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ruth feiertag

You Say Good-bye and I Say Hello: The birth, death, and legacy of Mr. William Shakespeare

April 24, 2018 1 Comment

by Ruth Feiertag

23 April 2018

Dear Readers,

Today marks the 454th anniversary of Shakespeare’s birthday and the 402nd anniversary of his death. To mark the day, I offer here a few of my favourite bits and pieces from the oeuvre of the Man from Stratford, fragments that remind us how much we can learn from someone who lived and wrote over four hundred years ago.

Issues of friendship (usually complicated) pervade Shakespeare’s work. Hermia and Helena; Hamlet and Horatio; Rosalind and Celia; the Prince, Claudio, and Benedick; Beatrice and Hero; Antony and Enobarbus; Hal and Falstaff; Paulina and Hermione (not Granger) — these friendships have trials and separations, misunderstandings serious and silly, but throughout his plays and poems, Shakespeare recognizes that friendship is essential to humanity. Sonnet 29 describes the way a steady and loyal friend can save us from the depths of despair and self-loathing. (Jaynie: this one’s for you.)

Sonnet XXIX

When, in disgrace with fortune and men’s eyes,
I all alone beweep my outcast state
And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries
And look upon myself and curse my fate,
Wishing me like to one more rich in hope,
Featured like him, like him with friends possess’d,
Desiring this man’s art and that man’s scope,
With what I most enjoy contented least;
Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising,
Haply I think on thee, and then my state,
Like to the lark at break of day arising
From sullen earth, sings hymns at heaven’s gate;
For thy sweet love remember’d such wealth brings
That then I scorn to change my state with kings.

While sometimes we need to look to others for support or inspiration, Shakespeare also urges us to examine ourselves to find what qualities lie within that we can, that we mustshare with others. Our awareness of how we depend on others becomes balanced by the realization of what we owe the world:

Thyself and thy belongings
Are not thine own so proper as to waste
Thyself upon thy virtues, they on thee.
Heaven doth with us as we with torches do,
Not light them for themselves; for if our virtues
Did not go forth of us, ‘twere all alike
As if we had them not.

— William Shakespeare, Measure For Measure I.i.29-35

Of course, it’s all fun and games until somebody is looking to be the next king of England. In Henry IV, Part 1, Hal contemplates how his companions use him and how he intends to use them in turn to solidify his claim to the throne that his father usurped (though I will say, I think with good reason) from Henry’s cousin Richard.

I know you all, and will awhile uphold
The unyoked humour of your idleness:
Yet herein will I imitate the sun,
Who doth permit the base contagious clouds
To smother up his beauty from the world,
That, when he please again to be himself,
Being wanted, he may be more wonder’d at,
By breaking through the foul and ugly mists
Of vapours that did seem to strangle him.
If all the year were playing holidays,
To sport would be as tedious as to work;
But when they seldom come, they wish’d for come,
And nothing pleaseth but rare accidents.
So, when this loose behavior I throw off
And pay the debt I never promised,
By how much better than my word I am,
By so much shall I falsify men’s hopes;
And like bright metal on a sullen ground,
My reformation, glittering o’er my fault,
Shall show more goodly and attract more eyes
Than that which hath no foil to set it off.
I’ll so offend, to make offence a skill;
Redeeming time when men think least I will.

Henry IV, I. ii

    We could pause here to debate whether Hal is a clever politician or a rotten blackguard, if his companions deserve such a reversal, whether Hal is reluctant to do what he knows must be done or gleefully anticipating pulling the rug out from under Poins, Bardo, and especially Falstaff (“No, my good lord; banish Peto, banish Bardolph, banish Poins: but for sweet Jack Falstaff, kind Jack Falstaff, true Jack Falstaff, valiant Jack Falstaff, and therefore more valiant, being, as he is, old Jack Falstaff, banish not him thy Harry’s company, banish not him thy Harry’s company: banish plump Jack, and banish all the world”), but if anyone wants to have that discussion, let’s save it for the comments.

Back to the sonnets for a finish. In the thirty-third fourteener (that’s for any mountain climbers who might be reading), Shakespeare employs much of the same imagery he put into the mouth of Hal. The imagery works differently in the sonnet. We could, I suppose, maintain that 33 makes an argument for the benefits of recycling, but besides that important lesson, this poem also provides us with a thought-paradigm that can lead us to being forgiving of others and maybe even of ourselves.

 

Sonnet XXXIII

Full many a glorious morning have I seen
Flatter the mountain-tops with sovereign eye,
Kissing with golden face the meadows green,
Gilding pale streams with heavenly alchemy;
Anon permit the basest clouds to ride
With ugly rack on his celestial face,
And from the forlorn world his visage hide,
Stealing unseen to west with this disgrace:
Even so my sun one early morn did shine
With all triumphant splendor on my brow;
But out, alack! he was but one hour mine;
The region cloud hath mask’d him from me now.
Yet him for this my love no whit disdaineth;
Suns of the world may stain when heaven’s sun staineth.

