An Interview With Edward Sylvan
There is a story in the book that deals with domestic violence and that is a topic I’d like to call out and explore some more in the future. Sometimes damage happens in the home, the very place that should be nurturing and safe. It is heartbreaking and awareness, shining a light on the darkness, is the first step before change can occur.
As part of my series about “authors who are making an important social impact”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Corie Adjmi.
Corie Adjmi’s award-winning fiction and personal essays have appeared in dozens of publications including North American Review, Indiana Review, South Dakota Review, Evansville Review, HuffPost, Man Repeller, Medium, Motherwell, Kveller and others. In 2020 her collection of stories, Life and Other Shortcomings, won an International Book Award, an American Fiction Award and an IBPA: Ben Franklin Award. When she is not writing, Corie does volunteer work, cooks, draws, bikes and hikes. She and her husband have five children and a number of grandchildren, with more on the way. She lives and works in New York City.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive into the main focus of our interview, our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood backstory?
I was born in New Orleans and my family moved to Brooklyn when I was 16. The transition was rough as I was just starting my junior year. Also, in New Orleans, I had been a cheerleader at a college preparatory school. When we moved my parents enrolled me in a yeshivah, a school of Jewish learning. It was a culture shock, to say the least. I met my husband that year at 16 and even though I insisted I wouldn’t marry young, as was the custom, we married when I was 18. My next book, THE MARRIAGE BOX, due out in August 2022 is fiction but based on those real-life events.
When you were younger, was there a book that you read that inspired you to take action or changed your life? Can you share a story about that?
The first books that come to mind are a Helen Keller biography (2nd grade) and The Diary of Anne Frank (6th grade). I was impressed with the tenacity and strength of these young girls. I held them in awe and respect, as I could not fathom their dire circumstances and the obstacles they faced. I also felt tremendous empathy. Their stories taught me something about perseverance and making the best of things. I also understood my privilege and wanted to give back, which I’ve been doing in one form or another since childhood.
Can you share the funniest or most interesting mistake that occurred to you in the course of your career? What lesson or take away did you learn from that?
Once, when short story submissions were made only by snail mail, my mail was lost for an entire summer. When the post office finally found our mail, my husband went to get it and brought it home in a black garbage bag. A story I’d submitted got three responses, which normally you would not get all at one time. One, was a standard rejection letter. One, was marked with red pen and the editor said that if I was willing to do significant edits, he’d publish my story. And one, was an acceptance letter. It was a lesson to me that editors have different tastes and needs at different times. And that I must keep trying because it only takes one.
Can you describe how you aim to make a significant social impact with your book?
The stories in my short story collection, Life and Other Shortcomings, are relatable. Women see themselves in the stories. And they see women they know. Through the emotions that come up from reading the collection, we’ve had some important conversations about women and their struggles. The stories are sometimes read as cautionary tales, emboldening women to fight for a better future, one that makes room for women’s voices and power.
Can you share with us the most interesting story that you shared in your book?
There is a story in the book that deals with domestic violence and that is a topic I’d like to call out and explore some more in the future. Sometimes damage happens in the home, the very place that should be nurturing and safe. It is heartbreaking and awareness, shining a light on the darkness, is the first step before change can occur.
What was the “aha moment” or series of events that made you decide to bring your message to the greater world? Can you share a story about that?
There was no one “aha moment”. It was more an unfolding. I wrote one story and got it published and then another. I learned I was reaching people, but I wasn’t aware of an overall message at first. I was just writing my truth and close to my own experiences. After a number of stories were published, I realized my stories should be in one book, and that the characters would know one another. Linking the stories was a creative endeavor that highlighted the messaging.
Without sharing specific names, can you tell us a story about a particular individual who was impacted or helped by your cause?
I know someone who saw herself as a character in one of my stories. She could not see her own behavior as destructive or limiting but she saw it clearly in the character. After reading, she made a very bold decision, one which changed the course of her life for the better.
Are there three things the community/society/politicians can do to help you address the root of the problem you are trying to solve?
Overall, Life and Other Shortcomings deals with women’s empowerment. At the community level, I think writing and talking about women’s issues is an important first step as we need to bring awareness. In addition, politically, more and more women are stepping up and running for public office. They will give women’s issues a voice and they will have an impact on policies affecting women.
