Live Kangaroos vs Fictional Kangaroos

Due to my inability to make a decision about my own life and stick with it, I am once against caught between traveling to Australia for a semester abroad and an internship opportunity offered to me here in New Jersey. After talking with a few publishing industry veterans for a Professional Writing project I conducted with Alyssa Daehnke, I feel like an internship is a chance to break into my career goals, a chance I shouldn’t give up. Yet if I don’t fulfill my dream of traveling to Australia now, I probably will never get there; plus, as I’ve written before, I don’t think I would be able to feel that my college experience has been complete without (at least) a semester abroad.

At this point in the conflict, I think it’s time to just make a choice and stick with it. Either way, I’m going to end up doing something that I want to do and enriching my life (though in two completely different ways). The internship that I have a shot at is at a childrens’ non-fictionbook publishing company; if I don’t take this opportunity now, I’m almost certain this job will not be waiting for me when I come back. Yet I have confidence that even if I choose to go to Australia instead, I will be able to find the best publishing opportunity for me when the time is right.

As my grandfather used to say… oy gavolt.

Hello “Signal,” Goodbye Monday Nights

It’s Tuesday morning and I’m exhausted, likely because I wasn’t able to get to sleep until 3:51 a.m. this morning. Is this because I was out being a crazy college student? Nope. Is this because I am an insomniac? Nope.

Last night, I had my first experience putting out a newspaper.

I have been writing for “the Signal,” the College’s student-run newspaper, since the fall semester of my freshman year but have only gotten truly  vthis semester. What started as writing a few articles here and there turned into a friendship with my editor through e-mail and instant messages. We decided to get together for lunch one day and found out that we are both two pretty hip cats. When her assistant editor was promoted to a new position, she invited me to become her new assistant.

Say hello to the new Arts and Entertainment Assistant Editor!

I’ve only been working in the editorial basement for a day now and I already have a new respect for the newspaper. When I opened a newspaper in the past, I had no idea how much work went into each and every page, each and every article, each and every word. I’ve started to learn the basics of InDesign, the publishing program used at “the Signal,” and my working knowledge of Photoshop has already come in handy.

I still don’t see a future for myself in newspaper journalism, but I’m open to this great opportunity and can’t wait to see where it takes me. After all, this is what college is all about: trying your hand at something new to see if it fits.

Anything that can keep my attention from 8 p.m. to 3:51 a.m. is worth a try.

Books about Books

I still strongly believe that my future holds a career in the publishing industry, and I’m always on the hunt for new information to gobble up that will help me. Until recently, I’ve used only the internet as a resource for learning about the book publishing industry, and while the internet is undoubtedly a valuable resource, I couldn’t escape the irony. If I wanted to publish on the internet, research the publishing industry on the internet. But since I’m looking to publish books, I headed out to the library.

My new favorite book of all time is officially “Careers for Bookworms & Other Literary Types” by Marjorie Eberts and Margaret Gisler. There’s a chapter on the publishing industry that squeezes everything an aspiring publisher needs to know into about ten pages. The book also suggests a bunch of careers that I’ve never even thought of as options before: reasearch careers, public and private sector careers, “glamorous” book careers… Eberts and Gisler have created an excellent resource for the college student in desperate need of a path.

Other books I recommend looking into:

• “The Book Publishing Industry” by Albert N. Greco
• “Book Publishing in America” by Charles A. Madison
• “Book Publishing: A Basic Introduction” by John P. Dessauer

Lessons from the Life of Ed Bradley

My Introduction to Professional Writing class today was devoted to the life of journalist Ed Bradley who passed away yesterday. Now, I’m not world-savvy and I don’t pretend to be, but how I’ve never heard of this amazing individual before today boggles my mind. He has led an amazing life that, not only aspiring journalists, but all who aspire to live life to the fullest should view as a perfect example. I’ve now watched video clips, heard radio interviews, seen pictures, and read biographies and tributes to this incredible man. Here are the life lessons my class and I will take with us:

• Know your values
• Be willing to pay your dues
• Find role models
• Always be open to new possibilities
• Show respect to all, everyone has something to teach
• Take initiative and take advantage of opportunities as they come
• Know your local industry
• Take responsibility for your own professional development
• Think on your feet
• Assert yourself and stand up for your rights
• Don’t be afraid to make a difference
• If it doesn’t “light your fire,” don’t do it
• Inspire, and allow yourself to be inspired.