None of us is perfect, but all of us are connected. Shakespeare lived a long time ago, but his works remain to make us think, to question, to push ourselves to become better people with broader minds and more expansive souls.

Happy birthday, Bill, and may flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.

P.S. Because Shakespeare and Cervantes share a death-day, here’s a sonnet from Don Quixote, one that touches on many of the same themes as the passages above:

When heavenward, holy Friendship, thou didst go
Soaring to seek thy home beyond the sky,
And take thy seat among the saints on high,
It was thy will to leave on earth below
Thy semblance, and upon it to bestow
Thy veil, wherewith at times hypocrisy,
Parading in thy shape, deceives the eye,
And makes its vileness bright as virtue show.
Friendship, return to us, or force the cheat
That wears it now, thy livery to restore,
By aid whereof sincerity is slain.
If thou wilt not unmask thy counterfeit,
This earth will be the prey of strife once more,
As when primaeval discord held its reign.

 

Ruth Feiertag, Senior editor Regal House PublishingRuth Feiertag is the senior editor of Regal House Publishing. She holds a B.A. from the University of California Santa Cruz and an M.A. from the University of Colorado at Boulder. She finds Medieval and Renaissance literature (mostly poetry and drama) endlessly fascinating, and anyone who wants to be treated to a long monologue should ask her about bastards from the Middle Ages through the Early Modern period. Ruth is the founding editor of PenKnife Editorial Services, and a member of the National Coalition of Independent Scholars.

Filed Under: Literary Musings Tagged With: ruth feiertag, Shakespeare, sonnets

Book Bound: A Celebration of Independent Bookstores—Microcosm Publishing

October 17, 2017 1 Comment

Microcosm Publishing
2752 North Williams Avenue
Portland, Oregon
97227
503-232-3666
https://microcosmpublishing.com
Visit: 23 May, 2017

Ruth’s Bookstore Safari Part III: Microcosm Publishing—Not Your Mainstream Bookstore

https://regalhousepublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Microcosm-1.mp4

(Full videos will be available soon on our imminent Regal House YouTube Channel)

https://regalhousepublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/IMG_0062.m4v

https://regalhousepublishing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Warehouse-clip.mp4

Microcosm Links to Topics Mentioned Above:

“The Publishing House of My Dreams”

About Microcosm

BFF Subscriptions

Rad Dad Series

Business of Publishing

 

 

Filed Under: Book Bound, Regal House Titles Tagged With: Asperger's, Biel, Bookstore Bound, Bookstore Safari, Celebrating Independent Bookstores, Celebrating Independents, Diversity, Independent Bookstores, Joe, Joe Biel, literary fiction, Marginalized, Microcosm, Microcosm Books, Microcosm Publishing, Oregon, People of Color, Portland, Punk Rock, ruth feiertag, Women of Color

Colorado Pen Show 2017: The Set-Up

October 6, 2017 Leave a Comment

Greetings from the Colorado Pen Show!

 I arrived last night, and even though the show was just starting to get set up, I saw some lovely people and got a peek at some tantalizing journals, papers, and pens. Cary Yeager from Fountain Pen Day gave me an official FPD pin and bookmark (I’m already collecting swag!) and we had a nice chat about the generosity of the fountain pen community. And it’s true: I have never met a group so welcoming and willing to share knowledge (and ink and pens) with even the newest of newbies.

The Andersons were getting set up. They are also extraordinarily kind people who, at earlier shows, have patiently answered my questions and helped guide me to the right pen, the right ink, and the proper accessories for caring for my writing instruments.

The Show looks to be very exciting this year. For more information, check out the web site and this blog for more posts!

Ruth

 

Filed Under: Regal House Titles Tagged With: Colorado Pen Show, community, fountain pens, independent business, ink paper, ruth feiertag

Book Bound: A Celebration of Independent Bookstores

September 1, 2017 Leave a Comment

Ruth’s Bookstore Safari, Part I: An Indie in the Pacific Northwest

Third Place Books
Visited: 15 May, 2017

          I began my bookstore safari in Seattle, Washington, where I was visiting my particular friend Maren Donley. Before I arrived, I explained my quest to her, and she immediately recommended a visit to the Third Place Books. While there are three Third Places (I’m not sure how the math works on that, whether it requires simple addition or some kind of quantum exponential multiplication), Maren suggested we drop by the Lake Forest store. “I drive by it twice a week. I had never been in until I met my priest there for a meeting. Then I said, ‘Oh! I have really been missing out!'” she told me.

