UNSUITABLE is an events series that engages students and members of the Durham community in a discussion of women’s interests and popular fiction. It is run in conjunction with “Publishing & Marketing Popular Fiction: A Case Study of the Romance Novel” course at Duke University. Our sponsors include Duke’s Forum for Scholars and Publics, African & African American Studies, David L. Paletz Call for Innovative Course Enhancements, History Department, Gender, Sexuality & Feminist Studies, Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, Religious Studies, Kenan Institute for Ethics, Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences, and the John Hope Franklin Humanities Institute. We welcome members of the Duke and Durham community to come and take part in the conversation.
*** SPRING 2022 ***
Free and open to the public. All events are on Zoom. Preregister separately for each event using the links below.
January 21st at noon EST, “What Characterizes a Romance Novel? Negotiating Industry Norms and Expectations” with Deborah Fletcher Mello, award-winning author of contemporary romance.
Preregister for Deborah Fletcher Mello on Zoom: https://duke.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJAudumsqj4oEtbINP1znGN1pRIrqeenZM0F
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March 18th at noon EST, “Hidden Histories: Writing historical romance in the twenty-first century” with Vanessa Riley, award-winning author of historical romance and historical fiction.
Pre-register for Vanessa Riley on Zoom: https://duke.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJYqcu2urD0iGNEBVKicwr8fO2mgr-cM9-mz
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April 1st at noon EST, “Who Reads Romance?: Book Clubs, Book Stores, and Reader Communities” with Es Davis of Golden Fig Books and La Sheera Lee of Read You Later.
Pre-register for Es Davis and La Sheera Lee on Zoom: https://duke.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJUocOmoqTguHdfwTvt7JZUOvf6LODNXIUGc
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April 8th at noon EST, “Feminism and Romance (Revisited)” with bestselling and award-winning romance authors Alexis Daria, Sonali Dev and Maya Rodale.
Pre-register for Sonali Dev and Maya Rodale on Zoom: https://duke.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJwldOurqDkuGNcAW7CVJZP21qIWVvcp5JcS
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PAST SEASONS
SPRING 2021
Free and open to the public. Attendance is by preregistration only.
Preregister for each event separately using the Zoom links below.
February 19th at noon EST, “Resistance Romance” with Robin Covington, USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance.
March 12th at noon EST, “Writing Closed-Door Romance” with Piper Huguley, award-winning author of historical fiction featuring African American characters.
March 22nd at 7pm EST, “Re-mixing a Legend: Young Adult Fantasy Fiction, Arthurian Legend, and Southern Black Girl Magic” with Tracy Deonn, bestselling author of Legendborn.
March 24th at noon EST, “Made For Each Other?: Developing Romance Protagonists” with Caroline Linden, award-winning and USA Today bestselling author of historical romance.
March 31st at noon, “What Makes a Great Romance Novel?” with John R. Jacobson, freelance editor for Carina Press.
April 14th at noon, “Diversity in Romance Publishing: An Insider’s Perspective” with Latoya Smith, award-winning editor and literary agent of LCS Literary Services.
SPRING 2020
Due to COVID-19, some Spring 2020 UNSUITABLE events are private or have been cancelled.
Wednesday, February 5th
“What Does a Literary Agent Actually Do?” with Kimberly Whalen, president of The Whalen Agency, representing bestselling authors of romance and general fiction.
*PRIVATE* Wednesday, March 25th
“Pride and Prejudice Redux: A Conversation with Uzma Jalaluddin,” author of Ayesha at Last, a retelling of Pride and Prejudice set in a Muslim community in contemporary Toronto, and Eileen Chow, Lecturing Fellow of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at Duke.
*CANCELLED * Wednesday April 1st
“Writing Romance in Color: A Conversation with Deborah Fletcher Mello,” author of dozens of award-winning contemporary romances and romantic suspense novels.
*PRIVATE* Wednesday, April 13th
“Learning the Hard Way: Lessons from the Publishing Trenches” with Heather Demetrios, author of young adult fiction and writing coach.
SPRING 2019
Unless otherwise noted below, all events take place at The MicroWorlds Lab in 101 Classroom Building, East Campus, Duke University. All events are FREE. Light lunch will be served.
