Her View Friday
Yellow Arrow Publishing supports women-identifying writers from a wide variety of backgrounds, not just because it’s the right thing to do, but because it makes us stronger. Women’s voices have historically been underrepresented in literature, and we aim to elevate those voices and stories through our programs, publications, and support.
Part of our mission in supporting and uplifting women writers is to promote the Yellow Arrow community’s individual accomplishments. We’d like to further expand that support and promotion outside of our Yellow Arrow publications. Twice a month, we’d like to give a shout out to those within the Yellow Arrow community who recently published:
single-author publications
single pieces in journals, anthologies, etc.
You can support our authors by reading this blog and their work, sharing their news, and commenting below or on the blog. Congratulations to all the included authors. We are so proud of you!
Every writer has a story to tell and every story is worth telling.
Author: Miriam Edelson
Tell us about yourself: I am a neurodivergent writer, settler, and mother living in Toronto, Canada. My literary nonfiction, personal essays, and commentaries have appeared in The Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, various U.S., U.K., and Canadian literary journals, and on CBC Radio. My first book, My Journey with Jake: A Memoir of Parenting and Disability, was published in April 2000. Battle Cries: Justice for Kids with Special Needs appeared in late 2005. I completed a doctorate in 2016 at the University of Toronto focused on mental health in the workplace. My latest book, The Swirl in My Burl, a collection of essays, was published in October 2022.
Where are you from: Toronto, Canada
What describe your main writing space: It’s a mess right now—filled with papers, books, and a variety of objects. I need to clean up!
What did you just publish: I published The Swirl in My Burl. You can find it at miriamedelson.com.
Tell us about your publication: It’s published by Adelaide Books of New York (October 2022), a creative nonfiction collection of personal essays exploring growing up, mental health, parenting, nature, and politics.
Why this book? Why now? How did it happen for you? This book is a collection of essays that I’ve been writing over the last few years. Most were published previously in various journals, including “Art in the Maelstrom of Mothering” by Yellow Arrow in EMERGE: Coming into View.
What is a burl? A burl originates from a tree that is stressed. It may be caused by an injury, virus, or fungus. The burl is formed coming out of the side of the tree when the grain of the tree has grown in a distorted or unusual manner. It is a round knotty growth that when polished is full of swirls and beauty. There is an entangled splendor underneath the bark and craftspeople say that it can take 30 years for the burl’s full beauty to emerge.
The swirl in my burl is my life stories, my children, my joy and pain. Through my writing I shine a light on that jumble of memory, fact, and emotion, searching for truth. Like my stories and myself, the burl wood grain is twisted and interlocked, resistant to splitting. I look upon it with wonder as it teaches me to find strength in its misshapenness.
What is your writing goal for the year: To continue writing from the heart.
What advice do you have for other writers? Be persistent. Expect 10 rejections for every acceptance. Don’t lose hope!
What else are you working on/doing that you’d like to share: I am editing a new collection titled Deep Roots, New Threats: Confronting the Rise of the Right in Canada. I’ll need to fashion an introduction and conclusion for this project, as well as edit others’ work.
You can find Miriam on her website at miriamedelson.com.
Yellow Arrow (past and present) board, staff, interns, authors, residents, and instructors alike! Got a publication coming out? Let us help celebrate for you in Her View Friday.
Single-author publications: here.
Single pieces: here.
Please read the instructions on each form carefully.
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