My Summer Reading with author and founder of Pilcrow Lit Fest, Amy Guth

This week on our series My Summer Reading we're having a dear friend from Chicago - Amy Guth.

Amy Guth is Digital Coordinator/Books for the Chicago Tribune and writes the local literary blog, Chicago Subtext, for the Tribune's Chicago Now blog network. She is the founder of Pilcrow Lit Fest (which partnered with Eco-Libris for the second time this year), managing editor at So New, a regular crew member at Reading Under The Influence and author of Three Fallen Women (2006).

Previously, she has written for a variety of national and online publications, many of which can be seen here. In addition to her personal blog, Bigmouth Indeed Strikes Again, she also writes a fitness blog, Bonkless, is a new-ish filmmaker and a disaster and mass care volunteer for the American Red Cross of Greater Chicago. Previously, she collaborated in several sketch comedy productions at Second City's training center and other improv comedy venues, served as assistant fiction editor at 42 Opus, and hosted/curated Chicago's Fixx Reading Series.

For more info, please visit the FAQ page of her main blog or follow her on Twitter.

Hi Amy, what are you reading now?
I'm reading both How To Hold A Woman by Billy Lombardo and Sunlight at Midnight, Darkness at Noon by Cunningham and McCreesh. Both are from local Chicago publishers-- OV Books and Orange Alert Press, respectively-- and I'm enjoying both very much.

I tend to read more than one book at a time. Occupational hazard.

Any recommendation on a good summer reading?

I tend to want to read dark, mysterious inner-transformation of protagonist sorts of things in the winter and bright, incredible stories of inner-transformation of the protagonist in the summer. [laughs] I never really seek that out, per se, I just tend to intuitively gravitate towards different things in different weather. I think the key elements of a good summer read is something you can set down and pick back up again later and not have to page back to remember. The ideal summer read has literary weight to it, but it also clips along so you, the reader, and step in and out of it as needed.

What you are planning to read this summer?
I am trying to re-read some classic novels I read as a teenager. I see them so differently now. Years will bring that kind of perspective.

What is your favorite place to read in the summer?
An outdoor cafe, in warm sunshine, with a good pinot grigio and a plate of olives. That's about as good as it gets for me.

Thanks Amy!

So far on My Summer Reading series:

Christian Valentiner of the Norwegian publisher Flux

Avrim Topel, co-author of 'My Green Beginnings'

Tania Hershman, author of 'The White Road and Other Stories'

Elisabeth Baines, author of the upcoming book 'Too Many Magpie'

Erica Caldwell of the bookstore Present Tense

Sue Schrader of the bookstore Sources of Hope

Jennifer Taylor of GreetQ

Kathleen Wilson, author of "Rumer & Qix"

Edain Dugay of Wyrdwood Publications

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: promoting green reading

Eco-Libris is partnering with the Pilcrow Lit Festival in Chicago (May 17-23)

We LOVE literary festivals and we're crazy about Chicago, one of the greenest and coolest cities around. Hence we're so happy to announce that for the second year in a row we're partnering with the Pilcrow Lit Fest that will begin next Sunday in Chicago.

This is a great event and we wanted to tell you all about it and how we partner with them, but we were certain that Amy Guth (in the photo below), the founder and director of the Pilcrow Lit Fest will do it much better, so we asked her for an interview, and here it is with (almost) all the information you need to do before you make the next step and check their website for the full schedule and more!

Hello Amy. Can you remind us what is the Pilcrow Lit Fest and when and where it's going to take place?
Pilcrow Lit Fest is an annual small press and independent media festival taking place May 17-23 in Chicago and, now also, October 23-24 in Nashville.

What is the main focus of this year's Pilcrow Lit Fest?
Every year the focus is, of course, on small press authors, publishers, designers and publications, but this year I have partnered with several existing local literary events throughout the city to best showcase all of the literary events in Chicago.

How many participants you're expecting this year? Can you share with us few of the prominent ones?
We'll have over one hundred people participating in the various areas of the festival including readings, panel discussions, events and Literary Death Match, an event we are co-hosting to help raise funds for local organization Young Chicago Authors. Designer David Barringer will be participating, as well as author of So New's upcoming release, American Soma, Savannah Schroll Guz, but really, so many wonderful and diverse people are coming together for this years festival that I could just go on and on about each one. Best to check out the list of participants (http://www.pilcrowlitfest.com/participants.html)

I saw that some of the panels' topics are relating to current events and trends like the recession and social media - is there a growing demand from the writers for such panels? do you like this "practical path"?
It was funny, last year, every panel, no matter what the original topic, managed to discuss social media and the changing landscape of publishing right now. I think it's an important conversation, and one that is often cut off at the knees, so to speak, so I like to do what I can to encourage this dialog. I'm have a very "get it out in the open" approach, without a doubt.

