grace oconnell

New Site! www.graceoconnell.com

2012-05-31T13:17:00.002-04:00

I've transitioned to a new and slightly (only slightly - let's be honest about my tech skills) slicker site at http://graceoconnell.wordpress.com/.

So if it seems quiet here, then just cruise over to the new site and see what's happening there.

When in doubt, you can type in www.graceoconnell.com, which should forward to my site du jour.

Magnified World in CBC Summer Reading!

2012-05-22T15:49:00.001-04:00

My thanks to CBC Books for including Magnified World in their summer reading recommendations list! Click here to see the whole list.

Does this make you want to lie on a beach reading or what? I actually did just that this past weekend, on Centre Island with Peter Carey's The Chemistry of Tears, which ripped my heart out so quietly I hardly noticed until I finished the book and basically just crumpled. Highly recommended, but opt for some dark (tear-camouflaging) sunglasses while reading.

I'm eager to check out the rest of the books in the list. Feel free to share your own recommendations!

My First Review!

2012-05-15T12:49:00.003-04:00

Quill & Quire has printed a review of Magnified World that is available both online and in their hardcopy magazine. It's my very first review and I'm amazed by the generous and attentive reading the reviewer gave the book. I knew right away that she had read closely because she refers to the father character by his first name -- which is mentioned exactly ONCE in 335 pages. That level of dedication and energy is what every writer hopes for from a reviewer, and I'm so grateful.

If you want to check it out, click here for the full review.

And since it's the first one, I'm going to indulge myself with a quote here: "[Magnified World is] a novel that moves seamlessly between the real world and Maggie’s alternate consciousness.The effect is so well done that the reader finds the multifaceted world of the novel “magnified” many times."

Now I'm off to pinch myself a few dozen times.

Ah-Wooooo!

2012-05-14T17:16:00.002-04:00

I'm very happy to say that I'll be reading from Magnified World at the Wolfe Island Literary Festival on June 2.

Wolfe Island is one of the most amazing places in Canada -- it's a huge island in Lake Ontario, just a twenty minute ferry ride from Kingston (one of my favourite spots, as you know). The island boasts farms and orchards, hotels, a wind farm and, best of all, an autumn corn maze of epic proportions.

If you're in the Kingston area on June 2, I hope you'll come out and see me and some of the amazing writers who are reading, including Jenny Sampirisi, Tanis Rideout and Davei Bidini.

That's a photo from when I was in the Wolfe Island corn maze in 2008. Definitely not brave enough for the after-dark version.

Heather Birrell + TATAS: The Toronto According to Authors Survey

2012-05-10T11:23:00.004-04:00

The Toronto According to Authors Survey is back with Heather Birrell. Heather is the author of Mad Hope, a short fiction collection that's been getting all kinds of (well-deserved) love.

Heather very kindly took the time to talk about her favourite spots and events in Toronto. Read on to hear from the author who the Globe & Mail praised for her "seemingly effortless originality and accuracy."

The Toronto According to Authors Survey - Answers from Heather Birrell

Your favourite...

1. Place to see a movie
The Revue Cinema on Roncesvalles. When my husband first moved here from the UK, we lived in an apartment right across the road and would use the theatre as a kind of glorified rec room. It was less expensive and obtrusive than a big screen TV and we would bring blankets for the cozy factor. Now that we’re back in the neighbourhood with little ones, we’ve been to the Revue for nursery school fundraisers and the occasional, long-awaited date night. It’s such a treasure, a real community hub; I’m so glad they’ve managed to keep it open.

2. Writing spot
Recently it has been Lit Expresso Bar on Roncesvalles. It’s right around the corner from my house, and when my second child was a wee, wee thing, I could escape there for a short time between breastfeeding sessions. It’s a bustling neighbourhood spot and the lattes are to die for.

3. Bookstore or library branch
High Park Library because the librarians there are so very kind and helpful – we once had three of them digging out Babar stories for us. Another Story Books – because their selection of books for adults and children is so beautiful and well-curated and they always, always let us use their bathroom.

