Dear Sir or Madam, will you read my book?
It took me years to write, will you take a look?
So begins the Beatles song “Paperback Writer,” which was released 60 years ago this month, and quickly became a No. 1 hit. It was written by Paul McCartney with John Lennon’s input. McCartney revealed in a 2007 article in the New Yorker that “he imagined the song as a would-be author’s pleading letter to a publisher.”
It’s a thousand pages give or take a few
I’ll be writing more in a week or two
I can make it longer if you like the style
I can change it ’round
While much has changed since 1966, the drive to write and publish books is still going strong. According to Publishers Weekly, more than 4 million books were published just last year. In 1966, an estimated 300,000 books were published in the U.S. That’s over a million more than were published in 2023, and 3 million more than were published in 2014, the year we launched Islanders Write.
I suppose we could make the case from these numbers that Islanders Write has had an impact on this upward trend. However, correlation is not causation, and it’s unlikely that this large a literary tidal wave could come from such a small, triangular Island, even with its oversize reputation. What has been incontrovertibly proven since the first Islanders Write is that there are an impressive number of extremely talented writers who live on the Vineyard and visit the Island. It has also become clear that there is a lot to discuss when it comes to the art, craft, and business of writing.
Islanders Write is not a book festival. We focus on the writing. That said, many, if not most, people who speak at the event have published a book or two. It’s also not the type of writers’ festival where we ask you to speak only if you have a new book out. However, we do enjoy celebrating and spotlighting new releases by Islanders Write authors — all of whom have a connection to the Vineyard, whether they live here or are frequent visitors — which is why I am delighted to announce the speakers at this year’s event who, as of this writing, have published books within the past year.
Belle Burden, the author of “Strangers,” which is the breakout memoir of the moment, will be joining us. Burden was on the Vineyard during the early days of the pandemic when she found out her husband was having an affair. He left the Island, left his marriage, and left his kids. She will be speaking with Keisha Lance Bottoms, who just released her memoir “The Rough Side of the Mountain,” and is currently running for governor of Georgia. Not only is she running, according to the latest polls, she is in the lead! I have yet to meet her, but I love the way she was described in a recent article in Essence magazine, written by Bridgette Bartlett Royall:
“Keisha Lance Bottoms is a lot like your favorite friend, auntie, niece, or sister. You know, the one who is super-smart and successful, but never pressed to broadcast her grades or accomplishments. You’re more likely to learn that she made the dean’s list (again) or landed yet another promotion from anyone but her. She’s not a bragger, but she exudes confidence. She doesn’t shrink to accommodate any space, be it personal or professional.”
Two very funny essayists who have new books with fabulous titles will also be part of a panel discussion about using humor to make difficult topics come alive. Best-selling humorist and author Cazzie David writes about the angst of early adulthood in her new book of essays, “Delusions: Of Grandeur, Of Romance, Of Progress” (St. Martin’s Press). Actress and best-selling author Annabelle Gurwitch’s new book “The End of My Life is Killing Me: The Unexpected Joys of a Cancer Slacker” (Zibby Publishing), chronicles the carpe diem approach to life she embraced after being diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer.
Elisa M. Speranza’s second novel, “Triage,” will be published in May. It is the story of a woman dealing with the aftermath of her time as a combat nurse during World War II. As readers of Spreanza’s first novel, “The Italian Prisoner,” are aware, she has a gift for creating impactful and memorable characters, so I asked her if she’d be part of a panel discussion about writing memorable characters.
Essayist and book reviewer Brooke Allen will also be joining us at Islanders Write to talk about reviews and writing book reviews. A Wall Street Journal review praised Allen’s own book “Good Bones: Glorious Relics from the Age of Reading” (Tivoli Books) for paying attention to lesser-known writers: “Many of Ms. Allen’s favorite writers have been damned with the label ‘minor’ and exiled to the literary gulags, far away from the reading public. She frees them from this fate.” The review, quite a laudatory one at that, also stated that “‘Good Bones’ is literary criticism at its best.” We are delighted to have the writer of “literary criticism at its best” on hand and in person to discuss just that.
There is still a whole lot of dreaming happening on this sixtieth anniversary of “Paperback Writer,” and if you’re among those working on a book project or thinking about starting one, we hope you’ll join us at this summer’s Islanders Write.
If you really like it you can have the rights
It could make a million for you overnight.
If you must return it, you can send it here
But I need a break and I want to be a paperback writer
Islanders Write will take place at Featherstone Center for the Arts on Wednesday, July 15, at 7:30 pm and all day on Thursday, July 16. Islanders Write is free to attend. Kate Feiffer is the director of Islanders Write. For more information, go to islanderswrite.com.