Fifth Avenue Press Spotlights Nine Local Authors and Their New Works at A2 Community Bookfest

WRITTEN WORD PREVIEW INTERVIEW

The Fifth Avenue Press and A2 Community Bookfest logos.

Whether it’s a picture book, a poetry collection, or a fantasy novel, Fifth Avenue Press is ready to share a compelling array of new releases from local authors.

 

The Ann Arbor District Library’s imprint is launching nine new publications across several genres during a November 3 book-release reception at the Downtown location.

 

As part of A2 Community Bookfest, the Fifth Avenue Press reception will include author readings and meet-and-greets along with opportunities to purchase books and get them signed by the authors.

 

Started in 2017, Fifth Avenue Press assists local authors with creating print-ready books at no cost and ensures they retain all of their rights.

 

As part of that partnership, the library distributes ebooks of the authors’ works to patrons without paying royalties. The authors also can sell their books in various formats and keep all of the proceeds.

 

We recently sent a questionnaire to the authors to learn more about their books and creative processes ahead of the November 3 reception. You can click the book titles below to see the interviews with eight of the authors:

 

 

 

A portrait of Bettina Senga and the cover of A to Z: An Ann Arbor Alphabet.

A to Z: An Ann Arbor Alphabet, Bettina Senga

 

Q: Give us a short synopsis of the book.

A: From the iconic Big House to the quirky charm of Kerrytown, discover Ann Arbor in a whole new way! This delightful alphabet book [featuring original linocut art] celebrates the heart and soul of the city with playful illustrations carved by hand. Whether you’re a lifelong resident or dreaming of a visit to your old stomping grounds, let A to Z inspire your love for this special place. Perfect for sharing with little ones—and big kids too! 

 

Q: What inspired the book?

A: Leaving Manhattan, which can feel like the center of everything, to move back to Michigan after two years working at a large global health organization at first kind of felt like I was failing. I couldn’t help thinking, “How could Ann Arbor ever compete with Manhattan?” But once I got here, I realized Ann Arbor actually has way more going for it than I thought it would.   

 

To celebrate the city I now call home, and to help mark its 200th birthday, I’m hoping to highlight some of the city’s gems in my book. But rather than sharing photos of buildings, people, and places, I’m taking the additional steps to ensure the book looks like a human made it with all the wonderful imperfections that brings! 

 

Q: What was the most enjoyable part of writing your book and what was the most difficult?

A: The design and printing process for linocut is intense and time-consuming. I first identify one or more illustrations to signify each letter of the alphabet and then sketch on a pad or tablet the object or scene. It then needs to be digitally scaled up and down, depending on the size, and printed out. I use a pencil to trace it onto vellum drafting paper, then flip that paper on top of a linoleum tile, and trace over the image again with a pen or dull object to transfer the graphite from the pencil to the linoleum. The design is changing throughout all that process as I want to address things that aren’t working or have a new idea. So basically, I’ve drawn the image three times by the time I actually start carving. I’ll then carve out the background of the image on the linoleum and then on my homemade inking table apply ink to the linoleum with a brayer. I made a printing press from a cold press laminator by attaching a boat crank to it to push the linoleum through, and from there, the image is printed, set out to dry, then scanned, cleaned up, and ready to use in the digital space.

 

The challenge throughout a big project like this one is to be consistent over a long period of time—it’s a marathon, not a sprint. But, when you get to the end of the project, it’s a wonderful feeling to look back at the final product and think, “Wow! I did that!”

 

Q: Do you have any writing rituals?

A: Every morning, I push myself to do the thing I am avoiding the most in my personal projects. Some days I am more successful than others, but when I do manage, it gives me a feeling of accomplishment to start the day and makes sure that I am using my brain at its freshest to do the hard creative work I care the most about. 

 

Q: People who like your book will also like ...

A: Anything by linocut artists Holly Meade, Stephen Savage, Christopher Brown.

 

Q: What advice would you give other authors who would like to submit their works to Fifth Avenue Press?

A: Don’t be afraid to submit! The worst thing they can do is say “No, not at this time!”

 

 

A portrait of Hannah Burr and the cover of Field Guide to Ambiguity.

Field Guide to Ambiguity, Hannah Burr

 

Q: Give us a short synopsis of the book.

A: Field Guide to Ambiguity is a book for learning to feel situated when you don’t know where you are. It’s a way to pause and orient when you are in life’s washing machine, without claiming to have your answers for you. It’s part journaling tool, part oracle, and part artists’ book full of open-ended questions to help you relate freshly to what’s immediately around you.

