Josh Dale: As a debut author, how does a chapbook kickstart your career?
Liz deBeer: The publication of Farewell to Emptiness has let me showcase several of my flash stories, which I modified to create a novelette-in-flash. While readers may have read some of my published work previously, arguably, it’s a different experience to read a series of individual flash that together create a full narrative arc.
JD: What were the challenges and goals you set for yourself when compiling this manuscript? If willing, how many times was this submitted before being accepted? LD: After taking an online class with Finnian Burnett, an accomplished writer of novellas-in-flash, I wanted to experiment with the form myself. I was unsure if I could find a publisher open to a novelette-in-flash, as the genre is fairly new. I submitted Farewell to Emptiness to three publishers: TW accepted; one declined. I withdrew the final one.
JD: What’s your opinion on the handmade aspect of TW chapbooks?
LD: I’ve learned a lot about chapbooks since the publication of Farewell to Emptiness, including that chapbooks have a long history of challenging literary norms, which I’d argue supports TW’s handmade books printed on high-quality paper. While not everyone may connect with this format, I am proud of the product.
JD: Tell me how do you ‘escape the mundane’? Think habits, rituals, non-creative things; be as detailed as you wish.
LD: Spending time at the beach, where every day surprises such as spotting dolphins or even a whale jumping, or a fox chasing seaweed, or a bird pecking a dead fish, or a fiddler crab racing to its hole. Cooking with herbs and veggies grown from our garden. Playing with grandchildren who make up games (and then change the rules mid-game). Walking city streets. Reading an author new to me.
JD: What is the biggest accomplishment your chapbook has made? LD: It’s hard to quantify, but two friends who recently published chapbooks co-hosted a celebration with me coffee-house-style. We shared the mic, sold books, and toasted each other with a roomful of friends and family. Also, I was deeply moved by the support from those who purchased Farewell to Emptiness, people from so many parts of my life including relatives, childhood friends, writing friends, work friends, community friends, and even several former students.
JD: What is your next book goal, whether it’s a signed contract or abstractly brainstormed?
LD: I’m getting ready to query a collection of flash inspired by Anglo-Saxon runes, which includes another novelette-in-flash.
JD: Pick 1 of each to bring to an island retreat for 1 month: book, album, movie, personal item
LD: Book: The Book of Runes by Ralph Blum, which includes a bag of runes. Album: Health Journeys Guided Meditations on Stress. Movie: My Cousin Vinny. Personal Item: Cell phone & charger which has downloaded podcasts and music, stored family photos, and Apple Pay. (Hoping there’s electricity on this island)
JD: Pick a number between 1-1000.
LD: 42
JD: That's 42 pets for Grey, my cat. He is content and purring. Thank you for speaking to me!
Liz deBeer, MA, EdD, is a writer and language arts teacher from Albany, NY, where this story is set. She now lives at the Jersey Shore with her family & works with Project Write Now, a writing cooperative. Liz has published in newspapers, teaching journals, and magazines, including Brevity Blog and The New Jersey English Journal. Her writing has appeared in numerous publications: Fictive Dream, BULL, Bending Genres, Literary Garage, Switch, Bright Flash Lit Review, WOW, The Hootlet’s Nook, and others. She volunteers as a reader of Flash Fiction Magazine. She is a member of The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), The Author’s Guild, Association of Writers and Writing Programs (AWP), and New Jersey Council of Teachers of English (NJCTE). Find Liz at: www.ldebeerwriter.com
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