How do you think this year's fest will be different from last year's fest?
Partnering with the various local events has been an interesting experimental addition to the festival. Otherwise, it'll be very much the same as last year because last year's format worked so wonderfully.

Can you tell us about the part of Eco-Libris in the fest?
Eco-Libris stickers will be made available throughout the festival, and particularly during the busy weekend panel discussions and evening fundraiser. I think it's important to share the work of Eco-Libris with as many members of the publishing and literary community as possible, as there are so many ways to partner with Eco-Libris, and doing so feels like such a great, measurable effort.

Is Chicago having a significant influence on the fest or it's just the city where it takes place and nothing more than that?
Chicago is filled with writers and publishers and literary events, truly, almost every night of the week, we have some sort of literary event happening. Yet, there was very little community organization going on. I had a really positive experience speaking at the Atlanta-Journal Constitution Decatur Book Festival, the Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival and the (Downtown) Omaha Lit Fest, and knew the elements of the festivals which made them so great would translate really well in Chicago.

What is the part of the festival you're most expecting for?
I think the panel discussions are going to be incredible and fun like last year, but I think Literary Death Match on the evening of Saturday May 23rd is going to be a real stand-out. Opium's Literary Death Match is coming from San Francisco, and we've invited many of the local reading series to each send a representative to compete in the event, and we've assembled a great line-up of judges including actor/improviser T. J. Jagadowski. As we did last year, we've asked authors to disassemble their own books and re-assemble them into art of some kind for us to auction off for Young Chicago Authors.

If I am in Chicago, love literature but have very limited time and can come only to one or two events, what would you recommend me to do?
The Saturday evening Literary Death Match for sure. It's going to be great fun for a great cause. Plus, the venue where it is to be held, Viaduct Theater, has a non-profit bar, so even having cocktails there is drinking for a the arts!

Thanks Amy!

So if you're in the Chicago area between May 17-23 you're welcome to take part in the fest. More information on the Pilcrow Lit Fest's website - http://www.pilcrowlitfest.com

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris
www.ecolibris.net

My Green Resolution for 2009 - author Amy Guth of the Pilcrow Lit Fest and So New Publishing

Inspired by the new President, our search of green resolutions for the new year takes us today to Chicago.

Our guest today on "My Green Resolution for 2009" series is Amy Guth, author of Three Fallen Women (So New Media Publishing, 2006), founder and director of Pilcrow Lit Fest in Chicago and the new managing editor at So New Publishing. And yes, she also lives in Chicago.

Amy Guth has also a forthcoming second novel entitled "Light of Waters". Previously, she has written for The Believer, Monkeybicycle, Ninth Letter, Four Magazine, Bookslut, The Complete Meal and Outcry, among others.

As we mentioned above she is the newly-appointed managing editor at So New Publishing. She is also an assistant fiction editor at 42 Opus and hosts the monthly Fixx Reading Series in Chicago. You're welcome to read more about Amy on her website (http://guthagogo.com) and blog (http://www.bigmouthindeedstrikesagain.blogspot.com).

We collaborated with Amy on the Pilcrow Lit Fest last year and plan to do it again this year (the festival will take place on May 17-23, 2009 in Chicago. Check out the fest website for more information - http://pilcrowlitfest.com).

Hello Amy. What's your green resolution for 2009?

Every year, one of my resolutions is always the same, and that is to do everything a bit better, greater, larger than I did it the year before. That includes maintaining the existing level of green-living I practice in my home, diet, work, lifestyle and home office, but also to look for ways in the new year to improve in each area, which I mostly do by staying abreast of developments in sustainability, environmental issues and product development.

What's your green wish for 2009?

In 2008 I founded Pilcrow Lit Fest, a small press festival based in Chicago and took steps from the beginning to make the festival as eco-friendly as possible.

Near the end of the year, I also stepped into the role as managing editor at So New Publishing, the press with which my own first novel was released. In 2009 I want to not only give Pilcrow Lit Fest and So New my very best, but also foster as sustainable and low-impact environment as possible in both.

Thanks, Amy!

So far on "My Green Resolution for 2009":

Dr. Anne Hallum of the International Alliance for Reforestation (AIR)

Surendra James Conti of East West Bookstore

Jennifer Taylor of GreetQ

Bill Roth, author of "On Empty (Out of Time)"

Vonda Schaefer of Valley Books

Madeline Kaplan, author of "Planet Earth Gets Well"

Chris Flynn of Torpedo

Edain Duguay of Wyrdwood Publications

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris
www.ecolibris.net

Starting Tomorrow: Pilcrow Lit Fest in Chicago

If you're in Chicago the next few days and looking for a real literary feast, head over to Pilcrow Lit Fest. Yep, seems like once again Chicago is the place to be, less than a week since the Chicago Green Festival.

