Moshe: The Man in the Coppermind. Scroll 5: The Crazy Fan's Guide to Moshe and Brandon

SH's note: This scroll continues immediately from where Scroll 4 left off. Other than a parallel conversation about how the Shattering is inspired by the Kabbalah (which may be explored in a future scroll), and also a quote that has been redacted by request, transcript below remains mostly unchanged except for minor edits made for reasons for continuity.

SH: How else did you think I was able to surprise Brandon with the curated set of gifts I got him?

I didn't just pull up his love of fancy salt, or Korean foodstuffs (that his favorite citrus fruit is mandarin orange), or that he is a geek who would absolutely adore/love a keychain made of a card game character of him, with a dragon charm (to represent his spirit animal) just out of thin air.



Custom-made by SH's Etsy friend

Research had to be done. You I will admit right now was a late last minute research I had to scramble to assemble at the last minute because, initially I didn't want to pay to go to two days of con.

Until I decided to heck with it. Paying $80 and god knows how much in Lyft/Uber cab fare to get to sit in on a 2-hour Nora Jemisin workshop and learn from her, to get a book and maybe a game card signed by Martin, to get this legendary Moshe editor dude to sign my Brandon books, to listen to Sharon Shinn in a panel about urban fantasy, listen to Peter S. Beagle talk about killing characters, and a chance to attend my first and maybe even last Hugo Awards.

It was just too good to pass up and so I reluctantly coughed up another $80 and then spent the rest of the time "stalking" if you will, the people I want to meet and what I want to get out of Sunday.

I didn't have much time for Nora and basically just happened upon a profile photo of a cat on her Twitter page (thought it was her current King Ozzy but I learned later when I gave the keychain to her, turned up to be her late departed beloved Nuku Nuku, who lived under he was 20)

During her workshop, Nora mentioned that she made a comment on epic fantasy that the Reddit decided to take the wrong way. I was determined to make her feel better, and at her signing afterwards, I pulled up these two screenshots to show her.





And you thank God, made it too easy, and that was great, because I was being really pressed for time. Your Facebook profile reads: "He loves cats and chocolate." You conveniently put a photo of the Collingwood Magpies, your two cats Nemo and Destry on your very public Facebook profile page. You have this on your personal website:

“He also talks to cats, whistles, advocates the Oxford comma, and requires chocolate.

Moshe lives in Flushing, NY with his cats Destry and Nemo."

I didn't know if you would ever be willing to sign Brandon's books, but I knew I had to damn well try to convince you anyway. I sent you a tentative tweet, not even daring to hope for a response, then set about to try and bribe/guilt-trip/show my appreciation for you having discovered Brandon in the first place, to sign my books.

MF: Nicely done.

And well paragraphs!

SH: I didn’t have time to find out specifically what kind of chocolate you like (brand, white/dark/milk?/plain/with fruit/flavored?) so I just ordered a nice box of Ghirardelli chocolate (a very iconic San Francisco chocolate brand (which I personally like) from Target which I picked up the next day, went through all the brand new cat stuff I have been given by a friend over the years (which I never used because what non-cat-owned people never realize is that if you have already been enslaved by two cats/one cat already, you don’t need to be reminded of your cat-enslavement with more cat-themed items)

SH's note: Dear friend, If you are reading this right now, I do really appreciate the gifts but please see above for why I didn't use them and gave them away to someone else who will.

So yes, brand new cat post-it notes, grumpy cat, and teacup cat got added into "the bribe Moshe to sign Brandon books" pile. The chocolate Toblerones I had gotten from Costco went into the pile as well.

Had no color printer and the black and white photos that came out of my printer made Nemo and Dresty look like they had passed away or something. Went down to the building receptionist and basically begged/browbeat him into letting me print two sheets of colored paper, the results of which you now have, well part of it anyway.

MF: You sure made a serious effort. All that stuff was neat to get, but just asking nicely would have sufficed. I really appreciate Brandon's fans.

SH: You are unequivocally wrong. I am not just a Brandon fan. I am and had always been your fan too. Ever since I read Way of Kings anyways.

The citron jar and Korean BBQ pork jerky thrown in at last minute because I didn't give Brandon enough of the stuff to share with friends like you; I didn't even realized I was trying to give you pork; had tunnel vision by then.

MF: I like Pork. Also ham and bacon.

SH: then of course when u said you would be honored to



MF: Not religious for decades.

SH: I was like damn of course I am going to give you all these stuff but wait! I don't have any hardcover books anymore! I sent it all back to Amazon in a rage when they falsely accused me of saying I got damaged books.

MF: I do hope you have a life besides texting me, though!

SH: I do! I do ok! sheesh

MF: Boyfriend?

SH: I take long walks on the beach (not really, too cold in SF) and dance attendance on my cat master Luke whenever he requires it.

MF: Girlfriend?

SH: None. too crazy to attract anyone alas and not good looking enough.

Crazy and good looking = you have a chance

MF: If I could finally manage it, you will.

SH: Crazy and not good looking = no chance in hell

MF: Don't be too sure. Someone might like the challenge of brightening that face.

SH: I am heterosexual

Brad Pitt

Orlando Bloom

Legolas

Benedict Cumberbatch

Yeah, when I read your Tweet, 5 hours after you replied, saying you would be honored to do so I was like I really need hardcover books for him and Brandon to sign now; paperback just won't do; ran around SF before all the bookstores closed trying to find hardcover copies; only came up with Oathbringer.