Enough is Enough

College students are constantly, dare I say, plagued with the option of studying abroad at some point in their college careers. Do I leave friends and families behind? Do I dare risk missing out on everything happening at home? Will studying abroad hurt me in pursuing my degree and prevent me from graduating on time?

These questions and many more have been making my mind spin since before I even took my first steps on a college campus. Leave the friends, family, boyfriend, job, and activities that I love behind to go out into the world and find something new? My mind says “Go! Go! Go!” but my heart is torn– or, at least, it was torn, until I came across this quote:

“The world is a book. Those who don’t travel read only a page.”

And on that note, my search for a summer internship is over. I’m taking a rain check on reality and applying to spend the end of my summer and most of Fall 2007 at Sydney, Austrailia. Don’t try to stop me (I don’t need you do, I’m already trying to stop myself, as I do with most things) because I’m going. I think studying abroad is something that every college student should do and something I have to do.

I’ll definitely regret not going. If I give it a shot, at least I have a chance.

“Sing Like You Think No One’s Listening…”

First of all, I’ve added the excellent Bookwire.com website to my Blogroll today. I can not believe I didn’t come across the site earlier; it really is a teriffic resource for gaining insight into the publishing industry. The site is also great for avid readers who are trying to figure out what to read next — check it out.

 I’m looking foward to this coming Friday when I will have the opportunity to interview one of my favorite bands, Straylight Run, before their performance at the Rathskellar on campus.  I’ve been listening to Straylight since my Junior year of high school, and about a month ago I was wandering around the endless abyss that is Facebook.com and I discovered that the band is putting in an appearance at the College to make up for their missed one last year. I went to lunch with my editor for the Signal, TCNJ’s student-run newspaper, a few days later and mentioned the event to her since she oversees the Arts and Entertainment section of the paper. She offered me the article and I jumped at the opportunity.

Now if I could only figure out what to wear…

Though I don’t plan on going into print journalism as a career, I am enjoying learning the habits of a journalist. When I first began writing for the Signal, I was truly “winging it” with no prior journalism experience or education. I still have yet to take Intro to Journalism, but the people I’ve encountered along the way have made the learning process very accomadating and easy. I owe a lot to the people who have helped me to learn the right way to quote someone (“Lisa Jones said,” not “said Lisa Jones”) and to stop double-spacing at the end of a sentence (who knew Word did it for you?).

The internship search continues — I’ve sent a resume/cover letter to a couple of prospects but have yet to hear back from anyone yet. Thus begins the waiting game.

My website is growing a little more every day and I’m happy with the way it’s turning out. Given, I have a lot to do before I can start giving out the address to future employers. However, though it’s slow going, I have high hopes.

*edit 11/11/06: My Straylight Run article for the Signal can be found here.

A Quick Update

Lately I have been working on a portfolio website that will allow me to publish some of my writing samples and my resume to the web.  I have spent the last two weeks trying to learn HTML, which I was fairly successful at doing. However,

Dreamweaver is God.

I am also in the process of researching more on the JCO “Landfill” story and its consequences. My school newspaper did an article regarding the turmoil surrounding the article, and my professor has directed me towards a website which outlines what constitutes libel. I will post my findings here at a later date.

