Authors In The Media With Margaret Juhae Lee

After recently doing a Q&A with Margaret Juhae Lee which you can read here https://booknotions.com/qa-with-margaret-juhae-lee/ I was thrilled to hear from her publicist that I would be doing this Authors In The Media Q&A with Margaret Juhae Lee. We discussed her memoir Starry Field A Memoir Of Lost History, what she is currently writing now and her time as an editor at The Nation Magazine in the Books & Arts section & being a contributing writer at Oakland Magazine. In this Authors In The Media Q&A we will go more in depth talking about her time as an editor and contributing writer. 

Q: Would you say that your time as the editor of the Books & Arts section in The Nation Magazine & contributing writer at Oakland Magazine helped when it came to writing and editing Starry Field: A Memoir Of Lost History? 

A: Absolutely! I learned so much about writing and editing as a journalist, beginning when I was the assistant literary editor at The Nation and later as a freelance writer. Writing on deadlines, line editing, conducting research and interviews—all these skills I honed as a journalist and used in writing Starry Field. 

That said, I also discovered that I needed to “unlearn” some lessons from journalism when writing my book. My editing instinct is strong, so much so that it was stifling to first-draft writing. My tendency is to self-edit too much before putting words to paper (I write my drafts longhand) which stymied the process. I had to learn how to block out the editor in my mind to let the words flow. 

Q: We briefly discussed you writing for the monthly column East Bay Made for Oakland Magazine. It’s amazing that you met fashion designers, watchmakers, shoemakers, jewelry designers, herbalists, industrial designers, painters, ceramicists, chefs, printmakers and so many interesting people. Can you give a list of names of the designers and all the amazing people you’ve met and what it was like interviewing them?

A: Oh gosh, there are so many. I loved hanging out and talking to artists and craftspeople. I especially liked visiting their studios/offices to see where they work. Here’s some of my favorite interview subjects and links to their websites:

• Kristina Lacson McConnico at Lacson Ravello, who designs sustainable and stylish women’s clothing.
• John Beck McConnico (Kristina’s husband) at Bespoke Watch Projects, who makes small-batch, vintage-inspired wrist watches. 
• Kat Karnaky at Baby Cats of California, a print designer who makes gender-neutral, cat-themed clothing for children and adults.
• Lloyd Ross at Oakland Dust, who makes BBQ sauces and rubs. 
• Jimmy Brower at West Perro, who makes straw hats and wall hangings and started the Head West craft marketplaces in the Bay Area. 

Q: When you were an editor for the Books and the Arts section at The Nation Magazine, did you edit the columns in the magazine, and did you edit books? 

A: As the assistant literary editor, line editing was just one part of my many duties, which also included assigning stories, entering changes, maintaining contacts with writers and publishers, proofreading, coordinating copy flow, managing the office, and supervising the work of fact-checkers and researchers. The Books & the Arts section was made up of book reviews; film, music and art reviews; and occasional essays. We didn’t produce actual books. 

Q: Since you’ve had reviews and interviews featured in The Nation, Elle, Newsday, ARTnews, The Advocate & The Progressive & The Rumpus & Ploughshares Blog would those be great places to have our Q&A and this Authors In The Media Q&A to be published in? That would be amazing! 

A: That would be amazing, but all those publications only accept original reviews and interviews that haven’t been published elsewhere. Each of those publications has its own guidelines in terms of word count and house style and require a pitch to an editor before publishing reviews/interviews. 

Q: What important lessons did you learn from your mentors John & Sue Leonard & Art Winslow while you were an editor at The Nation that you want others to know?

A: I remember John Leonard telling me that book reviews should be written in the tone of writing a letter to a smart friend. He also told me about his experience as editor of the book review at The New York Times, where he was a champion of Toni Morrison, Maxine Hong Kingston and other authors when they were starting out. I loved listening to his stories and felt so blessed that my first job out of journalism school was with him and Sue. He, Sue and Art were so supportive of me, and I am forever grateful. Previously, I had worked in an art museum and felt like a token hire, since I was the only person of color in my department. I never felt like my superiors had my back or really cared about my development. I never experienced true mentorship until I worked at The Nation.