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Get to know the SOU Softball Head Coach Jessica Pistole, her coaching journey, her thoughts on this past season, and what to expect this upcoming season.

Before coming to SOU, head softball coach, Coach Jessica Pistole knew what it took to not only be a part of, but to create a successful softball program. In her collegiate career she played volleyball and softball for Biola University. At Biola, she was a three time All-American and received a Bachelor of Arts in health psychology. After finishing school, she became Biola’s head softball coach and was extremely successful in her first year of coaching, leading the Eagles to a 51-46 record in two seasons, and a 26-19 record in her last season there.

She then took over the head coaching position for William Jessup’s volleyball team and shortly after, Pistole decided to build a softball team there from the ground up. In her second season, she led the Warriors to the 2011 California Pacific Conference championship and earned the Cal Pac Coach of the Year award. Pistole left the warriors with a 56-38 record. After briefly coaching at Utah State as an assistant coach, she moved on to coach a high school team in Twin Falls. In both seasons her team won the District 4 title and Pistole was named Great Basin Athletic Conference Coach of the Year.

She then set her sights on our Southern Oregon University softball team and the team has been making a lot of noise since she arrived. The Raiders had their most successful season yet. They broke SOU softball history and were ranked No. 6 in the postseason by the NAIA Top 25 poll. The Raiders were No. 20 after winning the Cascade Collegiate Conference tournament and made it to Florida before losing to Oklahoma City. They ended their season with a 46-15 record. There are high expectations for the SOU softball team this year, and Head Coach Jessica Pistole is ready to lead her new team into another successful season.

Nicole Cardoza has a BA degree in English from Southern Oregon University. She was the co-caption of the 2016-2017 Raider softball team that participated for the first time in the NAIA World Series.

Nicole Cardoza: What were some of the difficulties you had to overcome in creating William Jessup’s first ever softball program?

Jessica Pistole: There were several challenging aspects of starting the program at William Jessup that included raising all of the money to operate for the year, recruiting a team of 20 student-athletes to come play just 4 months before school started, and finding a coaching staff of good people who were on board to volunteer their time as well. But all of those things came together and it was a very rewarding experience.

Nicole Cardoza:Why did you choose to come to SOU?

Jessica Pistole: Prior to coaching here at SOU, I was coaching a high school team in Twin Falls, Idaho. As a family, we knew we were leaving Idaho after the season for various reasons to head back towards the West Coast but it wasn’t until after coming to SOU for an interview, that our energy completely shifted to Ashland and joining the SOU community. I was already familiar with the Cascade Conference and knew I could run a good softball program here, but it was definitely the people in the Athletic Department and all that SOU had to offer that solidified the decision for us.

Nicole Cardoza: What were some things you knew that had to change right off that bat?

Jessica Pistole: I didn’t come in here thinking I had to change anything specific. I only knew one way to run a program and I knew the culture I wanted to create and be a part of. So, I started from the bottom and began to implement the little things that I believed would get us there.

Nicole Cardoza: Coming into this softball program, were you intimidated or nervous by all that was going to have to be done in order to turn SOU softball into a successful program?

Jessica Pistole: It wasn’t intimidating to me because my experiences as a coach up to this point had prepared me. I have been a part of starting a program or taking over programs in several places so I felt like I knew what I needed to do in order to be successful. I had the motivation to return to coaching at the college level and now had the experience of coaching at the high school level as well so I felt well equipped.

Nicole Cardoza: When did you feel like there was some serious progress happening?

Jessica Pistole: I felt like we began to make progress from the very beginning with my first group in 2014. Everyone was eager to work hard and wanted to be a part of a championship program. After the difficulty of the fit tests and the first couple weeks of challenges, those that remained were on board and jumped in with both feet. Since then, each year, we have a new group that is ready to commit to the little things we do on and off the field on a daily basis and if we are getting just 1% better each day, we are continuing to make progress.

Nicole Cardoza: What were some challenges or bumps in the road?

Jessica Pistole: Every season has its challenges and every year has brought different types of adversity that we’ve navigated as it’s come. One thing I’ve realized is how important it is to have a group that is committed to the big picture and willing to do the little things (and make the sacrifices) it will take to get there. It’s a long year and it’s challenging to start and kindle the fire so that it can become strong enough to take us through those difficult patches along the way and hopefully be at our best to get us all the way through May.

Nicole Cardoza: How do you keep players motivated and excited?

