by Lauren Gailey, Staff Writer
Ken Gormley, Dean and Professor at Duquesne
Law School, knows a few things about getting published. He has written extensively for law reviews
and other publications, and his two books, Archibald Cox: Conscience of a Nation and The Death
of American Virtue: Clinton vs. Starr,
have received many awards and accolades.
Dean Gormley recently shared some of the secrets of his success with Juris
Staff Writer Lauren Gailey.
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| © Richard Kelly/Pittsburgh Post Gazette |
Juris: You’ve been published in many different media, from Rolling
Stone magazine to academic journals to books and book chapters, each of
which demand different approaches. Can you describe how you tailor your
choice of subject matter and scope, writing process, and writing style to the
medium in which you’re writing?
KG: I start out
by asking myself, “Who’s my audience?”
If you’re writing for a readership of lawyers, that’s different
than writing for a law review (which is mainly for academics), and both of
those are different than writing for a general audience of readers who may know
nothing about law and who need to be told a compelling story in
common-sense terms. No matter who I’m writing for, though, I try to write
as clearly and directly as possible. That usually means lots of
re-writes.
Juris: Do you have a preference for writing in one medium
over the others, and, if so, why?
KG: I enjoy writing for a general
audience. It’s scary but exciting to try to connect with a large group of
readers who you’ve never met. There’s nothing that’s more exciting than
waking up in the morning, opening a newspaper, and seeing a story you’ve
written, accompanied by an eye-catching photo or illustration. Or seeing
a book you’ve written in the window of Barnes & Noble. That’s what
writers live for – to see that they’re connecting with a wide audience.
Juris: Which of your non-academic publishing experiences have been particularly
gratifying? Particularly memorable?
KG: The Clinton book [The Death of American
Virtue] was certainly an incredible experience. Sitting in the
sunroom of President Clinton’s home in Chappaqua, New York, talking to him
about the exhilarating and dicey moments of his presidency – that was high
drama. You say to yourself: “Am I really here? I really hope
I don’t screw up this interview.”
Juris: What would your advice be to students who are looking to explore getting
published in media other than academic journals – where should they start?
How does one go about landing a book deal or getting a newspaper editor
to publish him or her in the Opinion section?
KG: Start small and shoot for perfection in
everything you do. It probably isn’t a great idea to devote nine years to
writing a big book until you’ve first published smaller pieces and you’ve
confirmed that A) people actually read them and B) neutral people like editors
believe you actually know how to write. Doing newspaper and magazine
articles is a good way to test out your writing skills and try out different techniques
and styles for different audiences.
Juris: Can you offer any advice as to how a student can build a professional
reputation or an area of expertise that will make it more likely that an
editor, publisher, or literary agent will reach out to him or her and commission
a piece or book?
KG: That comes from becoming a go-to person in
a specific area. You do that by building on your strengths and
experiences until you become an expert in something, big or small. I’ve
always had a motto, “Don’t do anything interesting in life without writing
about it.” So far, that’s worked out pretty well.
Look for more from
Dean Gormley and other Duquesne Law faculty and students who have been
published in the next issue of Juris Magazine.
Lauren Gailey is a graduate of the University of
Pittsburgh and a 2L at Duquesne Law. Her
favorite subjects include Constitutional Law and Criminal Law, which she had
the opportunity to put into practice when she interned with the U.S. Attorney’s
Office last year. She and her teammates
recently represented Duquesne at the 2013 Judge John R. Brown Admiralty Moot
Court Competition, where they reached the semi-finals and won an award for the
Second-Best Respondent’s Brief.
