#industry spotlight

[mariannedonley]

SHALLA CHATS with Acquiring Editor Natasha Panza

So, who’s Natasha? by Shalla de Guzman Natasha Panza began her publishing career at Fiction Collective Two, an experimental, literary small press based in Tallahassee, Florida. But bright lights and city streets were calling her name, so she packed her bags for New York City, where she was hired by Tom Doherty and Associates. She works with a variety of authors in a variety of genres and is…

[books]

Writer Spotlight: Elise Hu

We recently met with Elise Hu (@elisegoeseast) to discuss her illuminating title, Flawless—Lessons in Looks and Culture from the K-Beauty Capital. Elise is a journalist, podcaster, and media start-up founder. She’s the host of TED Talks Daily and host-at-large at NPR, where she spent nearly a decade as a reporter. As an international correspondent, she has reported stories from more than a dozen countries and opened NPR’s first-ever Seoul bureau in 2015. Previously, Elise helped found The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit digital start-up, after stops at many stations as a television news reporter. Her journalism work has won the national Edward R. Murrow and duPont Columbia awards, among others. An honors graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism, she lives in Los Angeles.

Can you begin by telling us a little bit about how Flawless came to be and what made you want to write about K-beauty?

It’s my unfinished business from my time in Seoul. Especially in the last year I spent living in Korea, I was constantly chasing the latest geopolitical headlines (namely, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s big moves that year). It meant I didn’t get to delve into my nagging frustrations of feeling second-class as an Asian woman in Korea and the under-reported experiences of South Korean women at the time. They were staging record-setting women’s rights rallies during my time abroad in response to a stark gender divide in Korea. It is one of the world’s most influential countries (and the 10th largest economy) and ranks shockingly low on gender equality metrics. That imbalance really shows up in what’s expected of how women should look and behave. Flawless explores the intersection of gender politics and beauty standards.

Flawless punctuates reportage with life writing, anchoring the research within your subjective context as someone who lived in the middle of it but also had an outside eye on it. Was this a conscious decision before you began writing? 

I planned to have fewer of my personal stories in the book, actually. Originally, I wanted to be embedded with South Korean women and girls who would illustrate the social issues I was investigating, but I wound up being the narrative thread because of the pandemic. The lockdowns and two years of long, mandatory quarantines in South Korea meant that traveling there and staying for a while to report and build on-the-ground relationships was nearly impossible. I also have three small children in LA, so the embedding plan was scuttled real fast.

One of the central questions the book asks of globalized society at large, corporations, and various communities is, “What is beauty for?” How has your response to this question changed while producing Flawless? 

I think I’ve gotten simultaneously more optimistic and cynical about it. More cynical in that the more I researched beauty, the more I understood physical beauty as a class performance—humans have long used it to get into rooms—more power in relationships, social communities, economically, or all of the above at once. And, as a class performance, those with the most resources usually have the most access to doing the work it takes (spending the money) to look the part, which is marginalizing for everyone else and keeps lower classes in a cycle of wanting and reaching. On the flip side, I’m more optimistic about what beauty is for, in that I have learned to separate beauty from appearance: I think of beauty in the way I think about love or truth, these universal—and largely spiritual—ideas that we all seek, that feed our souls. And that’s a way to frame beauty that isn’t tied in with overt consumerism or having to modify ourselves at all. 

This is your first book—has anything surprised you in the publishing or publicity process for Flawless?

I was most surprised by how much I enjoyed recording my own audiobook! I felt most in flow and joyful doing that more than anything else. Each sentence I read aloud was exactly the way I heard it in my head when I wrote it, which is such a privilege to have been able to do as an author.

Do you have a favorite reaction from a reader? 

I don’t know if it’s the favorite, but recency bias is a factor—I just got a DM this week from a woman writing about how the book helped put into words so much of what she felt and experienced, despite the fact she is not ethnically Korean, or in Korea, which is the setting of most of the book. It means a lot to me that reporting or art can connect us and illuminate shared experiences…in this case, learning to be more embodied and okay with however we look. 

As a writer, journalist, and mother—how did you practice self-care when juggling work commitments, social life, and the creative processes of writing and editing?

I juggled by relying on my loved ones. I don’t think self-care can exist without caring for one another, and that means asking people in our circles for help. A lot of boba dates, long walks, laughter-filled phone calls, and random weekend trips really got me through the arduous project of book writing (more painful than childbirth, emotionally speaking). 

What is your writing routine like, and how did the process differ from your other reporting work? Did you pick up any habits that you’ve held on to? 

My book writing routine was very meandering, whereas my broadcast reporting and writing are quite linear. I have tight deadlines for news, so it’s wham, bam, and the piece is out. With the book, I had two years to turn in a manuscript. I spent the year of lockdowns in “incubation mode,” where I consumed a lot of books, white papers, articles, and some films and podcasts, just taking in a lot of ideas to see where they might collide with each other and raise questions worth reporting on, letting them swim around in the swamp of my brain. When I was ready to write, I had a freelance editor, the indefatigable Carrie Frye, break my book outline into chunks so I could focus on smaller objectives and specific deadlines. Chunking the book so it didn’t seem like such a massive undertaking helped a lot. As for the writing, I never got to do a writer’s retreat or some idyllic cabin getaway to write. I wrote in the in-between moments—a one or two hour window when I had a break from the TED conference (which I attend every year as a TED host) or in those moments after the kids’ bedtime and before my own. One good habit I got into was getting away from my computer at midday. I’m really good about making lunch dates or going for a run to break up the monotony of staring at my screen all day long.

