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Janet Paszkowski is an Editor here at Flash Me Magazine. Jennifer Dawson, Editor-in-Chief of Flash Me Magazine, interviewed her for the October 2008 Issue.
Janet, you’ve been an editor at Flash Me Magazine for more than a year now. What made you apply for the editor’s position?
When the lit zine I was working at as a fiction editor folded last fall, I had no idea how large a void I would feel in my writing life. Clearly, the act of discovering a gem of a story in a stream of submissions energizes my creativity via the joy I garner when I have the opportunity to share the entertainment and cultural value of a solidly told story.
Specifically, FMM had been on my lit zine radar for a number of years—I had submitted to their contests and enjoyed reading several of their issues. So seeing FMM’s call for editor applicants last spring immediately prompted me to apply.
We’re so glad you did. You filled a void in the editorial staff and made yourself right at home. So if you could give one piece of advice to authors wishing to be published in FMM, what would it be?
Craft and theme matters! And, with the diversity of editorial tastes present within the FMM staff, a writer who can deliver both has a very good chance of finding an editorial consensus for the publication of their story.
You’re one of the many staff members who are also published writers. How do you juggle both?
I try to avoid procrastinating and stay as organized and on task as possible with my editorial responsibilities, which I find frees up more time for my creative pursuits. It’s actually the mundane household chores that weigh me down the most—I’ll take a pile of submissions to sort through any day over a laundry basket full of underwear!
Wouldn’t we all. Which is a good thing because FMM has a big pile of submissions to go through each quarter. Does reading through the slush pile affect your own writing? If so, how?
Yes and no. The task of reading through submissions keeps me very focused and well versed on the crafting elements of well-written fiction.
Unfortunately, that keen focus doesn’t automatically translate into my ability to identify the weaknesses in the crafting of my writing. For that, I rely on the critical scrutiny of my longtime writing friends and occasional participation in various local critique groups.
That’s great advice for any writer. Before you can edit your writing, though, you need to write. What author(s) have inspired your writing, if any?
I enjoy Margaret Atwood, Lorrie Moore, Ernest Hemingway, and dozens of short story writers.
What types of books do you enjoy reading?
I’m a short story junkie, and I have an extensive cookbook collection. Yes, I said cookbooks:) I love to pour through those gorgeous photo documentary/Williams & Sonoma style cookbooks that read like geography books. I get on these culinary kicks where I’ll cook Indian dishes for a whole week and then jump to various regional Italian dishes for the next week, and then onto Greece and of course Poland—my husband is Polish, and I enjoy preparing many of the traditional recipes he grew up with.
And although I may have a bit of short story attention span when it comes to reading longer literary works, I find I can easily delve into full length books when I’m involved in reviewing or judging tasks—probably because I’m simultaneously reading and taking notes.
I can see why you’re so successful as an editor. It’s good to know, though, that you have other things outside of writing and editing to enjoy. You mentioned your husband is Polish. Do you mind telling us a little about your family?
My husband and I have recently entered into the “empty nest” phase of our family life—our first two children (a boy and girl respectively) have finished college, and our youngest son is entering his junior year of college. And sadly, both family pets (our two pugs) died earlier this year, so the house is very quiet these days. But, I’m filling my days with unprecedented hours of uninterrupted time devoted to my writing and visual art—and that’s hardly a bad thing :)
No, it’s not. I envy the idea of an empty house. I bet you still manage to run away from home, though. Do you have a favorite vacation spot?
I love the north Georgia mountains!
It’s certainly a beautiful area, but if you could live anywhere in the world, where would you choose?
Georgia suits me, but I’m from Chicago originally, and I’d love to be able to spend a bit more time living there again. It may be in the cards; it’ll just depend on the direction of my husband’s business in the coming year.
That’s something to look forward to. I think many readers can relate to having two places they call home. You’ve certainly made yourself at home here at FMM. It’s been a pleasure working with you. Luckily for me, no matter where you move the magazine is just a click away…
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