Wednesday, January 23, 2019, 12-1pm
UNSUITABLE #23, “From Biology to Books: An unexpected journey” with Stephanie Stegemoller & Caitlynne Garland of Dog-Eared Books.
The founders of Dog-Eared Books met while getting their Bachelor’s degree in Biology of all things. Caitlynne, a shy, reticent person, picked an empty table in Genetics lab. Stephanie, gregarious and outgoing, picked the same table, began talking, and the two have been fast friends ever since. Stephanie and Caitlynne will share the story of their journey from school to bookstores, how they created a mission to ensure that every person who wants to read has the ability to do so, and what they’ve learned about the big business of bookselling along the way.
Dog-Eared Books was founded in August of 2016 on an equal love of books and dogs. Because the owners believe that no child should want for a book and be restricted due to financial constraints, all of the books sold in the Dog-Eared Books’ store are $1 and range in a variety of subject matters. They also donate books to the Methodist Home for Children. More information about Dog-Eared Books can be found on their Facebook page.
Wednesday, February 6, 2019
SPECIAL UNSUITABLE EVENT, “Pride and Prejudice Today” with Eileen Chow.
Professor Eileen Chow of Duke’s StoryLab talks about the enduring popularity of Jane Austen’s novel today and its many iterations in popular culture, including a Pride and Prejudice video game developed by students in the StoryLab.
This is a private workshop for students enrolled in “Publishing & Marketing Pop Fiction.”
Friday, February 15, 2019, 12-1pm
UNSUITABLE #24, “Cruise Ships, Cops, and the Black-market Organ Trade: Researching real microworlds to write fiction” with author Sonali Dev.
Authors of fiction often begin their novels with inspiration from real events or people, bending and blending those through the art of storytelling to create entertainment. Navigating those pathways between reality and fiction without sacrificing detail or authenticity can be a thrilling, albeit delicate and sometimes complex, dance. In this workshop, award-winning author Sonali Dev will share the joys and challenges of researching real-life worlds to create larger-than-life fictional love stories.
Sonali Dev writes Bollywood-style love stories that let her explore issues faced by women around the world while still indulging her faith in a happily ever after. Her books have been on NPR, Washington Post, Library Journal, and Kirkus Best Books of the year lists, but Sonali is most smug about Shelf Awareness calling her “Not only one of the best but also one of the bravest romance novelists working today.” Sonali lives in Chicagoland with her very patient and often amused husband and two teens who demand both patience and humor, and the world’s most perfect dog. Find more at sonalidev.com.
ADDITIONAL EVENT: On February 14th, Dev will appear on “The State of Things” on WUNC Radio (and streaming) for a Valentine’s Day special.
Friday, March 22, 2019, 12-1pm
UNSUITABLE #25, “Making Love out of History: 19th-century pleasure gardens & modern romance fiction” with author Theresa Romain.
Question: How does an author of novels that require both historical accuracy and romance that resonates with 21st-century readers maintain the balance between authenticity and pleasurable fantasy? Answer: She plucks from actual history truly astonishing stories and then drops her vibrant, unique characters right into the middle of them. In this workshop, consummate storyteller Theresa Romain will share her experiences using research into real history to craft moving love stories for modern readers.
Theresa Romain is the bestselling author of historical romances including the Matchmaker trilogy, the Holiday Pleasures series, the Royal Rewards series, and the Romance of the Turf trilogy. Praised as “one of the rising stars of Regency historical romance” (Booklist), she has received starred reviews from Booklist and was a 2016 RITA® finalist. A member of Romance Writers of America® and its Regency specialty chapter The Beau Monde, Theresa is hard at work on her next novel from her home in the Midwest.
Wednesday, April 3, 2019, 12-1pm
UNSUITABLE #26, “Diversity in Romance Publishing: An insider’s perspective” with Latoya Smith.
What does the world of romance fiction publishing look like from the perspective of an agent? Or an editor? Or an agent and editor whose goal is to help authors of color and stories that celebrate diversity succeed in this competitive industry? With thirteen years of experience as both an editor and agent, Latoya Smith of LCS Literary Services will share her stories, including a day-in-the-life snapshot of working in today’s publishing industry.
