Jeff Vande Zande

Saginaw Publishing News

Jeff Vande Zande — Tue, 06 May 2008 01:05:00 +0000

My excellent friend, Josh Maday, had work picked up by Phoebe -- a very cool magazine to say the least.

In fact, he's racking up quite a writing vita, and he's doing the tri-cities proud.

Check out his blog at http://joshmaday.blogspot.com/

Monetary Report of Week 18, and Some Thoughts on Literary Scenes

Jeff Vande Zande — Sun, 04 May 2008 02:43:00 +0000

Not a bad week. I earned $5.90, which brings the total to $694.82. Soon, though, I’ll have a $0.00 week. I can just feel it.

Now, on to scenes. Or groups. Or crews. Or circles.

I sometimes hear people lament that there isn’t really a literary scene in the tri-cities . . . to which I say, thank God. I never could really put my finger on why I think scenes are bad for the participants, other than to suggest that they are incestuous and self-congratulating. Then, I read this great passage by Turgenev that summed up the whole “scene” thing for me. In this case, he’s talking about student circles in Moscow universities in the Nineteenth Century, but he could just as easily be talking about literary scenes in the Twenty-first Century.

“. . . a circle’s the destruction of any original development; a circle is a ghastly substitute for social intercourse . . . Wait a minute, I’ll tell you what a circle really is! A circle is a lazy and flabby kind of communal, side-by-side existence, to which people attribute the significance and appearance of an intelligent business; a circle replaces conversation with discourses, inclines its members to fruitless chatter, distracts you from isolated, beneficial work, implants in you a literary itch; finally, it deprives you of freshness and the virginal strength of your spirit. A circle – it’s mediocrity and boredom parading under the name of brotherhood and friendship, a whole chain of misapprehensions and pretences parading under the pretext of frankness and consideration . . . respect is paid to empty gasbags, conceited brains, young men who’ve acquired old men’s habits; and rhymesters with no gifts at all but with ‘mysterious’ ideas are nursed like babies . . . a circle is a place where underhand eloquence flourishes; in a circle, the members watch one another no less closely than do police officials . . . Oh, student circles (literary scenes)! They’re not circles, they’re enchanted rings in which more than one decent fellow has perished!”

Turgenev nails it with the last line. “Enchanted rings.” Here’s the problem -- scenes, crews, groups, circles are like drugs. They feel good to belong to because the members are almost always misfits. Writers, artists, intellectuals – they never quite fit in anywhere, which of course is what gave them the potential to be writers, artists, and intellectuals to begin with. So, joining a group feels really, really good – but then they begin to lose that misfit nature, which is their creative nature. They belong but, subsequently – by belonging – they begin to lose something. And, yet, they can’t walk away because the group feels good – it’s enchanted. And, self-congratulating. The group can make you feel like you’re a part of something big – when really 99.9% of people aren’t even paying attention.

Beware the group or scene or crew or circle. It may extinguish that which was good and true and original in you. It’s not always a physical thing – like people who live in a city and go to each other’s readings. It could be an online thing . . . a group of people who read and comment on each other’s blogs. It could be a small thing . . . two people who “talk writing” for two hours before watching a Tigers game.

Try to shut out the group if you can. Avoid its enchantments. Stay true and original. Try to do some "isolated, beneficial work."

Most likely, you will fail and, as with any powerful drug, continue using.

If any group would have me, I know I'd be an addict.

Tigers News

Jeff Vande Zande — Fri, 02 May 2008 20:28:00 +0000

The Tigers swept the Yankees! Three in a row! And, they were in Yankee Stadium, no less.

To make a literary analogy, that's like Hemingway going down to Mississippi and outselling Faulkner at a book signing.

Speaking of book sales, I think I might actually sell 400 copies of my novel by June. It's looking really close.

If anyone wants to help me reach my goal, just send a check for $12.50 (payable to me) to:

Jeff Vande Zande
English Division
Delta College
University Center, MI 48710

The $12.50 covers the cost of a signed book and it also covers shipping.

The book makes a great Mother's Day, Father's Day, birthday, Memorial Day or Bloom's Day present.

The Kerouac/Turgenev Connection

Jeff Vande Zande — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 02:15:00 +0000

Whatever you might think of the quality of Jack Kerouac's writing, it's hard to deny that he could write about the feel of a jazz club well. Especially in On the Road, everything is soundtracked by jazz. Often the characters go to jazz clubs, and the improvised music speaks to them so intimately that they often speak back to it They shout to the musicians and encourage them to ride out the music, as though the musicians are riding, bareback and precariously, on strange beasts. It wouldn't be unusual to hear a character just shout out to a musician . . .

