I came out to Sag Harbor (generous friends!) to work on edits of my book Parkland: Birth of a Movement, and for inspiration, I brought Mary Oliver's A Poetry Handbook. I am hardly a poet, but re-read it every few years, because I taught me so much of what I know about language and sounds. It's simple, engaging, and so enlightening. Every writer should read it. Especially non-poets.
I signed a dozen copies of Columbine at B&N Union Square today. They ship worldwide. Ordering info here. I have been working round the clock finishing Parkland, and just sent it off to copy editing, and finally got out of the apt today. I hope to make it to the other stores to sign, too. Links to pre-order Parkland: Birth Of A Movement.
I have never been big on subtitles, but decided this book could use one, to convey that while the title and cover are similar to Columbine, Parkland has a very different focus. (Different time, different situation, different goal.) I loved the simplicity of the cover, though, so I pitched an idea to my publisher: an inside subtitle, which will appear on the title page inside, and on book sites like Amazon and Barnes & Noble, but not on the cover. They loved it. So it is now Parkland: Birth of a Movement. And it's also available for pre-order, BTW. It's at all the major sites, and I've got direct links at my Parkland page. Here's what it looks like on Amazon:
Done!* Asterisk there and quotation marks, because that’s only the first draft. But what a weight off that is. I sent Parkland to my editor in chunks, and she had her finger poised and hit send on the edits immediately, and I've been making the changes all evening and this morning. Those are her overview comments to the right. (Yes, I had to crop them. Can't give away EVERYthing. :) ) SO much to do now, so quickly. This is normally a writer’s most painful moment, swallowing all the cuts--letting all our little babies get the ax. I'm finding it really easy this time. She's being very selective, and good, and I just need to get this beast down to fighting trim. Edits are good. Besides, o t