I genuinely was plain just-all-out geeking out more about getting your signature than I was to get Brandon's, because you are the editor who discovered him, you have a great career as a fantasy/sci-fi editor at Tor books and someone I secretly aspired to be one day. I also felt a kinship more to you than to Brandon because we both (I think) for whatever strange reason, enjoy editing stuff. Please don’t ever tell Brandon I wanted your autographs more than I wanted his, please?

I mean sure, I love to write stories too. I even have two short stories published via KDP on Amazon.com. They are there because my (now late) uncle would only read my short stories if he could read it on his Kindle. These two short stories I wrote when I took a creative writing class (which counted as one class towards journalism associate degree), one of which is a retelling of Sleeping Beauty having to deal with an economic recession in her kingdom/queendom caused by spinning wheel ban, and the other is a retelling of The Princess and the Pea by way of Gattaca.

But yeah much as I love creative writing, I know my strengths (I would love to be a better creative writer) but deep down I know I am a stronger editor, hence me coveting your autographs more than I did Brandon's, if that makes any sense to you.

SH's note: SH does not advocate the behavior that SH engaged in with regards to meeting authors/editors at Worldcon; as MF has stated:"just asking nicely would have sufficed."

Moshe: The Man in the Coppermind. Scroll 4. Two Men & A Manuscript: Nice Guys Do Finish First

Cover of Elantris. Photo credit: Stephan Martinière

Transcript of a conversation between Moshe Feder and Sharon Hooper on how Feder first "discovered" Brandon Sanderson and bought Sanderson's first published novel Elantris (as well as other topics)

Please note that slight edits have been made to the transcript below for continuity purposes, but otherwise it has mostly been left unchanged. MF refers to Moshe Feder, New York Times-bestselling author Brandon Sanderson's Tor editor. The second book in The Stormlight Archive series, Words of Radiance, debuted at No. 1 on The New York Times Hardcover Fiction Bestseller list in 2014, a first for both Feder and Sanderson. SH refers to the interviewer Sharon Hooper.

SH'S NOTE: ATTENTION BRANDON SANDERSON FANS. IF YOU WANT TO READ ONLY PARTS OF THE TRANSCRIPT THAT PERTAINS JUST TO ELANTRIS, THEY HAVE BEEN BOLDED FOR YOU. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO SKIP THE REST OF THE CREAM/CREM, WHICH HAVE BEEN KEPT IN FOR OTHER READERS.

SH: Hey, Moshe.

MF: Yes?

SH: There's something I have been wondering for quite a while now. Brandon Sanderson fans (and as uncomfortable as this is making me feel, seeing as just how intense his fandom can be, I will count myself amongst them, with regards to this anyway) have heard, several times by now, how you choosing to acquire Elantris, has changed the entire trajectory of his writing career and helped catapulted him to achieve the meteoric (hope you don't find that adjective superlative like you did when I called you legendary) success he has enjoyed today. The story has remained rather consistent as he first recounted it, with little or no embellishments despite it all happening nearly two decades ago between 2003 and 2005.



I haven't seen or heard the story from your POV. All we have gotten is his POV. I was wondering, what is your POV in all this? Elantris famously sat on your desk on 18 months before you decided to read it and then when you wanted to contact him to offer to acquire it, his contact information had already changed, and you did have to invest quite a bit of effort tracking him down to acquire Elantris. I am just wondering, I don't know, what made you decide to acquire Elantris (per-Moshe edit)? What did you see in it? Was it the untapped potential? The undeniable hope that permeates every book he has written and published since Elantris? What was it about Elantris (pre-edit) that made you decide, "I want to acquire this book."

I mean sure, we can find you almost always mentioned somewhere in every major write-up of Brandon, but I don't think (I may be wrong), but I really don't think anyone has ever just sat down with you and I don't know, interviewed you or asked you, in any sort of depth, what was it really that you saw in pre-edit Elantris that made you decide, yes I want to acquire it for publication?

LOL, I may be completely imagining this, but I can practically almost see/hear/feel your mind thinking as you typed and sent me that one word: "Yes?", would be something likely along the lines of: "Oh dear Lord, what does this Sharon gal wants to ask me/of me now?"

I am just really curious about it, that’s all. I have always been a remarkably curious creature, perhaps too curious for my own good. I fear I may very well die like the proverbial curious cat one day, but that is a completely different topic, to be talked about another day, if ever (never =P). You might even be thinking; this crazy gal, asking about something that happened 15 years ago and expecting/wanting me to be able to recall it as though it happened yesterday, and to try to recall it to someone you didn’t even know existed a week ago.

It's alright if you don't feel/want to share, but if you could, or would be willing to, I think it would be beyond amazing really to find out and learn, really really learn and know exactly what it was about Elantris that made you want to sit up and go, I want to acquire this, and I will invest the necessary time and effort necessary to track down this unknown, unpublished author and make him an offer he can’t refuse (=P)?

MF: Brandon has always said it was 18 months and maybe his records support that (SH's note: Yes, it does!*). Looking back after all this time, I remember it as being more like 8 or 10 months (SH's note: Not true!*), under a year, anyway, but I’d need to dig up my old records to support that. So I could be wrong. But the essence of it Is that I started reading it immediately when he sent it and I didn't like the opening. It reminded me of a couple of other recent weak submissions that also began with the protagonist waking up. So I was put off and laid it aside.

*SH's note: Sanderson and co. Petered Feder on October 2001, and Sanderson received the voice mail and subsequent phone call from Feder on March 2003, showing a time span of 18 months in between Feder receiving Sanderon's manuscript and him contacting Sanderson to offer to acquire Elantris.



