Sunday, August 31, 2014
Saturday, August 30, 2014
Friday, August 29, 2014
Thursday, August 28, 2014
Wednesday, August 27, 2014
Tuesday, August 26, 2014
Monday, August 25, 2014
Sunday, August 24, 2014
Saturday, August 23, 2014
Friday, August 22, 2014
Thursday, August 21, 2014
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
Monday, August 18, 2014
Sunday, August 17, 2014
Saturday, August 16, 2014
Friday, August 15, 2014
365 Days Of Inspiration!
Seek your freedom, seek your independence, seek your path!
Try hard enough and you will succeed!
Try hard enough and you will succeed!
Thursday, August 14, 2014
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
Monday, August 11, 2014
Sunday, August 10, 2014
365 Days Of Inspiration!
Simon Sinek presents a simple but powerful model for how leaders inspire action, starting with a golden circle and the question "Why?" His examples include Apple, Martin Luther King, and the Wright brothers -- and as a counterpoint Tivo, which (until a recent court victory that tripled its stock price) appeared to be struggling.
What is your Golden Circle -- Why, How, What...
Be a leader and inspire action!
What is your Golden Circle -- Why, How, What...
Be a leader and inspire action!
Saturday, August 9, 2014
Friday, August 8, 2014
Thursday, August 7, 2014
Wednesday, August 6, 2014
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
Tête-à-Tête With Mira Jacob
.jpg) |
Mira Jacob
Photo Credit: In Kim
|
From her website --
She is the co-founder of the much-loved Pete’s Reading Series in Brooklyn, where she spent 13 years bringing literary fiction, non-fiction, and poetry to the city’s sweetest stage. Previously, she directed editorial content for various websites, co-authored shoe impresario Kenneth Cole’s autobiography, and wrote VH-1’s Pop-Up Video. Her writing has been published in books, magazines, on television, and across the web. She has appeared on national and local television and radio, and has taught writing to students of all ages in New York, New Mexico, and Barcelona.Mira is in the midst of an aggressive book tour and was kind enough to answer a few questions for Suprose via email.
What a fascinating title! How did you come up with it?
The family in the center of the book is plagued by sleep
disorders--a subconscious reaction to a lifetime of trying to fit into America.
And at the same time, they had bigger dreams--things their bodies might have
done and enjoyed had they been able to make themselves happier. So the title
for me is a hopeful one.
Your first novel, and it is getting wonderful coverage some rave reviews… What is your reaction? What do you attribute to it’s wonderful reception?
The coverage and reviews have been overwhelming and
surprising! I attribute it's wonderful reception to the dark arts I've
practiced in my closet for years. No, but really, as any writer will tell you,
so much of what gets noticed is being in the right place at the right time.
I've written a story about identity and loss at a moment when a lot of people are
wrestling with their own, so I think it resonates.
How did this first novel come to be?
How did this first novel come to be?
Very slowly. I worked on it for 10 years while working
corporate jobs and having a kid, so I wrote most of it from 11 pm to 1 am.
What was the most challenging part about writing your first novel and getting it published?
Letting go. The story isn't mine anymore, it's everyone's,
and that a funny feeling after having it all to myself for 10 years.
The
toughest part about getting published, is acquiring an agent and getting a good
publisher. How did you accomplish that?
The
toughest part about getting published, is acquiring an agent and getting a good
publisher. How did you accomplish that?
I was lucky enough to have been with my agent, Michelle
Tessler, for 10 years --she represented earlier projects as well. In fact, she
is the one who called me two years ago when I was laid off from my first job
and screamed, "THIS IS THE BEST THING TO EVER HAPPEN TO YOU. STOP WORKING
FOR IDIOTS WHO DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE WORTH AND FINISH YOUR BOOK." Which
is pretty much the nicest thing to have screamed at you, actually. And it
worked. Instead of jumping immediately into another job, I gave myself exactly
3 months to finish the book. I told myself it was my last shot--I was 39, had a
lot of bills and a kid and didn't want to be the kind of Mom who is always
looking out the window for who she might have been. Anyway--long story short--I
finished, we took it to market, and ended up with an auction. I chose Random
House because they struck me as extremely passionate and dedicated--which has
turned out to be true. Bunch of passionate people up in that place.