"Great, man, great! Get it, boyo! Get it, hold it, keep at it, stretch it, you snake! Stretch it, go on, and again! Make it hot again, man, you old dog, you! Oh, the devil take your soul, man!"

That quote could be directly from On the Road.

But it isn't.

Oddly enough, it's from a story called "Singers" in Ivan Turgenev's book Sketches from a Hunter's Album. In the story, two peasants are having a contest of singing in a hole in the wall excuse for a tavern called The Welcome. Turgenev takes a hiatus from hunting because of the heat, and inadvertently stumbles upon this contest between the singers. It's while the first singer is singing very well that one of the on-lookers bursts out into the exuberant quote above.

It just tickled me to read that quote in Turgenev's book -- written some 100 years before Kerouac's opus. I'm not sure why, but I just read and reread that ridiculous line and kept thinking, "This could be straight out of On the Road."

I was laughing out loud when I read it and, in my own way, shouting to Turgenev to ride it out . . . or write it out. Go, boyo, go!

Boyo?

I love it. Just love it.

Monetary Report: Week 17

Jeff Vande Zande — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 03:29:00 +0000

Another good week. I was paid for a fiction contest I judged (which I'm going to count as writing profit), and I sold a few books. My profits for this week were $112.21. That, officially, is my second best week, and it brings my year total to date to: $688.92.

I guessed that each year I make about $1000.00 off my writing. Looks like I might actually do a little better than that.

We'll see, though. I have a feeling things are going to slow down.

I had a thought, and I wanted to include it because it feels like my whole blog has become about these monetary reports. For someone just tuning in, the reports might look a little odd. What I determined at the start of the new year was that I wanted to find out exactly how much I make in a year from my writing. I am counting only profits -- not things that are costs. So, if I sell a book for $12.00, but I buy saleable copies from the publisher for $9.00, then my profits are $3.00. I figured that my weekly reports might be of interest to someone.

Feel free to comment on the value of the reports.

Okay, here's the thought I had earlier . . .

Serious writers should think of themselves as unordained holy people or as seers or as philosophers. They should write because they have something to say about the world . . . they have a truth to share. Writers who put craft, style, and experimentation above everything else are charlatans masquerading as serious writers. They lack a message, but they wrap their empty box with the prettiest paper they can find.

I challenge anyone to write a down-to-earth story with real people in real situations and to make it good. Help readers see the extraordinary in the ordinary. Make the mundane mudluscious. If you can do that, you might have the chops to be a writer. If you can't, maybe you're just playing. Maybe, like so many Pollock knock-off artists, you're just dripping paint, and yet you can't even draw a decent piece of fruit. If you draw that apple well enough and with enough truth, you might just make someone hungry.

Sorry, I'm just rambling.

Monetary Report: Week 16

Jeff Vande Zande — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 16:51:00 +0000

Well, that was one busy week! I hosted the poet Beverly Matherne at Delta College, I gave a reading at the Caro Public Library, I drove to the U.P. and presented the first winner of the John VandeZande Fiction Prize at Northern Michigan University, and then I gave a reading of my own poetry and fiction as a visiting writer in NMU's MFA program.

For writers, busy weeks tend to be profitable weeks. Week 16 saw me pull in $98.72 in profits. If you've seen some of the past monetary reports, you know that that's an exceptional week for a D-list writer like myself. In fact, it's my second best week to date. And, it brings my total for the year to $576.71.

What can I say . . . appearances, appearances, appearances. That's where writers make their money.

I want to mention that Josh Maday made the trip up north with me. What a great friend. We visited potters, gambled at cards, saw a logger wrestle a county worker, donated goods to Saint Vincents, and experienced some downhome surrealism at Flanagan's Bar.

Fair enough!

Thanks, Josh.

Monetary Report: Week 15

Jeff Vande Zande — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 02:00:00 +0000

Well, after last week's three hundred-something dollar profit, things are back to normal this week. I earned $3.00 . . . better than nothing, I guess. I'm guessing that some more $0.00 weeks are in my future. This week, however, with readings at Caro Public Library on Thursday and Northern Michigan University on Saturday . . . well, let's just say that I'm anticipating a decent week.