4. Grocery or food store
Maple Produce and Qi Natural Foods.

5. Park or outdoor spot?
High Park and Etienne Brule Park. I am a west end girl, born and bred, and these parks are pretty rooted in my psyche (and in some cases my fiction).

6. Little-known hangout

It’s not little-known, but it feels almost retro on the Ronces strip now -- The Butler’s Pantry. I used to go there when I was in high school -- before cafes were a ‘culture’. It feels almost quaint now, but I still love it.

7. Booze-serving establishment

My sister’s house, mostly because my brother-in-law Joel Freeman can make a cocktail out of almost anything and it almost always tastes excellent. But if I have to pay for a drink, I like the patio at Loons and the bar at the Ace Restaurant, also both on Roncesvalles. (If you are detecting a pattern here, you are not wrong. As a car-less parent of small children, proximity of entertainment is key.)

8. Annual or recurring event
I love fall for bookish events – Word on the Street for its back-to-school festival atmosphere and accessibility (except why is a snack so hard to come by and the lemonade so expensive?) and on the flip side, the International Festival of Authors where I’ve seen and heard some of my literary idols: Alice Munro, Deborah Eisenberg, and, perhaps most notably, Grace Paley.

9. Gallery/theatre/reading/concert venue
I have a three and a half year old who dreams of a life on the boards – ‘Ladies and Gentlemens!’ – so lately it’s been my living room. The most recent production I was fortunate enough to experience (front row seat) was called ‘The Little Girl and the Chef and the Pony’. It was a one-woman drama/musical/ballet/yoga extravaganza. I gave it many enthusiastic thumbs up.

10. Underrated and/or usually reviled spot
Costco. (Blush, blush)

(Photo of Heather Birrell by Charles Checketts)

Good News: NMA Nominations & Journey Prize Anthology

2012-05-01T23:18:00.001-04:00

This morning I received some very good news, courtesy of the National Magazine Awards: I've been nominated in the fiction category for both "The Many Faces of Montgomery Clift" (which appeared in Taddle Creek Magazine) and "Noisemakers" (which appeared in Walrus Magazine). The award will be announced on June 7, also known as the day I will be a quivering mess of nerves.

I also got some great news about a week ago, but had to keep it under my hat until today: "The Many Faces of Montgomery Clift" is going to be included in the venerable Journey Prize Anthology this fall.

I've been reading the anthology for years and I always come away gobsmacked; it's amazing to be included. McClelland & Stewart, who administers the prize, gave me a nice shout-out on the JP Facebook page today (side note: how cool is the cover design for the anthology?). The winner of the prize will be announced on November 7 at the Writers' Trust Awards.

Both stories can be read online via the links above. The rest of the Journey Prize Anthology authors will be announced on Facebook in the coming weeks, but you can read all the other NMA nominees (in the fiction category and the many others - very worth checking out) on their website. I'm particularly excited to be nominated alongside Lawrence Hill, an author I really admire.

So, if you feel so inclined, cross your fingers for me on June 7 and November 7!

Wrap It Up, I'll Take It To Go

2012-04-04T13:42:00.001-04:00

My. Book. Cover.

I love it. I think it's absolutely beautiful (I had nothing to do with the design, so I can say that).

Seeing my name in such big letters seems almost indecent, but completely thrilling at the same time. It's tricky to see in this small image, but there's a gorgeous wood grain in the background image. Wood grain! So much for not judging a book by its cover... I love the light, it reminds me of a sort of film noir-y image of headlights sliding over a scene.

My monstrously huge thanks to the brilliant Andrew Roberts at Random House Canada, who designed this beauty, going way above and beyond the call of duty. I love Andrew's work (like this and this, for instance). He's top shelf.

Keep your eyes open for this pretty little beast, which hits the shelves on May 29!

Writers and Day Jobs: How Authors Make it Work

2012-03-30T13:19:00.003-04:00

Over at Open Book: Toronto, I just posted a brief piece about writers and their day jobs/working arrangements.