As always, Maren’s advice proved invaluable. I contacted the store and was put in touch with Zak Nelson, the Events and Marketing Manager. Mr. Nelson gave me some background, drawn from the website, on the store and its philosophy. He explained that “Third Place Books is the deliberate and intentional creation of a community around books and the ideas inside them” and that the name, Third Place Books, comes from sociologist Ray Oldenberg’s idea “that each of us needs three places: first is the home; second is the workplace or school,” and a third place “where people from all walks of life interact, experiencing and celebrating their commonality as well as their diversity.”

Maren, my trusty guide

Maren commented on this aspect of the store as well. After our visit, she remarked, “I appreciate that so much of that space is devoted to the community and I will go out my way to make purchases there because I value that space. I have never found anywhere else that can do that.” Before visiting the book store, Maren and I fortified ourselves with lunch at the Everest Kitchen, a few doors away from Third Place. We find Indian food tends to be the best way to prepare for about anything, and we wanted to ensure we would have sufficient stamina for an extended exploration.

When Maren and I walked into the Lake Forest Third Place, the atmosphere and layout were genuinely comfortable and intriguing. It felt almost as much like a library as a book store, a place where one could take the time to get to know a book before deciding whether to take it home.

Mr. Nelson had suggested that I speak with Robert Sindelar, the Managing Partner and now president of the American Booksellers Association. When Maren and I arrived, Mr. Sindelar was working in the back, but one of the clerks at the customer service desk cheerfully went off to find him. Mr. Sindelar came out and showed me around the store and talked about his store’s commitment to authors.

Third Place hosts authors—both new, local writers and established celebrities—fifteen times a month. The traditionally published authors have their publishers behind them to arrange readings and signings, while local authors must approach the store in person to arrange appearances and apply to have Third Place carry their books in the stores. When considering self-published works, the Third Place staff take into account not only the quality of the books, but also whether the authors are motivated self-promoters.

As an additional support to Seattle-area authors, the book store offers Third Place Press for those who want to self-publish. The Press designs books and publishes them using its Espresso Book Machine. The Third Place Press office is located not in the book store itself, but in the Commons, near the stage. Many of the books produced there are displayed in the window of the office. It should be noted that publishing with Third Place Press does not guarantee that the book store will carry the book produced. TPP authors must go through the same application process as other independent writers. Mr. Nelson wrote me that the stores carry local authors’ works on consignment.

          The selection of books, Mr. Sindelar told me, has a curatorial aspect. The staff have a lot of say in the choices, which are also guided by the interests of customers and the diverse ideas and opinions that represent the neighborhood. It seems that every aspect of Third Place is indeed geared toward fostering community and neighborhood. The Commons area not only has ample seating and a play area for small children, it has three restaurants as well: sustenance for both mind and body.

And then there’s the stage. The bookstore uses it for readings and signings, and shares it with schools, musicians, and theatre groups as another way to create inclusive and cohesive bonds between various individuals and groups in the area. Mr. Nelson, in one of his e-mails, had assured me that Third Place “depends on having a well-rounded and enticing events program.”

When Mr. Sindelar had to take his turn staffing the information counter, I explored the store some more on my own and eventually found Maren in the children’s section with Rene Holderman, one of the store clerks who had greeted us when we first arrived. Maren was looking for books for her children, both voracious consumers of literature. On the way home, Maren confided that “This is the second time that Rene has been able to help me select books for my daughter. She’s an avid reader with VERY specific tastes. It’s such a pleasure to have expert help.”

          As we wended our way toward the registers at the front of the store, Maren pointed out the cards that annotated the books on the tables and shelves. The cards offered reviews by the staff, noted awards won by the book and author, and even let browsers know that a less expensive edition of the book in question was available on a different shelf in the store. I had seen cards similarly deployed in other stores, but never to such good effect. Walking through the store while looking at the books and reading the cards was like enjoying a stimulating conversation with friends or taking part in a silent book club discussion.

Third Place is a community epicenter that extends opportunities for education and enjoyment. While Third Place strives to be a place apart from home and work or school, I think it might be something better: a place that embraces aspects of all our important environments and makes room for members of the community to nurture their separate selves within while forging connections with the world around them.

The umbrella that marks the children’s section.
A selection of Third Place Press publications
The Den sits in the heart of the store.
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A quick look at The Commons and Third Place Books.

          I want to thank Zak Nelson and Rene Holderman for their assistance; I am particularly grateful to Robert Sindelar for his time and kindness in showing me around. And especial gratitude to Maren Donley for leading me to Third Place Books, and for more than I can articulate here.