SH: Ah.

MF: After some time went by — 8 months or 18 — I felt guilty about it, remembering what a nice young man he was, and decided to try again so I could at least offer him some helpful suggestions if I were going to reject it.

SH: Wow, OK.

MF: So then I just stuck with it and got further in, quickly noticing how it got better as it went, and being struck by its originality. By the ⅓ point or so, it was obvious what a natural storyteller he was and I began to get excited.

From that point on, I read nonstop until I finished it. There were rough spots and infelicities, but all fixable. More importantly, I had obviously stumbled upon a real talent. I knew well before the end that I wanted to buy it.

SH: That was really decent of you, to give Elantris another chance, even though you really didn't like the introduction, and didn't plan to acquire it. Wow you are really very nice too, just like he is!

MF: You can usually spot crap early, but it’s always a good idea to at least spot check further so you don't cheat yourself out of a find. In this case, my desire to simply help him, as I want I’ve always tried to help aspirants back to my days at AMAZING, was rewarded.

SH: AMAZING? Haven't heard of this publishing house before.

MF: Founded in 1926? The very first SF magazine?

SH: I am just someone who LOVES to read fantasy. I don't know the ins and outs of fantasy publishing, at least not yet. So you basically being a decent guy and just wanting to do the right thing led you to acquire Elantris?

MF: I was assistant editor there while in college. We also published the fantasy mag FANTASTIC.

Gosh, you kids nowadays! No foundation.

SH: Hey! I am trying to learn right now, aren't I?

MF: You could put it that way. Or you could say he won me over.

I don't know why everyone before me didn’t see it.

SH: Man, the mountain of rejection letters he said he has received before you acquired Elantris.

MF: To that extent, I'm willing to claim some skill. Having read SF&F for almost 50 years at that point probably helped. Experience does matter.

SH: So yes, sage advice to aspiring authors: if you don’t want your manuscripts to sit untouched on an editor’s desk for 8 (or 18 months, depending on who is telling the story =P), don't start your manuscript with the so-well-worn it's-rubbing-my-entire-skin-off "tropish" introduction of having your protagonist just waking up from something. Got it!

MF: That's why you see me making unapologetic judgments as in my current Hugo threads. At this late date, I have full confidence in my taste.

SH: Even though they almost always come in last?

Do you unintentionally curse the people you vote for? With your vote?

MF: Yup. Because I'm right and they're wrong. Also because I know the difference between pure literary quality and what's popular and can recognize both.

SH: If you say so LOL. But yes I jest. Do go on.

MF: When I read for Jim Baen at Ace, I got him to buy both a literary fantasy by Aldiss and a lightweight, pulpy romp by Laumer. Both were good in their own way, and both judgments were valid.

SH: Wow. You were a reader before all this? Like a professional reader for Ace? That's where Sharon Shinn is/was, in fact. See, I do know SOME stuff at least when it pertains to my favorite authors. So there!

MF: An editor has to know the difference between his personal preferences and what will sell. I happen to enjoy both. That's why I'm good at this.

Yes, I read submissions for a number of major houses as a freelance. Good training for a future editor.

SH: Good to know, good to know. Thanks!

But I have to ask. An editor’s time is very limited. His time can even be said to equal money. Time he spent trying to pick up something he previously dismissed, could have been better used to read another manuscript to find another undiscovered talent. Was it the fact that he was such a nice young affable man then, when he Petered you at the 2001 Montreal con that made you want to give him another go/chance 8 or 18 months later?

MF: Baen's relationship with Laumer began with that book — THE GREAT TIME MACHINE HOAX, a personal favorite of mine on the light side — and grew from there. At Baen Books he acquired the whole Laumer backlist.

SH: Otherwise it may have well still be sitting on your desk right now, still gathering dust or long since pulped and returned to the earth. Maybe something even in that very bad tropish introduction he had in the manuscript?

MF: Hard to say now how much was his niceness and how much my sense of duty to any new writer desperate for feedback. There's a story about that.

SH: Or how nice he and Dan Wells and Peter were collectively as a group. Did you know that Dan Wells actually stalked you for like three days to find out who/what you look like/were going to be and only succeeded just barely on the last day of the Montreal con?

SH: Yes and I do absolutely LOVE to hear it, if you would be willing to share of course!

MF: When I read for AMAZING and FANTASTIC in the 70s, I tried to say something personal with every manuscript I sent back, not just a mere rejection slip. Sometimes I offered detailed comments and encouragement. So...

SH: Wow! I don't think many other people in your position would have taken the time or effort to do that.

MF: Years later, in 1980, I get a Ballantine paperback in the mail by a writer named Lawrence Watt Evans.

SH: I must look into how to become a professional reader now, seems like a great way to start! Or get your foot in, into the publishing industry.

MF: The book, his first publication, was dedicated to me.

SH: Okay, I have to tell you I don't know who Lawrence Watt Evans is and had to Google him but now I know.

MF: Because I had been the first editor to take him seriously and tell him to persist, because he would eventually succeed.

SH: So please don't say "you young unlearned people these days again!" because I am trying! And Googling!

WOW. MAN. YOU ARE SO AWESOME.

MF: Well, he thought so, anyway.

I was flabbergasted.

You should try his stuff. Very entertaining fantasies. OK, gotta read now.

SH: OK. You have a dedicated reading time each day? Did you manage to get Naomi's short story yet, or do u still need to wait to go pick it up?

