Category Archives: fiction

July 10, 2012   Brenna   awards, Brenna, buzz, classics, debate, fiction, great books  
1

What Really Happened with the Pulitzer

Just yesterday, Michael Cunningham, one of the Pulitzer jurors this year, posted a letter on The New Yorker’s website explaining why there was no fiction winner this year. Finally, some clarification! Or, so I thought–but then comes the acknowledgement that because the Pulitzer board’s discussions are sealed, nobody but the board itself will ever really know what happened. Oh well…

Disappointment and curiosity aside, Cunningham’s letter was a refreshingly honest glimpse of what it’s like to take part in nominating books for such a renowned and highly regarded prize. The highlight for me was when he cited the differences between the three jurors, and which features in novels they’re each partial to. I also found merit in the comment, made by HENKE_M, that suggested seeing this as an opportunity to read three worthy novels, instead of just one.

Cunningham posted a reflective follow up letter today, outlining the issues that arise when faced with choosing the best, and observing that even the most lauded critics can miss a classic.

So, now, I’ll reach out to you, have you read any of the three nominees: “The Pale King” by David Foster Wallace, “Train Dreams” by Denis Johnson, or “Swamplandia!” by Karen Russell? What title do you think deserved to win?

May 31, 2012   Jessica   fiction, future of publishing, Twitter  
2

Serial Tweets

When I read that Pulitzer Prize winning author Jennifer Egan (A Visit from the Goon Squad) was serializing a short story via Twitter, I admit I was dubious. I could not imagine having a story delivered to me in 140 character chunks.  As she declared in an interview on NPR, Egan may love the “severity of the form” and the attendant challenges it poses, but I cannot help but feel that a story—even a short one—should be immersive, generous, enfolding.  I doubted that I could find the room to inhabit 140 words at a time.  Moreover, it smacked of theoretical undertaking, fresh-from-the-lab synthetic hybrid, like the once-hyped hypertext novel (with links leading off every which way, the text is indeterminate! Cool!) than a red-blooded, forward-moving narrative.

 

Nevertheless, I duly signed up for the Twitter feed, and was actually pleasantly surprised. While the koan-like style of the ruminations of a futuristic female spy took some getting used to, Egan found a felicitous relationship between function and form.  In fact, I liked it so well that when realized I could go directly to The New Yorker, a physical copy of which was sitting on my non-virtual couch, and read the whole thing, I abandoned Twitter entirely, proving that when it comes to reading, I have little patience or restraint. This may be less an issue with Twitterization than serialization.  Reading is one of the few areas in which the price of instant gratification—a bleary-eyed morning, a procrastinated phone call, couscous rather than rice with dinner—is relatively low.

 

Have you read or experimented with stories created especially for a digital medium? What is your experience?

May 22, 2012   John   digital publishing, fiction, John, opinion, short stories  
7

“Men’s fiction”

As a self-described “men’s fiction” guy, I was intrigued by the announcement this week that Esquire is launching an e-book series aptly titled “Fiction for Men.” A collaboration with e-book publisher Open Road Media, the first volume launches in June with short stories from Aaron Gwyn, Luis Alberto Urrea and Jess Walter. According to the Times, a new volume will follow every few months.

To my mind, any new attempt to showcase fiction is to be commended. But I was struck by the idea that the anthology is partly an attempt to answer the question “what is men’s fiction?” It’s a question I’ve certainly pondered as an agent. Yes, it’s reductionist, but “Women’s fiction” is a pretty well-defined category in publishing—if I have a novel that I think falls under the “women’s fiction” banner, I have a good idea of the editors I would approach for that. But “men’s”? Not so easy to suss out.

Now, I know that part of the reason for the lack of definition is that “men’s fiction” often falls into other pretty well-defined categories—thrillers, suspense, mystery, sci-fi, horror, etc. And then there’s the “literary” tag, which often neatly avoids gender-specific designations, though what makes a book “literary” is an even knottier question. But what do you do with a book that’s about men, mostly likely written by a man, yet doesn’t fit into any of these boxes, and to call it “literary” would be a stretch?

