NOTES AND ADVICE - BrickHouse Books



Clarinda Harriss, DirectorBrickHouse Books306 Suffolk Rd. Baltimore, MD 21218Dear Interns,Welcome to BrickHouse Books, Inc. We have put together this packet to assist you in completing your internship successfully. There are many elements to the English Internship and the English Internship as a Capstone that are entirely separate from the work you will be responsible for at BrickHouse Books. This packet includes everything you will need to meet both the requirements of Towson University as well as the standards of BrickHouse Books, Inc. This packet includes the following information:Notes and advice on several aspects of your internship2- 4Syllabus for ENGL 498: The English Internship as a Capstone5-10Syllabus for ENGL 497: The English Internship 10-15Samples of model manuscript comments for BrickHouse Books, Inc.16-22Template rejection letter for BrickHouse Books, Inc.23BrickHouse Books, Inc. Letterhead 24Important Contact Info.25This packet should guide you through your internship as it compiles everything you will need in one convenient package. However, if you should have any further questions, please contact either Ms. Clarinda Harriss charriss@towson.edu or Dr. Carl Behm cbehm@towson.edu.Sincerely, Mallory RichterFormer Assistant EditorBrickHouse Books, Inc.Clarinda HarrissDirectorBrickHouse Books, Inc. NOTES AND ADVICE - Mallory RichterENGL 498: The English Internship as a CapstoneIn addition to reading the attached syllabus closely, interns should note that their required 108 hours do not include the work they must turn in to Dr. Behm: the first report, final report, hours log, research project, and the English Final Portfolio. Also, the 108 required hours should be divided throughout the entire semester (this equals out to approximately 7 or 8 hours per week). Failure to divide your time accordingly can jeopardize your internship which could likely result in termination. While there is no official date mentioned in the syllabus, interns should complete their first report upon completing their first twenty hours on-the-job (which should be within the first few weeks of the semester). It is imperative to turn in your first report in a timely manner, so that Dr. Behm can confirm that the internship is in progress.ENGL 497: The English Internship In addition to reading the attached syllabus closely, interns should note that their required 108 hours do not include the work they must turn in to Dr. Behm: the first report, final report, hours log, and the research project or interview report. Also, the 108 required hours should be divided throughout the entire semester (this equals out to approximately 7 or 8 hours per week). Failure to divide your time accordingly can jeopardize your internship which could likely result in termination. While there is no official date mentioned in the syllabus, interns should complete their first report upon completing their first twenty hours on-the-job (which should be within the first few weeks of the semester). It is imperative to turn in your first report in a timely manner so that Dr. Behm can confirm that the internship is in progress. The Requirements of the Career CenterBoth courses mention that you must complete the requirements of the Career Center at Towson University. This simply means that you must complete 7 forms that you can download from the Towson University website by using the following link: Note: Under the heading Internship Forms there are 8 forms. If you are taking this internship to earn credits toward graduation, be sure to fill out the Internship Registration for credit form and not the non-credit form. Again, you should only complete a total of 7 forms.Glenda Henkel is the Associate Director and Internship Program Coordinator in the Towson University Career Center. Her e-mail is ghenkel@towson.edu; you can contact her if you have any questions.BrickHouse Books, IncMs. Harriss, the director for BhB, doesn’t provide her interns with a syllabus. The internship is a job, not a course per se. Ms. Harriss, a Professor Emerita of English, no longer teaches full-time at Towson University; however, she continues to offer internships to a select few Towson students. Any questions interns which you have concerning academic issues of the internship should be directed to Dr. Behm, as he is the link between BhB and Towson University. Since BhB interns don’t have a syllabus to refer to which is specific to BhB work, this packet includes two essential things: Clarinda Harriss’s email- charriss@towson.edu. She checks her e-mail daily and is more than happy to respond to any questions interns may have that pertain to BhB. Below, a description of BhB expectations and examples of completed work to guide your own work.BhB is