MF: I reserved it.

Reading occurs randomly and constantly.

SH: I saw the status change on the link I gave you so I know you did. I wasn't a nosy journalism major for nothing you know. If I want to dig into someone's life, you may be astounded to know what I can unearth. I surprised my editor-in-chief when I told her her middle name and she in her life never told anyone about it, at least not in the newsroom.

MF: Kind of stalker-ish, perhaps?

SH: It is a useful skill which I am careful not to abuse. With great powers (or great nosiness anyways) comes great responsibility and all that jazz.

Hey I prefer to say I keep myself well-informed okay!

I'm not stalkerish! Actually yeah I am, but that sounds bad when you say it like that. =p

Continued in Scroll 5

Moshe: The Man in the Coppermind. Scroll 3: So You Think You Can Moshe? Quiz

By Sharon Hooper



Moshe Feder (Age 63). Photo taken during his first visit to BrisketTown in Brooklyn Photo credit: Peter de Jong

1. Where was Moshe born?

2. Where does Moshe live now?

3. How to you pronounce Moshe’s name phonetically?

4. How old is Moshe?

5. When is his chocolate cakeday anniversary?

6. What SAT test did Moshe get a perfect score in?

7. When was last year the SAT test that Moshe got a perfect score on was used? (+5 bonus points if correct)

8. What university did Moshe attend?

9. What did Moshe major in at university?

10. What year did Moshe graduate from university?

11. What is Moshe’s political affiliation

12. What is Moshe’s religious beliefs?

13a. How many cat(s) does Moshe have?

13b. What are the names of Moshe’s cat(s)?

14. What is Moshe’s favorite chocolate brand?

15. Which country is Moshe’s favorite chocolate brand from? (+5 bonus points if correct)

16. What is Moshe’s favorite chocolate?

17. What is Moshe’s favorite budget chocolate?

18. What is Moshe’s favorite flavored Ghirardelli chocolate?

19. How does Moshe like his eggs in Shakshouka?

20. Does Moshe put onions in his Shakshouka?

21. Does Moshe use parsley in his Shakshouka?

22. How would Moshe choose between cold pizza or cold Shakshouka?



23. Where does Moshe fall on the gefilte fish line?

24. Name a favorite regional cuisine of Moshe (+bonus 5 points if both correct answers are given)

25. Favorite savory dim sum item:

26. Favorite sweet dim sum item:

27. What kind of food does he like best: savory, sweet, salty, sour, spicy, bitter?

28. What will Moshe not eat?

29. What is the name of the food-based club he founded in the 1970s?

30. When did Moshe first started drinking coffee?

31. What is Moshe’s favorite tea?

32. What is Moshe’s poison of choice?

33. What is Moshe’s favorite beer? (+bonus 5 points for answering this question right)

34. For how many years has Moshe (not continuously) been drinking Guinness?

35. What genres does Moshe reads?

36. What does Moshe talks to?

37. What does Moshe collects?

38. Which sports teams does Moshe support? (+bonus 5 points for providing a complete set of answers)

39. Which team does Moshe barrack for?



40. Where does Moshe work at?

41. What is Moshe’s current profession?

42: Name an author in Moshe’s current stable: (+bonus 1 point for each additional correct author answer)

43. Name an author that Moshe has worked with in the past: (+bonus 1 point for each additional correct author answer)

44. What Hugo category has Moshe been nominated for?

45. What year was Moshe nominated for this Hugo category?

45. What is the title of Moshe’s short published story?

49. Where is this short story published in?

46. What award has Moshe won?

47. What year did Moshe win this award?

48. This award is also known as “The (name of bird)." What bird is that?



What are you based on how well you scored? (1 point per correct question answered, unless stated otherwise)

0 points: Chasmfiend

1 to 5 points: Lamespren

6 to 10 points: Skaa

11 to 15: Bridgemen

16 to 20: Darkeyes

21 to 25: Lighteyes

26 to 30: Misting

31 to 35: Soulcaster

36 to 40: Shardbearer

41 to 45: Full Shardbearer

46 to 50: Feruchemist

51 to 55: Mistborn

56 to 60: Lord Ruler

61 to 65: Hero of Ages

66 to 70: Harmony

71 and above: Adonalsium

Moshe: The Man In The Coppermind. Scroll 2: Through A Mind, Darkly

By Sharon Hooper

Recommended readings before reading Scroll 2: Scroll 1 and Scroll 4



Caption: Shallan on the bookends of Words of Radiance. Credit: Michael Whelan

A Mindful Inspiration

Authors derive inspiration from a myriad of sources. For New York Times-bestselling author Brandon Sanderson’s magnum opus The Stormlight Archive, a planned 10-installment epic fantasy series, part of the inspiration came from Moshe Feder, his long-time editor. All three published books in the series: The Way of Kings, Words of Radiance and Oathbringer, each feature a main POV character who must grapple with their own inner demons as much, if not more so, than against their external foes.

“Brandon was inspired first by a relative and then by me to build that in,” said Feder, who suffers from bipolar disorder, as did his mother Anne Rubin Feder.



Caption: Anne Rubin Feder with her son Moshe Feder. Photo credit: Moshe Feder.

“My mom was a high-functioning bipolar with more mild mania and rare but severe depressions. We accepted that as ‘just the way she is,’ and didn't understand it in terms of disease. Then, in late middle age, it got worse and finally she got diagnosed and medicated.”

