Bloggasm

Wendi Kaufman is responsible for the care and feeding of the Happy Booker, a literary blog with a focus on DC writers and contemporary fiction. Wendi’s fiction has appeared in literary journals and magazines including The New Yorker, Fiction, New York Stories and Other Voices. Her stories have also been anthologized in Scribner’s Best of the Fiction Workshops, Elements of Literature,Faultlines: Stories of Divorce, and most recently Gravity: more writing by Washington area women. She is a frequent contributor to The Washington Post and the busy mother of two very energetic young boys. She swears Life Above Sea Level, her first story collection, is moments from completion.

Simon Owens: How did getting your MFA affect your writing skills? Do you think that you would have been as successful without it?

Wendi Kaufman: I don’t know about “successful,” but I will say that one of the best things the MFA gave me was time to write. Three years. That time was also spent in the company of people who spoke books and authors and writing as a second language—who could ask for more? My writing group grew out of the MFA program and for the past eight years the group has been a supportive and integral part of my writing life. Does every writer need an MFA? Absolutely not. But for me, taking the time to grow and develop as a writer and gaining a group of talented peers to share work with were both pretty big benefits of attending a program and certainly contributed to whatever “success” I have had.

Simon Owens: How did you begin writing for The Washington Post?

Wendi Kaufman: I was at home with a newly minted MFA, a brand new baby and no clue about what I was going to do with my writing life. I pitched an idea to the editor of Weekend— the Post’s Friday magazine-style section that covers arts and entertainment—about moms who power walk with strollers. That was 8 years ago. I have been a regular contributor ever since. I usually write cover stories or features once or twice a month. I have also reviewed for BookWorld, and written for Health and Sunday Source sections.

Simon Owens: What books have you nominated to the Lit Blog Co-op? Do you think it has been effective in its mission?

Wendi Kaufman: I nominated Mutual Life & Casualty by Elizabeth Poliner. The book was released by a small press (Permanent press) and although it had created some buzz in the DC area, garnering praise from heavy-hitting literary locals Edward Jones and Alice McDermott, it was still relatively unknown in wider circles. For an entire week the LBC discussed the book, gave it attention and offered insightful comments and postings. The author was invited to guest blog, to respond to posts and questions and to “meet” some of her readers.

This is what the LBC does best. Four times a year we bring books you may not have heard about to the front page of a collective literary blog. In addition to the postings and discussion, each blogger also mentions the book selections on their own individual blogs. The LBC raises awareness of a title, introduces new books to readers, and conducts some of the best in-depth book coverage and author interviews (and podcasts) on the net. So yes, I would say it’s very effective.

Simon Owens: Do you feel that book blogs have become big enough to influence publishing at all?

Wendi Kaufman: Yes, I really do. I think it may be hard to quantify and say how much influence, but I do know that people who come to my blog are looking for author information, some literary news and book recommendations. As Bellow said, ” we are always looking for the book it is necessary to read next.” For readers, blogs provide a valuable resource, a way to find out about that next book, and I think the publishing industry recognizes this.

Simon Owens: What upcoming book publications are you looking forward to the most?

Wendi Kaufman: My own! (A gal can dream, right?) Dallas Hudgens and Scott Berg from my writing group both have books coming out in the spring that you’ll be hearing about. I have seen some intriguing titles from Unbridled Press for fall—they released some great titles last year—and someone just told me about a U. of Wisconsin’s re-release of They’ll Have to Catch Me First An Artist’s Coming of Age in the Third Reich by Irene Awret.

Simon Owens: What are the five blogs you’d recommend to supplement the reading of your own?

Wendi Kaufman: Only 5? I am partial to all the blogs in the LBC— you can’t go wrong with any of those blogs. If you’re not strictly looking for a literary blog, but one with literary leanings that also draws from music, art, movies, and pop culture, here are my top 5:

Lux Lotus—Run by the fabulous Lauren Cerand, the “Window Licker” section alone is the stuff of dreams.

Large Hearted Boy—David is waaay cool, with great music downloads, compelling links and a literary “Booknotes” feature.

Home Schooled by a Cackling Jackal—personal blog of poet Reb Livingston. Poets are a feisty lot and there’s always something going on at Reb’s place.

Romancing the tome— Read the book, hated the movie. This blog is all about literary adaptation with Hollywood tidbits, book notes and movie scoops. More enjoyable than People magazine with no unpleasant aftertaste.

EWN—Emerging Writer’s Network. Okay, technically this is a litblog and also an LBC member, but it’s run by Dan Wickett who has unflagging energy and commitment to everything he does. He is a wonderful champion of literary fiction, lit journals and new writers. He’s my hero.