 

This book pairs the structure of a scientific field guide with dynamic reflection and vibrant visuals to explore our human relationship to uncertainty—from earth-shaking life events to the intimate, daily mystery of opening your eyes in the morning. 

 

Q: What inspired the book?

A: Originally the name popped into my head about 12 years ago and delighted me, but I didn't know what it might be. I then spent a lot of time chewing on what a Field Guide to Ambiguity would actually be based on my experience of both field guides and ambiguity. That took a while! 

 

Q: What was the most enjoyable part of writing your book and what was the most difficult?

A: I enjoyed the collaborative aspects, working with various friends and design collaborators, and I seriously geek out on a good index and the many cross-referencing elements of the book. Field Guide also gave me an excuse to amass and unpack many field guides, which as an amateur naturalist was a real pleasure. 

 

Q: Do you have any writing rituals?

A: Not many. I am an all-around creative with visual art being my core practice. Writing turned up as an unintended, surprise parallel path. I do like to have my tablet handy, and I send myself drafts of things over email, so I can work wherever and whenever the moment is right and my brain is in that certain mode. Then I print, mark up, and edit. This happens in fits and starts. Because it’s a visual book, I make sketchy physical versions and reorder parts of it so I can see and feel the thing in development in a rough, very imperfect way. If I put lots of pressure on myself to FOCUS, I probably wouldn't have done it at all—instead, I find it works for me to “look askance” at the project, so it doesn't become burdensome. 

 

Q: People who like your book will also like ...

A: The I Ching; Rebecca Solnick’s Field Guide to Getting Lost; The Elements: A Love Letter to All Things Everywhere, also by me; The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Bradbury.

 

Q: What advice would you give other authors who would like to submit their works to Fifth Avenue Press?

A: Don’t wait for anyone’s permission or approval to write your book! Only do it if it brings you satisfaction and energy—more than it drains you—otherwise, put it down for a while. Get started without having to have questions answered about the “how” parts, and once you’re in a groove, share your project with the Press.

[Read our previous interviews with Hannah Burr here and here.]

 

 

The cover of The Northeast Corner and a portrait of Colby Halloran.

The Northeast Corner, Colby Halloran

 

Q: Give us a short synopsis of the book.

A: The setting is Ann Arbor in the late 1950s and 1960s. The 10-year-old female narrator stares intently, cares deeply, and endlessly questions the world around her. Questioning a stable world is one thing. Watching it crumble is another. An overheard conversation on the telephone implies her beloved father has—what?—a friendship with his doctor’s wife. Or is it something more? When her father barely survives a massive heart attack, the family must sell their ancestral home and move across town to a much smaller house where the grand piano only fits in the basement. Forbidden to drive, work, or climb stairs, her father locks himself in his first-floor bedroom to watch baseball on television while the narrator and her mother go off to work. The narrator worries about him spending long days alone. Why don’t they ever take him anywhere? 

 

That summer after he dies it rains and rains. She is 18. The northeast corner of the basement fills with rainwater. Taking a break from sweeping rainwater into a floor drain, the narrator opens an old filing cabinet and uncovers evidence that all those afternoons while she and her mother were working, her father was not alone watching baseball in his bedroom. Upstairs, her mother sips martinis and listens to classical music while the narrator, standing in four inches of rainwater, must reconcile her bewilderment, sorrow, and love. 

 

Q: What inspired the book?

A: While writing another book—about the death of my theater partner in New York City—I would take breaks and write scenes of my childhood. I never intended these scenes to become a book. But they gained weight and momentum and I realized I had a story to tell. Writing The Northeast Corner, my parents came down off their pedestals and became human. I was afraid I would love them less, but in fact, I now love them more. 

 

Q: What was the most enjoyable part of writing your book and what was the most difficult?

A: The early chapters when my father was healthy were a dream to write. I could hear his voice and imagine him so easily. I was with him again. And I had no trouble hearing my mother's voice and could imagine her. I laughed out loud in my study a lot. 

 

I still have trouble reading the chapters about my father’s heart attack. I trust my editor Emily caught the mistakes because I couldn’t read those pages.  

 

Q: Do you have any writing rituals?

A: Not really. I have no process. No procedure. It’s chaotic. Ask my husband.

 

Q: People who like your book will also like ...