Jessica Pistole: Ultimately, the motivation has to come from within each person but I try to do my best to help each person find that. It’s also very important for me to model that motivation in my own life. Being a wife and mother of 4, balance is very important for me to be able to be the best coach I can be. I try to mix things up and we do creative team activities often, but those are only tools to help guide them. I am a firm believer in our preparation being tough so that when we hit our season of competition, we can trust that we are ready.

Nicole Cardoza: This year was the first time ever in SOU softball history that we have made it to the World Series. How does that feel and what did it take to get your team in that position?

Jessica Pistole: I think our trip to Mississippi was something really special for our team. Our journey to the World Series was exciting and very rewarding to see the fruit of all the hard work we put in over the course of the year. Making it to the World Series was a great accomplishment for our program, but I believe we are capable of not merely making it, but winning it.

Nicole Cardoza: We didn’t win the whole thing, but we are all very proud of the success and eager to see how far SOU softball will make it this upcoming season. How are you getting your new team ready for this upcoming season?

Jessica Pistole: The hunger for our returners started when we got back from Florida. We got a little taste of playing for the championship and we came back knowing that we have the ability to do it. As for our incoming group, they are a talented, eager group that are ready to come in and help take our program even further.

Nicole Cardoza: Is there anything you’d do differently this year?

Jessica Pistole: Each year, our group is different and we need to be ready to adapt in some areas to what works best for that team. That will definitely be the case this year. However, there are values and expectations that don’t change from year to year. This upcoming season, we have a big group of incoming players but we also have a group of returners who have been around and bought into the process. I will rely heavily on our returning leadership to guide and show the new players what it means to be a part of SOU Softball.

Nicole Cardoza: Who can we expect to be big game changers on the field this year?

Jessica Pistole: Shortstop Kelsey Randall is a four-time All-Conference/All-American that has been a big contributor for us every year. Harlee Donovan, a JC transfer from last season will continue to be an impact player in our offensive line-up and behind the plate. Also, we have two returning sophomore pitchers, Karlee Coughlin and Gabby Sandoval, who both had a great first year here as freshmen and we have a strong core of players that were contributors all year for us last year both offensively and defensively.

Nicole Cardoza: Any incoming freshmen to watch out for?

Jessica Pistole: We have 4 hard working pitchers and a good combination of speed and power in both the infield and outfield in our incoming group of players. I am really looking forward to getting started and watching them bring their gifts and eagerness to SOU Softball this fall.

Nicole Cardoza: If you only had a couple sentences, how would describe SOU softball?

Jessica Pistole: I think a good way to describe SOU Softball is that we want to be better. Regardless of the successes we have accomplished in the past or the mistakes we have made, I want to be a group of people that is in constant pursuit of a better “us”. We want to become better in all areas of our lives and hold each other to that standard on a daily basis. Softball is definitely something we spend our time doing, but it’s really about trying to become better students, better friends, better teammates, and better human beings.

Nicole Cardoza: What are you most proud of in your coaching career?

Jessica Pistole: I am proud of the relationships that I have built in my journey as a coach. I have coached several different teams and have many former players and coaches that I still keep in contact with and now get the joy of watching thrive in their lives after softball. I have learned the importance of staying true to the values that I believe in and knowing what I won’t change in my program. Yet at the same time, I have also learned how important change can be and when it is time to adapt to something new.

Nicole Cardoza: Well I wish you and your team the best of luck and I hope you guys take it all the way this year!

Jessica Pistole: Thank you!

Sarah E. Stevens is fan of all fantasy, paranormal, and science fiction. She lives and works in Evansville, Indiana. Waxing Moon is her second book, a sequel to Dark Moon Wolf (profiled here).

You can learn more at her website sarahestevens.com and Twitter feed @sessiesarah.

Ed Battistella: Congratulations on Waxing Moon, part two of the Calling the Moon series. Your protagonist is back in southern Oregon. What happens?

Sarah E. Stevens: Thanks! Yes, the entirety of Waxing Moon takes place in southern Oregon. The book opens with Julie’s house burning down in the middle of the night. She and Carson are trapped in the fire. After they manage to escape, a huge, black wolf appears in the darkness and Julie realizes she has an unknown enemy—or perhaps, many enemies. The whole crew assembles to help: Julie, Sheila, Eliza, and Tim, along with some interesting new allies.

EB: I was intrigued by the relationships in the book, but also by the salamanders. Who are they? What’s their role in the story?

SS: Salamanders are a new paranormal race created in this series. Just as Werewolves draw on the moon for their abilities, ’Manders are linked to the sun and its powers. Werewolves and Salamanders exist in an uneasy yin-yang relationship, vying for position in the paranormal world. As you might remember from Dark Moon Wolf, the first book in this series, my Werewolves are quite different than the traditional mythos. Salamanders serve as their complement.

