GalleyCat caught up with New Yorker fiction editor Deborah Treisman at the Festival of New French Writing, discovering that her section has seen a distinct increase in submissions since the recession began.
“Maybe because writers have been struggling or maybe because writers have more time, I’ve had more stories coming in now than I’ve seen in the last three or four years,” explained Treisman in an exclusive interview. “I’ve had a number of stories come in directly related to the recession. It’s steady. After 9-11, there were very few submissions. After the Bush elections it dried up too.”
Treisman (pictured) moderated a discussion between New Yorker writer Adam Gopnik and French novelist Marie Darrieussecq. Treisman thought American writers could learn from French author’s example. “Marie sat down as a student and wrote something she thought would be small. It turned out to be a bestseller, but she has a lot of dedication … It’s difficult to get through failure, but in some ways, it’s more difficult to cope with success.”