A: I think it will appeal to an older audience who grew up when I did, especially people who live in Ann Arbor because of the references to how Ann Arbor once was. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee and A Death in the Family by James Agee are favorites of mine. Please understand: I am not by any means as gifted as Harper Lee and James Agee, but they hugely influenced me. When I read, I need to trust the moral compass of the author. I can tell in the first few pages if I want to hang out with the story for the next 250 pages. I hope my readers, after the first chapter, will trust me.

 

Q: What advice would you give other authors who would like to submit their works to Fifth Avenue Press?

A: You may never again find as supportive and intelligent a team as Erin Helmrich and Emily Murphy. Emily understood my story better than I did. I wish I could hire her to edit all my work. 

 

The cover of "Peri Peri Paprika" and a portrait of Leanne Su.

Peri Peri Paprika, Leanne Su

 

Q: Give us a short synopsis of the book.

A: Moss is a pilot aboard the Rusty Raccoon, a trash collection ship traveling through interstellar space. Moss is sleepwalking through existence, but when she stumbles across her supervisor Turnip attempting to flee the ship, she’s forced to wake up. By happenstance and Moss’s own hesitant cooperation, Turnip technically kidnaps Moss—legally speaking.

 

Using Turnip’s engineering know-how and Moss’s piloting expertise, they travel through the stars stealing ships from the rich, dodging the Galactic United Peace Patrol Implementers, and enjoying all the absurdity that the universe has to offer. Moss doesn’t know where Turnip is taking them, but discovering herself along the way is a worthy exchange.

 

Q: What inspired the book?

A: My full-time job is as an aerospace engineer/plasma physicist/electric propulsion wrench monkey, so it’s very fun for me to think about what my life could have been like if we lived in a spacefaring future. I also really enjoy found family stories.

 

Q: What was the most enjoyable part of writing your book and what was the most difficult?

A: I wrote it in 2020 for NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month, which is a challenge to write 50,000 words in November. The most enjoyable part of writing was how much of a distraction it gave me from the pandemic and the general state of the world at the time. The hardest part was probably forcing myself to not edit along the way: the point of NaNoWriMo is to just get words on the page and some days it truly felt like word vomit. I’m glad I got time after to edit everything, and the folks at Fifth Avenue Press did an incredible job cleaning it up the rest of the way!

 

Q: Do you have any writing rituals?

A: I like to listen to really terrible EDM mixes while [I write]. This goes for both fiction and research writing. There’s something about the cheesy lyrics and horrible wub-wubs that propel me through most of my writing sessions. I also like to sit at a coffee shop or a brewery and have a fun little drink while I write.

 

Q: People who like your book will also like ...

A: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe, A Starstruck Odyssey, anything by Becky Chambers, and any other silly, cozy sci-fi.

 

Q: What advice would you give other authors who would like to submit their works to Fifth Avenue Press?

A: There’s never a perfect time to submit, so just do it! I heard back about my manuscript literally weeks before I defended my PhD. Life is always hectic, but I’m so glad I sent my work in when I did.

 

 

The cover of Ripple Effects and a portrait of Amy Hepp.

Ripple Effects: A Northern Woods Romance, Amy Hepp

 

Q: Give us a short synopsis of the book.

A: Recent college graduate and Broadway star wannabe Penny O’Brien returns to the Boundary Waters for a funeral one year after her canoe-camping adventure with Northern Woods. She stumbles into a job in Misty Lake and decides to settle on the edge of the Boundary Waters temporarily to supplement her meager gig income.

 

Beckett Young lives and works in Cincinnati far away from his elitist family, but he still enjoys the perks of his trust fund. The tragic death of his beloved aunt plunges him into a depression until he’s summoned to Misty Lake for the reading of her will. A stunning redhead in the tiny town captures his attention, and while casual dating is Beckett’s usual MO to avoid hassles with his family, he’s enchanted with the practical and fiercely independent woman. 

 

Penny is all in for a short-term fling with a classy guy. But after a few dates with Beckett Young, it’s clear they’re barreling toward something more serious. How will they juggle a long-distance relationship amid his meddling parents and her struggling career?  

 

Q: What inspired the book?

A: Several readers of my first book, Northern Woods, asked if I would write a story about the spirited sidekick Penny O’Brien. Ripple Effects is Penny’s love story and I had a lot of fun dreaming up her future.

 

Q: What was the most enjoyable part of writing your book and what was the most difficult?

A: The most enjoyable part of writing any story is getting to know the characters. I love developing their personalities and dumping them into situations that are either challenging or uplifting. 