Latoya Smith is a developmental editor with almost fifteen years of experience in copyediting, proofreading, consulting, and acquisitions. Having worked for corporate New York publishing houses, independent and boutique presses, and with self-published authors, she has experience with genres including women’s fiction, crime fiction, thriller, suspense, romance, erotica, paranormal, memoir, how-to, self-help, personal finance, and inspirational. Smith graduated Cum Laude from Temple University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and a minor in African American Studies. A 2012 RWA Golden Apple Award winner for Editor of the Year, 2017 RWA Golden Apple Award winner for Agent of the Year, and 2017 Literary Jewels Award winner for Editor of the Year, she has appeared on CSpan and has been featured in Publishers Weekly, USA Today, and many others.
SPRING 2018
Friday, January 26th, 2018, 12-1pm
UNSUITABLE #18, “The Big Business of Selling Romance” with Caroline Perny, Publicist, HarperCollins Publishers.
Romance novels account for 34% of all fiction sold annually and have spawned some of the largest blockbuster franchises of our time. But what’s the real reason readers gobble them up? Strong heroines? Sex-on-the-page? The Happily Ever After? Muscly guys on the covers? Romance is both a niche market and a multi-billion dollar industry. How does a publishing company garner publicity, spur sales, and ultimately get respect for a genre that inspires both derision and adoration?
Caroline Perny is a Publicist at HarperCollins Publishers and lifelong booklover, born and raised in New York City. She graduated in 2011 from Binghamton University with a degree in English & Comparative Literature, and once she realized that working in the publishing industry allows you to spend all day talking about books, she promptly went on to get a Master’s Degree in Publishing from Pace University in 2012. For the past five years, she’s worked on the Branding and Publicity team at Avon & Harper Voyager, where she creates dynamic campaigns for science-fiction, fantasy, and romance books, and runs amok with her authors at genre conventions all over the country.
Friday, March 23rd, 2018, 12-1pm
UNSUITABLE #19, “Queer Romance Goes Mainstream” with bestselling author Damon Suede.
At its origins in the 1970’s, mainstream genre romance emphasized the love stories of heterosexual, cisgendered couples. LGBTQ romance was often categorized as “erotic” romance, even when the level of sensuality was similar to mainstream non-erotic romance. But recently, authors of genre romance featuring gay, lesbian, transgender, and bisexual protagonists have risen to the top of mainstream romance lists in contemporary, historical, paranormal and other categories. What part did authors, readers and publishing houses play in bringing this about?
Damon Suede grew up out-n-proud deep in the anus of right-wing America, and escaped as soon as it was legal. Though new to romance fiction, Damon has been writing for print, stage, and screen for two decades. He’s won some awards, but counts his blessings more often: his amazing friends, his demented family, his beautiful husband, his loyal fans, and his silly, stern, seductive Muse who keeps whispering in his ear, year after year.
Friday, April 6th, 2018, 12-1pm
UNSUITABLE #20, “Religion, Race and Readers: Writing African-American Inspirational Historical Romance” with award winning author Piper Huguley.
For decades, genre romance novels featuring heroes and heroines of color were considered niche market fiction, and likewise for “inspirational” romance featuring characters facing spiritual challenges. Now Christian fiction accounts for a massive proportion of the US fiction market, while authors of African-American romance are still fighting for equal recognition in a largely white industry. What role are both readers and publishers playing in increasing diversity in romance fiction, and how does an author of Christian African-American romance fight that battle as both writer and scholar?
Piper Huguley seeks to make new inroads in the publication of historical romance by featuring African American Christian characters. She is a two-time Golden Heart ®finalist. Her newest series, “Born to Win Men,” starts with A Champion’s Heart, named by The Washington Post as a best romance novel selection for December 2016. Huguley is also a professor of 19th and 20th-century United States literature at Spelman College, and is at the forefront of efforts within the romance community to encourage publishers toward greater diversity in their books, authors, and staff.
LOCATION: 225 Friedl Building, East Campus, Duke University. Seating is limited.
Wednesday, April 11th, 2018, 12-1pm
UNSUITABLE #21, “When Romance Isn’t ‘Trashy’: Women’s Fiction and Perception” with bestselling, award winning author Barbara Claypole White.