Maryland’s oldest continuously operating small press, founded in 1970. Because BhB is a small independent publishing company, and funding is limited, most of the submitted manuscripts (several hundred annually, from all over the world) cannot be published. However, BhB offers the submitting authors something else that is equally valuable, if not even more: a thorough edit along with detailed comments offering constructive criticism. Along with Ms. Harris (the director and editor-in-chief) and several associate editors, this heavy responsibility, which keeps the company up and running, is borne by BhB interns, whose official title is “assistant editor.” Authors continue to submit to BhB despite the knowledge that few are actually selected for publication each year because the comments returned to them offer them the time and attention to their work from which they can benefit. Interns at BhB should expect to edit approximately 5 manuscripts throughout the semester. In addition to editing the manuscripts, interns are responsible for writing helpful comments, which could improve the manuscript and, more importantly, could help the author become a better writer. Because criticism of any kind can often invite tension, Ms. Harriss prefers that interns write their comments referring to the author in the third person and include these comments in a letter addressed to her. Examples of comments in this format are included in this packet. Interns should model their comments accordingly. However, the way in which interns choose to organize their suggestions is mainly up to them. It is permissible to make notes on the manuscript itself, whether for use in writing the comments or in order to provide direct feedback to the author. (See below; the authors will not get their hard copy back unless they’ve provided a large SASE.) Interns with knowledge of a computer editing program may, if they choose, edit on-screen any manuscripts which which have been submitted electronically. Such line-editing is in addition to, not in lieu of, their general comments (see appended samples).Interns should e-mail their comments to Ms. Harriss before sending them to the authors, which will allow her to make edits and suggestions. Ms. Harriss must approve your comments before you can send them back to the author. It is imperative that your grammar, usage, punctuation, and knowledge of standard business writing be impeccable. If Ms. Harriss gives her interns a hard copy of a manuscript, there will be a SASE (Self Addressed Stamped Envelope) included with the manuscript. If the envelope is standard business sized, then the author wants only the comments returned to him/her, not the whole ms. If the envelope included is larger, then they want their original manuscript (ms. for short) in addition to the comments. Upon consultation with Ms. Harris, the returned material may include a personalized version of a standard BhB rejection letter (provided in this packet). Interns should be sure to add the author’s name in the greeting before sending it, and never send it without consultation with Ms. Harriss. In addition to these responsibilities, interns should check their e-mail often for e-mails from Ms. Harriss. Sometimes, she needs help with administrative tasks (like label making) or coverage at literary events. These tasks count toward the required 108 hours. While these e-mails are usually mass e-mails sent to many interns, it is important that interns respond even if they cannot take on the task. Keeping Ms. Harriss updated shows that you are receiving her messages and that you are serious about your internship. ENGLISH 498INTERNSHIP AS CAPSTONEYOUR BRIDGECONNECTING THE UNIVERSITYTO A CAREERENGLISH 498INTERNSHIP AS CAPSTONEEnglish 498 fulfills the Capstone Requirement of the English Major. Thus it should be taken during your senior year. An internship is a bridge between the university and the workplace. It gives you the opportunity to explore the practical application of your skills in writing, editing, oral communication, critical thinking, literary analysis, and research. And it lets you test whether a career in publishing, journalism, public relations, or business is right for you before you accept that important first job after college.Nationwide, employers emphasize the importance of internships; indeed, a significant number of employers—38%—report that they specifically look for internship experience on the resume of job applicants. And a letter of recommendation from the supervisor of your internship can be invaluable in helping you to land the job you want after graduation.EligibilityIf you’re interested in the Internship as Capstone, you should first meet with Dr. Carl Behm, who coordinates the program. Dr. Behm may be reached by e-mail (cbehm@towson.edu) or by telephone (410-704-3600). His office is in Liberal Arts 4341. To be eligible for an internship, you mustbe an English major, have completed ENGL 200 with a grade of C or higher, and have initiated your English Major Assessment Portfolio (a requirement for satisfactory completion of ENGL 200);have completed (or be completing concurrently) all (or nearly all) the requirements of the English major;have a 2.7 cumulative GPA at Towson University or obtain a waiver of this requirement from Dr. Behm.Selecting and Registering for an InternshipStudents eligible for the Internship as Capstone should meet with Glenda Henkel or a member of her staff in the Internship Office of the Career Center. The best way to make an appointment is by telephoning 410-704-2233 and speaking with the receptionist. Should you need to reach Ms. Henkel directly, her contact information is ghenkel@towson.edu or 410-704-2932. The counselors in the Internship Office will assist you with your internship placement. You may choose from dozens of approved internships or you may “self-select” your internship subject to Dr. Behm’s approval.You may register for ENGL 498 at any time, either before or after you finalize your placement. First, you will need Dr. Behm’s permission to register, after which you may obtain the necessary permission code from Susan Weininger, the administrative assistant in the English Department office. You may contact Ms. Weininger by e-mail (sweininger@towson.edu) or by telephone (410-704-2871.Requirements and GradingTo earn credit for ENGL 498 you mustearn at least a satisfactory rating from your employment supervisor;work a minimum of 108 hours on the job;complete any requirements of the Career Center;update Dr. Behm regularly throughout the semester, either in person or by e-mail;arrange for Dr. Behm to visit you at the job site, preferably no later than midsemester;complete the English Major Assessment Portfolio subject to Dr. Behm’s approval;complete the following written requirements for ENGL 498 and submit them to Dr. Behm no later than the last day of classes for the semester:a first report (to be submitted after you have completed approximately 20 hours on the job) that details your responsibilities, the nature of the supervision provided by your employer, and any problems you have encountered (see the attached form);an original or research-based project related to the work you are doing at your internship, the subject to be decided upon by you and your supervisor and approved by Dr. Behm;a final report describing and evaluating your internship experience (see the attached form);a log of hours detailing your work each week.The Internship as Capstone employs regular (A to F) grading. Dr. Behm will determine your grade as follows:Your employment supervisor’s evaluation of such things as mastery of necessary skills, initiative, effort, improvement, punctuality, appearance, and attitude will determine 70% of your final average.Dr. Behm’s evaluation of your reports, assessment portfolio, and ability to complete all requirements in a timely and professional manner will determine the remaining 30% of your final average. It is imperative that you work closely with Dr. Behm and meet your deadlines.N.B.: Failure to complete either your assessment portfolio or the final report will result in a grade of F for the course.Rev. November 2011INTERNSHIP AS CAPSTONEFIRST REPORT(1) Your name, student ID number, address, telephone number(s), and e-mail address:(2) The company or organization’s name and address:Your supervisor’s name, position, and telephone number:(3) Your work schedule (days and hours):(4) Your duties and responsibilities (describe in detail):(5) Your learning goals:(6) Nature of supervision:(7) Initial impressions:Problems, or potential problems?Suggestions you would like me to mention to your supervisor?Is the internship experience everything you had hoped it would be so far?INTERNSHIP AS CAPSTONEFINAL REPORTThe Final Report is an important requirement of the Internship as Capstone. It should describe in detail the work you did and the things you learned. It should contain examples of your work and discuss them in the context of your training. Finally, it should evaluate the experience and make suggestions for improving the internship experience.These are the specific requirements:Due date: No later than the last day of classes.Length: A minimum of five double-spaced, typed pages, exclusive of examples.Contents:Description of your duties, with examples of your work;Analysis of this on-the-job experience in terms of your professional growth and experience as an English major;Comments on the nature of and value of the supervision you had;An appendix of examples of your work (when appropriate), containing any published work, letters, press releases, and unpublished work.Please submit the report—in hard copy—to Dr. Behm in LA 4341. If Dr. Behm is not available, please give your report to one of the administrative assistants in the main English Department offices. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact Dr. Behm, either by telephone (410-704-3600), by e-mail (cbehm@towson.edu), or in person (LA 4341). Office hours are posted beside the door.English 497THE ENGLISH INTERNSHIPYOUR BRIDGECONNECTING THE UNIVERSITYAND A CAREERENGLISH 497THE ENGLISH INTERNSHIPThe English Internship is a bridge between the university and the workplace. It offers you the opportunity to discover the practical application of the skills you’ve acquired in writing, critical thinking, editing, oral communication, literary analysis, and research. And it lets you test whether a career in publishing, journalism, public relations, or business is right for you before you accept that important first job after college.Nationwide, employers emphasize the importance of internships; indeed, a significant number of employers—38%—report that they specifically look for internship experience on the resume of job applicants. And a letter of recommendation from the supervisor of your internship can be invaluable in landing the job you want.EligibilityIf you’re interested in the English Internship, you should first meet with Dr. Carl Behm, who coordinates the program. Dr. Behm may be reached by e-mail (cbehm@towson.edu) or by telephone (410-704-3600). His office is Liberal Arts 4341. To be eligible for an internship, you mustbe an English major or minor (though students in other majors may register with special permission from Dr. Behm);have junior or senior standing;have successfully completed a minimum of three upper-level English courses at Towson University, preferably including an upper-level expository writing course; have a 2.7 cumulative GPA at Towson University or obtain a waiver of this requirement from Dr. Behm.Selecting and Registering for an InternshipStudents eligible for an internship should meet with Glenda Henkel or a member of her staff in the Internship Office of the Career Center. The best way to make an appointment is by telephoning 410-704-2233 and speaking with the receptionist. Should you need to reach Ms. Henkel directly, her contact information is ghenkel@towson.edu or 410-704-2932. The counselors in the Internship office will assist you with your internship placement. You may choose from dozens of approved internships or you may “self-select” your internship subject to Dr. Behm’s approval.You may register for ENGL 497 at any time, either before or after you finalize your placement. First, you will need Dr. Behm’s permission to register, after which you may obtain the necessary permission code from Susan Weininger, administrative assistant in the English Department offices. You may contact Ms. Weininger by e-mail (sweininger@towson.edu) or by telephone (410-704-2871).Requirements and GradingThe Internship employs Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory grading. To earn the grade of S, you must do all of the following:earn at least a satisfactory rating from the job supervisor;work a minimum of 108 hours;complete any requirements of the Career Center;update Dr. Behm regularly throughout the semester, either in person or by e-mail;arrange for Dr. Behm to visit you at the job site, preferably no later than midsemester;complete the following written requirements and submit them to Dr. Behm no later than the last day of classes for the semester. The quality of the reports must be judged at least satisfactory (C).a first report (to be submitted after you have completed approximately 20 hours on the job) that details your responsibilities, the nature of the supervision provided by your employer, and any problems you have encountered (see the attached form);one of the following projects, which you should discuss with Dr. Behm at the beginning of the internship:either an original or research-based project related to the work you are doing at your internship, the subject to be decided upon by you and your supervisor and approved by Dr. Behm,or a report based on an interview with your supervisor that examines his or her views on the profession and his or her educational and career history in light of your own aspirations and a report on a book or journal recommended by your supervisor as important in the field; a final report describing and evaluating your internship experience (see the attached form);a log of hours detailing the work you performed each week.Rev. November 2011THE ENGLISH INTERNSHIPFIRST REPORT(1) Your name, student ID number, address, telephone number(s), and e-mail address:(2) The company