Thanks for stopping by.

Total profits to date: $477.99.

Poetry Reading: Tuesday, April 15th

Jeff Vande Zande — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 20:26:00 +0000

I've mentioned this, but I'll mention it again . . . especially since I think a few local folks actually read this now and again. On Tuesday, April 15th at 9:30 in the morning (yes, morning) Beverly Matherne will read from her poetry in G-160 (the lecture theater) at Delta College. This is free and open to the public. Please come. Hearing her read will be a real treat.

Dr. Matherne is a professor in the MFA program at Northern Michigan University. She is Cajun and will be reading some of her poems in both French and English.

Oui!

Update on NMU Reading

Jeff Vande Zande — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 03:31:00 +0000

Well, just in case someone from Marquette comes to my website, I wanted to give the specifics about my reading on Saturday, April 19.

I'll be reading at 7 p.m. in the Charcoal Room of the Don H. Bottom University Center on Northern Michigan University's campus.

Hope to see a few people there!

Monetary Report for Week 14

Jeff Vande Zande — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 03:22:00 +0000

Well, when it comes to making money as a writer, I have two words . . . make appearances. This week I made $319.09 in profits. The $19.09 was from books (an above average week), but the $300.00 was from the fact that I was invited to present in the Rally of Writers writing conference.

The conference itself was a great time at a great location. I got to spend the day yammering away with my good friend, Ken Meisel. It seemed to me that the sessions were very good, and the conference attendees were fine people. Lunch was excellent! All in all, a good and profitable day.

Well, the Rally of Writers appearance, along with everything else to this date, brings my total profits for the year to $474.99.

With this new total, making a thousand dollars this year seems like it's in the realm of possibility.

Monetary Report: Week 13

Jeff Vande Zande — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 03:36:00 +0000

Made two bucks this week -- and, sadly, I've had four weeks this year that have been worse. My total for the year is $155.90.

I have the Rally of Writers event this weekend, so that should shake things up a bit financially.

Want to know more about Rally of Writers? Check out the blog entry below.

Random Things

Jeff Vande Zande — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 16:46:00 +0000

First, don't forget that next week is the Rally of Writers Event in Lansing. Still time to decide to go. Looks like they have quite a few sessions for the money. Check it out: http://arallyofwriters.home.att.net/

On Tuesday, April 15th at 9:30 a.m., Beverly Matherne, Cajun poet and professor in NMU's MFA program, will give a reading in G-160 at Delta College. She will read some of her poems in both English and French. Need more info . . . email me at jcvandez@delta.edu

If you're in Marquette, you can catch me reading at Northern Michigan University on Saturday, April 19th -- time and place yet to be announced, but it will be in the evening.

Finally, did you know that Delta College now offers Certificates in Writing? You can choose to pursue the general track, the technical writing track . . . or both. Check it out at:

http://www.delta.edu/catalog/programdetail.asp?ProgramActionID=335

Monetary Report for Week Twelve

Jeff Vande Zande — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 00:52:00 +0000

Well, only 40 weeks left . . .

Week 12 wasn't bad. I made 12 bucks in profits. Twelve on twelve -- how coincidental! Pitiful, but coincidental.

This brings my total profits for the year to . . . $153.90.

Man, I can see the people lining up now to be a writer. The secret is out. Writin' is where the money is!

Milestone and Praise for March Street Press

Jeff Vande Zande — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 03:08:00 +0000

Well, it finally happened . . . I've sold 350 copies of my novel, Into the Desperate Country.

My next report will be when I reach 400 copies sold, which I hope will happen by June 16th.

I just wanted to emphasize that my novel came out from the very fine March Street Press.

Robert Bixby and March Street have been around for a long time and have published not one, but 185 books. That's a pretty amazing catalog for a small, independent press.

Bixby has published such writers as Elinor Benedict, Alan Catlin, Robert Cooperman, Stephen Dunning, Michael Estabrook, David James, Russell Thornburn, Josie Kearns, Gerry LaFemina, David Dodd Lee, Lyn Lifshin, Peter Markus, Ken Meisel, John Rybicki, and Keith Taylor . . . just to name a few. In many cases, he published the first book to come out from some authors, including me. He's a dedicated editor, and his press puts out a quality book.

