Zinzi’s gorgeous debut novel, What We Lose, has already taken the literary world by storm establishing her as a strong new voice to watch.

Raised in the Philadelphia suburbs by a South African mother and American father, Zinzi has much in common with the main character of her novel, Thandi, so much so that What We Lose has been described as autobiographical fiction.

Listen in as we dive into Zinzi’s novel and how to craft fiction and reality in a novel that defies normal expectations.

In this episode Zinzi and I discuss:

• Autobiographical fiction, and how to decide what pieces of reality to include in your novel.
• How to weave big topics—such as race and identity—into your novel organically.
• What to do when you receive pushback about your story, and how to preserve that emotional truth.
• Why art and literature can shine a light on the grey areas of life.
• When to keep pursuing a novel and when to throw it out.

Plus, Zinzi’s #1 tip for writers.

About Zinzi Clemmons

Zinzi Clemmons was raised in Philadelphia by a South African mother and an American father. She is a graduate of Brown and Columbia universities, and her writing has appeared in Zoetrope: All Story, The Paris Review Daily, Transition, and elsewhere. She is a cofounder and former publisher of Apogee Journal, a contributing editor to Literary Hub. She has been in residence at the MacDowell Colony, Bread Loaf, the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, and the Dar al-Ma’mûn, Morocco. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband. To connect with Zinzi check out her website at www.zinziclemmons.com.

What We Lose

Zinzi Clemmons’ What We Lose is a powerful and innovative debut novel that questions the nature of identity, grief, and love through the eyes of a young woman who loses her mother to cancer. Told in visceral vignettes that draw from autofiction, online media, and encyclopedia, What We Lose is a thoughtful, poignant debut from a promising new voice.

At the beginning of the novel we meet Thandi, a second generation South African American of mixed race growing up in the Philadelphia suburbs. Thandi is raised by her South African mother, yet in Thandi’s daily life she is immersed in the culture of “American Blacks . . . my precarious homeland.” “Because of my light skin and foreign roots,” Clemmons writes, “I was never fully accepted by any race.” This feeling, of being detached from a tribe, the loneliness of a perpetual outsider, follows her throughout her life.

Her mother, a pillar of strength in their family, becomes ill while Thandi is at college, and eventually Thandi leaves school to care for her. After her mother’s death, Thandi struggles to anchor herself to a self-image and to relationships that seem increasingly tenuous to her. She falls in love and fashions an unexpected new family for herself, only to find herself uncomfortable in it—an interloper again—and still deeply disoriented by the loss of her mother.

Clemmons intersperses the narrative with photography, text messages, excerpts from blogs and newspaper articles; the effect is by turns playful and haunting. The primary sources create intimate and sprawling connections between the reader, Thandi, and the novel’s larger questions: about the construct of race, injustice within social systems, the durability of love, and the ability to overcome grief. In this way What We Lose confronts the horrors and the legacy of Apartheid, and the tyranny of race in the personal and political realms.

The meditations in What We Lose are deeply felt, not least because its themes are informed by the author’s personal experiences. The breadth and skill Zinzi Clemmons demonstrates in this slim, penetrating novel—praised by early readers from John Edgar Wideman, to Angela Flournoy, to Alexandra Kleeman—establish her as a writer to watch.

If you decide to check out the book, we hope you’ll do so via this Amazon affiliate link, where if you choose to purchase DIY MFA makes a small commission at no cost to you. As always, thank you for supporting DIY MFA!

(Right-click to download.)

If you liked this episode…

Head over to iTunes, Stitcher Radio or Google Play and subscribe so you’ll be first to know when new episodes are available.

Also, remember that sharing is caring so if you know anyone who might enjoy this podcast, please tell them about it or leave us a review so other listeners will want to check it out.

Until next week, keep writing and keep being awesome!

The post Episode 165: Weaving Fiction from Reality — Interview with Zinzi Clemmons appeared first on DIY MFA.

Today I have the pleasure of hosting Gina Cascone and Bryony Williams Sheppard on the show. This mother-daughter powerhouse team has co-authored the picture book Around the World Right Now, a multicultural adventure through our world’s 24 time zones.

Gina is the author of 30 books in several different genres, and Bryony is a teacher at heart who oves bringing stories to life for her students. This makes them the perfect duo to bring this story to life.

Listen in as we dissect the various writing elements of Around the World Right Now and the exciting, often daunting, task of crafting a picture book.

In this episode Gina, Bryony, and I discuss:

• What the important things you must consider when writing a picture book.
• The delicate balance between not fixating too much on the images while also giving the illustrator something to work with.
• How to craft a good story that can also be a great learning tool.
• Why it is much more difficult to write for children than adults.
• How to craft a picture book that can engage and entertain children while not being flashy.

Plus, both of these ladies’ #1 tip for writers.

About the Authors

Gina Cascone is the author of 30 books in several different genres, and has written for screen and television. Around the World Right Now is her first picture book, a joyful collaboration with her daughter inspired by her granddaughter’s unrelenting curiosity. She lives with her husband in central New Jersey. They have two grown children, two grandchildren, and three cats.

Bryony Williams Sheppard holds a degree in Theater Education from Emerson College in Boston, Massachusetts. She has been teaching since the age of 17 and loves bringing different stories to life with her students. She is also a teacher near Princeton, New Jersey, where her favorite part of lesion planning is choosing the best book for each class. When not working, Bryony enjoys spending time in her noisy house with her husband, two children, two cats, and a dog.

To connect more with Gina and Bryony check out their website at www.casconesheppard.com

Around the World Right Now

Around the World Right Now by bestselling author Gina Cascone, and her daughter, Bryony Williams Sheppard, is a multicultural travelogue through each of the 24 time zones. Young readers are invited to travel the world and experience many people, places, and things that exist on our planet . . . right now. In every minute of every hour of every day, something wonderful is happening around our world.

In Santa Fe, New Mexico, an artist sits behind his easel working on a painting. While at the same time in Greenland, an Inuit boy begins training his first pack of sled dogs. While in Madagascar, a playful lemur is trying to steal treats from a family’s picnic, just as a baby humpback whale is born deep in the Pacific Ocean.

This book is a perfect read-aloud and has quickly become a bedtime favorite with the DIY MFA kiddos. This charming book introduces geography and time zones while celebrating the richness and diversity of life on our planet.

If you decide to check out the book, we hope you’ll do so via this Amazon affiliate link, where if you choose to purchase DIY MFA makes a small commission at no cost to you. As always, thank you for supporting DIY MFA!

(Right-click to download.)

If you liked this episode…

Head over to iTunes, Stitcher Radio or Google Play and subscribe so you’ll be first to know when new episodes are available.

Also, remember that sharing is caring so if you know anyone who might enjoy this podcast, please tell them about it or leave us a review so other listeners will want to check it out.

Until next week, keep writing and keep being awesome!

The post Episode 161: Around the World Right Now — Interview with Gina Cascone & Bryony Williams Sheppard appeared first on DIY MFA.