I had the chance to chat to some awesome writers about their experiences, namely Stacey May Fowles, Catherine Grahama, Rebecca Rosenblum, Elizabeth Ruth and Natalie Zina Walschots.

Check it out to hear how these talented scribes make the employment-life-money-writing-time balance work.

Found Press Interviews Me; I Reveal Nerdiness

2012-03-29T22:52:00.006-04:00

So the lovely folks at Found Press posted this interview with me.

I talk a bit about my story "Mike Mike Mike Mike" and get all excited about my upcoming book and geek out about short fiction.

Hope you'll check it out!

June 13: Come One, Come All!

2012-03-20T11:17:00.004-04:00

So, since I've finally updated my events listing on this site, you can see that on June 13, 2012 at 7:30pm, I'm going to be reading at the venerable Harbourfront Centre in Toronto (click the link for details). I'm so excited!

This will be the first-ever reading from my novel, Magnified World. First. Time. Ever. I haven't even picked a passage yet, but I've been wandering around my apartment, tripping over things, trying a few out. I promise it'll be good.

Absolutely everyone in the whole world is invited to come to this. You are invited. You are so, so invited. Bring your pals, or come solo. Wear pants, or don't! Follow your heart. To my reading.

Also, this just happens to be the day before my birthday. So I'm going to be in a pretty great mood (except for the crushing reminder that I am growing older).

Hope to see you there!

49th Shelf: A Happy Day for Book Lovers (Also: Bad Job Books!)

2012-02-24T09:42:00.004-05:00

So a great new site called 49th Shelf has officially launched and is already content-rich for your reading pleasure. The site is run by Kerry Clare and Julie Wilson, of Pickle Me This and Book Madam fame (respectively) and describes itself as "the one-of-a-kind resource for discovering, discussing, and indulging in Canadian books." What more could you want?

Annnnd they asked me to contribute to their themed reading lists section! In honour of the many bad jobs I've had over the years (man who threw a glass at my head while I was tending bar, I'm looking at you), I compiled a list of books with characters who had really rotten employment situations.

Check out my list of bad job books -- it'll make you feel better about yours! Plus they are all amazing books in their own right and absolutely worth reading (or re-reading).

The Many Faces of Montgomery Clift

2012-02-13T10:00:00.005-05:00

Hey folks. My story "The Many Faces of Montgomery Clift" (from which I will be reading on Thursday at the Ossington) is up on the Taddle Creek website for your reading pleasure. It's got a funeral and a trampoline and a Nalgene bottle in it, plus a bunch of other awesome stuff.

Ch-check it out. It's got a gorgeous illustration by Matthew Daley as well.

(Aside: Is Monty the most beautiful human? I vote yes.)

I Think We're Ready to Meet in Person

2012-02-07T11:47:00.005-05:00

So I have two readings coming up in the next little while. One is an event with Broken Pencil magazine called Three Stories for God, where I will be reading from my Taddle Creek-published story "The Many Faces of Montgomery Clift", which is about two teenager Bible trivia champions. It's one of my favourite pieces, so come on out to the Ossington (it's on Ossington!), get yourself a drink, and let my squeaky voice soothe (?) you on Thursday, February 16th at 8:00pm.

Here's the Facebook invite for those who are interested.

The other event is the fabulous Pivot Reading Series at The Press Club on Dundas (like whisky? You'll like The Press Club). I'll be reading with Matthew Tierney and Julie Cameron Grey. That is going down on April 4, 2012.

I hope to read to people rather than chairs*, so if you can make it out to one or both of these fun happenings, please do so.

*I have nothing against chairs**

**Okay I kind of do. Couches are so much better.

Image of The Ossington borrowed from http://www.torontogirlchronicles.com

This Makes Me Happy

2012-01-24T14:06:00.003-05:00

Lorna Crozier, one of my favourite poets, was named to the Order of Canada. Her citation reads: "For her poetry and for her mentorship of the next generation of Canadian poets."

Totally badass.

