Meet Genna Coleman! Genna is a Senior WLP major at Emerson College about to publish her book, Catfish and Other Dead Things. The book will be published through the Wilde Press branch of Emerson’s Pub Club! Here’s what Genna had to say about her book:
What inspired you to write Catfish and Other Dead Things?
I just thought that it was time. For years I wasn’t sure how to write about my past––I tried making sense of my feelings through incredibly vague and long winded poetry (which really did not work). In fact, I never considered writing a collection of essays until my first nonfiction workshop at Emerson. The honesty and vulnerability in my peer’s essays inspired me to open up and this collection of essays wouldn’t have been written without that experience.
You decided to donate all proceeds to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. What was your motivation behind choosing them to receive your donations?
I think the resources/services they provide are invaluable, especially for teens and young adults. I think AFSP and the topics I address in my essays align and it made sense for that to be the charity of my choice. [Author’s note: this charity is incredibly important to me, so you should definitely buy Genna’s book! For more information about the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, you can check out another article I wrote here!]
What was the biggest challenge in writing Catfish and Other Dead Things?
The biggest challenge was the edits. The two-week turn was a lot to handle, especially while dealing with school and other responsibilities. For future authors: plan out a revision schedule and stick to it!
The biggest success?
The biggest success was the essays themselves. I’m proud of what I was able to produce (with the help of the editorial team) and I’m happy that they’re going out into the world!
Is this the first time you have been published? If so, how does it feel?
This is the first time I’ve been published on this scale. I’ve had a few poems published in other literary magazines, but I’ve never been so involved in the editorial process. It feels equal parts exciting and overwhelming!
Is there anything you wish you could change?
Honestly, the only thing I wish I could change was the time allotted for edits. (But I completely understand the tight deadline!) Working with Pub Club has been an amazing experience and there isn’t anything else I would change.
What is one thing you want everyone to know/keep in mind about your book?
It’s for everyone, young and old. I’d like to think that everyone can relate in some way to something in my collection.
I’d like to offer a quick congratulations to Genna and all the hard work she put into writing Catfish and Other Dead Things! It couldn’t have been easy! As a member of Pub Club myself, I had the opportunity to work closely with Genna’s book, and I’ve got to say, it’s a must-read! Make sure to stop by Pub Club’s book launch to purchase your copy of Catfish and Other Dead Things for only $8.00! And, in addition, remember that all the proceeds from Genna’s book will go to benefiting the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention! For more information about Pub Club’s book launch event, check out our article!