EB: As a writer, how do you manage the task of a second book in a series? How much backstory is necessary and how much is too much?

SS: It’s hard to hit the sweet spot where you reveal enough to catch up new readers, but you don’t indulge in an obvious info dump. I tried to bring up the relevant background as it became necessary to the new plot and the characters, so that readers get the information bit by bit. If I remember correctly, I edited quite a bit of the backstory out during revisions. Hopefully, I’ve left just enough to fill in the gaps and not so much that it’s boring or redundant.

EB: Have you noticed any changes in your writing from book 1 to book 2—from Dark Moon Rising to Waxing Moon?

SS: I think my pacing is tighter in Waxing Moon. The book really drives to a finish and many of my readers talked about how well the suspense and plotting work, that they couldn’t put the book down. I also think the book has some great moments of character development. My writing is very character-centered, with a focus on relationships, choices, and their consequences.

EB: There is a book 3 coming—what can we expect in Rising Wolf?

SS: I anticipate Rising Wolf will be the final book of this series. Waxing Moon leaves several large questions hanging over Julie’s head, even as the plot resolves. You’ll see how her relationships with the Weres and the Salamanders develop. You’ll also meet a new paranormal threat, of course.

EB: What’s your author experience been like? What some of reader feedback have you gotten?

SS: I’ve had fantastic feedback and reviews. One of my favorite reviews of Dark Moon Wolf was on the blog “Fangs for the Fantasy,” because they really understood the issues of gender, diversity, and social justice that I’ve wrapped into my books. They’ll be reviewing Waxing Moon soon and I look forward to hearing their thoughts. I’ve been very conscious to include a diverse group of characters—in terms of race, ethnicity, and sexuality—and the themes of equity and inclusion are even stronger in this second novel. I really wanted to dispel the Werewolf mythos that involves brutal alpha males and center my stories on strong women.

Over the last six months, I’ve sold my books at several local conventions and signings. I’ve had a lot of fun meeting readers, signing books, and getting to know other authors. Since these books are published with a small press (The Wild Rose Press), I think the most difficult thing for me has been figuring out promotion and publicity. Without the power of a large press and distributor, I’ve done a lot of self-promotion on social media, my blog, other blogs, etc. I’d love to reach a wider audience, because I believe in my books.

EB: How do you learn about werewolves and other paranormal phenomena? Are there standard texts?

SS: I’d love to believe in paranormal creatures, but since they aren’t actually real, we don’t have textbooks. I’m a voracious reader of all things fantasy and I’ve read a lot of more traditional Werewolf fiction, as well as newer urban fantasy about Weres. When I reinvented Weres for my books, I did some research on cross-cultural associations of the moon.

EB: Thanks for talking with us.

SS: Thanks so much for having me!

Abbey Gaterud directs Portland State University’s Ooligan Press, which is part of its unique master’s in book publishing program. She is a PSU alum and a book designer and was recognized by Publisher’s Weekly in 2015 as a Star Watch honoree.

Ed Battistella: How did Ooligan press get started?

Abbey Gaterud: The book publishing program at PSU was launched in the Fall of 2001 and as part of the curriculum, Ooligan Press was born.

EB: Ooligan is a teaching press. How does that process work?

AG: Ooligan Press is part of the master’s in book publishing program. As such, it’s the place where students put into practice the theory and skills they are learning in their other classes (like editing, design, marketing, digital). We consider Ooligan to be the central component to the experiential education that the master’s degree provides.

EB: At the press, what do the students have responsibility for and what do the faculty have responsibility for?

AG: The students are responsible for everything. As the only faculty member dedicated to Ooligan, I serve as the publisher and that really means I make sure that we are on the right track with schedules, funds, the boring logistical stuff. The students get to be in charge of all the fun stuff: they work directly with our authors to edit the books; they are in charge of the design of the book, from cover to cover; they design and implement the marketing and sales strategies that we use to get the books into the hands of readers; and they tackle the always-changing digital publishing world of ebooks, websites, and whatever else is happening now. Students run the show.

EB: What does Ooligan look for in a book and in an author?

AG: We publish books with a Pacific Northwest connection. That can come from the author, the subject matter, the story itself. We look for authors who want to work with an ambitious group of young professionals and authors who respect the process of practice as learning. We look for authors who are not afraid to work with a large team, because that’s what we are at Ooligan: a big team of really excited young professionals.