What is it about family life that is so enticing to us writers?
We recognize it but we can't really see it clearly. Like
air, or water, it's one of the elements we need to survive, no matter how it
comes to us (chosen, blood-related, etc.)
If I looked through your book bag right now, what would I find?
Like, actual book bag? A bag of books? I love that whole idea but the only thing I carry around is snacks for my kid and things to keep my biking habit intact. My nightstand, on the other hand, is piled high with goodness. I have just started Ted Thompson's (so far excellent) Land of Steady Habits, and am slowly my way through Richard Rhodes (also excellent, but harder for me to parse) The Making of the Bomb.
Like, actual book bag? A bag of books? I love that whole idea but the only thing I carry around is snacks for my kid and things to keep my biking habit intact. My nightstand, on the other hand, is piled high with goodness. I have just started Ted Thompson's (so far excellent) Land of Steady Habits, and am slowly my way through Richard Rhodes (also excellent, but harder for me to parse) The Making of the Bomb.
Which writers would you consider to be your muses?
Toni Morrison, Sherman Alexi, Zadie Smith, Antonya Nelson,
John Irving, Junot Diaz, Joy Harjo.
Who are some South Asian writers you go to for comfort and reassurance?
Who are some South Asian writers you go to for comfort and reassurance?
I don't. I go to South Asian writers to be blown away by
ingenuity and acumen.
Tell us about Pete’s Reading Series, its inception and what it is about? Do you continue to work there?
Tell us about Pete’s Reading Series, its inception and what it is about? Do you continue to work there?
I started Pete's Reading Series with writer Alison Hart in
1999 as a way of giving writers (whose lives, let's face it, are usually a lot
less than glamourous) a nice night, and a moment of celebration. When we
started, we usually paired one well-known author with someone either unknown or
under-recognized, to expose them to a larger audience. Alison and I passed the
series on to writers Lindsay Hood and Jillian Capewell last year, and they've
been knocking it out of the park ever since.
Have you dabbled in any other kinds of writing besides Sleepwalkers? Where else have you published?
Have you dabbled in any other kinds of writing besides Sleepwalkers? Where else have you published?
I've worked professionally as a writer for 20 years, so my
writing has been published in books, magazines, television shows, and online.
What is next for you?
What is next for you?
Graphic novel or memoir. For example, this conversation with
my grandmother, which I drew on my last visit to India in April.
Monday, August 4, 2014
365 Days Of Inspiration!
Do what you love,
and love what you do...
Could this be the simplest formula all round satisfaction, happiness and success?
If we find our passion and pursue it relentlessly, after we give it our best, when we achieve the final result, we cannot help but be satisfied! And happy that we gave it our all and our everything, irrespective of the outcome. And if we are successful, that is such a special bonus.
So I say, do what you love, and love what you do!
Sunday, August 3, 2014
365 Days Of Inspiration!
Do what it takes to pursue your passion.
The very fact that you pursued it makes you a winner!
I came across this wonderful article titled, 7 Stages To Finding Your Passion from the wonderful Omega institute by author Gail Straub, a teacher and an empowerment expert.
She outlines and describes 7 simple steps to find your passion in life and more importantly pursue it. My favorites are the first three steps --
1. Get quiet enough to hear your passion calling you
2. Have courage to heed the call
3. Face and befriend your fears.
The others are equally straightforward and fascinating. She does not stop with this though, she explains each step in this wonderful article. A must read for those of us seeking and pursuing our passions!
The very fact that you pursued it makes you a winner!
I came across this wonderful article titled, 7 Stages To Finding Your Passion from the wonderful Omega institute by author Gail Straub, a teacher and an empowerment expert.
She outlines and describes 7 simple steps to find your passion in life and more importantly pursue it. My favorites are the first three steps --
1. Get quiet enough to hear your passion calling you
2. Have courage to heed the call
3. Face and befriend your fears.
The others are equally straightforward and fascinating. She does not stop with this though, she explains each step in this wonderful article. A must read for those of us seeking and pursuing our passions!
Saturday, August 2, 2014
Friday, August 1, 2014
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)