Well, on first glance, Fiction for Men doesn’t really help matters. Yes, they’re showcasing some pretty heavy hitters, but wouldn’t Gwyn, Urrea and Walter fall under the literary banner, rather than “men’s”? On the other hand, in the June/July print issue, Esquire has works by Stephen King and Joe Hill, Lee Child, and Colum McCann—Two horror guys, a suspense writer, and yes, a man of letters (i.e, literary!). Of course, who knows what they’ll actually write, but ostensibly, it seems like Esquire is just as confused as I am. Then again, maybe that’s the point…

Perhaps once Fiction for Men gets going, we’ll have a better idea of what Esquire means by the category. And from there, maybe we’ll see if it has any effect on how publishers define their lists. Meanwhile, I’ll throw the question out there–what does “men’s fiction” mean to you?

April 18, 2012   Stacey   controversy, dead people, fiction, opinion, prizes, Stacey  
10

The Pulitzer, or lack thereof

There has been so much chatter the last couple of days about the Pulitzer judges not awarding a fiction (or editorial writing ) prize for the first time since 1977 that I thought it was worth a mention on our blog.

Whether you loved the nominated books or hated them, or never even heard of them, the reality is that historically the prize does help sales. In a market that’s changing so rapidly and with the shrinking number of retailers, most of us feel like we want every boost we can get for our books. A Pulitzer Prize certainly offers that.

Ann Patchett (one of my favorites, as you might know) sums it up beautifully in her New York Times op-ed piece. As she suggests, the Pulitzer is the literary version of the Oscar, and to not have a prize this year when we’re all craving good news is definitely disappointing. It is sad to think, as Patchett points out, that David Foster Wallace will not have another chance to win. So, we’ll sigh and move on.

What do you all think of this? Do you care about the Pulitzer for fiction or that one wasn’t awarded this year? Is it something that makes you go out and buy a book (I’ll admit I did buy Jennifer Egan’s A Visit from the Goon Squad last year after it won the prize)? Curious minds want to know.

March 30, 2012   Rachel   fiction, fun, Rachel S., reading  
5

I couldn’t have asked for more.

Imagining the world an author creates in a novel is one of the greatest joys that comes out of reading. While the words are the same for everyone, the images they inspire, the way the characters look and sound and the particular intricacies of their surroundings come to us individually, influenced by the rest of our own lives. It’s one of the reasons that while I get initially incredibly excited about a movie coming out based on a book I’ve loved, I’m always let down—story and creative license aside—because from then on out, I can no longer remember how I originally envisioned the characters and world I fell in love with. Despite this, I continue to immerse myself completely in whatever imagined world or fictional version of our own world I happen to be reading about at any given time.

It would come as no surprise, then, that when Lauren directed me to the amazing Small Demons just the other day, I immediately signed up. I haven’t had time to explore the site fully, but I know it’s just perfect for any of those readers out there who close a great book with a satisfied sigh, but then feel an underlying sadness that there is no more to squeeze out of it. Small Demons catalogs the pop culture references—every single one of them!—made in various literary works and puts them all in a compendium organized by book. You can also search for what books might feature a particular singer, actor, book, movie, song and so on and so forth, working backwards or seeing similarities and crossovers between books.

Once I have more time to explore the site fully, I’m afraid I’ll never leave, but I offer this to you as a weekend gift. Would this affect your perception of a book at all, or would you, like me, simply revel in the opportunity to understand and delve deeper into the world with which you and many others have fallen in love?

March 29, 2012   Michael   commercial, fiction, memoir, Michael, nonfiction, thrillers, what we're looking for  
14

Not about middle grade

I have to apologize that this week’s post isn’t a continuation of my middle grade conversation with Molly O’Neill (you can find posts here and here). We’ve both had some fun recently, being sick on back-to-back weeks (me earlier this week), and we just haven’t had the time to connect and get you the conclusion to our conversation. But we’ll bring you more informative goodness next week, and we really appreciate all your comments–it’s been a fun experience for both of us!