I dig the Order of Canada (I am a sucker for ceremony and tradition) and I'm happy to see a great writer be recognised for her amazing work. I think my favourite early-in-my-publishing-life moment was working on Crozier's Blue Hour of the Day collection as an intern at M&S (and by "working on", I should clarify that I was doing things like indexing -- the real editor was doing the actual work). But I already knew and loved Crozier's poems and it was so exciting to be touching manuscripts with her pencil marks on them.

Those moments of shivery reader-pleasure should always be that exciting, no matter how long you've been around books and the strange and interesting people who write them.

All of which is a long and convoluted way of saying: Congratulations Lorna!

CanLit is Sexy

2012-01-20T14:15:00.004-05:00

There's a website called CanLit is Sexy that has been getting lots of attention lately. Reactions have been mixed (some find it funny, others deem it tasteless), but I definitely laughed over a lot of the pick up lines posted over various author photos.

Check it out and judge for yourself. Happy Friday!

Photo courtesy of CanLitisSexy.Tumblr.com

JM Frey + TATAS: The Toronto According to Authors Survey

2012-01-11T10:49:00.006-05:00

Remember TATAS (my interview series asking Toronto authors to tell me about their favourite local spots)?

Well, TATAS is back, in all its Toronto-loving glory. Today I welcome JM Frey, who kindly contacted me to fill out the TATAS survey some time ago (my apologies to JM for taking such a long time to post!).

JM is a science fiction writer, poet and short fiction writer, as well as a pop culture scholar and commentator. She is the author of Triptych and has a second book, The Dark Side of the Glass, forthcoming in June 2012. She also recently published a piece in the anthology When the Hero Comes Home. Read on for JM's Toronto favourites!

The Toronto According to Authors Survey - Answers from JM Frey

Your favourite...

Place to see a movie?
Toronto Underground Cinema, Spadina Ave.

Writing spot?
The Sweet Escape Patisserie, the Distillery (Mostly because the head chef is my friend and I get free cupcakes).

Bookstore or library branch?
Bakka Phoenix, Harbord Street.

Grocery or food store?
T&T on Cherry Street (I lived in Japan for two years and this is the only place I've found the mochi and green tea ice cream I adore).

Park or outdoor spot?
The Beach, walking the boardwalk.

Little-known hangout?
Withrow Park, just south of the Danforth on Carlaw. (Fantastic Saturday morning farmer's market with amazing bread from St. John Bakery.)

Booze-serving establishment?
The Old Nick, Danforth Ave (beer and board games!).

Annual or recurring event?
Ad Astra Science Fiction and Fantasy Literary Convention, April.

Gallery/theatre/reading/concert venue?
I appreciate all the theatres, I just wish places like Factory were more accessible. Everyone deserves the chance to catch a show.

Underrated/usually reviled spot?
Greektown: the food is fantastic, the atmosphere is relaxed, the little shops are always fascinating to browse through, and potential is always in the air.

Thanks for JM for her responses, and be sure to drop by for more TATAS soon!

Look Mom, I'm Listed!

2012-01-09T13:03:00.006-05:00

It's preview season and I'm absolutely chuffed to be included in several round ups and lists of us soon-to-be-published folks.

Here is the National Post's 12 Most Anticipated Book of 2012 (swoon - this actually made me squeak with delight. Can one swoon and squeak simultaneously?)

Quill & Quire's Spring Preview (more swooning)

and Canadian Bookshelf's Most Anticipated Books of the Season (swoon, rinse, repeat)

Being listed along so many great writers is a trip. I guess all first timers go through this, but sharing a season with the likes of Steven Heighton, Emily Schultz and Linden MacIntyre is a bit head-spinning. It makes me think of the quote from Margaret Atwood's Cat's Eye where the narrator says "Another belief of mine: that everyone else my age is an adult, whereas I am merely in disguise."

(Seriously, give me a situation, and I'll give you an Atwood quote. I'm like the dad from My Big Fat Greek Wedding who tries to explain every word as having a Greek root. Only more successful. Because there really is an Atwood quote for everything.)

