*All photos taken by Alexis Leira*
Authors Kyle Labe (right) and Allison Rassman (left) have been working with Wilde Press since October to turn their manuscripts into finished books. On Tuesday, December 12th, in the Bill Bordy Theater, their books were released through Wilde Press’s Fall 2017 Book Launch!
Co-Presidents of Emerson’s Undergraduate Students for Publishing (also known as Pub Club) Britt Korn and Maddie Heim-Jinivisian kicked off the event by giving a quick rundown of the three branches of Pub Club (Pub Club, Wilde Press, and Generic Magazine). They then gave a special shoutout to the graduating seniors who helped make Pub Club what it was this semester, including Rachel Cantor (left), Britt Korn (middle), and Kelsey Aijala (right).
Kyle Labe and Allison Rassman then read excerpts from their books. Kyle read part of the last story from his collection Butterflies Behind Glass and Other Short Stories, “Jesus on the Shore,” and Allison read her first story from Under Floorboards, Under Skin, “Under Floorboards.”
Both authors then answered questions from the audience about the process of becoming published authors, authors and books that inspire them, influences on their writing, and, one of my favorite questions, books that they both hate.
Audience members were then able to purchase the books, with proceeds from Kyle’s book going to Planned Parenthood and proceeds from Allison’s book going to the Lowell Humane Society. The event closed with both authors signing copies of their books.
Also at the book launch, copies of Issue 12 of Emerson’s only genre-fiction only literary magazine, Generic Magazine, were available for free. This semester’s issue of the magazine features six short stories, including one from Allison Rassman!
If you weren’t able to make it to the Book Launch event this week, copies of Kyle’s and Allison’s books will be available at a backstock sale hosted by Wilde Press in the spring. Proceeds from the sale will go to a nonprofit organization. Also, be on the lookout for copies of Generic in newsracks on campus and online!