Since I’m not talking about children’s books, I thought this might be a good time to remind blog readers that I also represent projects on the adult side of the business. And, at the moment, I’m very actively seeking new adult projects, both fiction and nonfiction. As for novels, I’d love to find a compelling thriller with a fresh point of view, maybe even something a bit more literary that the usual. And I’m always in the market for something that’s upmarket trashy, like A Secret History (and yes, “upmarket trashy” is a compliment–A Secret History is in my top 5 books). I love those books that have compelling (and even provocative) plots, but also have a little more going on. Dark and psychological never hurts, either, and things that border on horror (but don’t quite get all the way there) definitely appeal to me.

On the nonfiction side, I’m always on the hunt for great memoir. I love authors with a sense of humor about themselves, even in the toughest of circumstances. Though addiction and affliction memoirs are probably tough at this point, adversity seems to be at the core of most of the books I’ve sold, and having a strong personal conflict is an important piece of the puzzle. I’m not as drawn to political books as I once was, probably due to the 24-hour news cycle, but I do enjoy investigative reporting about political issues, both at home and abroad. I especially appreciate writers who can explain the big issues through smaller, more personal stories; it’s hard to sell a book when there isn’t an individual story at the heart of it. I’m particularly interested in finding science writers who can distill complex concepts into something people like me can understand; if you’re the next Neil deGrasse Tyson, please find your way to my inbox.

So in addition to sending me your amazing middle grade and young adult, be sure to keep me in mind for your fantastic adult projects, as well.

March 08, 2012   Jessica   characterization, characters, fiction, Jessica  
20

Entirely Coincidental?

Not long ago, I was reading a novel when I encountered someone I knew. Not on the train, or at the next table, or passing by the park bench where I sometimes attempt to read while my children are playing.  In the novel.

 There, despite a change of name and a few identifying features, was a person I knew quite well, rendered in mostly accurate but less than flattering detail. I had been tipped off by a mutual friend that this was the case, but it was eerie—and faintly thrilling—to find so familiar a figure pinned (if not unforgivingly than at least uncomfortably) to the page.   Here, the standard fiction disclaimer that “any resemblance to persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental” was patently untrue, and I expect that the book’s guest star was none too pleased with his portrayal. Since I don’t know the author well enough to ask her, I thought I’d pose the question here: To what degree do you incorporate recognizable versions of real people in your own fiction, and have you run into some difficult situations as a result? Where and how do you draw the lines between fair game and off-limits?

February 23, 2012   Jessica   culture, fiction, genre, Jessica  
3

Genre Trends

Interesting piece in Salon about the (arguable) demise of chick lit that includes a broader survey of genre trends that have come and gone.

Laura Miller writes “What kills a genre isn’t always clear. Supposedly, the readership for the western turned to urban crime fiction sometime in the 1970s. Why? Were they simply tired of cowboys and gunslingers, or had the myth of the Old West been too thoroughly undermined by counterculture critics and Native American activists?” You can still find battered old gothics in junk shops and used bookstores, but as an instantly identifiable genre they’re no longer being published.

Other “expired genres” she cites include gothic novels, adventure novels a la H. Rider Haggard’s SHE and Horatio Alger rags-to-riches stories. Can you think of others? Or have you watched the fortunes of a favorite genre decline and fall? If so, do you care to speculate on the cause of death?

Here is one micro trend that I’m rather enjoying: namely, the other-cultures-create-better-parents polemic (see Amy Chua’s ubiquitous Tiger Mom and the present coverage of Bringing Up Bebe.) Perhaps my own wide-eyed expat experience in Cairo colors my reaction, but I’m sympathetic to the feelings of amazement/niggling inadequacy that author Pamela Druckerman channels.  The whole time I lived in Egypt, I felt faintly astonished by the comportment of Egyptian children, who accompanied their parents everywhere as a matter of course and seemed as indulged and adored as American youngsters, but infinitely more patient.  I’m not quite ready to write a book on my own unscientific musings, but I’m looking forward to other cultures weighing in, surely China and France cannot dominate the conversation!