Research and Contemporary Fiction

2011-12-15T17:01:00.015-05:00

Recently a few people have asked me about what (if any) research I did for my novel. It's easy to assume that a book set in a roughly contemporary period in the city where I currently live would not require much of a library card workout in terms of research materials.

In fact, I got to do quite a bit of reading while writing the book. I say "got to" because I really enjoyed my research. My protagonist, Maggie, runs a store which sells (among other things) New Age paraphernalia, so I read books about Tarot cards and healing crystals, as well as some shorter articles on auras and aura reading. It wasn't something I knew anything about prior to the novel, but I needed to know what Maggie knew in order to write her, and having that knowledge became integral to the book.

The other subject on which I did a lot of reading was significantly more challenging. Maggie's mother, Carol, drowns herself in the Don River at the beginning of the book (literally the beginning, so no spoiler alert needed), and I felt I owed it to Maggie to read some non-fiction accounts by people who had lost loved ones to suicide. It was difficult, to say the least, but enlightening.

My favourite part of the process though was researching Toronto, where the book is set, where I live, and which I love. I double-checked even things I assumed I knew, just to make completely sure I didn't have Maggie standing at the corner of two streets that don't actually intersect or eating in a restaurant that didn't exist at the time, and I learned things I hadn't known at all, much of which didn't make it into the book but which was of great value to me as a mental backdrop (and as geeky municipal know-how).

There was one day in particular that sticks out, where I decided I needed to check the physicality of the river scenes, particularly Maggie's memory of her mother's death. I rode my bike up and down Bayview and tramped around in the weeds near the train tracks, trying in vain to locate an entry point to the river. I skulked around the Humane Society building and under the Don Valley Expressway. Finally, I remembered the staircase down from the Queen Street bridge. Locking up my bike, I went down to the river with the sun setting, using my bike light as a flashlight, still wearing my helmet in my rush, and undoubtedly looking completely insane. While high school kids calmly drank their surreptitious beers on the path, I dropped rocks into the water and tried to gauge the distance from ledge to river and various points of depth. I climbed down the bridge supports and noted the kinds of garbage on the shore, the buildings in the distance. A few days later I came back, this time riding up the pathway from the south, and I took 52 reference photographs (a few of which accompany this post). All to write two scenes, one of which is less than 650 words long. A friend called me during one of my excursions and we had the following conversation:

Me: "A drink tonight? I'd love to, but I'm in the middle of something."

My friend: "What are you doing?"

Me: "I'm trying to figure out the logistics of drowning myself in the Don River."

My very understanding friend: "...Writers are weird."

I may have been less nerdily enthusiastic about research if it had been necessary for me to slog through thousands of pages of social history in order to convincingly write about another century or something similarly demanding, but things being as they are, I am happy to say that I loved the research process. I like the chance to learn about bizarre things I might not otherwise be motivated to explore, and I like incorporating things I learn on my own into my writing.

For instance, I took sailing lessons while writing the book, so you'll notice a few sailboats and sailors manage to creep in. And for my story in The Walrus, I had good reason to research foley artists and their practices and terminology, which I might not otherwise have done. In some ways, I think research is a bonus for a writer and can really bring a character to life -- it's almost as if you are listening to them talk about their interests, like a new friend or lover. And if nothing else, maybe it will help with my Jeopardy skills. (Final photo: my trusty bike, Billy. I may have combined my research trip with a grocery shopping excursion, ahem.)

I'm in Found Press!

2011-11-10T10:24:00.005-05:00

So I'm very excited to announce that one of my stories, Mike Mike Mike Mike, has been included in Found Press' Fall 2011 quarterly collection.

You can see a preview of the collection here, which features stories by three other fantastic writers (Lee Kvern, Andrew Forbes and Pauline Holdstock, all of whom I'm very pleased to be appearing alongside).

The title of the collection, You Can't Go Home Again, is taken from my story, a fact about which I was really excited. And I need to find out who designed that cover, because it is AMAZING.

Please check out the collection and the good work that Found Press is doing.