“Bipolar disorder typically shows up in one's 20s. However it was only then, in my late 30s that a lightbulb went on and I realized that obviously, I had it too. Previously I’d just been BLAMING MYSELF* for shameful weakness. It had been holding me back in my life and career and I hadn’t even realized it.” (Interviewer’s note: Bipolar disorder can be caused by genetic factors)



Mental health awareness not being what they are today, Feder had perceived his erratic mood swings as something to be ashamed of. “Of course I know better now, but how could I have known then? It was liberating to realize it was a disease and not a character flaw. I probably first had symptoms toward the end of college but didn’t understand what it was.”

Feder paused to consider: “Looking back, it might even have begun in high school. I already had a pattern of inaction followed by bursts of energy to solve the problem I’d made for myself. But I thought it was just typical teenage procrastination followed by panic. But later it got worse, with the down times meaning not wanting to get out of bed at all and sleeping 12 hours a day and the up periods being dangerously impulsive, shopping and spending irresponsibly, being irritable and getting into arguments or even fights, and so on.”

Feder then ruefully recounted a shopping experience from over 20 years ago: “I’ve also trained myself to notice when I'm shopping impulsively and direct it to actually useful stuff. It’s really stupidly annoying when you come down a bit and realize you bought something useless. Like the time I bought Windows software even though I owned a Mac. How did I rationalize that? Mania doesn't care.”

Feder chose not to return the software for a refund despite having paid around $100 for it. “I still have it. It’s now a valuable reminder to stay in control. Still shrink wrapped. I was CRAZY*. Yes, it was painful when I realized it had made no sense.”

Feder knew it could have been a lot worse. "Fortunately for me, as someone with Bipolar II, I never experienced full blown mania, which is just as scary and dangerous as extreme psychosis, which causes delusions and hallucinations."

"Rather, the 'up' part of my cycles was characterized by hypomania which, if you're careful and sufficiently self-conscious, can be productively harnessed. Unfortunately, 'up' periods are becoming less frequent as I age."

"When I'm hypomanic, I just generally feel more positive and energetic, not at all euphoric, which for me would be a danger sign, but just pain free and content, the way I imagine 'normal' people feel most of the time. But in addition, one of the delights is the sudden realization that the oppressive sense of impossibility is gone. What prodigies I might accomplish if that were always true! I'm grateful to have mostly had hypomania, which can be fun. Well, fun while it lasts, until it’s over and you crash.”

“And now you know why it’s taken me so long to get my roof fixed, and also why I'm not too hard on myself about it, much though I regret the attendant damage,” said Feder, referring to his still-leaking roof. Plans have been made to have it fully fixed by the end of September.

“It’s like having cats; you just accept that sometimes stuff is going to get knocked over.” Feder currently lives with Flushing, New York with his two cats, Destry and Nemo.

When asked, Feder asserted that these memories were not painful for him to recall. As for his reasons for sharing, he had this to say: “It’s a duty to help fellow sufferers and to work on reducing stigma. When I was guest of honor at Corflu 19, it was a major part of my speech.”





Caption: Feder wearing a guest of honor hat that was a visor in the shape of a red foam crab with dangling legs and claws at Corflu 19 on February 17, 2002, at the Radisson Hotel in Annapolis, Maryland. Photo credit: Moshe Feder.

(Interviewer’s note: Corflu is fanzine fan convention and the word Corflu is short for “mimeograph stencil correction fluid”, which is used in a mimeograph to produce fanzines back before they could be produced digitally. The Guest of Honors at Corflu conventions are chosen randomly.)



WARNING: MAJOR PLOT SPOILERS AHEAD!

Words of Reassurance

In The Stormlight Archive, Kaladin, the main POV character in The Way of Kings, suffers from seasonal affective disorder; Shallan, the main POV character in Words of Radiance suffers from both PTSD and a split personality disorder; Dalinar, the main POV character in Oathbringer is an alcoholic, while Teft, a secondary character, is a drug addict who is often filled with self-loathing for himself.



Caption: Kaladin featured on the cover of Words of Radiance. Credit: Michael Whelan

Being able to read about such characters proved to be quite the cathartic experience for a Sanderfan who suffers from depression.

“I struggle with depression, and reading the characters in Stormlight Archive just makes me believe again,” said Hannah, a 29-year-old Santa Clara resident who went to Worldcon 76 just to see Sanderson.

While she identified with all three major POV characters, Kaladin was who she identified with the most. “Kaladin’s chapters are the ones I identify with the most when it comes to descriptions and the way he constantly berates and second guesses himself. At the end of Oathbringer when Syl says the bit about it being time for someone to save HIM*, I cried for like an hour the first time I read that.”

“It's hard to explain, but I have always been the person that is there to save all of my friends and those around me. I am terrible at asking for help when it is needed, just like Kaladin, and when I am feeling lost I am lucky to have people around me that will notice and come to my rescue."

In particular, Hannah deeply appreciated just how nuanced Sanderson's depiction of mental illness was: “I love the fact that Brandon changes the way he writes his characters' perceptions and thoughts and motivations based on their current feelings or mental state. When Kaladin is feeling okay for once, he makes this observation:

‘The truth was he was feeling pretty good these days. yes there was a war, and yes the city was seriously stressed but ever since he'd found his parents alive and well he'd been feeling better.

That wasn't so uncommon a feeling for him. He felt good lots of days. Trouble was, on the bad days, that was hard to remember. At those times, for some reason, he felt like he had always been in darkness and always would be.