 

The most difficult part of writing a book is working up the courage to share your story with the world. 

 

Q: Do you have any writing rituals?

A: Writing is my guilty pleasure. I like to complete all the necessary chores, exercise, and work for the day before I sit down to write. I write or edit every day unless I’m traveling.

 

Q: People who like your book will also like …

A: People who like my book will like Every Summer After or Meet Me at the Lake by Carley Fortune. Her books are set on lakes or small towns like Ripple Effects. People may also enjoy The Sweetheart List or Almost Just Friends by Jill Shalvis. The characters in these stories are complicated and real with heaping doses of family drama.

 

Q: What advice would you give other authors who would like to submit their works to Fifth Avenue Press?

A: Do your best to develop your story and share it with a critique partner or writing group before you submit the manuscript.

 

 

The cover of The Twin Panthers and a portrait of Hector Fox.

The Twin Panthers, Héctor Fox

 

Q: Give us a short synopsis of the book.

A: In general, when people ask me what this book is about, I tell them to think Game of Thrones but done Mesoamerican-style.

 

Two royal daughters face an unstoppable, mysterious empire bent on taking away everything they’ve come to love. Itza’, younger, precocious, and armed with magical black eyes that inspire terror in everyone around her, delves into the mysteries of her family’s past, searching for the answers to protect their kingdom. Chanil, older and fearless, risks everything to take up the sword to stop the impending slaughter of her people. Together, these Twin Panthers will brave the perils of combat and risk alienating their allies to uncover the family secrets that will either win them a war or cost them a kingdom—and possibly their lives. At its core, though, The Twin Panthers is a coming-of-age story about sisters and family. It’s about the lies we tell to keep our loved ones safe and the unintended consequences they bring.

 

Q: What inspired the book?

A: We see a lot of heroic stories about all these figures from Greek, Roman, or Norse sagas. And those are great. But heroes come from everywhere. Every culture in the world has heroes. But as a child, I couldn’t find many that featured my people, my places. So, I decided to write one myself.

 

Specifically, as an adult, I learned about the legend of Tecun Uman, a fierce warrior who battled the Spaniards during the colonial period alongside the quetzal bird that accompanied him into battle. That story made me want to know more about the heroes of my own people. Victor Montejo’s translation of the Jakaltek hero story El Q’anil was one of the inspirations as well as the Hero Twins of the Popol Wuj. There are little bits of all of these great legends throughout Twin Panthers—kind of like little easter eggs scattered around for those who are familiar with these stories.

 

Q: What was the most enjoyable part of writing your book and what was the most difficult?

A: The best part was working with an editor, actually. She helped me to really find the right way to present Chanil’s story the way it was meant to be and give Chanil’s character the arc she deserves. It’s a roller coaster journey she goes through—and this book is only the beginning.

 

The worst part? Obviously, there are always difficult aspects of writing and some parts are more tedious than others. But I really love the process, so it never seems like work. The part that made me stop the most though is the way the wind would always pick up and the lights start to flicker every time I started writing about Snake Lady—one of the mysterious, magic-wielding, and darker characters in the book. It felt like she was listening, so I had to make sure to get her character right.

 

Q: Do you have any writing rituals?

A: Start in the middle and don’t stop. Whether it’s a new novel, new scene, or new chapter, don’t worry about how to introduce things or set things up. Just jump in. Once you do, don’t let yourself stop writing, don’t think, just let whatever words come out. You can always fix it in the post.

 

I hear too many writers worry about “how to begin.” But the truth is no one knows how to begin, so don’t. Write the middle of the book. Write that scene you have had stuck in your head. Maybe later, once it’s out and you can breathe again, you go back and edit and add an introduction or set the scene. Or maybe you don’t. Maybe that pulse-pounding, dropped-into-utter-chaos feeling is exactly where your story should start. Maybe that’s the hook you’ve been looking for.

 

Other than that, my only ritual is to set aside time for writing. Either a time block or a word goal. But make it part of your routine and you will get it done sooner or later.

 

Q: People who like your book will also like ...

A: I think anyone who likes adventure stories in a fantasy or magical realism world will like this book. Especially if they’re a fan of strong female characters and non-Western settings.

 

But The Wolf of Oren-Yaro by K.S. Villoso and Godkiller by Hannah Kaner come to mind as good comparable titles. If you liked Viv from Legends & Lattes, you’ll like Chanil and Lady Night Star. Also, The Jasmine Throne, Scorpica, and Throne of Glass.

