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by Christopher Stark - The Metropolitan
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| Rene Marie Freshour explains the genesis of
her project, a book entitled “The Self That Was Her Story,”
at the Nov. 14 book release party at the Tivoli. The book, which
is a compilation of writings by MSCD faculty and students, was
edited by Freshour. |
Metro senior Rene Marie Freshour’s self-published anthology
“The Self That Was Her Story” came to print on Nov. 5,
after more than a year in progress, and with the efforts of 21 Metro
contributors.
A new chapter of Freshour’s story begins when she graduates
next month as a Literature major, but Freshour’s saga merits
book-marking this month as well. The 15 students and six faculty members
who helped create Freshour’s self-published anthology of women’s
writing celebrated during a book signing Nov. 14 in Tivoli Room 440.
Freshour worked 15-30 hours per week while she began her project
during the Spring semester of 2002. “I took 12 credits and worked
32 hours as a self-employed hair stylist. I also got married while
working on the project,” said Freshour.
Freshour has kept a journal for years, but didn’t consider
herself a writer until she took advanced composition with Dr. Linda
Lang-Peralta. “I felt supported by Metro when I wrote an essay
about being raped (for Advanced Composition), and I wanted to return
that support by making this project for MSCD by MSCD.”
Giving other writers and poets a forum to express themselves is an
important characteristic of the muse that inspired Freshour. She wanted
others to experience the liberation she felt in her advanced composition
course.
Writing is both art and business. Freshour took interest in both
the editing and publishing processes.
Much of Freshour’s learning experience involved getting the
anthology from her computer into print. She was turned down for school
funding by Women’s Studies, Student Activities, Student Publications
and the Diversities Initiative Program, as well as other organizations.
Her next step was to find a publisher, but this route wasn’t
smooth either. Freshour said that most publishers aren’t looking
for anthologies that are school specific. “Publishers want a
sure thing,” she said.
“Every time I would get frustrated, I’d receive an e-mail
submission or get a call from a professor and it would reignite the
hope in me,” she said.
Then Freshour found Jeffrey Frank Carr, Jr., the son of English professor
Marylea Carr. Carr Jr. donated $2,000 to help cover the cost of printing,
binding and formatting. Williams, of 4U2C printing, where Freshour
had a summer internship, then donated the artwork for the cover, paper
for the text and covers, as well as most of the remaining printing
costs.
This is Freshour’s first experience with self-publishing, but
she’d self-publish again without hesitating. “The publishing
world is a difficult place for up-and-coming writers,” and the
publishers Freshour contacted “were more interested in how (she)
was going to market this anthology and whether or not it would sell
than they were interested in the literary merit of the contributors’
work,” Freshour said.
She hopes that when the first copies are sold, a publisher will be
interested in publishing the anthology “because I was able to
demonstrate that it can and will sell,” Freshour said.
“Students have been absolutely thrilled,” said Freshour.
“I have seen more smiles and received more hugs this past week
than I have my entire 3 years at Metro. Faculty has been excited
as well, and everyone who has seen it outside of Metro has been impressed
and anxious to buy copies.” The excitement serves as a testament
to Freshour’s hard work and creative enterprise.
Freshour began a novel this past summer, and hopes to complete it
by the end of 2004, but before she learned to write at all, she wrote
her first book. “I was learning to make letters and I filled
a stack of paper with letters and pictures. I did the work in
crayon, stapled it together, and took it to my mother.”
Young Freshour’s mom told her the book didn’t say anything
because there were no words. “I told her, of course it said
something, and I proceeded to tell her my story,” said Freshour.
Today Freshour’s anthology needs no translation.
Freshour believes her project is valuable, and demonstrates that
students can do projects on a grander scale. She doesn’t think
most students are aware that the opportunity is available for creating
independent projects, and she hopes her success can help show what
can be accomplished.
To purchase “The Self that was Her Story” and to meet
Rene Freshour, visit her in the King Center on Tuesdays and Thursdays
from 1 p.m. - 5 p.m. in Room 452.
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