“Women’s Fiction” is a broad category including contemporary blockbusters like Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love and Nicholas Sparks’s The Notebook, as well as light popular comedy like Helen Fielding’s Bridget Jones’ Diary and rich historical narratives like Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale. If all of these novels include central love stories, why aren’t they considered part of the huge romance genre? What determines how a novel will be packaged and sold: quality of writing, author platform, the seriousness of issues in the story, cover images, publicity and marketing departments, booksellers, or reader expectations? One author shares her experiences writing and publishing women’s fiction in the new millennium.
Originally from England, bestselling author Barbara Claypole White writes and gardens in the forests of Orange County. As an OCD advocate for a nonprofit that promotes advocacy over adversity, her passion is to chip away at the stereotypes of invisible disabilities—whether she’s crafting family drama with a healthy dose of mental illness, or love stories for damaged people. Her novels include The Unfinished Garden, The In-Between Hour, The Perfect Son, Echoes of Family, and The Promise Between Us (January 16th, 2018). To connect with Barbara, please visit www.barbaraclaypolewhite.com.
Monday, April 23rd, 2018, 12pm-1pm
UNSUITABLE #22
An UNSUITABLE Roundtable Event
From Harassment & Assault to Happily Ever After
The long history of sexual abuse in romantic fiction
When a girl protests that a boy is harassing her, how often does she hear from others, “He just likes you!”? The Western tradition of romantic fiction has long reinforced this scenario, from the birth of the modern novel in the eighteenth century with books like Samuel Richardson’s Pamela to recent blockbusters like Fifty Shades of Grey. As we grapple now with seemingly endemic sexual harassment and abuse across government, entertainment, education, medicine, sports and other industries, we’ll look at the origins of the enduring trope that promises a woman a future full of romantic bliss and financial security–if only she submits against her will. Featuring senior editor at The Daily Beast Erin Gloria Ryan and professor of feminist literature Charlotte Sussman, and moderated by professor of African-American History Adriane Lentz-Smith, this conversation is open to all in the Duke community and the public.
LOCATION: Pink Parlor, East Duke Building
Refreshments will be served.
Erin Ryan is a contributing editor to the daily beast and a contributor to Crooked Media and HLN’s SE Cupp Unfiltered. She has just finished writing on the new season of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and splits her time between New York City and Los Angeles. Originally from Wisconsin, Ryan holds a degree from Notre Dame University.
Charlotte Sussman is Associate Professor of English at Duke University. She is the author of Consuming Anxieties: Consumer Protest, Gender and British Slavery, 1713-1833 (2000) and Imagining the Population: British Literature in an Age of Mass Migration, 1660-1838 (2005). She has published articles on Samuel Richardson, Charlotte Smith, Walter Scott, and Mary Shelley, and co-edited the volume, Recognizing the Romantic Novel: New Histories of British Fiction, 1780-1830, in 2010.
Adriane Lentz-Smith is Associate Professor of History at Duke University. She researches African American history and the history of the US & the World. Her 2009 book, Freedom Struggles: African Americans and World War I, looks at the black freedom struggle in the World War I years, with a particular focus on manhood, citizenship claims, and the international experience. Her recent research explores how African Americans engaged the world in the age of Cold War civil rights, and how their participation in US state and empire set the horizons of their freedom struggles.
SPRING 2017
Wednesday, January 25th, 2017, 6:30pm
UNSUITABLE #14, Marketing Fiction in the Digital Age, with Shawn Nicholls (Duke ’02), Associate Publisher, HarperCollins Publishers.
Shawn Nicholls is an Associate Publisher at HarperCollins, overseeing the sales and marketing aspects of the mass market and e-original divisions with a strong emphasis on romance. A 2002 Duke graduate with economics and English degrees, Shawn originally ventured to New York City to parlay a successful career at The Chronicle into a full-time gig as a sportswriter, eventually landing at Sports Illustrated. After many years as a road warrior he turned to his longtime obsession with books, landing at Random House before eventually finding a home at HarperCollins. He’s been a mainstay on the romance circuit ever since.
(This is a Duke DEMAN event.)
Wednesday, February 8th, 2017, 6:30-9:00pm
UNSUITABLE #15, Romance, Shakespeare & Popular Appeal, with Eloisa James, New York Times bestselling novelist, and John Forlines III, Executive in Residence, Department of Economics, Duke University.