National Post interview

2011-11-07T10:19:00.005-05:00

Thanks to everyone who came out to the Literary Death Match last night! I had a great time, especially in the finale where the lovely Dani Couture and I were forced to spell authors' surnames in order to pick a winner. Ms. Couture bravely prevailed after I failed to spell Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn (and by failed, I mean managed to get the first letter wrong).

Anyway, Dani and the other readers, Carolyn Black and Rebecca Rosenblum, were gracious and fantastic and I didn't trip and fall in my high heels, so really, the whole evening was a success.

I realized though that I forgot to post the fun interview the National Post did with each of the Death Match contestants. Here is mine, for your reading pleasure. Thanks to Mark Medley and the National Post!

I'm Aiming to Kill: Don't Miss the Literary Death Match

2011-10-31T16:54:00.006-04:00

So this Sunday, November 6, I am competing in a Toronto instalment of the Literary Death Match.

Check out all the details here.

There are four authors, reading for seven minutes each, and three judges who say funny things and crush our dreams. Then there is a bizarre and as-yet-unknown final showdown between the two authors lucky enough to move on from round one. It's a really fun event and I will be there, possibly dressed like Rambo or some other intimidating(?) character.

Even if you have no desire to witness me in fatigues (probably wise), there are lots of other reasons to come. In particular: Carolyn Black, Dani Couture and Rebecca Rosenblum, the other readers; and Ryan Kamstra, Mark Medley and Lindy Zucker, our illustrious judges.

Join us at the Gladstone on November 6!

Author Photos: Ten Varieties, Part Two

2011-09-25T18:41:00.011-04:00

For part one of the Author Photos: Ten Varieties list, click here. Otherwise, read on...

6. The other stuff in the photo photo.

Bookcases don't count. As a rule, it's probably a good idea to just not get your photo taken with your bookcase or a stack of books or whatever. If you sell a million copies, someone will take a photo of you with a stack of your own books. Hold out for that. No, other stuff in the photo is other stuff: dogs, flowers, boats, cats, weird chairs, horses, crafts, skulls, bicycles, board games, magic wands.

Pros: Can create a connection with a reader who happens to share the authors' fondness for [insert photo thing here].
Cons: Reminds me of junior high, when we were all allowed to bring something we liked to picture day and pose with it. I brought fake flowers. They were pretty sweet. Oh wait, this is the cons. Basically, if you pose with a horse, people will expect your book to be about horses. Oh, your book is about horses? Well, that's a little on-the-nose, isn't it? Plus, you might write another book that isn't about horses. Given everything you're reading here about author photos, do you really want to have to have another one taken? Yeah. You're welcome.

Photo: Hemingway and some of his recreational interests

7. The snapshot.

This is a surprisingly uncommon choice. It's basically a photo where the author looks at the camera, smiles while showing his or her teeth (commonly known as "a smile") and that is that.

Pros: smiles are nice. Author looks friendly. Smiles usually make people look younger and more attractive too.
Cons: Not really sure. I guess it's less serious looking. Might look like a Facebook or dating website profile shot. Might look like an actor's headshot.

Photo: Ayn Rand smiles for a snapshot (only smiling at capitalists)

8. The growl-shot.

This is the opposite of the snapshot. It's more or less as straightforward, but it involves the author looking at the camera and, for no particular reason, glowering, glaring, or snarling. Virtually no female authors choose this kind of photo, mostly because people think that women should not glare ("Why you no smile? You look so pretty when you smile!" – all the old men in Toronto who yell at girls on the street). I think the idea for this one is that you're pretending to be a scary Hemingway/Faulkner type and hoping it sends your cred through the roof.

Pros: People might be scared into buying your book? Or thinking you're Hemingway?
Cons: This photo choice makes no sense. Stop glaring at me from your book. Also, even Hemingway rarely went for the growl-shot. Papa liked to keep the pendulum between stoic and thoughtful or, occasionally, kinda smiley (see Other stuff in the photo photo).

