Craft from the Couch: Episode One

Hello and Happy Wednesday!

In theory, if everything went well yesterday, I had three successful but significant nasal surgeries to correct breathing issues I recently had diagnosed which will also hopefully (I hope, hope, hope!) mitigate my chronic insomnia.

While the post-opp recovery will be gnarly, I want to be optimistic and celebratory about this surgery, which should improve some life/quality issues I’ve been struggling with. Accordingly, in the vein of celebration, I’m kicking off my bedrest with the inaugural episode of CRAFT FROM THE COUCH— a new video series I’ll be doing on my Substack where I’ll interview literary people I admire about one specific topic. Picture conversations with foreign rights agents on international appeal, mystery writers on plot, independent press authors on reprints, adjunct teachers on finances: important niche topics that don’t get discussed a lot.

The conversations will center on one topic and my guests will be delightful down-to-earth types that you can relate to and draw inspiration from. Because I’ll be speaking with people I look up to rather than writers who are specifically on book tour, I hope to keep the content fun, educational, fresh…and not promotional.¹

In terms of frequency, I don’t know yet how often I’ll release these video conversations, but they’ll come from the “Craft Hacks” section of my newsletter and will be filmed from my craft couch. Here’s another picture of the couch in question:

Embarrassing disclaimers: I’m a tech-challenged person and I’m not super comfortable with the medium of video, but I love my writer friends and want to celebrate them, so bear with me as I figure this whole video thing out! I’m pretty sure I have no forehead in this video for starters, and the angle I’m sitting at is super weird, but you’re not here for me, you’re here for the next-level intelligence that is Marie-Helene Bertino, the author most recently of the novel BEAUTYLAND. We’ll be doing a giveaway of this incredible book for paid subscribers—more about that in a sec!²

This last disclaimer isn’t embarrassing, it’s just something to note: I am not open to pitches for this video series. Thanks for respecting that.

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“Beautyland” is published by FSG. Marie’s headshot is by Beowulf Sheehan.

Introducing Marie-Helene Bertino

I first met Marie-Helene Bertino through her phenomenal writing. The first book I read of hers was the stunning collection “Safe as Houses.” Another writer I admire—the icon that is Jim Shepard—turned me onto her work, and I haven’t stopped reading everything she writes, since. Why? I’m glad you asked:

• You like humor? You don’t even know what humor IS until you read yourself some Marie-Helene Bertino.

• You like to have your heartstrings tugged? They are going to be YANKED.

• Do you like a little supernatural(ism) and magic and time bending in your novels, along with sharp sentences and fresh metaphors? Get ready, because you’re headed for FRESH METAPHOR CITY, friends.

For those of you lucky enough to have not met Marie-Helene on either the page or IRL yet, I’m excited to be the person introducing you to the gateway drug of literary fiction that is this special author. I hope you enjoy our conversation about the tricky, slippery beast called “voice,” There are so many nuggets of gold and beauty in this conversation, you’re going to need one of those old timey gold pans to hold on to the gems.

About the giveaway

I’m aiming to do a book giveaway for each episode of CRAFT FROM THE COUCH. Accordingly, I’ve got one signed copy of BEAUTYLAND to gift one lucky paid subscriber with this week!³

At a certain point in our conversation, Marie-Helene drops a sentence that the winner will need to type into the comments section exactly as she read it. First person to get that sentence right wins the signed novel!

Like all book giveaways on my Substack, this giveaway is reserved for paid subscribers to my Substack and it’s only open for residents in the continental US (unless you would like to offer me a plane ticket to Hawaii, in which case, I’ll bring the book to you in person!) If you’d like to upgrade your subscription to join in on this and future giveaways, please do. We’d love to have you.

Thanks so much for being here.

I hope you like this inaugural episode of CRAFT FROM THE COUCH with Marie-Helene Bertino on voice!

1. I have nothing against writers on book tour! I have been a writer on book tour and hope one day to tour again. But it’s true that I’ll be gravitating toward people who aren’t actively promoting something in these talks.

2. For book titles except my own publications, I use affiliate links with Bookshop.org. Any modest commissions I earn from your book purchases goes toward me buying other people’s books on Bookshop.org myself.

3. If you believe you’ve won the giveaway, just give me a few beats to let you know you have. When you receive this email, I will be on bedrest and unable to actually look at my computer. I’m hoping I’ll be able to look at comments sooner than later, but just be patient— I will find you, dear winner!