EB: Ooligan seems to have a wide-variety of titles. Is there any particular publishing niche that the press is aiming for?

AG: Our backlist is certainly more eclectic than our current publishing mission. We have focused much more in the last five years on staying true to our regional roots. We have the most success with books that live in the Pacific Northwest and with books that tell stories not usually taken on by larger publishers. As part of the master’s curriculum, we have a bit more leeway in choosing books for their subject merits rather than their profitability. Our books support themselves (we don’t have any standing funding for the production of our books from PSU), but they don’t have to support the operations of a publishing house in terms of salaries, rents, or any of those real costs for more traditional publishers. That said, the books do have to support themselves, so their viability in the marketplace is certainly a factor when we acquire a title.

EB: Where can readers get your books?

AG: Anywhere you buy books. We encourage supporting your local bookstore and library, but our books are available worldwide via all the major retailers.

EB: Tell us a little about your own background and what you hope to accomplish at Ooligan?

AG: I have a background in design and production, but I’ve been at PSU for ten years now and it feels like my focus is all about collaboration, creative problem solving, and constantly asking what we can do better. My main goal at Ooligan is to be a constant, fixed foundation from which our students and graduates can launch themselves into the publishing world—in whatever way that suits them best. I want our students to excel in the literary world and I want them to be able to not just adapt to the changing publishing and reading ecosystem, but to lead that change. I want our graduates to have the confidence and skill to question the changes that are coming and to put them in context, so that we make good decisions as an industry when facing the challenges of a new media landscape.

What that means for Ooligan is that we take each project as a new platform for experimentation. Whether that’s a technical change in the way we edit, code, or design the books, or something bigger like a total revamping of the means of production, we question the process each time we take on a new project. This makes publishing a book not just a series of the same old steps, over and over again, but a chance to make up the steps as we go. We’re not afraid to try something new and that makes this the most exciting place for publishing professionals to get their start.

EB: What excites you the most about the publishing trade and working with students?

AG: Right now we’re in the middle of a huge change in the way we read and the way we publish. It’s amazing to be in a place where there’s no clinging to the past and the way this have always been done. Students are always up for hard work and are constantly excited about their projects—these are the first books they’ve published and the enthusiasm and passion for the projects carries an amazing amount of energy along with it. So for me, I get to be carried along with that energy, rather than feeling like I’ve been working in the same place for ten years. It’s something new and exciting every term, every year, and that keeps everyone busy and engaged.

EB: Thanks for talking with us!

AG: Thanks for having me. Our websites have a huge amount of information and I’d encourage people who want to know more about the publishing process to check our Write to Publish, our annual conference dedicated to demystifying publishing for writers. More info here: https://ooligan.pdx.edu/events/writetopublish/

Chin Music Press was founded by Bruce Rutledge and Yuko Enomoto in 2002. Their mission is create “literary objects” — books that are a pleasure to touch as well as read. NPR describes them as “a triumphant kick in the pants for anyone who doubts the future of paper-and-ink books.” In 2014, Chin Music opened a bookstore in the Pike’s Place Market. You can read what Publisher’s Weekly said here. Publisher Bruce Rutledge sat down online for an interview about Chin Music Press.

Ed Battistella: How did Chin Music get started? You’ve been around for quite some time.

Bruce Rutledge: My wife Yuko Enomoto and I formed the company in 2002 while working with designer Craig Mod, who was finishing up his undergraduate degree at the University of Pennsylvania. As soon as he graduated, we hired him and sent him to Japan (I still don’t know how we managed to get him a work visa, but we did). Yuko and I had just returned to the States after working as journalists in Tokyo during the 1990s, and we were eager to publish books about Japan. Back then, we even printed in Japan, so having a production person there made sense. Plus, Craig was inspired on a daily basis by what he saw, which helped make our books keepsakes.

EB: How did you choose the name Chin Music?

BR: I loved that phrase since growing up in Cleveland, Ohio, listening to Mudcat Grant announce Indians games. He’d use that phrase every time a pitcher would throw a high-and-tight one at the batter. Then I came across it in Mark Twain’s writing. In Roughing It, a rube corners the parson and asks him to “jerk a little chin music for us” because one of their buddies has died and they want to give him a proper send-off. I did a little research and was thrilled to find how many different meanings “chin music” has had during its lifetime. It’s a phrase that evolves and stays relevant from age to age. Today, rappers use the phrase as does Shawn Michaels of the WWE with his “sweet chin music” knockout kick. Who knows what’s next.

EB: Tell us a little about your background.