 

I’ve had multiple readers who are not normally into fantasy, however, tell me they liked my book. So, I think even if you aren’t typically a fantasy reader, you can get into this story. I’ve also been told my writing style is similar in descriptions and humor to Diana Gabaldon who wrote The Outlander series.

 

Q: What advice would you give other authors who would like to submit their works to Fifth Avenue Press?

A: If your book is already finished, then my only advice is really just to submit it. Get it out there. If you aren’t done with your book yet, then stop reading my words and get back to writing your own.

 

 

A portrait of Molly Pershin Raynor and the cover of Zaftig.

Zaftig, Molly Pershin Raynor

 

Q: Give us a short synopsis of the book.

A: Erin Helmrich described the book with the following synopsis: “In her exceptional debut collection of poems, Molly Raynor welcomes you to sit at the table with her ancestors, mothers, sisters, friends, and wild women as she glues together moving memories of waxy-lipped kisses and potato-peel dresses. Ghosts of the old country, lost loves, and the unborn haunt Zaftig. Raynor’s poems are imbued with deep Judaic traditions and a sprinkle of Yiddish. They burst forth with sensuality, survival, and the push-pull of women’s bodies as coveted flesh. Braiding together words like bread to lay on the table in honor of the beauty and the terror of living, these poems breathe new life. Inspired by the past, but firmly planted in the present, Zaftig joyfully takes up space like the powerful women who fill Raynor’s heart and words."

 

Q: What inspired the book?

A: Zaftig was released on my 40th birthday—April 23rd, 2024. As I enter this season of “midlife” and new motherhood, I have been reflecting on my role as a descendant and the transition toward becoming an ancestor. What legacy will I leave for my child, possible grandchildren, and great-grandchildren? I want to use the next half of my life to heal generational trauma and archive our ancestral resilience, creating artifacts to pass down.

 

This poetry collection is an ode to the loud-mouthed, wide-hipped, fiercely loving Jewish women in my family. In particular, I wanted to honor my Grandy who is finally starting to show her age at 92. I want to give her flowers while she’s still here. She is the last one in our family who speaks Yiddish and carries stories of the old country.

 

While I aimed to honor my ancestors with this collection, I also wanted to address the women in my family for the way their desire to assimilate to white American beauty standards led them to internalize body shame around being “zaftig”—Yiddish for “pleasantly plump.” Immigrants have such a complicated relationship with food. Our ancestral fear and scarcity mentality leads to force-feeding and our hunger to fit in leads to guilt and attempts to shrink ourselves. I am no longer willing to suck in my belly or hold my tongue. This book is also an ode to me: all my noisy names, complex identities, messy layers, and unapologetic curves. 

 

Q: What was the most enjoyable part of writing your book and what was the most difficult?

A: This is my first full-length book of poems and I think of it as a “best-of” collection, spanning the last 20 years of my life. So it serves as a time capsule in a sense since I’ve been writing this book for half of my life, and it’s fun to rediscover parts of myself when revisiting older poems.

 

The most enjoyable part of putting this book together was choosing which pieces to focus on, what order to put them in, and how to create visuals in conversation with the text—I loved making the collages! It was like a puzzle, adding and removing poems until everything fit and felt right. I've had the honor of helping some poet friends and former students create collections and have always geeked out on how to create the shape and story arc of a poetry manuscript, so to be able to turn that editor’s eye on my own work was exciting.

 

But it was also the most difficult part: I’m an indecisive over-thinker so it took me forever to choose the poems and the order since I was sifting through hundreds of drafts in various Google docs. It’s much harder to edit my own work than others since it’s challenging to distance myself from my art enough to be able to look at it from a bird’s eye view.

 

Q: Do you have any writing rituals?

A: I often light a candle and write while sipping a cup of coffee or tea to make things cozy and set a calm energy. I remember once reading an interview with Edwidge Danticat where she said she lights candles and listens for her ancestors to speak through her as she writes. I love this idea that we enter a different spiritual realm when we create and it’s not just us moving our pens across the page. I like to have a stack of poetry books next to me to draw from for inspiration and to remind me of the rich lineage of writers I am building on.