What’s good advice you’ve received about journalism that you would pass on to anyone just starting out?

All good reporting comes from great questions. Start with a clear question you seek to answer in your story, project, or book, and stay true to it and your quest to answer it. Once you are clear on what the thing is about, you won’t risk wandering too far from your focal point.

Thanks to Elise for answering our questions! You can follow her over at @elisegoeseast and check out her book Flawless here!

[mbangelofdeath]

Armed to the Teeth

I have always been a huge fan of Reach’s aesthetic. It’s one of my favorites in the franchise. It just looks so gritty and battle-worn. For the most part, the armors look great here in Infinite. And with the new Fleetcom Operation going live next week, it will be amazing to get the Military Police, Operator, and Haunted helmets in Infinite. The only unfortunate thing is they all most likely be behind a paywall which seriously sucks. I wish the game had more unlockable armors instead of everything costing quite a bit of money. Anywho, enough of that tangent. Enjoy the screenshots, my friends and I hope you all have an epic weekend!

[cherushiina]

the most doofiest spartan-IV of all time

[finexbright]

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[chaoticninjatale]

[object-obsession]

Unikitty! > MANY CHARACTERS

Inanimate Object Characters List | Entry: 23

Remember how I put LEGO in the Honourable Mentions because it didn't really count? Well, related to the LEGO universe, there IS one show that DOES include quite some anthropomorphic object characters - among which is one of the five main character!

It's the Unikitty! Show.

And you can see on the cover of the series the main character I was talking about: Richard! He was definitely one of the best characters of the show, hahahaha. Just an old, grumpy 1×3 brick. Perfection!

TV Series: Unikitty! (2017-2020)

---- SPOTLIGHT CHARACTERS ----

RICHARD [and more]

Characters: Richard, Bim Bom, Toaster and Toast, Beatsby

[405blazeitt]

hey uhhhhhhhhh golden bomber released a bunch of their songs as copyright-free for livestream/video background music?

it's not all available everywhere yet, but the album contains both full kb songs and instrumental versions (so that people won't know you're playing golden bomber songs) (this is intended)

the album is here

[thecatsreaderslibrary]

Our Fine Novelist Richard E. La Motte Is Making His Books Buzz Through Media Outlets With This Special Author Spotlight and Featured Article Seen On CNBC, Newsbreak, & Many Others. . .

Our Fine Novelist Richard E. La Motte Is Making His Books Buzz Through Media Outlets With This Special Author Spotlight and Featured Article Seen On CNBC, Newsbreak, & Many Others. . .

Author Spotlight & Interview with California Author Richard E. LaMotte Author Richard E. LaMotte With His Book The Song of Ramon and MariaPhoto byBookBuzz Richard E. LaMotte is an accomplished author and writer. Now retired from the film and motion picture industry, Richard is devoting his time to his love of stories and spending time with his wife Patricia in Valencia, California. His newest…

[deanpinterester]

i can't believe i'm saying a good thing about the atla movie but now that some official images have come out from the atla live action show, i think movie!aang's tattoo looks way cooler

[belovedcelebrity]

Kendall Jenner Became Highest-Paid Supermodel Fashion Icon | Runway Model

Kendall Jenner first earned the title of the “world’s highest-paid supermodel. Kendall was at 2nd no. in FHM’s annual 100 Sexiest Women In The World list. She becomes 16th No. in Forbes magazine’s 2015 list of highest-paid models. Her father Brus Jenner has changed his gender and given the name Caitlyn Jenner. As of 2023, her net worth stands impressively at $74 million. Kendal Jenner

[patronsaint-ofthedenial]

I rather dislike Harry Styles but I have decided that it's honestly a waste of my energy to get mad about him and I think I'm one step closer to achieving inner peace

[mbangelofdeath]

New Halo Infinite Screenshot Dump. I can’t wait for the new season to drop next week. I’m out of town for the next little bit, but I am planning on taking new screenshots as soon as I can. Enjoy!

[persephoneflouwers]

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[scrappedtogether]

one of your posts made me remember that I used to be obsessed with riva ras regas when I was a kid because i had a crush on rufus lol

This is so valid, Anon!!! I also had a pretty big crush on him when I was a kid. I think it was a combination of his voice, his stage presence, and how sweet he was with his cat. 😂 He’s for sure one of the reasons I love Riva Ras Regas so much! You’re not alone at all, Anon!

[magliesport]

Wine night. Tell me why my dad bought us Sparking Pinot Grigio? Does he know he has horrible taste in wine? Embarrassing myself in front of my family as usual. My dad and aunt said my next-door neighbor knows me which means they both know I’m still smoking cigarettes. I’m not dealing with that now. I was going to drive drunk to the storage unit but I decided against it. I mopped $2 ramen from the grocery store instead. One day I’ll be cooking for two, or three, or four instead of making instant meals and eating in front of the television. How to be proactive? I’m not quite sure.

The funny thing is I was quite happy today. I was pleased with myself. For spending $40 at Ulta? No. I could have just taken one of the two La Roche Posay cleansers I bought. I was talking like a faggot on the phone with Patty the whole time, sounding like a dumbass on both ends. I said “you’re welcome” before they thanked me for bringing all the shit they left behind to their storage unit. I texted them afterwards apologizing for “speaking so weird in the ulta” and blamed my peculiar tone on “feeling watched.” Then I went to the dollar tree and bought a wastebasket for $2, cash. I could’ve spent it on ramen instead.