by Rachel Simon
First published 1997
Sarah Mitchell stares at another rejection letter, her third novel manuscript gathering dust on her desk. The publishing industry seems designed to crush dreams, and hers feels particularly fragile after two years of constant nos. She teaches writing workshops to pay rent while her own work sits unread by editors who dismiss it in form letters. Her agent stops returning calls. Her writer friends either quit or pretend their struggles don't exist. Sarah must decide whether to abandon the career that defines her or find new ways to survive as a creative person in an indifferent marketplace. The choice becomes more urgent when her day job disappears and financial reality threatens to end her writing life forever. Simon captures the daily battle between artistic ambition and practical survival that every writer knows.
Genres: american-fiction, contemporary, adult-fiction, academic
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: career-struggles, found-family
184 pages · Hardcover · Story Pr