Interview with Andrea N. Richesin & Crush Giveaway

I was so excited to have the chance to interview Nicki Richesin, the editor of Crush. The anthology is full of some of our favorite authors and their stories of first love. I adored this book! You can check out my 5 birdie review here.

Nicki was nice enough to provide Reading Lark with an interview AND 5 lucky readers will also snag a copy of the book. I would like to thank her for taking time out of her busy schedule to speak with us. 

Andrea @ Reading Lark: How did you choose which authors to include in the book?

Nicki Richesin: Thank you for taking the time to interview me, Andrea. Although I love discovering new talents, I’ve been steadily working with a cadre of writers since I began work on my first anthology The May Queen over seven years ago now. For this collection, I initially contacted YA novelists, but soon realized I needed to present a more complete picture of first love from more seasoned lovers with a bit more experience under their belts. That sounds so naughty- ha!

Andrea @ Reading Lark: Where did you get the concept, and was it hard to convince people to bare their souls in this manner?

Nicki Richesin: I wanted to make a complete departure from the kinds of books I had been editing. I hoped Crush would reach a broader audience than just parents or women in their thirties. Falling in love and being rejected are universal experiences that often make lasting impressions on all of us. It’s getting over the heartache that’s so tough. I realized a crush is a kind of gift because it makes us stronger in the end. I thought writing about first love would be a little agonizing, but fun nonetheless. It’s a tricky thing to convince a fiction writer to write about her private life and not everyone is up to the task. I find it staggering that the Crush contributors were able to delve into their pasts and adequately convey what they felt, who they were and what their loved ones meant to them. It makes the telling all the more dramatic and shattering.

Andrea @ Reading Lark: Do you find fiction or nonfiction more appealing?

Nicki Richesin: Fiction is my first love. Although I adore reading a great novel, a well-told memoir can transport you to another person’s world and you learn to empathize with his or her plight. I think there’s nothing more fascinating than reading about one’s life experiences and what we can learn from them about ourselves.

Andrea @ Reading Lark: What was the best part about working on the Crush anthology?

Nicki Richesin: I always love getting to meet the contributors at our readings. After working with them via email, it’s such a pleasure to hear them read the words we’ve fussed over out loud. I read with Daria Snadowsky and Christopher Coake just last week. I was riveted listening to their voices. We’re reading in NC next week and TN on June 30th. For more details on our upcoming events, you can check out my website.

Andrea @ Reading Lark: What inspired you to create anthologies?

Nicki Richesin: I didn’t really know what I was doing at first. I knew I wanted to bring voices together around a common theme and to speak to women’s issues in particular. I loved the idea of creating this beautiful hodgepodge of experiences and stories. I hope to edit a follow-up anthology to The May Queen about women dealing with mid-life issues like struggling with infertility and caring for children and aging parents. I hope to create a sort of backlash to the media’s portrayal of older women as cougars or crones.

Andrea @ Reading Lark: What are you currently reading?

Nicki Richesin: I’m reading a memoir by Beverly Cleary. My friend and I share a love of memoirs by children’s authors like Rumer Godden and Betty MacDonald. These were bold women at a time when they were expected to live for their children and husbands. I find it very empowering reading their stories. I’m also reading State of Wonder by Ann Patchett.

Andrea @ Reading Lark: What are your favorite essays from Crush?

Nicki Richesin: I honestly love them all for different reasons. “Giving Up The Ghost” by Melissa Febos made the strongest impression on me. She writes of trying to hide her sexually adventurous past from her boyfriend, but ultimately concludes that it’s impossible to hide who she is from the one who is meant to know her the most intimately. She also explores this idea of not wanting to share her loved one with his past partners, to essentially have him all for herself. Her writing is lyrical and sharp yet she’s able to write with such tenderness about love.

Andrea @ Reading Lark: What is the best part of being an editor?

Nicki Richesin: It’s an honor and great privilege I don’t take for granted. It’s been such a fun ride getting to know all of these amazing writers and hoping some of their magic will rub off on me. I hope readers will enjoy their remarkable essays as much as I have.

Now it's your turn to fall in love with this book! FIVE lucky winners will snag a copy. The contest will run from 6/14-6/29.

* You must be at least 13 years old to win.

* You must have a US mailing address. The books will be shipped from the publicist, not Reading Lark.

* You must be a Reading Lark follower.

* Extra entries can be earned for commenting on the interview and/or giveaway and sharing your thoughts with us.

* You can also earn FIVE extra entries for sharing your crush story with us. Winning entries will be published on Reading Lark with author's permission. (This is not a requirement to enter the giveaway - it's just for fun.)

Enter Here!