January 19, 2012   Michael   fiction, inspiration, Michael, Twitter, what we're looking for  
8

“That’s a book”

I spend an awful lot of my waking hours reading the news, following the discussion on Twitter, and having conversations with my publishing colleagues. Part of this is just a natural curiosity about the world, but part of it is a deliberate attempt to find new book ideas. During a biweekly staff meeting, we all come to the table with ideas that we have and discuss their merits, trying to figure out if some person, topic or new item is, indeed, a book. Mostly we’re thinking about nonfiction. Some of the ideas are clear and ready for a writer, while others may be interesting, but aren’t quite a book. Some need a new twist or spin that we figure out during our discussion, or a small idea may lead to something bigger.

But more interestingly, I think, is when a story prompts an idea for a novel. An author of mine has a book coming out next month that was inspired by an article I read–several times–and became obsessed with. And just today an author of mine tweeted about a story she found that is the perfect inspiration for a novel. I couldn’t agree with her more; the story is mysterious and rich and calls for exploration. I can’t wait to see what she does with it. I have to admit: I have a fondness for “ripped from the headlines” stories, so if you’ve got those, send them my way!

Are there any stories you’d dying to see fictionalized? And as writers, do you draw from the news when dreaming up new ideas?

January 03, 2012   John   children's books, fiction, John, lists, nonfiction, opinion, what we're looking for, YA  
3

A new year, a new wish list

Happy 2012, everyone! I trust you all enjoyed the holidays and had memorable New Years Eves—and if you can’t remember them, so much the better…

Well, now it’s back to work. As promised in my last blog post, here’s my wish list for 2012. Dedicated readers of the DGLM blog might recall I posted similar lists at the end of 2010, but now with a full year of agenting under my belt I’ve tweaked the list a bit to reflect the areas I’ve found myself focusing on, as well as the areas where I’ve had the most success:

ADULT NARRATIVE NON-FICTION: This is definitely the most exciting category to me right now. If there’s an amazing book-length true story out there, I want to hear it. History, memoir, sports, music, immersion journalism, popular science, health, animals—whatever the subject, if you’ve got the credentials to write about it, send it my way.

ADULT MEN’S FICTION: I’m certainly still in the market for good, original thrillers and mysteries. However, after falling in love with THE ART OF FIELDING and enviously witnessing its success, I’d love to expand a bit into more literary territory. I’d love to find a Tom Perrotta, a Nick Hornby, a Chuck Palaniuk, a Don Winslow—in other words, a great storyteller with writing chops. And if it’s genuinely funny, so much the better.

MIDDLE-GRADE FICTION: I’m still looking for that great middle-grade adventure to take the place of Harry Potter and Percy Jackson—who’s going to step up in 2012 and deliver?

REALISTIC YOUNG ADULT FICTION: Looking at the YA clients I’ve signed this year, I’m realizing that while I certainly enjoy a well-done YA fantasy, more often I’ve been drawn to realistic teen fiction. Now, that doesn’t mean they can’t be high-concept or have a fantasy/sci-fi element—think Pete Hautman, Libba Bray, David Klass, M.T. Anderson—and historical fiction is certainly viable if the era hasn’t already been done to death. Basically, what I’m really looking for are those teen characters, perspectives, and issues that feel true to an actual teen’s experience, as opposed to the more escapist words of paranormal/dystopian fiction.

PICTURE BOOKS: Nothing really has changed here: I’m still pretty much only interested in professional illustrators who can write. It’s about time someone created the next great children’s book character or a high-concept project like Bob Staake’s LOOK! A BOOK! One new thought: if anyone’s got a good nonfiction project, I’d love to see it, too.

Being that it’s the first day back in the office, preceded by two nights of staying up late to watch the Giants and Rangers (bless you, DVR!), I’m still a little foggy and probably forgetting some key areas. But hopefully that’s enough to open up the floodgates, and I’ll probably revisit as the year goes on. After all, to me that’s one of the most enjoyable things about agenting—as the market shifts, so can your areas of interest.

Best wishes for 2012, and let’s see what you’ve got!

« Older posts
Newer posts »