Eloisa James is a Shakespeare professor at Fordham University and author of 23 New York Times bestselling historical romances. A reviewer from USA Today once divulged that she “found herself devouring” one of Eloisa’s books “like a dieter with a Hershey bar.” She’s the mother of two and wrote a memoir, the bestseller Paris in Love, about the year her family moved to France. In a particularly delicious irony for a romance writer, she is married to a genuine Italian knight.
John A. Forlines III is Chairman and Chief Investment Officer at JAForlines Global (JFG), a New York-based investment management company. He is also an Executive in Residence in the Department of Economics at Duke, where he teaches classes in behavioral finance and decision making, and Managing Partner of the Forlines Family Office, which is active primarily in charitable support for education in the United States. Graduating from Duke University with Honors in English and Economics, he earned his J.D from the Duke University School of Law, and enjoyed a long career with J.P. Morgan from 1985-2000. He is on the Duke University Athletic Advisory Board and is a Director of the North Shore Wildlife Sanctuary and the Ruth Z. Fleishman Foundation.
Wednesday, February 15th, 2017, 6:30-9:00pm
UNSUITABLE #16, ‘Colin Firth in Clingy Pants’: The Romance Appeal of Pride & Prejudice, with Sabrina Jeffries, New York Times bestselling novelist.
Sabrina Jeffries is the New York Times bestselling author of over 50 novels and works of short fiction (some written under the pseudonyms Deborah Martin and Deborah Nicholas). Whatever time not spent writing in a coffee-fueled haze is spent traveling with her husband and adult autistic son or indulging in one of her passions—jigsaw puzzles, chocolate, and music. With over 9 million books in print in over 20 languages, the North Carolina author never regrets tossing aside a budding career in academics (she has a Ph.D. in English literature) for the sheer joy of writing fun fiction, and hopes that one day a book of hers will end up saving the world.
She always dreams big.
You can find Sabrina online at: http://www.sabrinajeffries.com
Wednesday, April 12th, 2017, 6:30-8:00pm
UNSUITABLE #17, “OMG, it’s me!”: The Importance of Representation in Romance Fiction, and the Difficulties of Getting it Right
Sarah Lyons is a former academic who studied Jane Austen, romance fiction, and feminist narratology. She is currently the Editorial Director of Riptide Publishing, a small queer romance press. Tonight, Sarah will argue the importance of broad representation of sexual, gender, and racial minorities in publishing, and will discuss the process of getting it right…and the pitfalls of getting it wrong.
SPRING 2016
Wednesday, February 3, 2016, 4:40-5:55pm
UNSUITABLE #8, “Feminism, Romance & the Blogosphere” with Dabney Grinnan of All About Romance.
Dabney Grinnan (Duke ’83) is the Publisher of All About Romance, a web site for romance readers. She has spent much of the past decade reading and writing about romance.
Wednesday, February 10, 2016, 4:40-5:55pm
UNSUITABLE #9, “LGBTQ Romance Fiction: A New Subgenre?” with Sarah Frantz Lyons of Riptide Publishing.
Sarah Lyons earned her Ph.D. in English Literature from the University of Michigan and was a tenured professor of literature at Fayetteville State University, NC. She co-edited two collections of essays, Women Constructing Men: Female Novelists and Their Male Characters, 1750-2000 (Lexington, 2009) and New Perspectives on Popular Romance Fiction: Critical Essays (McFarland, 2012), and has published academic articles on Jane Austen and on romance authors J.R. Ward, Suzanne Brockmann, and Joey W. Hill. She is founder and past president of the International Association for the Study of Popular Romance and organized and presented at multiple national and international conferences with IASPR, the Popular Culture Association , and Romance Writers of America. As Editorial Director at Riptide Publishing, she works with all genres of queer romance, and has edited books that have received nominations for the Lambda Literary Awards and the Romance Writers of America RITA Award.
Wednesday, February 24, 2016, 4:40-5:55pm
UNSUITABLE #10, “‘Old School’ Romance and the Modern Reader” with Sarah MacLean, New York Times bestselling author.
Location: Old Chem 110, West Campus, Duke University. Click here for directions.
