LA Public Library: Interview With An Author: Saraciea J. Fennell

Los Angeles CA

16 December, 2021

10:25 AM

Description

Press release from the Los Angeles Public Library: Daryl M. December 16, 2021 Saraciea J. Fennell is a Black Honduran writer and the founder of The Bronx is Reading. She is also a book publicist who has worked with many award-winning and New York Times bestselling authors. Fennell sits on the board for Latinx in Publishing as well as on the Advisory Board of People of Color in Publishing. She lives in the Bronx with her family and dog, Oreo. Her latest book is Wild Tongues Can't Be Tamed and she recently talked about it with Daryl Maxwell for the LAPL Blog. My inspiration for Wild Tongues came from the lack of YA nonfiction that centered voices from my community, especially, Black and LGBTQIA+ voices. I also wanted to curate a collection that could be used as a conversation starter for those in the Latinx community, and those outside of our community. How culture is so rich, and I think we need more books written by folks from the diaspora to really showcase that. The process for putting together this collection was very collaborative. I came up with the theme for the collection, and then I asked each contributor to send me 3-5 pitches that fit into that criteria and might be something they wanted to write about. From there, I discussed with each contributor what made the most sense for them to focus on. Not that I can think of, but I will say that I wish I could've included more writers from the diaspora, there are still so many Latinx experiences that have yet to be shared with the world. This experience was amazing, I really enjoyed editing these talented writers. There were lots of things I learned along the way on the publishing editorial side, like working with proofreaders, copyeditors, and etc. I knew about all of those things, but being in the minutiae of it all was definitely a learning curve for me when it came to juggling all of the deadlines and stuff. An editor's job is to help the writer tell the best story that they can and I think sometimes folks forget that and they take the feedback more personally than they should. The critiques are for the writer to consider, as the writer, you don't necessarily have to accept all the changes, but you should still aim to produce the best possible piece of writing that you can. So many books currently on my nightstand! My favorite copy of Matilda, A Master of Djinn by P Djeli Clark, Monster in the Middle by Tiphanie Yanique, When We Make It by Elisabet Velasquez, my finished copy of Wild Tongues Can't Be Tamed, and my iPad loaded up with so many other stories! This is a tough question, but I'll name some of the most influential and favorites, Roald Dahl (I devoured his books when I was in foster care), James Baldwin, Claudia Rankine, Shonda Rhimes, Octavia E. Butler, Samantha Irby, Stephenie Meyer (yes, I'm a Twilight fan), Justina Ireland, Dhonielle Clayton, Tracey Baptiste, and so many others! Matilda and James and the Giant Peach. I also devoured all of RL Stine's Goosebumps books as well as Animorphs. Oh for sure, I hid a few books from my parents, mostly ones that I had taken from my sister's bookshelf, like The Coldest Winter Ever and pretty much all of Eric Jerome Dickey's books, ha! Yep, I've never finished The Catcher in the Rye LOL, that's our little secret though right? The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls by Anissa Gray. Down These Mean Streets by Piri Thomas it was the first book that I read in high school where I saw characters that reflected certain aspects of my family's struggles. Yes, I think everyone should read Citizen by Claudia Rankine and most recently For Brown Girls with Sharp Edges and Tender Hearts by Prisca Dorcas Mojica Rodriguez. Not that I can think of, but I do frequently reread Pride and Prejudice and Zombies - but that probably doesn't really count right? Recently I've been binging series like Flack, Evil, and See that I think have been done really well. A perfect day for me includes a sun shower during brunch so I can watch and listen to the rain fall while I nom, followed by a stroll outdoors, a spot where I can sit and enjoy the views, read a few pages of a good book, and then back home with my cozy blanket binging a favorite show. Hmm I can't think of anything right now! A collection of essays, and slowly revising a YA contemporary manuscript. Wild Tongues Can't be Tamed: 15 Voices From the Latinx Diaspora View on OverDrive View in Catalog This press release was produced by the Los Angeles Public Library. The views expressed here are the author's own.