Interview With Award-Winning Author Jacqueline Vogtman, MFA

 

 

What inspired you to write this book?

So many things! Each story had its own unique inspiration, from dreams to shower thoughts to a bumper stick I saw on the back of a truck. Each of these pieces felt like they fit together as a work of art, so I set about putting them together as a book speaking to women’s experiences but really experiences we all face: love, loss, faith, loss of faith, family, class, relationships, our place in the natural world, grief, time.

 

What exactly is it about and who is it written for?

It’s about women’s lives, from the dangers our bodies face in a patriarchal, capitalist society, to the magic of our bodies through pregnancy and childbirth and motherhood, to the transformations we face as women and humans in this strange world. It’s written for everyone, regardless of gender, but particularly those who like literary short fiction with a magical-realist flair.

 

What do you hope readers will get out of reading your book?

I hope they see they feel, at the end of my stories, as if a light has been shone on something, or a feeling of connection or empathy has been fostered that wasn’t there before. I hope the collection feels life-affirming.

 

How did you decide on your book’s title and cover design?

The title comes from one of my stories in the book, and it felt like it was the best title to hold the whole collection together, with its focus on women and girls but also the natural world. The cover was designed by one of Dzanc’s designers, Steven Seighman. My editor, Michelle Dotter, sent me many different designs to choose from, and this one felt perfect for the themes of my book.

 

What advice or words of wisdom do you have for fellow writers – other than run!?

Try to get into a writing routine, whatever that means for you, but also don’t beat yourself up if you can’t stick with it! If you have dry spells where you can’t find time to write, be sure to at least take notes so those ideas don’t get lost. Also, just pay attention—to your dreams, to the little things in your life, to small details you normally might let pass you by. These can be the seeds of stories.

What trends in the book world do you see – and where do you think the book publishing industry is heading?

I do see the book industry at least moving toward more diversity, which is a wonderful thing and I hope I see more of.

 

Were there experiences in your personal life or career that came in handy when writing this book?

I will say having a teaching job where I have the option to take off in the summer is helpful in trying to write a book. During the semesters, it’s very hard to get a lot of writing done—but the summers do help.

 

How would you describe your writing style? Which writers or books is your writing similar to?

I tend to write a lot of magical realism, but some of the stories feature hints of speculative dystopia and even historical fiction. I’d like to think my writing is somewhat lyrical, with a lot of interiority—interiority is essential for my fiction. The stories in this book owe a lot to Karen Russell and Anthony Doerr, two of my biggest inspirations from contemporary literature.

 

What challenges did you overcome in the writing of this book?

The biggest challenge was time: how do I find the time to write between working a full-time job and trying to be a present mother to my growing child? I found early-morning writing sessions were key to overcoming this.

 

If people can buy or read one book this week or month, why should it be yours?

Because it may surprise you! And, I’d like to think, leave you with a feeling of hope.

 

Jacqueline Vogtman won the 2021 Dzanc Books Short Story Collection Prize for her book Girl Country. Her fiction has appeared in Hunger Mountain, Permafrost, The Literary Review, Smokelong Quarterly, Third Coast, and other journals. A graduate of the MFA program at Bowling Green State University, she is currently Associate Professor of English at Mercer County Community College. She has lived in New Jersey most of her life and resides in a small town surrounded by nature, which she explores with her husband, daughter, and dog. Girl Country is her first book. Find her on Instagram @jacquelinevogtman.

 

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About Brian Feinblum

Brian Feinblum should be followed on Twitter @theprexpert. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2023. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent.  This award-winning blog has generated over 3.3 million pageviews. With 4,400+ posts over the past dozen years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs  and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” For the past three decades, including 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and two jobs at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler. He recently hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America, and has spoken at ASJA, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. He has been featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald. For more information, please consult: www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum.