Shira Tarrant is fighting the good fight with words. Tarrant is the author of Men and Feminism (Seal Press, 2009), Men Speak Out: Views on Gender, Sex and Power (Routledge, 2008), When Sex Became Gender (Routledge, 2006) and editor of the forthcoming anthology, Fashion Talks: Undressing the Power of Style (SUNY Press). Her work has been praised in Bust, Bitch and Ms. Magazine, among others. Here she takes time out to share what she knows about writing with Pinchback Press.
What is your earliest writing-related memory?
I’ve always loved writing. When I was a kid, I wanted to be a writer but I thought it was out of reach, like it was a magical gift. Turns out it’s less mystery than hard work.
Have you had any formal training in writing and who do you rely on for feedback?
I did a lot of writing in grad school. It’s a style that’s big on five syllable words and passive sentence construction. Since then, I’ve been in writer’s recovery.
I get feedback from anyone who’s willing to help!
What is the most challenging part of being a writer?
I don’t know. I’m feeling kind of blocked. I don’t know what to say.
Kidding. ☺Start to finish, the whole thing is challenging—from gluing my rear end in my chair, to ruthlessly editing, to finding a publisher, to promoting my books. It’s also weird because writing is such a private activity, but publishing makes it so public. When my work goes out into the world I have no control over how it’s received or understood. But that’s really the point, right? Because I write primarily political nonfiction, and I write about controversial topics, I hope my work starts conversations. And that doesn’t mean that we all have to agree on the issues. Which leads me to …
What has been most rewarding in this journey for you?
It’s so rewarding when I find out that my work has touched someone’s life, turned on an intellectual lightbulb, or sparked conversation and debate. I write about social and gender justice issues, so I hope that my writing promotes positive change.
What advice would you like to share with up-n-coming writers?
Keep going!