In fact, it would be great if you support March Street Press right now by going to the site and buying a March Street Press book. It's a small press worth supporting.

http://www.marchstreetpress.com/

Monetary Report for Week Eleven

Jeff Vande Zande — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 03:16:00 +0000

Of eleven weeks, this has been my fifth best week, and I only made $8.00 in profits.

That brings my total to . . . $141.90 for the year.

Well, here's hoping for a week that breaks ten bucks. I've got my fingers crossed.

2008 Zen

Jeff Vande Zande — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 02:55:00 +0000

Jesh, a student of zen, went to visit a friend that he hadn't seen in two days. Arriving at the friend's house, Jesh found him lying in bed. Dishes were piled in the sink. Clothes were scattered on the floor. His life was out of order.

"What is wrong?" Jesh asked.

"I am sick," answered the friend.

"What are you feeling?" Jesh asked.

"My throat hurts when I swallow. My nose is sore from blowing. I'm miserable."

Jesh studied his friend.

"And," Jesh asked, "do you still feel phantom pain where your leg used to be?"

The friend looked at Jesh. "Phantom pain? I don't have a missing leg."

"I know."

Week Ten Monetary Report

Jeff Vande Zande — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 03:17:00 +0000

Not a bad week -- at least compared to some weeks in the past. I sold a few books and turned a profit of $4.60.

So, that brings my total for the year (in actual profits) to: $133.90.

Well, I'm averaging a little more than thirteen dollars a week. Man, I could probably make more by collecting refundable cans from the side of the road.

Of course, those of us who write know that there's a payoff that goes beyond money. (Or is that just something we D-listers tell ourselves?)

Not much else happening. Spring Break is over. Spring clearly isn't here, yet. I finished reading Walden Two (incredibly thought-provoking read). I also started reading The Road again -- partly because I'll be teaching it in a spring course in May.

A Recent Acceptance

Jeff Vande Zande — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 20:05:00 +0000

I just received word that the editor of HeavyGlow wants to publish my flash piece "Cormac McCarthy Visits the Local Parable Writers Club and Suggests Some Alternate Endings for Their Work" in their next issue.

Check out HeavyGlow at . . .

http://heavyglow.stacytaylor.net/

Week Nine Monetary Report

Jeff Vande Zande — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 22:26:00 +0000

I'm leaving for Denver tomorrow morning, so the report is coming a day early.

Overall, not a bad week. Ken Meisel and I received our check from the Creative Spirit Center for a presentation we did on love poetry earlier in February. I took my half of the money, which was twenty dollars.

Plus, I sold five books this past week. Of course, I sold all of them at only a dollar over cost, so I made $5.00. I have to get tougher on this pricing issue.

In the end, it was a $25.00 week of profits, which means that I've earned $129.30 from writing so far this year.

If anyone wants to help the cause (i.e. me making profits from writing), drop me an email and I'll offer you a highly discounted price on my books -- but not so discounted that I don't turn a little profit. Just email jcvandez@delta.edu and let me know that your interested in the Let's-See-Jeff-Make-Some-Money-From-Writing Project.

A Rally of Writers

Jeff Vande Zande — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 03:54:00 +0000

On Saturday, April 5, I'll be in Lansing as a part of a writers' conference called A Rally of Writers.

It looks like a great day, and a great deal for only $60.00 (with pre-registration).

Sessions will be conducted by writers like Jack Driscoll, Lev Raphael, Linda Peckham, J.D. Dolan, my good friend Ken Meisel, me, and others.

Learn more at www.arallyofwriters.com

Feel free to post this web address where you see fit.

Monetary Report for Week 8 (and other thoughts)

Jeff Vande Zande — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 21:03:00 +0000

Well, things are back to normal. I sold one copy of my novel this week at $10.00. So . . . my profit was $1.00. This brings my total profits for the year to $104.30. I felt like I was climbing to the D+ list, but I've slid right back to the D list.

I also started reading a non-fiction book this week entitled (and subtitled) The Trouble with Diveristy: How We Came to Love Identity and Ignore Inequality. What an excellent book. Very thought-provoking. Every time I pick up a non-fiction book, I'm always glued and almost always provoked to think. Last year my non-fiction book was The Living Great Lakes, which I still highly recommend -- especially given the eventual water wars that we seem destined for.

For me this has raised the question: What is the purpose of fiction? Why make up stories? Is it simply to entertain? To exhibit craft? Or to say look at how surreal/experimental/nutty I am? Is it posturing? Is it masking the fact that the writer really has little to say?

