as "Pullitzer).
I loved this post. Thanks. Question/request: I would love to see you republish any posts you have done related to "plot" and "scene transition", especially as it relates to short fiction.
You tried to disguise it, but clearly you were referring to the first book of my planned quadrilogy about underwater dragons living in an Atlantis-like paradise who are visited by time-traveling Mormon scuba-divers whose attempt to convert them instead leads to their transformation into half-human sea creatures, hence the title "Book of Mermen." Okay, maybe not traditional Pulitzer material, but my publisher (my Mom) absolutely forced me to submit it everywhere.
(Your reveal about what happens behind the scenes reminded me of the travails of Jeffrey Wright's character in "American Fiction" on a jury. So funny.)
Yeah, American Fiction got it relatively well (for a much abbreviated version of the whole process)... And listen, Book of Mermen is a gotdamn treasure, don't let anyone tell you different
I KNEW you read it. I just KNEW it.
I learned a lot from this post - not that I'm a writer, but I am a voracious reader and appreciated your insight as to how these prize juries work.
Not surprising to read that we are to the point of bypassing the bear and choosing the wood chipper.
Thanks for this. So many small details that were surprising, yet not surprising on further thought. I appreciate all the ways you bring transparency and insight to the writing/publishing/literary life!
Great piece, Rebecca. My judging experiences have been much more modest than yours, but the notes you share about the process are exactly what I saw.
I was interested in your observation about critics calling panels to "woke", etc. When I first began writing fiction and joining writers groups (circa 2012), many of my colleagues were women and the almost universal complaint about the industry was that it favored male authors. A glance at the best seller list in those days seemed to support that contention, even though a great many authors were women and women were said to be the majority of the reading public. Today, when I look at lists of best sellers, women dominate. Similarly, listings for agents and editors are dominated by women. That may be the source of the "woke" complaints, but it seems more like a market correction to me. Anyway, thanks for a terrific post.
I think I like your writing about writing even more than I like your writing. And I love your writing!
Thank you for a fascinating and informative peek behind the judging curtain. I feel smarter in a bunch of ways, especially now that I know how to properly pronounce Pulitzer (which I typed first as "Pullitzer).
This was truly fascinating. Thank you.
I loved this post. Thanks. Question/request: I would love to see you republish any posts you have done related to "plot" and "scene transition", especially as it relates to short fiction.
If you search the tabs and find my craft essays, they’re all still there!