1. Incremental release of the Infamous ScrewType E-mails
Leak # one
ScrewType considers new hirer
Behind the scenes editorial discussions on the fate of a (Christian) satirist.
One at a time, LeakyWits is releasing Mr. Sausage’s cache of emails illegally obtained from publishers RandompenguinsXian. Our informant is anonymous but many suspect it may be a well-known author of gospel tracts. Here our series begins with the first emails in the LeakyWits RandompenguinsXian cache:
Memo from ScrewType in management to the manager of ImprimDeNature:
ScrewType@randompenguinsxian
Hullo Woody!
Our latest applicant for the fiction acquisitions position looks fairly good. All technical requirements are fulfilled in her. Taylor might turn out to be a good fit. Education, solid intern experience, connections (meritocratic, professional and familial), and the usual grad and postgrad publications. However. —There's always a however. Maybe two.
When you look at the personal side of things we may have a bit of a hitch. At first glance it’s all right. In Taylor we would have a pretty substantial portion of our arts imprint. Recall ImprimDeNature’s mantra—devotion to “tell it slant.” We’ve updated that a bit. It’s now “show it slant.”
We count on at least two or three each year of the straightforward dissertations on the arts in this imprint, and a few such books for the lay reader. They always sell middling to well and have a solid market of kids who are interested to see their creative work accepted. Well and good, as we say.
But the problem? Through these books our product mission is to encourage but not publish creative work. Solely hint at publication. Our acquisitions applicant, however, is personally interested in publishing the type of works fostered and praised by such publications. I've tried very very subtly to signal that this would not work. (I tell you bluntly, of course). But signaling young hopefuls is not the art it used to be with me. Perhaps I'm too subtle. Perhaps too lax. Whatever it is, I count on you to see she does not go astray if we take her onboard.
Yours, Phil
from Taylor, now on board at ImprimDeNature.com:
Hello Woody! Yes, I'd be glad to call you Woody—thank you! I've never heard of a woman with that nickname but it seems to suit. :-)
Of course I'm excited to begin this work. As you know, I've been a fan of ImprimDeNature for years! Working with other believers who are publishing in the arts has been my dream!
[Here Woody pauses to chuckle over Taylor's delight, and her reference to "years." Taylor is sweet. —Much appreciated freshness in the publishing concern.]*
Woody, I've got a pile of stuff to read tonight. Am so looking forward to opening up the fiction to some thoroughgoing challenging yet beautiful work. The kind of thing without the heavy hand, or the the cut-and-dried. Oh! You know what I mean! Can we do this?!
Oh it will be so good! The engagingly subtle maybe-we-do-and-maybe-we-don't-see-where-you're-going-with-this creative suggestiveness!
Transforming the creative branch of the IDN brand into a sort of artistic "from milk to meat," concern. We won't need the milk here but strong meat. Not to be too grandiose, but it's not impossible that one day our works will be Classics.
[Poor girl has not— her reception of signals— our signals should be a bit amplified, I think, Screw.]*
It was such a thrill to read our (how I love that word our!) book on envisioning the Christian imagination in poetry and fiction, in music and performance and art! I've been going back over it in prep for this work. "Those works outside church culture with subtle artistry woven throughout, or a certain slanted-ness, quirkiness, eccentricity and power embedded with spiritual wisdom...."
—So it does not get better than that!! This book of ours is even going to be my mentor, my guide. So. You are my mentor! Woody! Never fear. But I will also get in touch with the author of Re-Imagine for tips on approaching authors he might think it worthwhile to pursue.
Anyway! Better get back to this marvelous slush! Thank God for professional readers! :-) So glad they are in tune with the vision. At least, I'm supposing they will be.
Ta!
—Taylor
*These barracked interjected thoughts of Woody’s were later share-linked on social media in promotion for a certain concern. We may find out about that as this LeakyWits series unfolds.
© S. Dorman, 2024