Why was it so hard to remember? Did he have to keep slipping back down? Why couldn't he stay up here in the sunlight where everyone else lived?’" (Oathbringer, page 690)

At the signing, Hannah asked Sanderson to personalize her copy of Oathbringer with the second Ideal Teft spoke: “I will protect those I hate...even if the one I hate most is myself.”



Caption: Brandon Sanderson’s personalization of Hannah’s copy of Oathbringer. Photo credit: Hannah.

After asking Sanderson a few questions, a grateful Hannah capped her brief interaction with her favorite author by thanking him “for writing the characters that you write.”

“Pleasure,” replied a smiling Sanderson.



Caption: Jasnah on the front cover of Oathbringer. Credit: Michael Whelan

Heeding the Warning Signs

Feder warns that, especially for people in their 20s, sudden unexpected changes in one’s energy level, enthusiasm and sleep should be taken seriously, as they may be symptomatic of mental health issues.

“Just see a doctor and if he or she suggests it, a shrink. People can be depressed without being manic, but they rarely are manic without eventually being depressed. If you haven’t experienced that yet, that's no guarantee you eventually won't. Try to imagine being as low as you currently are high. ‘Miserable’ just doesn’t begin to convey it. If it is bipolar disorder, lithium would immediately correct the problem. It requires a prescription and regular blood tests. It’s cheap, because it’s a natural mineral salt, lithium carbonate, but too much is toxic. So you have to be monitored regularly. But it SAVES LIVES* when used properly."

Feder emphatically warned people against self-medicating.

“Again, I'm an amateur, but the two likeliest explanations of such symptoms are mania or an endocrine problem like hyperthyroidism. Anyway, it’s IMPORTANT* to find out now. The sooner the better, whenever it is. If you are still at school, your school probably has a student health office. They could refer you to someone. But if it IS* bipolar, the lithium would fix that in days or a couple of weeks. But if you get that, the there's no question you MUST* seek help before it gets dangerously worse. Please don't put if off.”

For California residents, Feder offered this resource as an alternate option. “I don't know the regulations, but chances are you should qualify for help. Improving your mental state is a key step toward solving other problems. You are smart and will find a way.” (Interviewer's note: For residents living in the other 49 states, you can look up the link to the Health Department websites of your respective states here. For residents outside of the U.S.A., you can use this Google search query to find the department of public health services closest to you.)

Such is the way of such kings of fantasy fiction, to pave the way for greater awareness, understanding and acceptance of mental illness.

For readers' comments to the article, please check out Scroll 7.

*Interviewer’s note: All capitalizations are an emphasis used by the interviewees themselves and not an emphasis made by the interviewer.

Feder's recommended further reading: This Woman’s Viral Thread Notes A Never-Discussed Symptom Of Depression And Absolutely Everyone Needs To Read This

Interviewer's recommended further reading: Ideal Heroes: Mental Illness in Brandon Sanderson’s Stormlight Archive

The interviewer would like to express her special thanks to Valerie Estelle Frankel, the author of many books on pop culture, who kindly agreed to give this article a last-minute proofread before it was posted here. All the English/structural/formatting mistakes still present in the article belong solely to the interviewer and the interviewer alone.

Sharon Hooper has been reading fairy tales and fantasy since the age of 4 and has written two short fairytale retellings: The Real Sleeping Beauty and The Real Princess and the Pea: A Tale of Sense and Sensitivity.

If you have any questions or comments regarding the contents of this scroll, please feel free to send a message to her at https://www.facebook.com/shaz.ron.12.

Moshe: The Man In The Coppermind. Scroll 1: Fun Facts

By Sharon Hooper

This is the first scroll in what is expected to be a multi-short scroll series on Moshe Feder, Tor editor to New York Times-bestselling author Brandon Sanderson.



Moshe Feder posing with a Dalinar Kholin Cosplayer at Worldcon 76 (complete with Shardplate and Shardblade Oathbringer), on August 18, 2018 at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center located in San Jose, California. Dalinar Kholin is the main POV character in Oathbringer, the third book in Sanderson's Stormlight Archive series, which Feder edited. Feder also edited The Way of Kings and Words of Radiance, the first two books in the aforementioned series. Feder will be editing future installments in the series until he retires.

Photo credit: Moshe Feder

FUN FACTS

Name: Moshe Feder

Pronounced: MOH-she FED-er

Personal homepage: https://about.me/MosheMF

Born in: Brooklyn, NY

Lives in: Flushing, NY

Age: 66

Chocolate cakeday: November 14, 1951

SAT: Perfect Verbal score

Education: English/Creative Writing, Queens College, City University of New York, Class of 1973

Political Affiliation: Registered Democrat (liberal/progressive)

Religious views: Agnostic but sentimental, non-observant-orthodox Jewish, open-minded scientific humanist

Owned by: Cats Destry and Nemo



Destry

Photo credit: Moshe Feder



Nemo

Photo credit: Moshe Feder



Favorite color: Orange

Favorite metal: Copper

Requires: Chocolate

Favorite chocolate brand: Valrhona

Favorite chocolate: Valrhona Guanaja 70% Cacao

Favorite budget chocolate: Trader Joe’s 73% Cocoa Super Dark

Preferred cocoa solids range: 70-75%

Favorite flavored Ghirardelli chocolate: Mint



How he likes his eggs in Shakshouka: scrambled, not poached

Onions in Shakshouka: Sometimes

Parsley in Shakshouka: Always

Cold pizza or cold Shakshouka: Shakshouka

Where he falls on the Gefilte Fish Line: Salty

Favorite Regional Chinese Cuisine: Szechuan and Hunan

Favorite savory dim sum item: Shu Mai

Favorite sweet dim sum item: Sesame balls

Loves: Spicy food

Will not try: Bugs

Foodie cred: Founder of Omnivore Dining Club in the 1970s

Coffee: started drinking only in his 50s

Favorite Tea: English Breakfast

Poison of choice: Beer

Favorite beer: Too many to pick one

Number of years drinking Guinness: 45



Reads: Science Fiction and Fantasy

Talks to: Cats

Collects: Coca-Cola memorabilia

Sports teams: New York Mets and New York Yankees

Barracks for: Collingwood Magpies (Australian Rules Football League team)



