Chapter 11: Kerri Kolen on creepy closets, crafting cosmos, and courageously confined kids

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I went down to DC and avoided every political paper, screen, person, and conversation. It was hard work!

I went down to DC and avoided every political paper, screen, person, and conversation. It was hard work!

Our world is so full.

Our world is so busy.

Our world is so cluttered.

Newspaper boxes. Pop-up ads. TVs in elevators. There are so many things trying to grab our attention. So many reaching out with their little fish lures to poke and grab us into signing up for their newsletters.

Don't you ever feel like it’s just too loud?

I say what we need in this world of constant stimulation are ... editors. 

Kerri and me in front of her color-coordinated bookshelf. Clearly one of us overdressed. And yes, that is a dog sniffing my crotch.

Kerri and me in front of her color-coordinated bookshelf. Clearly one of us overdressed. And yes, that is a dog sniffing my crotch.

Not the people who correct your spelling and grammar. I’m talking about those among us who can be bastions of clear thinking. Pinnacles of clear communication! Who can strip away the noise and give us clear ideas in the simplest ways.

Our next guest is the very first editor to be interviewed on 3 Books.

Kerri Kolen is the super editor behind mega-hits #Girlboss, A Stolen Life, Lion, and even my very own The Happiness Equation ...

I was delighted to visit Kerri in her home in Washington DC to chat about her three most formative books.

We discuss escaping into armoires, preserving imagination, fighting for feminism, and even carefully wade into a new dialogue about suicide... amongst a dozen other topics that touch on themes today.

I hope you enjoy this chapter of 3 Books as much as I did with the incredible Kerri Kolen.

 

Listen to Chapter 11:

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What You'll Learn:

  • How do we preserve imaginations as we get older?

  • What's the difference between a writer and an author?

  • What exactly does an editor do? (And what do they look for?)

  • What is "world building" and how does it work in writing?

  • How do we create the element of voyeurism in our writing?

notable quotes from kerri kolen:

“When somebody is writing not specifically for the purpose of having other people read it, there’s a magic that happens that you can’t create when you’re trying to do the very same thing no matter how good a writer you are.” @KerriKolen #3bookspodcast

“What is a writer? Is it somebody who can articulate their thoughts on paper, or is it somebody who has the thoughts to begin with?” @KerriKolen #3bookspodcast

“Pat The Bunny is not scary at all... unless, you have, like a tactile fear of cotton or something.” @KerriKolen #3bookspodcast

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