New York Times, Washington Post & USA Today bestseller Sarah MacLean is the author of historical romance novels that have been translated into more than twenty languages. Sarah is a leading advocate for the romance genre, speaking widely on its place at the nexus of gender and cultural studies. She is the author of a monthly column celebrating the best of the genre for the Washington Post. Her work in support o romance and the women who read it earned her a place on Jezebel.com’s Sheroes list of 2014 and led Entertainment Weekly to call her “gracefully furious.” Sarah lives in New York City with her husband and daughter.
Monday, March 7, 2016, 4:40-5:55pm
UNSUITABLE #11, “Checking Each Other Out: Romance Readers & the Seduction of Libraries” with Jennifer Lohmann, author and 2010 Romance Writers of America Librarian of the Year, and Lisa Schimmer, 2015 Romance Writers of America Librarian of the Year.
Jennifer Lohmann is a Rocky Mountain girl at heart, having grown up in southern Idaho and Salt Lake City. She was the 2010 Romance Writers of America Librarian of the Year and her book, Winning Ruby Heart, was the first category novel to win RT Book Reviews Seal of Excellence. When she’s not writing or working as a public librarian, she wrangles two cats and a flock of backyard chickens. (The dog is better behaved.) She currently lives in Durham, North Carolina.
Lisa Schimmer is a senior cataloger and the collection development coordinator at NoveList, a readers’ advisory database available to librarians and library users around the world. She received her master’s degree from the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at the University of Illinois. Lisa was named the Romance Writers of America Cathie Linz Librarian of the Year in 2015 for her work improving the way in which romance novels are cataloged, directly impacting the library community by giving librarians the tools to find the romances that are right for their patrons. A native Midwesterner, Lisa currently lives in North Carolina with her own personal beta hero, two wee beasties, and countless historical romance novels.
Wednesday, March 9, 2016, 4:40-5:55pm
UNSUITABLE #12, “Researching the Perfect Romance” with Laura Florand, internationally bestselling author.
Laura Florand burst on the contemporary romance scene in 2012 with her award-winning Amour et Chocolat series. Since then, her books have appeared in ten languages, been named among the Best Books of the Year by Library Journal, RT Book Reviews, and Barnes & Noble, received the RT Seal of Excellence and starred reviews from Publishers Weekly, Library Journal, and Booklist, and been recommended by NPR, USA Today, and The Wall Street Journal, among others. In 2015, NPR gave her the enormous honor of naming her Chocolate Kiss to its list of the Top 100 Romances of all time.
After a Fulbright year in Tahiti and backpacking everywhere from New Zealand to Greece, and several years living in Madrid and Paris, Laura now teaches Romance Studies at Duke University. Contrary to popular opinion, this means she primarily teaches French language and culture and does a great deal of research on French gastronomy, particularly chocolate. For more information, please see her website: www.lauraflorand.com.
Wednesday, April 6, 2016, 4:40-5:55pm
UNSUITABLE #13, “Black Love Matters: Writing African-American Romance” with Beverly Jenkins, USA Today bestselling author.
Ms. Jenkins is the nation’s premier writer of African – American historical romance fiction and specializes in 19th century African American life. She’s a USA Today bestselling author, an NAACP Image Award nominee, and has over thirty published novels to date.
SPRING 2015
Monday, February 9, 2015, 5:00-5:55 pm
UNSUITABLE #2, “An Industry Insider’s Perspective on the Rise and Fall of Sub-Genres” with Lucia Macro, Vice President and Executive Editor for Morrow/Avon Books
Drawing on her extensive experience in the publishing industry as editor for Berkley, Harlequin, and now Avon, Lucia Macro will discuss the rise and fall of romance sub-genres in the history of the industry and lessons for those creative entrepreneurs looking to forge a future in this industry. [Find a write-up of this event here.]
Wednesday, February 25, 2015, 5:00-5:55 pm
UNSUITABLE #3, “Author Voice: What Are They Talking About?” with Virginia Kantra, New York Times bestselling author
One of the most essential elements for any writer to master in order to forge a career is Voice. In this workshop, New York Times bestselling author Virginia Kantra will examine author voice in the romance novel by looking at examples from bestselling authors with strong voices across and within sub-genres.
Monday, March 2, 2015, 5:00-5:55 pm
UNSUITABLE #4, “Publishing Without a Publisher” with Courtney Milan, New York Times bestselling author
In this entrepreneurs’ workshop, New York Times bestselling author of historical romance, Courtney Milan, will examine the growing popularity of self- or independent publishing and what that means for a writer’s creative entrepreneurship.