Profession: Consulting Senior Editor at Tor

First editor job at: Age 18

Fan of: Oxford comma

Current stable of authors: David Gerrold, Michael Haspil, Phillip Jennings, David Levine, Michael Moorcock, Brandon Sanderson, Robert Silverberg, Dan Wells and Gary K. Wolf

Has worked with: Isaac Asimov, Hal Clement, Harlan Ellison, Eric Van Lustbader, L.E. Modesitt, Jr., Paul Park, Robert J. Sawyer, Scott Westerfeld, Charles Stross, F. Paul Wilson and Gene Wolfe

Award: 2015 E.E. Smith Memorial Award, "the Skylark", which is the New England Science Fiction Association's lifetime achievement award for fan and pro contributions to Science Fiction & Fantasy

Nomination: 2011 Hugo Long-Form Edit Award Nominee

Published work: Sandial, short story in Damon Knight’s Orbit 16 (1975)

You can check out the 2nd scroll here

If you have any questions or comments regarding the contents of this scroll, please feel free to send a message to Sharon Hooper at https://www.facebook.com/shaz.ron.12.

Judaism Through the Lens of Popular Culture

WARNING! MAJOR PLOT SPOILERS DISCUSSED BELOW

Sharon Shinn's Samaria Series



Jehovah/Jovah: When faith and science collide

The Ways of the Edori: a look at the Jewish diaspora and the nomadic lifestyles of the Jewish people

Naomi Novik's Spinning Silver



Rumpelstiltskin has always been a problematic and fairy tale absolutely rift with Antisemitism...child stealing/eating stolen babies...In Naomi Novik's retelling of Rumplestiltskin, she turns the entire fairy tale on its head...instead of antagonist Rumpelstiltskin being Jewish...protagonist is a the daughter of a Jewish moneylender.

History of the Jews in Lithuania

Jewish moneylenders in medieval Europe:

Usury banned by Christian tenet...and therefore was one of the few occupations opened to the Jewish people

When it can be Kosher to break the Sabbath: Pikuach nefesh

Patricia Briggs' The Price



Brandon Sanderson's Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell



Consequences of Sabbath Desecration in The Forests of Hell:

Cassandra Clare's Immortal Instruments series



Simon Lewis: Can you turn into an undead vampire and still remain Jewish?

Lilith: Mother of Demons or Humankind's First Feminist? Lilith came before Eve, refused to be subordinate to Adam...

Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel series



Yeshuites:

Elua and his angel companions: Love As Thou Wilt

Patricia Brigg's Mercedes Thompson series



The classic narrative of The Golem of Prague in Silence Fallen:

Square's Final Fantasy VII



Jenova:



Cetra:



The Promised Land:

Lifestream:



Sephiroth/Sefirot:



Tifa/Tifereth:



Recommendations for further suggested reading:



Helene Wecker's The Golem and the Jinni



Guy Gavriel Kay's Tigana

San Francisco Exotic Food Crawl: A Tale of Two Chinese Restaurants

Now anyone who knows me knows that for the past few years, my best friend and I have been on an exotic food crawl around San Francisco, meaning that when we dine out, we only try unfamiliar dishes, often from cuisines that are unfamiliar to us. Now in deference to the fact that I had my aunt with me the last two times we dined out, we decided to dine at Chinese restaurants, seeing as how my aunt simply detests the unfamiliar. Even so, I wasn't going to make myself go for mainstream dishes, so needless to say, both meals ended up being a failure with my aunt.

The first Chinese restaurant we went to Dumpling Kitchen in the Sunset area. My aunt actually seemed to like the restaurant well enough but was very put off by what we ordered. I decided to get the shen jian bao, which is basically xiaolongbao (a type of Shanghai soup dumpling made famous by Taiwanese restaurant chain Ding Tai Fung) but fried, which was something I've never had before. The second dish we got was lion's head, a dish I wanted to try mainly because of its unique name, and also because according to Wikipedia, it is one of the notable dishes of Huaiyang cuisine. And no, lion's head does not have lion's meat in it, just as no bunnies are harmed in the making of bunny chow (a South African curry dish), or there being any dog meat in a hot dog.



Lion's head

Lion's head is basically a Chinese version of meatballs, so named because it supposedly resembles the head of a Chinese guardian lion. When the lion's head came, my aunt was utterly disgusted by the sight of it. "It looks horrible. Why are they so big? Just looking at it makes me feel full," she complained. "They are supposed to be as big as you can make them," I tried to explain to no avail.



A Chinese guardian lion

"What meat is in this?" she accosted one of the hapless waiters, who mumbled that there was only pork meat in it.

The lion's head was pretty heavily-seasoned with Chinese five-spice. I am not sure how authentic that was. My friend wasn't a fan. Edible was how she described it, and not something she would order again in the future. It tasted alright, but I wasn't too fond of it either.

