Ink-Filled Page on KBOO Radio
Excerpt from the March 19, 2009, interview with Mariane Barisonek:
Marianne: [Joe], your story is about a baby who is born six weeks early with an umbilical cord wrapped around her neck, and this has got to be one of the most agonizing situations anyone can be in. What made you want to write about this?
Joe Riippi (author of "Seahorse"): ...I was riding on the subway one day and overheard a conversation from some people who were going to visit some a brother-in-law who had this situation going on and was in the hospital waiting to find out what happened. And it was just ... agonizing to hear them talk about it, so that when I went home and was working on a new story, that was what ended up coming out. What must this be like for him? What's going through his mind? And ... my trying to figure that out became this character trying to figure that out....
Marianne: And Scott, your story has to be on the complete opposite end of the spectrum from this one.
Scott Parker (author of "On Shitting in the Woods and Other Tragedies of Running): ...Everbody knows about running about how [running] can be fun and sort of inspiring and physical. But there's this ... darker side, also physical, that I wanted to get out there.
Marianne: ...The story really is about how we can never run away from the fact that we're very fallible and vulnerable creatures, even though the art or the sport of running is almost to make ourselves into machines....So, what do you [Ali and Kristin] think distinguishes literary writing from, say, advertising or genre fiction?
Kristin Thiel: ...It goes beyond, here's a story from A to C with B happening in the middle...and so you have these different layers.
Ali McCart: ...A big part of [literary work] is just being able to connect with the reader on a very personal level, whether it's through similar experiences that the reader can empathize with the author or the characters in the story, as the case may be, or even without having had similar personal experiences, to be able to get lost in the story and the characters and to be experiencing what those characters are experiencing in that moment.
Download the full interview.
Our Portland Story
Still in its first year, Indigo's Sledgehammer writing contest settles solidly into the fabric of Portland with its inclusion in the forthcoming Our Portland Story, "part coffee-table book, part yearbook, and part insiders travel guide."
Indigo editors created the thirty-six-hour fiction contest not only to support writers but to celebrate Portland. Parallel but distinctly, local designer Melissa Delzio is compiling text and images for her book to "create a greater sense of community identity and pride in Portland and capture the spirit of the city at this point in time." Delzio chose to include Sledgehammer's story because, as she said, "I think it is a very unique, very Portland event and am excited to have it in the book!"
Watch for news on the book release at Our Portland Story.
From the Oregonian:
As every writer knows, there's nothing like a deadline to kick-start productivity. So last weekend, 20 writers embraced the pressure as part of Portland's first Sledgehammer contest. Their mission: Write a short story in 36 hours.
Teams and individuals began their adventure at noon Saturday at Backspace, 115 N.W. Fifth Ave. They were given a writing prompt—incorporate the line "All Girl Summer Fun," taken from the name of the band playing at the cafe that evening—and a clue that would lead them on a citywide scavenger hunt.
At each destination, such as Mizu Sushi in downtown and Writers' Dojo in St. Johns, participants received a prompt to inspire characters, dialogue and action. Ali McCart, founder of Indigo Editing and Publications, organized the event in less than two months, gathering more than 25 sponsors and $3,000 in prizes.
"I thought, 'If Portland can have a 48-hour film fest, why can't we do the same thing for writing?'" said McCart, 27.
Read the entire article at OregonLive.com.
From ForeWord This Week:
...Because of their comprehensive knowledge of publishing, most of the graduates of the program have gone on to have successful careers in different areas of the industry. After graduation, Ali McCart started her own company, Indigo Editing.
“Several universities offer programs to acquire a degree or certificate in book publishing, but even then graduates face a competitive field with little to no experience,” McCart told FTW. “Upon graduation from PSU, I had already edited eleven books and publications through Ooligan Press and internships. And more important, I had the lasting support of industry professionals. When authors started approaching me about editing their books, the next logical decision was to start an editing company.”
View the complete article at ForeWord Magazine.
From WiPP Monthly:
Ali McCart, Founder of Indigo Editing and VP of WiPP, Sheds Light on the Background Leading to Her Recent Successes (by Jen Weaver-Neist)
Welcome to a behind-the-scenes look at one of your fearless leaders in WiPP! This interview details some things you may not have known about her—I know I learned a thing or two! It just goes to show you how much we each have to bring to this conglomerate of talent in WiPP and the local publishing industry at large.
Read the full interview at Women in Portland Publishing.
Testimonials
"I've had editors at Alfred A. Knopf and Blue Heron. Ali is the best editor I've known."
—Robin Cody, Ricochet River
"I have been very pleased with this process. In lieu of getting an MFA, I feel like this process was a very long workshop for the book!"
—Henry Cameron, The Pilgrim's Paradox & Pizza Diaries
"I'm so glad I found you. You're so assiduous, and you always do a great job."
—Tim Curran, Mid-county Memo
"I'm just amazed at how much better you made my book."
—Bob Gage, Ghoul
"I am basically self-taught, i.e. no college. While this can engender fresh takes and original angles, it can also mean lapses in the nuts and bolts of good writing. That's where Indigo comes in."
—Mark Ellis, Their Loved Ones & Ladder Memory
"Beyond helpful! Throughout the process, she [Ali McCart] kept me grounded and mentally calm while sharing positive energy and aiding me in maintaining my momentum. She really enjoys helping writers succeed."
—Haleah Blank, Sisters of the American Exotic