As part of The Pixel Project‘s Read For Pixels campaign, we interview authors from genres as diverse as Science Fiction and Fantasy to Romance to Thrillers as well as other members of the publishing industry and community such as publishers, editors, and agents about why they support the movement to end violence against women and girls.
In this interview, we talk to Michelle Dotter. Michelle is the publisher and editor-in-chief of award-winning nonprofit press Dzanc Books. She has worked with New York Times bestsellers, Pulitzer Prize winners, National Book Award honorees, Shirley Jackson and Lambda Literary Award winners, and some damn fine other people, too. She lives in Colorado with her wife.
Dzanc Books has been generously donating one Mystery Book Box per year to our annual Read For Pixels fundraiser raising funds to keep The Pixel Project’s anti-violence against women work alive.
And now, over to Michelle.
Picture courtesy of Michelle Dotter and Dzanc Books. (Photo Credit: Leslie Vedder)
- Why is ending violence against women important to you?
As a woman — and a human being — it’s unbearable that this question has to be asked. To think of all that so many women go through, the violence by so many different names, and to know it’s a violence that too many people consider acceptable. It absolutely blows my mind. There can be no higher calling than to stop the suffering of other people, and women tend to be particularly vulnerable to violence for all kinds of historical and cultural reasons that we’ve been permissible about, as a society, for centuries. We have to stop letting this happen, all of us, in any way we can.
- Why did Dzanc decide to support The Pixel Project’s anti-violence against women work?
One of our passions at Dzanc is supporting writers who’ve historically been marginalised and overlooked, and women are very much on that list. We’re honoured to publish so many fantastic women — Lindsey Drager, Chika Unigwe, Suzi Ehtesham-Zadeh, Sarah Yahm, Jessie van Eerden, Afabwaje Kurian, Tara Isabel Zambrano — writing all kinds of incredibly brilliant books, many of which intersect in some way with examining the roots or ripples of violence against women. Honouring the spirit of that work is part of it. And for the other part: Dzanc was founded to do good in the literary world through building our community, offering youth and adult writing programs, picking up where other presses leave off. This is one more part of that.
- What do you think editors should always keep in mind when editing stories that include violence against women?
That there’s an inherent difference between work that is clarifying or enlightening, work that shines a light into a very dark corner of our world, and work that is exploitative. The first is not necessarily easy to read; it shouldn’t be easy, as this is not an easy subject. But it’s violence portrayed with purpose, not simply for shock value. As an editor, recognising one from the other is critical. And also, remembering that whatever you’re reading on the page, someone has probably experienced that, or worse — perhaps even the writer you’re editing. It’s important to help a writer hone the story they’re telling so it hits with an audience without invalidating a very dark place they may have scrambled out of.
- What do you think the publishers can do to help with the cultural change needed to stop violence against women and girls?
So much of violence against women and girls relies on complicity, silence, and ignorance. We see this at the highest levels of our own country, far beyond the realm of publishing: a refusal to acknowledge violence that has been done or take any steps to prevent it from happening again. That’s heartbreaking and infuriating.
As publishers, it’s our responsibility to keep publishing books that shine that light into dark places. We have to make a space for women’s voices, even when they’re speaking on uncomfortable subjects. So many of us learn the truth of the world through reading — ugly truths included. I hope publishers will continue to support books like that in the face of a culture that seems to be turning its face away from its own ugliness.
- Any final thoughts about why everyone should support stopping violence against women?
Women are people. Girls are children. People, children — none of us deserve to face violence, or be told that violence against us is expected or acceptable. If you’ve ever read some horrific news story about what was done to women and girls and been absolutely boiling over with rage, as I have, the only thing you can really do with those feelings is shut them off or use them to push for better. So, I hope we’ll all choose the latter path.