To clarify, I go to literature to see the world in a way that I hadn't before. I want to be closer to understanding some aspect of the human condition. If I'm entertained along the way, great! For me, though, being interested or being enlightened IS being entertained. Leisure entertainment I can get from television. I guess I just expect a little more from my reading time.

So, why do I feel I'm getting more out of my non-fiction experiences than my fiction experiences -- especially when I read contemporary fiction? Also, in general, why is fiction on the decline and more readers are turning to non-fiction? Is it because most fiction has become apolitical? Is it because contemporary fiction writers seem much more interested in craft and effect over Truth and position?

I don't know. Anyone have the answer?

Fifth Wednesday Journal

Jeff Vande Zande — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 17:40:00 +0000

Great way to start a Monday. I received news from the publisher of Fifth Wednesday Journal that they want to publish my short story "Writing on the Wall" in their Spring '08 issue, due out in April.

This will be their second issue. From what I can tell from the website, their first issue looks really good. The contributors have pretty impressive bios.

Check it out at: http://www.fifthwednesdayjournal.com/

Monetary Report: Week Seven

Jeff Vande Zande — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 04:14:00 +0000

Well, for whatever reason, another big week. (Remember, this is all relative). I sold a few books here and there - a few to students, one to my kid's third grade teacher. I also sold a few books to the Caro Public Library (They asked me to come and give a reading/talk in April, and I think they wanted to have a few books to display.)

However, the big thing . . . well, let me give some background. About a month ago, someone from the Castle Museum in Saginaw emailed Delta College to see if we had anyone who could speak for a half an hour or so on Hemingway and his connection to Michigan. I'm not a Hemingway scholar by any means, but I stepped up and volunteered -- stating that the only pay I wanted was the chance to sell some books. I think D-listers need to do this kind of thing whenever there's an opportunity. Well, it paid off. My talk went well, and I managed to sell nine books. Believe me, for a public appearance of a virtually unknown writer, that's a lot of books.

So, the lesson . . . when you can make a public appearance, do it -- especially, and maybe only, if they'll let you sell books.

With all that I mentioned above, this week saw profits of $35.47. That brings the total for the year to $103.30. (Yes, I broke the $100.00 mark!)

On a different note, I started reading Walden Two by B.F. Skinner this weekend. So far, I'm really enjoying it. It's a novel, but much more idea-driven than it is character-driven. Still, a very thought-provoking read.

Monetary Report #6

Jeff Vande Zande — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 20:30:00 +0000

Financially, it's been a huge week! First, I sold a copy of my novel at a $3.00 profit (not because I insisted, but because my buyer insisted on paying me more than $10.00). In addition, there's a colleague of mine who's using my short story collection, Emergency Stopping, in two sections of her ENG 112 course. I sell copies to her students at a discount, but I still turn a bit of a profit on each book. In any case, she gave me the first installment of student cheques this week, and the profits (yes, the profits!) came to $45.00.

So . . . this week saw me making $48.00 -- more than I made in the first five weeks of the year put together.

This brings my total for the year to . . . $67.83.

That means, a D-list writer like me averages $11.30 a week in profits from writing.

Ooh -- kind of takes the glamour out of things, doesn't it?

Highly Recommended Book

Jeff Vande Zande — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 03:52:00 +0000

I just finished reading Fathers and Sons by Ivan Turgenev. What a great book. Bazarov, Turgenev’s “nihilist,” is one of the most fascinating characters I’ve come across in a book in some time. He seems so different from the post-modern character I feel like I’m bombarded with again and again – broken, despairing, disillusioned, angst-ridden and weak. The post-modern character is epitomized in Carver’s “Cathedral”. Almost useless, but capable of a slight redemption – or was that just the pot and booze? It seems like so many people have taken “Cathedral” as their model for what a character goes through.

Bazarov is no sword-wielding hero. He is quite flawed in many ways. But, he’s strong, arrogant, confident and, for me, altogether a new thing on the page – though he made his debut in the Nineteenth Century.

If you’re looking for a good book to read, check out Fathers and Sons. Weighing in at 164 pages, it’s a quick read compared to most Russian novels.

It’s funny, but after reading Turgenev, I started a book of short stories by a contemporary writer. It feels like more of the same ol' schtick. Characters start in weakness and end in a little less weakness – but still weakness. Compared to Turgenev, this collection of short stories feels like Literature Lite.