or organization’s name and address:Your supervisor’s name, position, and telephone number:(3) Your work schedule (days and hours):(4) Your duties and responsibilities (describe in detail):(5) Your learning goals:(6) Nature of supervision:(7) Initial impressions:Problems, or potential problems?Suggestions you would like me to mention to your supervisor?Is the internship experience everything you had hoped it would be so far?THE ENGLISH INTERNSHIPFINAL REPORTThe Final Report is an important requirement of the English Internship. It should describe in detail the work you did and the things you learned. It should contain examples of your work and discuss them in the context of your training. Finally, it should evaluate the experience and make suggestions for improving the internship experience.These are the specific requirements:Due date: No later than the last day of classes.Length: A minimum of five double-spaced, typed pages, exclusive of examples.Contents:Description of your duties, with examples of your work;Analysis of this on-the-job experience in terms of your professional growth;Comments on the nature of and value of the supervision you had;An appendix of examples of your work (when appropriate), containing any published work, letters, press releases, and unpublished work.Please submit the report—in hard copy—to Dr. Behm in LA 4341. If Dr. Behm is not available, please give your report to one of the administrative assistants in the main English Department offices. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact Dr. Behm, either by telephone (410-704-3600), by e-mail (cbehm@towson.edu), or in person (LA4341). Office hours are posted beside his office door.INTERNS’ COMMENTS EXAMPLE #1March 17, 2012Clarinda Harriss, DirectorBrickHouse Books306 Suffolk RoadBaltimore, MD 21218Clarinda,Thank you for the opportunity to review the manuscript The City by John Smith. The author creates a sense of the absurdity which comes with existence. Smith has a sardonic voice to his poetry, with which he narrates his observations of the human condition. The City discusses the tangible here and now, and explores humankind’s faith in the divine, despite our constant suffering. Smith bridges what we are given with what we yearn for in this series of free verse poems. While these themes were apparent in his writing, some adjustments to the style and structure of the poetry could greatly improve the overall delivery of the messages underlying the poems. After reviewing this manuscript several times, I’ve collected my thoughts, concerns, and editing suggestions in the following areas:Punctuation: The freedom poetry affords includes a looseness of punctuation usage. While many poets make use of this liberty, they do so with taking a risk. Smith’s poetry, overall, may be too nontraditional in terms of punctuation. As a result, the substance, detail, and meaning sometimes get lost in wordy fragments or run-on sentences. Now, I assumed that Smith chose to write with loosely structured punctuation to contribute to his poems’ ranting voice. I gathered a frustrated, unsatisfied, sarcastic tone in many of his poems. However, I honestly feel that more punctuation and complete sentences would make his poetry stronger. Smith has many amazingly profound ideas and wonderfully detailed imagery. But I found myself getting lost in a sea of commas and incomplete clauses. Two poems that I noted specifically are “The Rambler” (24 lines, 2 periods) and “Beginnings” (24 lines, 1 period). These are relatively short poems compared to most in this collection. As hard as it was to comprehend what was being said in these two poems, it was even more difficult understanding what was being said in the longer poems. I will say, that this lack of period usage might work better in spoken word poetry with a rehearsed delivery style. For print, however, it isn’t ideal. Vocabulary:I’ve mentioned several times that Smith has a unique voice. He also has a brilliant mind. Smith’s vocabulary is extremely sophisticated. I believe that I have a decent vocabulary, and I am usually able to understand unfamiliar words as a result of their context. Whenever I sat down with Smith’s manuscript, I brought along my dictionary. The beauty about poetry is that one can express profound, complex ideas in simple, concise language. I urge Smith might consider cutting out superfluous words and using simpler language. As of now, the vocabulary feels forced, as if a thesaurus is writing the poetry, rather than the intelligent Smith. References and Metaphors:In addition to my dictionary, I had to bring with me Wikipedia. I admire Smith’s worldly knowledge on a vast variety of subjects, and I learned a lot from his poetry because I found myself looking up two to five references per