 

I find that when I sit down to write I get intimidated by the blank page so I often use a writing ritual Shira Erlichman introduced me to years ago that helps me tap into a creative headspace. I set the timer for 20 minutes and read poems from the books beside me. I write favorite words that stick out to me going down in a single column, and I do this until I have at least two columns next to each other. Then I draw arrows between words and make up compound words or put together unexpected fragments of language. Once I have this pool of images and scraps of language to pull from, I often get new ideas and a poem emerges. Sometimes I challenge myself to weave at least five or 10 of the images into the poem, which pushes me to stretch my brain and often leads to more unique writing.

 

Q: People who like your book will also like ...

A: Besaydoo by Yalie Saweda Kamara

Odes to Lithium by Shira Erlichman

Good Dress by Brittany Rogers

The Lucky Daughter by Mariama J. Lockington

Alien Miss by Carlina Duan

Girls That Never Die by Safia Elhillo

Brute by Emily Skaja

Capable Monsters by Marlin M. Jenkins

Catalogue of Unabashed Gratitude by Ross Gay

Unto Ivy’s Rib by Ciera Jevae

Close Caskets by Donté Clark

Self-Mythology: Poems by Saba Keramati

 

Q: What advice would you give other authors who would like to submit their works to Fifth Avenue Press?

A: Do it! I had initially wanted to have my book published by a national press that would have a farther reach—in terms of promotion and distribution—but ultimately I realized the beauty of publishing with a smaller local press was irreplaceable. I had such an amazing experience with Fifth Avenue Press! I felt so cared for by Erin Helmrich who went above and beyond to make sure my book was everything I dreamed of and got a lot of support from my editor Zilka Joseph. I was blown away by Nate Pocsi-Morrison's beautiful cover design and the creative agency I was given in working with him around the design elements of the book.

 

 

The cover of Zmagria: Poems and a portrait of Mouna Ammar.

Zmagria: Poems, Mouna Ammar

 

Q: Give us a short synopsis of the book.

A: This book is really a collection of snapshots, or tiles that make up significant portions of the portrait that is me. I wanted to capture images of self-discovery, survival, surrender, and what sustains me in order to invite others to get to know my world a bit. To me, this collection of poems comes from a place of love for everything I have shared, experienced, and carried ... as well as a deep sense of hope that my story can, in some way, offer others a way of seeing themselves in my own experience. It’s not about fantasy but it IS about imagination. It is about lived experience but it ISN’T necessarily always autobiographical. 

 

Q: What inspired the book?

A: A lot of ingredients went into this bake! Probably at the top of the list is my family's stories—the lived ones and the narrated ones. Then, of course, my life experiences, especially the cities I lived in or are somehow deeply connected to, and their aesthetic—their natural landscapes—such as the Huron River! But consistently and over the years, some of my greatest inspirations are the creative works of deeply conscientious and passionate local, national, and international poets, musicians, artist-activists, and entertainers, some of whom I met during my time in a very special artist workshop based in LA called “Mic sessions.” Lastly, I was inspired by a very key moment in my life in the early days of the pandemic when I asked myself, “Why not dare publish?” I’d been writing for years and always shied away from publication. That was a turnkey internal moment of inspiration. I’m grateful for the gift of that daydream of a question.

 

Q: What was the most enjoyable part of writing your book and what was the most difficult?

A: The most difficult part of writing the book was believing in my creative voice. The most enjoyable part was working with the design team and also daydreaming about what the final product would look like! 

 

Q: Do you have any writing rituals?

A: Yes. Reading poetry by other authors every weekend, preferably late at night, in nature, or while browsing books in a secondhand or old bookstore. That and journaling ... especially early in the morning. It’s true that journaling helps you deliver what’s brewing inside.

 

Q: People who like your book will also like ...

A: If I can be so presumptuous ... maybe Sonia Sanchez, Joy Harjo, Mary Oliver, Naomi Shihab Nye. 

 

Q: What advice would you give other authors who would like to submit their works to Fifth Avenue Press?

A: Be bold. Believe in your work. It has something to offer the rest of us readers. Also, Fifth Avenue Press is made up of an extraordinary team of people who will support you every step of the way. They are creative, a wealth of resources, information, and ideas. Erin Helmrich is a publishing doula if ever I knew one. Go for it! 


Lori Stratton is a library technician, writer for Pulp, and writer and editor of strattonsetlist.com.


The A2 Community Bookfest runs from 10 am-5 pm on November 3 at the Ann Arbor District Library’s Downtown location, 343 South Fifth Avenue. The Fifth Avenue Press reception starts at 1:15 pm in the multipurpose room located on the lower level. For details, visit the Fifth Avenue Press webpage.