The next dish that came was the shen jian bao. It was decent, and according to my friend, the best shen jian bao she ever had. The previous versions she had actually still had soup in the filling, whereas there wasn't any in this version. The dumpling skin was pleasantly chewy and the meat filling nicely flavored. Adding vinegar sauce to the dumplings greatly enhanced the taste, which both of us did liberally. My aunt nibbled a piece and declared that she liked the xiaolongbao at Yank Sing (a posh dim sum place located downtown) better.



Shen Jian Bao

She refused to order anything for herself and spent all evening covetously sneaking glances at the other tables where people ordered Chinese dishes that she was accustomed to eating. She vowed that if we ever went back to dine there again, she would get carte blanche on ordering the food.

"Look, every table is ordering the shen jian bao we ordered," I said, trying to placate her. "Yes, but I haven't seen a single table order this disgusting lion's head dish," she retorted.

In all honesty, the lion's head wasn't all that great, but in my mind it was worth ordering the dish, if only because my friend and I had the biggest laugh we had in ages from witnessing my aunt's very visceral reaction to it.

The next time we ended up at a Chinese restaurant again, only this time it was just my aunt and I. We had gone to the North Beach Festival in downtown San Francisco, and on the way back, had stumbled upon Spicy King, a Szechuan restaurant in Chinatown. I wanted to dine there because the restaurant had this dish named Crossing The Bridge noodles, which was something I had always wanted to try ever since I heard someone mention it as their favorite Chinese dish.

"Why would you want to get such a boring-looking dish?" my aunt asked. I told her that I wanted to get it because of the interesting history behind the dish. She couldn't fathom why anyone would want to order a dish simply because it had an interesting backstory. "Wife biscuits have an interesting origin story too, and I happen to like eating them as well," I said, but she clearly wasn't interested.

When the dish came, she was very baffled. "Why is the meat served raw?" she asked the server. "That's why it's called Crossing The Bridge Noodles," I tried to explain, as the server started pushing a plate of raw beef slices, quail eggs, shrimp and vegetables into a steaming bowl of broth and noodles, before covering the bowl with the plate. "Give it a few minutes for the food to cook before you start eating," she explained, before leaving us to our meal.



Crossing The Bridge Noodles

The story behind the origin of this dish is thus: a wife, whose husband was studying on an island for the Chinese imperial exams, found that by the time she crossed the bridge to bring him his meals, the soup would be cold and the noodles soggy. One day, she decided to keep the noodles and other ingredients in a separate container from the soup, while adding a layer of oil on top of the broth to keep it hot. When she got to the island, she was able to mix the ingredients together so she could serve her husband a hot meal. Apparently, it is one of Yunnan's cuisine most iconic dishes.

My aunt did unbend enough to try the food, and her only complaint was that it reminded her of Vietnamese pho (which is not surprising, seeing as Yunnan shares a border with Vietnam), and that the dishes that the other customers had ordered looked far more appetizing.

True, the dish turned out to be nothing special, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. The chicken broth was comforting, the mixian noodles (a type of rice noodle from the Yunnan province) nicely al dente, and the restaurant was quite generous with the meat. The only odd ingredient in it was spam, which I am pretty sure never existed in the original version. Then again, I was having an iconic Yunnan dish at a Szechaun restaurant, so the odds of it being 100% authentic was minimal at best.

Still, I now know better than to try and take my aunt to dine at Chinese restaurants if I am not going to order dishes that she is familiar with. What are we going to do if she decides to tag along with us the next time we venture out on our exotic food crawl? I'm sure we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.

Ranking the Tales of Series: From Best to Worst

1. Tales of Vesperia



Best Tales of protagonist in Yuri Lowell. Wonderful storyline. Awesome characters that share great chemistry together. Hilarious skits. What's not to like?

2. Tales of Eternia



First Tales game played. I have such fond memories of this game. Also only Tales game I have replayed. Twice. For a total of three complete playthroughs.

3. Tales of Xillia



Less stellar than Tales of Vesperia, but nevertheless pretty good all the same. Decent characters, story and skits.

4: Tales of The Abyss



Was not enamored of the whiny protagonist, but otherwise the story and characters were alright.

5. Tales of Legendia



The black sheep of the Tales of series. Personally don't understand why myself, as I enjoyed playing it.

6. Tales of Xillia 2



A mute protagonist who plays second fiddle to the main cast of Tales of Xillia, an idiotic plot contrivance in the form of a crazy debt you are saddled with early on in the game that you have to work towards paying off at various points in the game before you can proceed with the plot, which is thin enough as it is. Nevertheless, it was fun reuniting with characters from the original game.

7. Tales of Graces F



Urgh, where do I even begin? Terrible English voice acting in Ashbel Lhant, a stupid plot, a fighting system I greatly dislike, idiotic characters who annoyingly expound the theme of "Friendship!" in every other sentence. Things improve after the main storyline ends, but by then it comes too little, too late.

8. Tales of Beseria



Prequel to Tales of Zestiria. Marginally better than Tales of Zestiria, but only just. Weak worldbuilding, bland landscapes that you have to traverse through and backtrack through several times, characters I don't care about, rubbish villains and a storyline I am not too fond of.

9. Tales of Zestiria



Surprised to find a Tales of game I dislike more than Graces, but Tales of Zestiria somehow manages to attain this dubious honor. Plays like a half-baked game, with bland characters that I cannot make myself care about, and a storyline with plot holes the size of craters.