Ronald Cotton, Lesley Stahl, Jennifer Thompson-Cannino, and Erin Torneo celebrated the release of “Picking Cotton: Our Memoir of Injustice & Redemption” at a book party March 9. MBToolBox caught up with Torneo, finding out more about the provocative book she co-wrote.
The book tells the real-life story of a woman who sent the wrong man to prison. The book took years of research and reporting, and in her interview, Torneo explained how she survived the lean years as a writer:
“My goal was really being able to pay rent and do work that engaged me. If I could do that, I was happy … I’ve been fortunate enough to receive alternate sources of funding. It’s something I’m going to be discussing on a panel at the upcoming American Society of Journalists & Authors Conference next month. The NYFA Fellowship really helped carry me through some of the initial months of research. And last year, when Jennifer, Ron, and I received the Soros Justice Media Fellowship from the Open Society Institute, it was just a terrific boost.”
(Photo by Sascha Paladino)