Filed Under: Book Bound Tagged With: Bookstore Bound, Bookstore Safari, Celebrating Independents, Espresso Book Machine, Independent Bookstores, literary fiction, Maren Donley, Rene Holderman, Robert Sindelar, ruth feiertag, Seattle, Third Place Books, Third Place Press, Washington, Zak Nelson

A note from our senior editor

January 9, 2017 4 Comments

Books on the stairsRegal is a marvelous House, founded as it is on Jaynie’s passion for involving literature and her devotion to the authors who write it. When Jaynie asked me to help her lay bricks as the Senior Editor, I was—and still am—over the moon (don’t worry; there’s Internet here and manuscripts reach me even through the sublunary atmosphere). Jaynie and I share a desire—one that drives many independent publishers—to return to a publishing ethos in which authors are treated with courtesy and respect and their works are edited conscientiously and with great care. We meld traditional, intense, editorial engagement with the technology that enables small presses to publish noteworthy literature that might otherwise languish undiscovered and unread.

Jaynie and I also share an approach that is so simpatico, it is difficult not to believe that fate brought us together. Our perspectives are almost always in sync, and when they aren’t, they neatly complement each other. We sing either in unison or in harmony. (That’s metaphorical; it is only on occasion or accident that I can even carry a tune.)

The books we publish move and astonish; they tell stories that build their own edifices in the souls of their readers. After an author has worked extensively with Jaynie, the manuscript comes to me. With a fresh pair of eyes, I look for remaining developmental issues and do a thorough copy edit. I put together a style sheet to ensure consistency in spelling, punctuation, the expression of numbers (when to spell them out and when to use digits) and dates, conformity to U.S. or U.K. conventions, and notes on authorial preferences. I check to make sure the chapter titles and the pages given in the Table of Contents match the chapters in the book and that footnotes are sequential. I correct grammar, punctuation, spelling, syntax, spacing, and usage, and make suggestions for diction, awkwardness, jargon, wordiness, paragraphing, and terms that should be defined. I note permissions that are needed, facts that should be verified, and gaps in organization or logic. I believe in the importance of a balanced edit—let’s face it, page after page of corrections can get pretty disheartening—so I also point out what makes the manuscript excel: luminous passages, apt word choices, insightful characterization, intriguing plot points, and evocative imagery.

All this happens in two stages, or “passes.” The first pass I do the old-fashioned way, on paper, pencil in hand. The second pass is done in Microsoft Word using Track Changes. As I incorporate the manual edits into the computer file, I look for errors and felicities I missed during the first read-through. For me, the combination of approaches enables a more thorough edit, one that uses different parts of my brain.

Once the author, Jaynie, and I agree that revisions are complete and Jaynie has formatted the text, I perform a final proofreading to catch the errors that inevitably creep in during re-writes and formatting. Our rigorous editing process is a vital facet of what makes Regal a stand-out publishing house.

Another tool in my editing kit is my scholarly background. I am an independent scholar of Medieval and Early Modern literature. I came of academic age at the end of the New Critical movement and was steeped in the importance of a close reading, a habit of mind I bring to bear as I edit. My own historical inquiries allow me to appreciate the time and effort required to piece together research-rich novels that give new life to past events and cultures while making space in that milieu for the characters and events created in the mind of an author.

An independent contractor, I usually work at home but am known to lurk in coffee houses for a change of scenery. Although I’m not much of an imbiber, one of my favorite editing haunts has become Conor O’Neil’s—sort of Boulder’s version of Cheers. Conor’s serves an out-of-this-world Irish Soda Bread Pudding with absolutely decadent vanilla ice cream lightly sprinkled with cinnamon (and the pudding has eggs in it and the ice cream has calcium, so they count as health food). I am sure that I edit both more accurately and more kindly while consuming this dish. However, tragedy struck when the pub recently closed when its landlord imposed a heavy rent increase. I was distraught. Fortunately, a significant portion of the community shared my distress. A petition and letter-writing campaign succeeded in bringing about a compromise that allowed the pub to re-open. Now I can continue to have my edits sweetened by the congenial atmosphere and my favorite dessert. Huzzah for the power of words to rectify what would have been a sad loss to the community and sent me on a search for a new place to lurk.

The power of words and of language to create new concepts, to persuade us to re-engage with familiar ideas, to forge new worlds and even new civilizations (yes, I am also a sci-fi geek) informs my commitment to supporting authors as they bring forth new works. I couldn’t be more proud of my association with Regal and with Jaynie, nor more pleased to have found a publishing house that shares my faith in the need for literature that opens our minds and broadens our souls.

Ruth Feiertag

Filed Under: Regal House Titles Tagged With: content editing, editing, regal house publishing, ruth feiertag

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