When? Thursday, May 22 to Sunday, May 25
Where? Several locations around the city. Check the calendar.

So what's a Pilcrow? Well, unless you are a real typographical hardcore fanatic, I think this wikipedia article does a good job explaining. About the festival, I'll let Amy Guth, author of Three Fallen Women, and the festival's organizer take the stand:


Q: Can you explain what is the Pilcrow Lit Fest all about?

A: Pilcrow Lit Fest is a four-day literary festival with particular focus on small press and independent media, taking place in Chicago over Memorial Day weekend, May 22-25th. Throughout the festival, we have scheduled parties, networking events, panel discussions on a variety of topics, readings and performances. I've never heard of a lit festival having any sort of green focus, and that is a high-priority of mine, so I have made an effort to keep it as responsible as possible, even going so far as to include a local environmental activist in the planning phases to make sure I'd thought of every way possible to green the festival up.

Q: What's the story behind the creation of this festival?

A: When I was touring around the US and Canada to promote my first novel, Three Fallen Women, I had the opportunity to speak at the Decatur Book Festival in Atlanta, the (Downtown) Omaha Lit Fest and the Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival and there was a certain something about the way the festivals were executed that I knew would translate well in Chicago. There is such a wonderful and large literary community in Chicago, yet few events to really bring all of us together, so I decided to create the festival and focus it primarily in the direction of small presses, independent media and DIY sort of efforts.

Q: What's the thing you like most about the festival?

A: I would have to say that the thing I like most about the festival is the community-building aspect of it all, as writing is a rather solitary profession, and because most communication is done over email, it's wonderful to meet people face to face, share ideas and discuss common issues, concerns and goals. I'm probably most pleased by the fact that as we've planned and arranged aspects and events of the festival, we've worked with an eye towards keeping the festival as eco-friendly as possible, and made a point to operate with repurposed items, borrowed items, and have used as few resources as possible in the festival's execution.

Q: Is it only for authors or also for aspiring authors who haven't published yet?

A: Pilcrow Lit Fest is for absolutely anyone. Our participating authors, writers and publishers are all in varying stages of their own careers, and all from very diverse backgrounds. I made a point to keep as may events free and low-cost as possible, so events wouldn't be cost-prohibitive to anyone. I also intentionally didn't have any "headliner" guests, so that every participant and attendee feels equally welcome at Pilcrow.

Q: Besides authors, is it also for your average Chicago book lover?

A: Absolutely. The panel discussion are, as I mentioned, free and open to the public. I tried to create a mix of panel topics that are useful not only to published authors and seasoned publishers but also to not-yet published authors, and enthusiastic readers.

Q: Can you name please some of the authors who will participate, or some of the main attractions?

A: I've put much focus on not having a headliner, so that no authors feel more or less valuable to the festival than another. All the participating authors, publishers and designers are listed on the Pilcrow Lit Fest website so everyone to read about, including available links to their websites or online projects.

During the course of the weekend, however, we have a lot of exciting events. Thursday night, Jami Attenberg and Katie Schwartz read at the Fixx Readings Series, which I host each month. Friday night, right before our official opening night reception, we have a special edition of The Dollar Store Show--- a performance event where pre-selected authors are given an item purchased at a dollar store in advance and must write a comedic piece about the object and read it before the crowd. Saturday, after a day of panel discussions, we are hosting a benefit party to raise much-needed funds for New Orleans Public Library branches damaged and destroyed during Hurricane Katrina. For that event, I've asked authors to disassemble a copy of their own book then reassemble it into a piece of art for auction. I'm very excited for that event. I've rebuilt my own first novel, Three Fallen Women for the occasion, and the artwork being created is really sounding incredible. Other authors have donated other items for auction, too. Nick Hornby donated a handwritten list yanked from his notebook, that he wrote as he brainstormed songs to use for his book Songbook. I'm very excited about that. I'm also very excited to be linked up with Eco-Libris for the event. As I've been explaining the system to authors and publishers, they're all terribly excited to know more, so I'm really thrilled to be able to introduce them all to the work done by Eco-Libris. A note from Eco-Libris:

Amy indeed introducing Eco-Libris to all festival goers, and encouraging participating authors to balance out the paper in their books. In addition to that, Eco-Libris stickers will be available in the New Orleans Public Library fundraiser event during the festival, and we will donate an extra tree for every sticker auctioned.

Eylon @ Eco-Libris
Plant a Tree for Every Book you Read!