Books That Change the Way People See the World
When the winners of the National Book Awards are announced November 18, among the poetry contenders is finalist Bright Dead Things, a collection by Ada Limón published by Milkweed Editions. The Minneapolis-based nonprofit independent publisher recently celebrated its thirty-fifth birthday. Publisher Daniel Slager says Milkweed Editions specializes in “books that change the way people see the world,” and with more than three decades under its belt, and award-winning books to showcase, it must be working. FTW wanted to know more. Below the news, read what makes Milkweed Edition’s books stand out and what keeps Slager up at night.
First, the News
Graphic Politics: From Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton to Jeb Bush and Donald Trump, you can get a background on pretty much any of the major players … in graphic-novel form. Associate Editor Allyce Amidon reports on candidate comics.
Herstory? Calling all ladies! Are you ever reading a historical book and thinking to yourself: “Hey, where are all the girls? There were girls in history … right?” We have an entire list about women in history. Some real, some fictional. Fun fact: Women played a role in history.
Featured Reviews of the Week
The Fog of Peace: A Memoir of International Peacekeeping in the 21st Century by Jean-Marie Guéhenno. “Guéhenno says what he means, precisely and without hesitation, giving real authority to his guide to future peacekeeping operations.” Reviewed by John Senger.
The Inconvenience of the Wings by Silas Dent Zobal. “Dark humor and inventive premises make each of these stories unique, even as they are connected by the theme of loss.” Reviewed by Kristen Rabe.
The Threat Below by Jason Latshaw. “This postapocalyptic YA novel is a fast-paced, fascinating slam dunk of a book.” Reviewed by J. G. Stinson.
Racetracker: Life With Grifters and Gamblers… by John Perrotta, illustrated by Jen Ferguson. “For a behind-the-scenes view of the eccentric and unpredictable world of horse racing, Racetracker is a sure bet. Reviewed by Rachel Jagareski.
Water Ghosts by Linda Collison. “An ancient Chinese junk packed with delinquent teens and ghosts alike sets off on a dangerous voyage in this fantastic book.” Reviewed by Susan Waggoner.
Daniel Slager
Milkweed Editions is a nonprofit, and you recently completed a successful fund-raising campaign. What is the advantage of this business model rather than traditional for-profit?
Daniel Slager
With contributed income supplementing earned income from sales, we are in a position to publish books that may not have the kind of potential for sales that is necessary—or at least assumed—at commercial publishing houses. This additional revenue makes it possible for us to take more chances, to acquire and publish more first books, and to publish the kind of literary books that add considerable value to society, even if they have no chance to become bestsellers.
Ada Limon’s poetry collection, Bright Dead Things, is a National Book Award finalist. Can you tell us more about this author and what made the judges take notice?
Bright Dead Things is the second collection by Ada we have published here at Milkweed. While I have no direct knowledge of what it is that made the judges take notice of the book, I know very well that Ada is a very talented poet, with a fast-growing and exceptionally enthusiastic audience. Even before this most recent book made the long-list for the NBA, we had already reprinted her previous book. Now, happily, we’ve reprinted both books. Unusual and quite wonderful for collections of poems.
What is the secret to staying alive in publishing for thirty-five years?
I’ve only been here at Milkweed for ten of these years, but in our case longevity has been made possible by sound judgment, passion, great breaks, and a tremendous community of individuals—from the directors who have served on our board to booksellers, reviewers, librarians, readers, and of course writers—who care enough to support and help us along the way.
Is there a common theme or overriding quality that binds together the fifteen to twenty books you publish each year?
Our mission is “to identify, nurture and publish transformative literature, and build an engaged community around it.” Our understanding of “transformative literature” varies some from book to book, but we clearly are trying to find and publish books that change the way people see the world, and ultimately the way people act in the world. A collection of poems is transformative in a different way than are books with titles like Transforming a Rape Culture or The Future of Nature, to take but two examples of books we have published. But again, while we think of every book we publish as a work of art, and works of art worthy of the name are always highly singular and original, we do use this notion of transformation as a common red thread across our list.
What are some upcoming releases you’re particularly proud of?
Our list is scheduled out over the next two years at this point, and because it does not include any books I’m not proud of and excited about, it’s impossible for me to identify highlights. Honestly, they are all terrific!
What keeps you up at night?
What keeps me up at night—and, depending on the night, this could be insomnia induced by excitement about opportunities or anxiety about challenges—is the fact that in order to be a leading independent literary press today, we need to do everything book publishers have done well for centuries now—curating, editing, and promoting—while also navigating the manifold changes brought on chiefly by technology. Publishing in the digital age, as it were.