Photo: even Nabokov was only doing the growl-shot for giggles

9. The outdoor photo.

There are two subspecies of the outdoor photo (which can, incidentally, involve any of the above photos – an outdoor growl-shot or side look or Hemingway's outdoor Other stuff photo above). The two species: outdoor pastoral and outdoor urban. Outdoor urban usually has graffiti in the background, or at least some sweet old brick façade of something. The outdoor pastoral has either trees, snow, water, a field, or some combination thereof. It might also be in front of wooden fence or a cabin, which may or may not belong to the author.

Pros: It implies the author has been outside, which is a proud moment for the author. It also can make for more interesting composition for the photographer. It might involve more colour than the average author photo, and is generally a more interesting photo period.
Cons: Canadian authors have to watch it on the pastoral subspecies, since we're always getting slammed for writing boring prairie stories. Young writers need to watch it with the urban subspecies since they often get slammed for writing elitist urban stories. Also, the outdoor photo runs the risk of being more of a photo-photo than an author photo. Don't forget this is supposed to be a picture of the author, not an art project. Generally though, I like outdoor photos.

Photo: Faulkner, maybe a little too outdoorsy

10. The obscured photo.

This is when the author shows only part of his or her face. It may be a cropped super close-up, or the face may be partially obscured by an object or shadow (peeking around a bookcase being a popular one). This kind of author photo is fairly uncommon and can be kind of interesting. It can also look bizarre.

Pros: Different, interesting. Can be cute or fun if treated well.
Cons: Can be scary or weird or simply look stupid. Can also be irritating to the viewer, and makes it hard to see what the author looks like, which is annoying for festival folks, publicists, and other people who will be expected to identify the author from his or her photo.

Photo: in the absence of other props, Raymond Carver hides behind his own hand (or possibly a hand supplied by Gordon Lish)

That's it folks! But don't worry -- I've still got author photos on the brain, so stick around for my upcoming post "What To Wear For An Author Photo". (Seriously.)

Author Photos: Ten Varieties, Part One

2011-09-20T23:27:00.010-04:00

Ten Kinds of Author Photos with Pros and Cons, Part One (1-5)

Note: To avoid anything that could be interpreted as mean-spirited, I've stuck to dead authors to illustrate each of these species of author photo. All of these types can be either good or bad, depending on how they are executed (even the classic).

1. The I don't even know someone is taking my photo photo

This is popular with old male authors. It usually involves them sitting at their desk or in a comfy chair in their study (if you don't have a study, you don't make the cut for this kind of photo), not facing the camera or acknowledging its presence. It's often a full body shot, usually with legs crossed for an extra "I have no idea someone else is in the room" insouciance.

Pros: intellectual-looking. Little chance of looking like a dork. Generally flattering since you can hardly see the writer. Makes the author look important, since it looks like a photo that would accompany a newspaper article about how famous and writerly the author is.
Cons: hard to actually see the author. Looks weird in a festival-program-esque collage of headshot-style author photos. Has been done a million times. Makes me think you live in a New York brownstone and disappoints me if you don't.

Photo: Roald Dahl has no idea you're watching

2. The I'm not afraid to look into the camera photo

This is popular with modern fiction writers, especially those lucky enough to look pretty good with this full-on here's my face take it or leave it approach. This photo is shot straight on, usually in black and white, not in the more common three quarter profile. It's the photographic equivalent of a headbutt.

Pros: Kind of cool. The opposite of the chin-on-fist photo. Looks smart/arty without looking stupid. Highlights the skill of a good photographer.
Cons: Kind of aggressive/scary, especially since people tend not to smile in this one (and might look creepy if they did). Not great for the less comely authors of the world, since it's just all face all the time.

Photo: Tolstoy does Blue Steel

3. The knowing smile photo

This is another looking-at-the-camera photo, but it's more like the author has been interrupted during their busy standing in a field (or alley) schedule and spared a wise, literary, closed-mouth smile for the viewer. Usually shot as shoulders- or chest-up. This is probably (currently) the most popular kind of author photo, and is usually shot as three quarter profile.