More on “Landfill”

I wrote such a short entry last week for two reasons:

1. I was too shocked to write any commentary on the New Yorker article, and
2. I was on my way out the door.

But now, for your reading pleasure:

Why Joyce Carol Oates’ “Landfill” is Causing a Stir at TCNJ

The article is clearly inspired by the disappearance and death of John Fiocco Jr. at the College last spring.  Fiocco was reported missing after attending an off-campus party, suspected to have been either thrown or to have thrown himself down the building trash chute, disappeared with hardly any trace for about a month, and then found, dead, in a landfill.  Take away the name (Oates changes her character’s name to “Scoot”) and you’ve got the plot for Oates’ short story.

Yes, Oates changed some of the details of the story; in “Landfill,” Scoot is Latino and rushing a fraternity.  His friends don’t care about him, his roommates hardly know him, and he is a dark, messy alcoholic.  Are these changes supposed to make those people who knew John Fiocco happier because of how “obviously” different the two stories are?

Here’s what I’m afraid of: Someone who wasn’t involved in the John Fiocco incident last year (and by wasn’t involved, I mean someone who wasn’t one of the thousands of members of the TCNJ community who spent an entire month walking around campus with an investigation hanging over our heads, someone who didn’t have five television sets tunes to five different news stations at the same time hoping to finally find some closure, someone who didn’t know John for the person he was before the media ripped him to shreds in order to make a statement about underage drinking) will pick up this story and think “Hey, this must be about that kid from TCNJ who died.”

Fiocco was not in a frat.  His friends did care about him.  People loved him.  There is a fine line between fact and fiction, and Oates’ has crossed that line.

Which all speaks to the larger question… Is it okay to create fiction from reality?  Can a writer take a real-life occurrence and adjust the facts, add some emotion, and call that fiction?  What is fiction, after all, but an alternate reality?

Then again… if a writer created an entirely imagined work of fiction and the plot line were to occur in reality months later, would we blame reality for copying fiction?  Where is that fine line between fact and fiction?

I don’t have the answers, I just have questions.

Relevent Link: Gloucester County Times Article

The New Yorker and Joyce Carol Oates

If this is fiction, why is it making me so angry?

*edit 10/9/06: The New Yorker link no longer is attatched to “Landfill” but to the newest New York Times’ fiction section.  Oates’ story can now be found here.

Wingardium Leviosa

I’m still on the hunt for a summer publishing internship, but I’m beginning to get my prospects in order.  I’ve found quite a few through the internet (or internet? yes?) and a couple more through newspapers.  I’m learning the benefits of networking; I have known people all my life without having any clue they work in the publishing industry.  For example, I am a part-time dance teacher at a studio where I’ve been dancing since I was four years old.  I mentioned just last week to one of my past teachers that I’m looking into working in the book publishing industry, and it turns out she works for a company that publishes young adult and children’s books.  She mentioned her company’s internship program and is going to get me more information when I see her next week.  She also offered to recommend me for the position; even this early in the game, I know it’s always a plus to have an inside reference.

A short anecdote… In my creative writing class last Tuesday we  went off on a tangent (as we always seem to do) and began discussing the Harry Potter series.  Apparently, the Harry Potter books being sold in England are completely different from those books sold in the United States.  J.K. Rowling not only put English slang into her books that we may not understand here in the United States, but one of my classmates claims that the sentence structure also varies between the two versions.  Soon enough, the United States is going to have to declare “American” our national language, because we sure aren’t speaking the same English that they are speaking in England.  I did some research and found the title of the first book was changed from England’s “The Philosopher’s Stone” to the United States’ “The Sorcerer’s Stone.”  Readers and movie-goers are having an interesting discussion over the title change here.

How does this apply to me?  First of all, I have to admit that I am among the millions of Harry Potter fans in the world.  Secondly, I think this controversy speaks to the fact that in any type of media, whether it is print, film, or other, the creators have to know their audiences.  What expresses one meaning in one country may have a completely different connotation in another.  A publisher must do extensive research before a book hits the press if he or she wants the book to be received as the author and editors intend.

Something to think about: Are Americans getting the real Harry Potter if words, sentences, and titles were changed?

Subquestion: Should the form and structure of a book be altered to keep the desired meaning intact?  Which is more important to preserve, the structure or the connotation?