How do you define “Leadership”? Can you explain what you mean or give an example?
Elizabeth Lesser. Elizabeth is a co-founder of Omega Institute, a non-profit educational retreat center focusing on health, wellness, spirituality and creativity. She is also a brilliant speaker and writer. In a tone that is strong but also calming and reassuring, she continually supports women, encouraging us to use our voices, be storytellers. In my opinion, she is the best kind of activist and leader.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why. Please share a story or example for each.
Just Do It. I grew up before there was a Just Do It slogan. That would’ve been an important one for me to hear because I didn’t know I could. Eventually, one of my graduate school teachers told me Just Do It in regards to my desire to write a book and those words changed everything.
You can be anything you want to be. This one would’ve been an important one for me in my childhood because I was actually told I couldn’t be anything I wanted to be. There were limitations due to the fact that I was a girl. I couldn’t be a scientist or a drummer, both 4th-grade dreams that I let go.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you. — Maya Angelou
This is important to me on so many levels. For one, I’m a talker. And I believe deeply in not keeping things bottled up inside. This quote speaks to our need to be seen and heard, a calling to our true and authentic selves. We are natural storytellers and we yearn for connection and bonding and creativity. All of that is achieved when you tell your story.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂
Glennon Doyle. Glennon is such a bright light for women. She embodies honesty, authenticity and leadership. She is super smart and from what I can see, she likes to laugh. She’s a great writer, a fabulous storyteller and a powerful activist. She is strong and confident. We have a lot in common in that she is a mom, a teacher and a writer. I love that she is empathetic and big-hearted.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
Website: corieadjmi.com
Twitter and Instagram: @CorieAdjmi
This was very meaningful, thank you so much. We wish you only continued success on your great work!
About The Interviewer: Growing up in Canada, Edward Sylvan was an unlikely candidate to make a mark on the high-powered film industry based in Hollywood. But as CEO of Sycamore Entertainment Group Inc, (SEGI) Sylvan is among a select group of less than ten Black executives who have founded, own and control a publicly traded company. Now, deeply involved in the movie business, he is providing opportunities for people of color.
In 2020, he was appointed president of the Monaco International Film Festival, and was encouraged to take the festival in a new digital direction.
Raised in Toronto, he attended York University where he studied Economics and Political Science, then went to work in finance on Bay Street, (the city’s equivalent of Wall Street). After years of handling equities trading, film tax credits, options trading and mergers and acquisitions for the film, mining and technology industries, in 2008 he decided to reorient his career fully towards the entertainment business.
With the aim of helping Los Angeles filmmakers of color who were struggling to understand how to raise capital, Sylvan wanted to provide them with ways to finance their creative endeavors.
At Sycamore Entertainment he specializes in print and advertising financing, marketing, acquisition and worldwide distribution of quality feature-length motion pictures, and is concerned with acquiring, producing and promoting films about equality, diversity and other thought provoking subject matter which will also include nonviolent storytelling.
Also in 2020, Sylvan launched SEGI TV, a free OTT streaming network built on the pillars of equality, sustainability and community which is scheduled to reach 100 million U.S household televisions and 200 million mobile devices across Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Samsung Smart TV and others.
As Executive Producer he currently has several projects in production including The Trials of Eroy Brown, a story about the prison system and how it operated in Texas, based on the best-selling book, as well as a documentary called The Making of Roll Bounce, about the 2005 coming of age film which starred rapper Bow Wow and portrays roller skating culture in 1970’s Chicago.
He sits on the Board of Directors of Uplay Canada, (United Public Leadership Academy for Youth), which prepares youth to be citizen leaders and provides opportunities for Canadian high school basketball players to advance to Division 1 schools as well as the NBA.
A former competitive go kart racer with Checkered Flag Racing Ltd, he also enjoys traveling to exotic locales. Sylvan resides in Vancouver and has two adult daughters.
Sylvan has been featured in Forbes, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times and has been seen on Fox Business News, CBS and NBC. Sycamore Entertainment Group Inc is headquartered in Seattle, with offices in Los Angeles and Vancouver.
Social Impact Authors: How & Why Corie Adjmi Is Helping To Change Our World was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.