Pros: this is friendly but still intellectual. It's got an "I have a secret" allure, which, with some luck, implies the book might be good. The author is also looking at/connecting with the viewer, but without the scary intensity of the I'm-not-afraid-to-look-into-the-camera-photo.

Cons: can look smug, or possibly sleepy, depending on the precise moment the photo is snapped.

Photo:TIFF knew how to rock the knowing smile (Timothy Findley, showing off some sweet wallpaper)

4. The classic photo (aka the head on hand[s]/fist[s])

This is when an author sits for a photo, probably at his or her desk, and props chin on fist (or – good Lord – fists). Some authors have updated this to resting the chin on an open hand (very daring). A subspecies of this photo is the photographic-facelift, where an author places his or her hands in a strategic position on the hairline or jaw to basically pull back a decade or so of "life experience".

Pros: tried and true. Works well for non-fiction or authors over the age of 1000.
Cons: Cheeseball. Sorry.

Photo: This was probably the hot new trend when Vonnegut did it. He pulls it off, actually. Still not a good choice these days.

5. The looking somewhere other than the camera photo

The most popular version of this photo is looking just off to the side, like you're contemplating what to write for your next book. In this case, there's usually a semi-squint happening, to indicate serious side-looking. Other versions include looking down coyly (especially popular with the ladies) or looking up and to the side, which implies a sort of impish thoughtfulness. Fully-turned-to-the-side profile photos (which are pretty uncommon) fall under this category.

Pros: This is generally pretty flattering. It can be intellectual (the side look) or cute/funny (the up look) or thoughtful (the down look), so if you're going for one of those, it's a good choice. It also avoids the occasionally creepy I-am-staring-into-your-soul-until-you-buy-my-book effect that the above looking-into-the-camera photos can create. The looking off to the side look is probably the second most popular kind of author photo right now, after the knowing smile.
Cons: It can be legitimately hard to see what the author looks like, especially if he or she is looking down. It can also seem twee (the up look) or capital A arty (the side look) or boring (the down look). Also, the side look can occasionally make the author look blind because their eyes are sometimes unfocused. Not that being blind is a bad thing. But it seems a bit of a weird choice.

Photo: Virginia Woolf, giving a truly awesome side look

Got a favourite? Let me know. Also, stay tuned for numbers 6-10.

Author Photos

2011-09-20T23:13:00.004-04:00

Author photos. They're terrifying.

As a reader, I briefly glance at the author photo, and usually spare no more of a thought than "What a delightful looking lady/fellow!"

But as a writer, you agonize. You want to look good, but not so good that people cringe in surprise when they meet you in person. You want to look cool, but not so cool that you look like you're attempting to make up for a lifetime of rejection.

First you have to find a good photographer. The tricky part is not only choosing someone really (really, really) good, but someone who won't make you feel like an idiot when you spend x minutes mugging at their camera with your writer-face (note: do not look directly at writer-face, for your own safety).

Then you have to decide what to wear, where to take the photo, and how to pose (or not-pose, if you want to pretend that you just happened to have a photo snapped – what a surprise! – during the normal course of the day).

So, since writers have to live with these photos for years and years (or, in the case of some writers, decades – this is a separate issue), I decided to write a few posts about the magic that is the author photo. Stay tuned for the first one very shortly. And yes, my own author photo moment is approaching, which may have something to do with this subject being on my mind.

Photo credit (minus text): Leslie Watts via sxc.hu

Working from Home

2011-08-29T20:30:00.005-04:00

I've been working from home for a while. It's pretty awesome in a lot of ways (my commute is zero minutes! No weird bathroom-sharing situations! I don't break down and buy countless slices of apple cake from Mystic Muffin anymore! Wait, maybe that last one is a drawback) but it definitely has it's own set of issues.

Which is why I must direct you to The Oatmeal's webcomic about working at home, which made me laugh so hard, alone in my apartment, that it basically became a meta-thematic performance art piece.

Check out the rest of his stuff if you have a moment (or 100) to spare.