Seconds, Anyone?: The Pain (and Pleasure) of Follow-Up Books
Writers hear a lot about the struggles involved in writing the first book. But what about the next—or the one after that?
Two poets (Ryo Yamaguchi and Rebecca Wadlinger), an essayist (Kevin O’Rourke), and a fiction writer (Jesse Donaldson) from the Pacific Northwest read new work and discuss the joys and pains of working on second (or third) books.
About the Writers
Kevin O’Rourke is the author of the essay collection As if Seen at an Angle (Tinderbox Editions, 2017). He is currently working on his second book, a memoir about surviving suicide. His work is supported by 4Culture.
Ryo Yamaguchi is the author of the poetry collection The Refusal of Suitors (Noemi Press, 2015). He is publicity and marketing director at Wave Books.
Rebecca Wadlinger translated Gro Dahle’s A Hundred Thousand Hours (Ugly Duckling Presse, 2013) and is the author of the poetry collection Terror / Terrible / Terrific, forthcoming from Octopus Books. She lives in Portland, where she works as a copywriter.