poem. Some of the references I had to look up were Biblical or classical Greco-Roman or Egyptian. There were also many culturally Asian references that applied to food and religious figures. Not all references took away from the poems, though. I particularly enjoyed reading “The Plan,” in which specific pop-cultural icons contributed to the imagery in this poem because they are so common to readers. They are easily identified and carry stronger meaning than other references due to wide association. Often I admire poets’ use of cultural, historical, Biblical (etc.) references. However, Smith tended to overuse these references, which had a couple of repercussions. First, it took me entirely too long to get through the poem because I had to first look up, then make sense of the reference and apply it to the metaphor in the poem. Second, I know I felt incompetent reading along and not being able to understand what Smith was saying, so I can only imagine how readers would feel if the collection were to be published. If Smith is unwilling to trim down the (to me) inordinate number of allusions, I would suggest considering footnotes or even endnotes to save the readers time as well as make the substance of the poetry more available to them. Concerning Smith’s metaphors, I have only one criticism. Some of his poems, “Night Angels” and “Mea Culpa” to name a couple, seem depend too heavily on a single extended metaphor. I found it difficult to grasp what Smith was saying in these poems. Imagery:Smith’s imagery is detailed, wild, and often grotesque, which drew me in immediately. “Sidewalk Religion” used imagery to mock religious fanatical practices and attitudes. In “Vow,” Smith describes an injured toe in such a way it made me cringe; I could almost feel the pain. Similarly, he describes an injured extremity in “Papered Over.” While these images are detailed and hold much potential, Smith needs to home in on their purpose. Despite the imagery being detailed, the images are so absurd I know not whether to take them literally or figuratively. Smith’s images are concrete and specific, but more within themselves than with the themes overall of his poems. I attempted to target my responses toward Smith’s overall style. He seems to be discovering his true signature voice. While I didn’t address every poem in his manuscript, I have made notes in the margins of each poem. I would be happy to further elaborate and discuss my thoughts with the poet if he wishes. Thank you, again, for the opportunity.Sincerely,Mallory RichterAssistant Editor BrickHouse BooksCOMMENTS EXAMPLE #2April 25, 2012Clarinda Harriss, DirectorBrickHouse Books306 Suffolk RoadBaltimore, MD 21218Clarinda,Thank you, for the opportunity to review the manuscript I Wanna Be Like Mike, by Tom Jones. The novella immediately threw me into the middle of the protagonist’s psyche. Jones took me along in the pockets of Richard’s mind, on his quest to find clarity, and to heed the calling of his destiny. He maps out Richard’s geographic progress well enough, but the true meat of the story happens within Richard’s head, and in what he chooses to share. Jones’s true accomplishment was his ability to create a unique, intriguing, likable, character. However, I would suggest a few minor edits to the story’s structure, which could greatly improve and clarify certain ambiguous qualities in the plotline. After reviewing this manuscript several times, I’ve collected my thoughts, concerns, and editing suggestions below: Richard is a fantastic unreliable narrator, which makes seeing the story from his perspective humorous and wonderfully different. Jones did an amazing job creating multiple levels of Richard’s psyche and he was consistent in showing Richard’s inconsistencies, instability, and warped views of his reality. Richard’s personality was multifaceted, which made him seem real, despite the wild, ridiculous comments he’d make and thoughts he would share. Jones invented a brilliantly insane protagonist that was still likable, and even relatable. He includes instances where Richard contradicts himself, talks about things he doesn’t understand, as well as moments where he talks in circles. The only thing I felt Richard seemed certain of was his love for Susan, which was a nice touch to the story. Jones also mentions several times that Richard has a mental health condition for which he has stopped taking his medications. While I would not change a thing about Richard’s character, I would make several changes to other clarifying elements of the story, so that the reader can balance and see some chronological, formatted structure, which can juxtapose as well as complement the confusion and chaos Richard brings to the story.It was clear that Richard didn’t want to e-mail or call