In this installment of the Alumni Author Spotlight Series, we got a chance to talk with CJ Nadeau, who published The Mousetrap Rose with us in the spring of 2013.
Name?
CJ Nadeau
Year of Graduation?
2013
Major?
Writing, Literature, and Publishing
Current place of residence?
Watertown, Massachusetts
Did you do any postgraduate work after Emerson? If so, where?
Yes, I’m currently pursuing a Masters of Ed. in Teacher of Students with Severe Disabilities at Lesley University.
What company do you currently work for and what is your position?
The Kennedy Day School as a Teaching Assistant and Lesley University as a Graduate Resident Assistant at their Threshold Program.
What are some of your accomplishments since graduating from Emerson? Have you written for any other publications? Do you have a portfolio? Blog? Website?
I’ve recently had two pieces of fiction published: “Halleluiah” in the Rain, Party, & Disaster Society and “Perforated Caterpillars” in The Green Mountain Review, and I wrote a children’s novella entitled Fishing for Clouds that I intend to turn into an adaptive text for students with disabilities. Along with these publications, I’ve been hard at work on my next novel.
What do you remember about your experience with Undergraduate Students for Publishing? What is your favorite memory?
Before the book launch my friend Donnie Welch, whose collection was also being launched, went up to the workshop space at the top of the Tufte Building that had a beautiful view and just sat taking in the view and appreciating the moment.
How did publishing with us help you in the professional world? Did it help land you a job or an internship?
I’ve pursued a path in Special Education so Pub Cub didn’t directly help me, however it definitely informed my approach to writing and publishing.
What valuable experience did you gain from publishing with us?
I learned about the revision and rewriting process, something that has proved invaluable as I’ve started working on drafts of my forthcoming novel. While Emerson’s workshops provide great opportunities for short fiction, having a staff that was willing to edit and help me revise my long form fiction for an entire semester was a singular experience.
Do you have any advice to those wanting to submit to Undergraduate Students for Publishing? If you could give any advice to current Emerson students before they step out into the professional world, what would it be?
Don’t give up. I got accepted on my fourth manuscript submission. Just because you aren’t accepted immediately doesn’t mean you should stop. Keep writing, keep revising, and keep submitting.
Provide some quirky details about your life. Do you have thirteen dogs? Do you collect porcelain eggs? Do you go skydiving on the weekends?
I’ve recently been doodling and sketching, you can find a collection of them at http://cjnadeau.me/. It’s a work in progress and right now I only have a few sketches, but I’ll be adding some work that’s been published with accompanying illustrations.
