Brave on the Page: Oregon Writers on Craft and the Creative Life

by Laura Stanfill (editor)

Brave on the Page: Oregon Writers on Craft and the Creative Life is a homegrown writers' resource featuring interviews and essays by forty-two authors, including Scott Sparling, Yuvi Zalkow, Bart King, Gina Ochsner, Kristy Athens, Joanna Rose and Jon Bell.

"If one was not aware of the vibrant literary community that exists within the state of Oregon, then Brave on the Page would be the perfect introduction to the varied literary voices from the state’s working writers," said the Los Angeles Review's Renee K. Nicholson. "Separated into three sections, the first and third consisting of interviews and the second made up of flash essays, this book offers interesting advice and inspiration from journalists, novelists, middle-grade authors, poets, nonfiction writers, writer-activists, short story writers, and all kind of writers in-between."

“For any aspiring writer who feels lonely at the keyboard, Brave on the Page is a treasure trove of inspiration and advice on the writing life that will without a doubt encourage,” said Portland Book Review reviewer Kristen Leigh. “In an artfully curated collection of interviews and flash essays written by Oregon writers and edited by Laura Stanfill, authors speak candidly with equal parts depth and grace about their craft.”

Columnist and author Matt Love called Brave on the Page “easily the most quintessential Oregon book I’ve encountered in a very long time,” when he chose it as the the fourth annual Powell’s On Oregon Blog’s Book of the Year.

Brave on the Page has spent several months on the Powell's Small Press Bestseller List. The book earned a spot on the prestigious Powell’s staff Top Fives lists for 2012, was named a staff pick at Powell’s Hawthorne, earned a four-star review from the Portland Book Review, and received coverage in many newspapers, including the Oregonian and the Los Angeles Review.

The book is available at powells.com, made-to-order at Espresso Book Machines around the world, or online at ondemandbooks.com.

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction

199 pages, Paperback

First published October 8, 2012

About the author

Once upon a time, Laura Stanfill lived in a New Jersey house filled with music boxes, street organs, and books. She grew up to become the publisher of Forest Avenue Press. SINGING LESSONS FOR THE STYLISH CANARY (Lanternfish) is her debut novel. Her essays have appeared in Shondaland, The Rumpus, Catapult, The Vincent Brothers Review, Santa Fe Writers Project, and several print anthologies. She believes in indie bookstores and wishes on them like stars from her home in Portland, Oregon, where she resides with her family and Waffles the dog. Learn more at laurastanfill.com.

Reviews

[Laura]

I'm the editor of Brave on the Page, so I won't review it, but I do want to thank all forty-two Oregon authors who contributed interviews and essays to this collection. It's their book, showcasing their varied approaches to the craft through interviews and flash essays. The contributors all have different backgrounds, unlike other collections of writing advice that showcase a particular philosophy or educational background, and that diversity gives Brave on the Page its emphatic homegrown spirit.

We've earned some amazing accolades, including being on the Powell's daily Small Press Bestseller List since December and being named a Powell's Staff Top 5 pick for 2012. And all that recognition reflects back on our authors, who are smart and funny and wise and definitely brave on the page. So thank you to them, and a special thank you to our readers. I hope you find inspiration in these pages no matter where you live.

[sarah gilbert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Laura Stanfill curates a world of extraordinary enthusiasm and literary possibility in this charming book of interviews and micro-essays; reading it is like going to readings and writer's groups all over the state of Oregon. It's very place-based and centers on a surprising number of unpublished, or newly-published writers, so at times it can be less inspiring than other similar books (written by accomplished writers who make you believe, I too can become a famous so-and-so!). But it's like meeting a new group of friends at a workshop, people whose work you want to read, people who you hope will, in turn, show up at your gig, will clap hard, and buy your book.

[Dianecammer · Rating 5 out of 5]

my favorite - short views on writing from many genre's, including website and blog info. excellent short read.

[Patricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This slender volume whispered “pick me up” from the new books shelf in the Bradford Area Public Library. I was immediately intrigued by the cover with the antiquated typewriter similar to the one that I typed my college papers on! Opening the book I saw that it was added to the library’s collection in honor of Tamera McIntyre, our past library director.
The book is a collection of flash essays about the who, what, when, where and how of the writing life tucked between two collections of interviews with members of the tribe of Oregon writers who support each other.

When I was half way through this book, I felt like a house guest that had discreetly pulled the hosts scrap book off its shelf to learned things about my hosts that had never been shared.

The writers of Oregon have a real gem in this anthology. I look forward to reading more of the seven questions series. I wish we had a similar organization in Pennsylvania

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

For an Oregon writer, this book is a delicious romp through the minds of some of Oregon’s finest. A blend of interviews and short essays, it tackles questions such as how to find time to write, how to keep going when rejection is all you see, how to integrate different genres into one career, and why people write. The debut title from Stanfill’s new publishing company, this one slides down easy. Will anyone who is not a writer or not from the Northwest care? I don’t know. I found it informative and inspiring.

[Gregg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Editor and publisher Laura Stanfill put together a wonderful debut volume for her press, filling it with well-established Northwest authors and relative unknowns like myself. If you're curious about the writing process and have already read the contributions of authors like Stephen King, Annie Dillard and Anne Lamott, buy this book. The perspectives are plentiful and the help wonderful and deep. It will do you good.

[Chris Bournea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Because writing is often a solitary endeavor, writers can sometimes feel isolated. Brave on the Page, an anthology of interviews with a diverse cross-section of writers, offers a sense of camaraderie and a visit with kindred spirits. As a writer myself, I drew a lot of inspiration and motivation from Brave on the Page.

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I applaud Forest Avenue Press for this lovely book of interviews and essays with Oregon writers that I found funny, beautiful and informative. It was so refreshing to hear not only from more well-known and established writers but from writers along a variety of points in their careers. A great celebration of community.

[Tammy Stoner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even though I'm in it, I will rate this book not for my small contribution, but for its overall fabulousness!

This is the ideal book to get writers at any stage of writing, but maybe particularly in the beginning or at points when they might be feeling a lag. It's quietly inspirational. . .