Susan, and he addresses her throughout his thoughts and writing in the story. What was unclear to me was whether or not Richard was actually sending Susan the letters. I don’t recall ever reading a passage where Richard drops the letters into a mailbox, and aside from the e-mails she sent to him, I don’t remember her ever replying to his letters. Did Richard intend to hold on to the letters as one would hold on to a journal and give them to Susan to read when he returned? It is imperative that Jones clarify Richard’s intentions and his reason for writing. Because Susan seemed to be an integral topic in Richard’s mind, and his thoughts dictate the storyline, I suggest that Jones find some way to clarify the purpose of Richard’s writing and the response, if any, he gets from Susan.There are several areas throughout the novella where Richard includes a partial date, which excludes the year. I found this to be mildly confusing especially when he reverts back to Peter’s journal entries and more family history with Jack. If Jones added the year and/or perhaps used a different font for those entries, that would be helpful. Similarly, I would suggest that Jones distinguish Richard’s dialogue and inner thoughts by using quotes for spoken dialogue and italics for his inner thoughts. There are several areas in the manuscript where Jones uses a # to express some sort of break in the page or a break in the story. I was unsure of what exactly that symbol represented in terms of where the letters end and begin or where his own thoughts end and begin. I would suggest Jones replace those symbols with dates for each new letter. Because Richard is such a unique, unstable character, sometimes when his thoughts skip around or when he goes on tangents, it feels like the tenses switch. So in addition to the lack of dates and times, and the uncertainty of what parts of the novella are letters and which parts, if any are straight narrative are made even more ambiguous by the slight shift in tenses. I feel that the story would be a lot more comprehensible if Jones replaces language that includes would, could, had, might etc. because it is unclear how far into the past or future Richard is projecting or if he is speaking hypothetically. There are two characters named Mike in the novella. Dr. Mike Joyce, who plays a small part in the beginning of the work, and Grandpa Mike, the character to whom I believe the title refers. I would suggest Jones either change the name of the Dr. or delete the character altogether because he doesn’t seem too imperative to the story as a whole. However, if he is significant to the title, Jones may want to make him play a part that seems as influential as the grandfather’s. The title I Wanna Be Like Mike, poses another issue of clarity for me. Richard elaborated, ranted and raved for pages about how he reveres and idolizes Steven Murphy and comments similarly about Jack Johnson. However, he seemed to have little more than contempt for his grandfather. Why then, does the novella’s title suggest Richard wanted to be like Mike? I assumed based on Richard’s weak credibility and damaged mental state that he was more like Mike than he wanted to admit. If anything, I thought that Mike and Richard were similar, but that Richard wouldn’t want to be anything like his grandfather. Above, I mentioned that there is a second Mike in the story. Perhaps, Dr. Mike Joyce is the Mike that Richard idolizes. If this is the case, Dr. Joyce risks the chance of being forgotten, as he is only mentioned briefly in the novella. I, personally, almost forgot about him, and only remembered because we consequently share the same last name. If Dr. Mike Joyce is a character tied to the title, Jones might want to include him in other places throughout the text. I would suggest Jones include a direct, specific reference to the title that stands apart from the rest of Richard’s thoughts to clarify the profound meaning behind that wonderful title.Overall, I thought Jones’s novella was well written, including solid grammar and punctuation. Jones is amazingly detail-oriented when it comes to his imagery. Jones is an extremely talented writer and I truly enjoyed his novella. While Jones’s I Wanna Be Like Mike is saturated with comment-worthy material, I chose to discuss the elements that I thought would be most beneficial to the author during his editing process. I have written edits and comments within the text and in the margins of the manuscript. Please let me know if the author has any questions or concerns about his manuscript. I would be more than happy to discuss the manuscript with him further if he wishes. Thank you again, for the opportunity.Sincerely,Jen JoyceAssistant EditorBrickHouse BooksCOMMENTS EXAMPLE #3January 24, 2012Clarinda