BR: I grew up in Cleveland, went to Kenyon College, where I developed a lifelong love of literature, and then went to Japan on a lark to teach English for a year, thinking I’d come back and get a job with a newspaper. This was the mid 1980s. My dream was to be a foreign correspondent. Well, one year in Japan led to 17. While in Japan, I was like a white-collar Louis L’amour, dabbling in all sorts of media jobs. I copyedited, was a stringer for wire services, even did some TV and radio work, and later did translation and interpreting work. While I loved that life, it was meant for a young person, and as I got older, I knew I wanted to work in longer forms. Setting up an independent press seemed like the next logical step.

EB: In 2014, you opened a bookstore in the Pike’s Place Market. What prompted you to do that?

BR: I had always wanted to combine the press with a store, but it never made economic sense until 2014. Our store is less a Chin Music Press store than it is a celebration of indie press in the Pacific Northwest. For me, it’s all about creating places online and in the physical world where people can gather and share ideas and stories. These spaces are so necessary.

I also noticed that many presses had the same idea around the same time as us. It’s interesting to see presses like Melville House, Milkweed, Two Dollar Radio and others branch out with these physical spaces. It’s a bit of a trend, and I think it’s because so much of our communal space has been gutted by gentrification and other forces.

EB: Chin Music Press publishes some beautiful books. What do you look for in a book and how do you work with authors to convert a book into a work of art?

BR: We are more open to books with visual components than most literary presses. But it is not something we look for or try to force into a narrative. We approach every book we publish organically. We discuss what is the best way to physically present the story. And usually, we come up with something unique and lasting. I think it boils down to taking the time to consider each title and not relying on a cookie-cutter approach.

Over the years, we’ve tended to attract authors who are looking for their book to be beautifully rendered. Authors who have published with large houses come to us because they want one objet in their oeuvre. We’ve gained a reputation for being able to do that.

EB: What do you look for in an author?

BR: Patience and an understanding that what we are attempting to do is very, very hard and often doesn’t make money. Also, a willingness to hustle. The author becomes part of our family for at least a year or so and sometimes for a lifetime. They need to work as hard as we do at getting their book in front of people.

EB: Let me ask about independent publishing more generally–what you call the publishing ecosystem. What’s the role of independent publishers like Chin Music in American book culture?

BR: We’re the risk takers. For example, our first two books were hardbacks without jackets in 2005. In 2010, The Guardian wrote about this “new fashion for going without wrappers.” Well, between 2005 and 2010, indie presses created that trend. We took the risk. That happens over and over. Without indie presses, the literary landscape would be arid.

EB: You have been publishing for awhile. What have you learned since beginning your press?

BR: I’ve learned to be a fluid thinker. Some of our best successes have come when we have broken from our original game plan. We did several books about New Orleans after Katrina that sold very well. That wasn’t in the game plan. We’ve also done design and editorial work for hire to stabilize our bottom line. I wasn’t expecting that to be a revenue source. You have to think and act like an entrepreneur but with no end game where a venture capitalist funds you. It’s eternal hardscrabble.

EB: What advice have you got for potential authors?

BR: Research the press you are pitching to. Show a willingness to help with sales and marketing. Show an understanding of the industry, or if you don’t have that, at least show empathy for what we do. Understand that going with an indie press to publish your book is in no way like going with a big NY firm. The economics are completely different as is the culture.

EB: Are there some forthcoming books you can highlight for us?

BR: We’re about to publish Timber Curtain, a collection of poetry about Richard Hugo and the Richard Hugo House, by Frances McCue. It is so timely and eloquent. It is coming out in tandem with a documentary about the Richard Hugo House called Where the House Was. Well, actually, the book will come out first, and I imagine the documentary will be ready early next year. Frances experiments with erasures, and that posed an interesting design challenge for us. I think our designer, Dan Shafer, handled it with aplomb. Timber Curtain will be out in late September.

Soon after that, on Nov. 1, we’ll be doing our first co-publishing project with Mercuria Press of Portland. Mercuria Press is run by Carla Girard, who is the designer behind some of our most beautiful books. We’ll be co-publishing a series of books that explore aspects of Japan, and the first one is Kaibyo: The Supernatural Cats of Japan. It’s filled with woodblock prints depicting these supernatural cats and writing by Zack Davisson that helps us understand Japan’s relationship with cats. It’s a gorgeous book that will attract both Japanophiles and cat lovers. For Japanophiles who also love cats, it may simply be too much!

EB: Thanks for talking with us.

BR: Thanks for doing what you do, Ed.