Monday, March 16, 2015, 5:00-5:55 pm
UNSUITABLE #5, “Alpha Masculinities” with Jessica Scott, USA Today bestselling author
In this writing and career workshop, USA Today bestselling author and Duke instructor Jessica Scott will speak about writing from her experience as a Commander in the U.S. Army, and depicting complex alpha heroes in contemporary romance fiction. The program includes discussion about Laura Kinsale’s bestselling, award-winning novel Flowers from the Storm.
Monday, March 23, 2015, 4:45-5:55 pm
UNSUITABLE #6, “Female Sexuality and Female Sexualization in Popular Fiction” with Sarah Wendell, author of “Smart Bitches Trashy Books”
The creator of the Smart Bitches Trashy Books blog and author of Beyond Heaving Bosoms: The Smart Bitches’ Guide to Romance Novels and Everything I Know About Love I Learned from Romance Novels, Sarah Wendell, will lead a discussion of the varied models of femininity and representations of female sexualities in modern romance fiction.
Wednesday, April 15, 2015, 4:45-5:55 pm
UNSUITABLE #7, “Writing What You Love in the World of Big Business” with Jeannie Lin, USA Today bestselling author
Creative entrepreneurs typically pursue what they love, but within that pursuit, what choices do authors make between being true to their own identity (writing what you love) and guaranteeing financial success? How does one negotiate between a singular authorship and a singular readership and the mass market? In this entrepreneurs’ workshop, USA Today bestselling author Jeannie Lin will discuss the choices to be made in pursuing a singular career.
FALL 2014
UNSUITABLE #1
Women, Fiction & Popular Perception
October 20, 2014
The inaugural event of the “UNSUITABLE” series that engages students and the local community in a discussion of women’s interests & popular fiction. [Duke Today’s article on this event.]
Genre romance fiction and feminism are often seen as antithetical to each other. The authors and scholars on this panel will speak on the role women played in the rise of the novel as a popular form of literature as well as about their participation in recent public conversations about feminism and popular culture today.
Guest Panelists:
Jackie C. Horne, blogger of Romance Novels for Feminists
Maya Rodale, best-selling romance novelist and author of Dangerous Books for Girls: The bad reputation of romance novels, explained
Professor Rachel Seidman, creator of Who Needs Feminism?
Jackie C. Horne worked for a decade in children’s book publishing before returning to academia to earn a Master’s degree in Children’s Literature from Simmons College and a PhD in 18th and 19th century British literature from Brandeis University. As an Assistant Professor at the Center for the Study of Children’s Literature at Simmons College, she taught courses on Fantasy and Science Fiction for Children and Young Adults, Multicultural Literature, and Writing Pedagogy. She is the author of History and the Construction of the Child in Early British Children’s Literature (Ashgate 2011), as well as the co-editor of two essay collections in the Children’s Literature Association’s Centennial series. She became (re)interested in romance after researching the genre for an essay about Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight series, and began her blog, Romance Novels for Feminists, in 2012.
Maya Rodale began reading romance novels in college at her mother’s insistence. She is now the award winning author of numerous smart and sassy romance novels. A champion of the genre and its readers, she received her M.A. from the Draper Program of Humanities and Social Thought at New York University, and is the author of the non-fiction book Dangerous Books For Girls: The Bad Reputation Of Romance Novels, Explained. She is also a co-founder of Lady Jane’s Salon, a national reading series devoted to romantic fiction. Rodale lives in New York City with her darling dog and a rogue of her own.
Rachel Seidman is a U.S. historian specializing in women’s history. With a B.A. from Oberlin College and a Ph.D. from Yale, Seidman is particularly interested in connecting history to current concerns through civic engagement and community-based research. The author of The Civil War: A History in Documents (Oxford University Press) and several scholarly articles about women in the Civil War, Seidman was previously the Associate Director of the History, Public Policy and Social Change program at Duke University. At Duke she founded and co-directed The Moxie Project: Women and Leadership for Social Change, and directed the Poverty, Ethics and Policy Lab. She continues to work on projects related to women’s activism and poverty in North Carolina in her position as Associate Director of the Southern Oral History Program at UNC Chapel Hill.
