Local authors share strategies for coping with rejection on the road to publication at LitArts RI.

The path to publication can be riddled with rejection. Whether you are looking for an agent, submitting to publishers, sending your manuscript out to contests, or receiving a challenging round of editorial feedback, cultivating care is key. On Sat, Dec 2, join local authors Rebekah Bergman, Nada Samih-Rotondo (Fiction, June 2012) and Candace Williams at LitArts RI for an honest discussion about the difficulties inherent in traditional publishing—including the barriers writers from historically underrepresented identities are forced to navigate—and explore the resources and self-care practices these recently published authors turned to in moments of despair. Learn productive strategies for approaching the publishing world, connect with fellow writers facing these challenges, and shore up your resilience in the face of rejection.

This event is made possible by funding from Providence Arts Culture and Tourism and the Dexter Donation.

About the Panelists

Rebekah Bergman‘s debut novel The Museum of Human History (Tin House, 2023) was named one of Wired Magazine’s best books of summer and received starred reviews from Kirkus, Booklist, and Shelf Awareness. Her writing appears in Joyland, Lit Hub, Electric Literature, and other journals. She lives in Providence, Rhode Island with her family.

Nada Samih-Rotondo is a multi-genre Palestinian American writer, educator, and mother. A graduate of Rhode Island College, she earned degrees in English and Education and an MFA in creative writing from Lesley University. When she is not befriending trees or attuning to hidden stories, she is leading transformational educational experiences and addressing the social-emotional needs of historically underserved and multilingual youth. Her writing has appeared in Masters Review, Gulf Stream Literary Magazine, and Squat Birth Journal. She lives in Providence with her husband and three children and works at Brown University’s Simmons Center for the Study of Slavery and Justice as the Public Education and Community Engagement Coordinator. All Water Has Perfect Memory is her first book.

Candace Williams is a poet and interdisciplinary artist. I Am the Most Dangerous Thing (Alice James Books, 2023) is their debut full-length poetry collection. Candace earned their Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE) from Claremont McKenna College and Master of Arts in Education from Stanford University. They grew up in the Pacific Northwest and found love and poetry in Brooklyn, New York. Now, Candace lives and makes art in New England.