Harriss, DirectorBrickHouse Books306 Suffolk RoadBaltimore, MD 21218Clarinda,Thank you for the chance to review the manuscript The Lyricist by Geraldine Moore. The author has a general theme of political unrest or human suffering running through the poems and an interesting organizational structure, but the work could use some pruning and a thorough evaluation of its strategies to reach its full potential. After a thorough reading, I’ve summarized my thoughts and editing suggestions into the following key points:The organizational structure of the work is intriguing. As indicated by the table of contents, the work is split into twelve sections, ten of them using musical vocabulary to indicate the nature of the poems in each section. However, it is often difficult to draw a correlation between the poems and their section titles due to issues in the poems themselves. For instance, when beginning the third section, I was expecting poems to reflect thoughtfulness or pensiveness but was unsure how pieces like “Coda” or “Assault” fit that theme. A good amount of the collection seems to revolve around a theme of suffering and unrest; however, the imagery throughout is far too vague to bring the people and places to life. This issue is especially prevalent in the fourth section in poems like “Intrigue,” “Betrayal,” or “Uprising.” I am not able to ground myself in the poems and imagine the “you” or “us” described in a tangible way. I especially wanted to feel more connected in “Betrayal,” where goals are mentioned and the stakes seem high, but I don’t know who the “watchers” are in relation to the speaker and what the speaker and his beloved want. Some sections, such as the sixth, had some stronger imagery but the lines weren’t as powerful as they could be, and some line breaks seemed almost arbitrary. For example, “Super-model” has a compelling concept but the general statements make the poem otherwise forgettable. “Sherman” and “Fire” had some stronger imagery, but the choice of line breaks made for unwieldy pieces. Several stylistic choices also distracted me from the poems themselves. The poet employs geometric shapes, small maps, borders around the poems, changing font shades, lack of title on the page, and occasional grouping of more than one poem on a page. I was unclear as to what these effects added to the poem. In poems like “Firemen,” “Storefront,” “Yorkshire,” and “The Hills” I struggled to discover more than visual intention to the shading effects. These stylistic choices are unique, but at the same time it was too often difficult for me to understand their purpose. I also feel that the collection would be stronger if the poet considered his theme heavily and perhaps pruned pieces that would be more appropriate in another selection. For example, some poems like “Robin Hood,” “Central Park,” “Rose Garden,” or “In Absentia” were only a few that seemed disconnected from a larger, unifying theme. Overall, the above issues tended to make the poems already mentioned (and those not discussed) difficult to feel grounded in and to latch onto. Poems with clear speakers or subjects often seemed vague enough to be referring to almost anyone, and I left the collection a sense of frustration; I wanted to delve deeper into the poems than I felt was possible. More attention to form, imagery, avoiding cliché, and strengthening theme would help this collection grow.While these points did not touch on every poem in the manuscript, I have pages of notes that I took while reading and would be glad to elaborate for the poet if he wishes. Thank you, again, for the opportunity.Sincerely,Erin ChristianAssistant EditorBrickHouse BooksBrickHouse Books, Inc.306 Suffolk Rd.Baltimore, MD 21218Clarinda Harriss, Directorcharriss@towson.edu brickhousebooks.BhB, Inc.Clarinda Harriss, Director306 Suffolk RoadBaltimore, MD 21218?Dear?:Thanks for letting BhB see your commendable ms.?Unfortunately, we concur in feeling that it's not quite right for BhB and may actually benefit from additional revision.? I join?our assistant editor in wishing you every success in finding your book an excellent home.Sincerely,?Clarinda HarrissBrickHouse Books, Inc., Maryland’s oldest literary press, is a not-for-profit corporation.BrickHouse Books, Inc.306 Suffolk Rd.Baltimore, MD 21218Clarinda Harriss, Directorcharriss@towson.edu brickhousebooks.BrickHouse Books, Maryland’s oldest literary press, is a not-for-profit Maryland corporation.Important ContactsDr. Behm- cbehm@towson.edu Office LA 4341 410.704.3600Clarinda Harriss- charriss@towson.edu (Note: be sure not to omit that extra S!) 306 Suffolk Rd. Baltimore, MD 21218Glenda Henkel- ghenkel@towson.edu 7800 York Rd. Room 206 410-704-2932 ................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download