

Their books have received awards and honors from the Massachusetts Center for the Book, the New England Poetry Club, and the New York Book Festival. They’ve moved around some since then, finally landing in Boston. At just 23 years old, they co-founded Aforementioned Productions, a non-profit organization that publishes books and organizes literary events and theatrical performances. Oh, and be prepared for the AWP conference to be your vacation.Ĭarissa Halston and Randolph Pfaff: Playing to each other’s strengthsĬarissa Halston and Randolph Pfaff met in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania’s Moravian Book Shop when she was an employee and he came into to order a book.

We’re putting our personal money into Hippocampus until it generates an income. Be prepared to invest some money in the project as well. It is fun, and you’re making people happy. We take it seriously but not so seriously that we don’t have fun doing it. Remember to take time for yourself and for each other. Know when you’re talking business and when you’re talking personal life. Once the issue is live, your work isn’t over.ĭonna: From the beginning, set your boundaries and know that your roles and goals may evolve as the magazine takes off and gets bigger. It requires much more than just finding and publishing stories. You’re publishing people, cultivating and nurturing community. Hippocampus is built on literary citizenship.
#Leesa cross smith free#
Kevin: You’ve got to love what you’re doing because you have to be prepared to give up a lot of free time for the end result. What advice do you have for other couples hoping to start a literary magazine or a conference? If you live with someone and you see that they’re watching TV, you might tell them, “You should be looking for photos now because you have spare time.” We might bicker for two hours, and it looks like a fight, but then one of us will say, “Hey do you want some pizza?” And the other will say, “Yeah, let’s go get some pizza.” Hippocampus isn’t a hobby for me I have deadlines and processes in place that I try to adhere to. I’m learning to cope better with criticism.ĭonna: I have high expectations. To be able to work with your wife is a blessing. When you’re working with your spouse, it’s hard to separate emotions from business.
#Leesa cross smith professional#
It’s really difficult sometimes to have a professional relationship when it’s a personal relationship at the same time. The biggest challenge is that I don’t want to disappoint Donna as both my spouse and my boss. Having to find a replacement is hard, so I have to sign back on.
