Moshe Feder: Brandon's Editor and The Man In The Coppermind

[Thousandarms97]

Hi Sanderfans/Sharders,

I will be posting a series of "scrolls" about Moshe Feder, Brandon's Tor editor, on my blog. Moshe was the person who "discovered" Brandon and acquired Brandon's sixth novel Elantris in 2003. In 2005, Elantris became Brandon's first published novel.

Moshe has kindly agreed to be interviewed for this series.

Here is the first "scroll" in case any of you are interested to check it out: http://shazarose.blogspot.com/2018/08/moshe-man-behind-copper-mind-scroll-1.html

This is the first scroll in what is expected to be a multi-short scroll series on Moshe.

A future planned "scroll" will document half of Brandon's twin inspiration for including characters like Kaladin, Shallan and Dalinar, who all suffer from various mental health issues, in his Stormlight Archive series. Moshe himself is one half of this inspiration, and I will be documenting Moshe's bout of bipolar that he wants to share in order to help raise awareness about mental health issues.

When I asked him if it would be a painful thing for him to share, he had this to say:

"Not painful to share. It’s a duty to help fellow sufferers and to work on reducing stigma. When I was Corflu (fanzine fan con) GoH, it was a major part of my speech."

Hope you do enjoy the series if you decide to check it out! 

Warmest Regards

Sharon Hooper

Edited September 2, 2018 by Thousandarms97

[Thousandarms97]

http://shazarose.blogspot.com/2018/09/through-mind-darkly.html

Here is the scroll that documented half of Brandon's twin inspiration for including characters like Kaladin, Shallan and Dalinar, who all suffer from various mental health issues, in his Stormlight Archive series. Moshe himself is one half of this inspiration, and I also interviewed a fan who struggles with depression, who found that reading his Stormlight Archive books help her cope with her depression.

Edited September 3, 2018 by Thousandarms97

[Toaster Retribution]

Great interview! Very interesting to read.

[Thousandarms97]

@Toaster Retribution: Thank you so much for your very kind words! I have gone ahead and passed your lovely comments on to Moshe and Hannah, as the article would not have existed without their involvement. =D

Edited September 2, 2018 by Thousandarms97

[Toaster Retribution]

@Thousandarms97 Awesome!

[Thousandarms97]

@Toaster Retribution

For those who have already read the article: http://shazarose.blogspot.com/2018/09/through-mind-darkly.html, here is just an update by Moshe:

I have gone ahead and added it in my post under Feder's recommended further reading: This Woman’s Viral Thread Notes A Never-Discussed Symptom Of Depression And Absolutely Everyone Needs To Read This 

 

@Toaster Retribution I've also added links that readers can use to seek help if they think they, or someone they know, might need it: http://shazarose.blogspot.com/2018/09/through-mind-darkly.html

"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.)" 

Edited September 2, 2018 by Thousandarms97

[Toaster Retribution]

Again, very nice.

[Thousandarms97]

@Toaster Retribution Once again thank you so much for your kind words. Your lovely comments make me feel that this is very worth all the time and effort spent. =D

 

@Toaster Retribution More updates to the article as Moshe has just gone into more detail about what an "up" episode of bipolar disorder feels like: http://shazarose.blogspot.com/2018/09/through-mind-darkly.html

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 lives with Flushing, New York with his two cats, Destry and Nemo. 

If you are interested to know about his still-leaking roof, you can read about it here: 

and here: 

 

 

Now for something more light-hearted.

Here's the "You Think You Can Moshe?" Quiz: http://shazarose.blogspot.com/2018/09/so-you-think-you-can-moshe.html which is a fun quiz to test how well you think you know Moshe having read about him in the last two scrolls. =P

[Toaster Retribution]

Again, interesting to read!

[Thousandarms97]

@Toaster Retribution Thank you for that. 

I am taking a short break from writing any more scrolls, but the next one would most likely be the story of how Moshe came to acquire Elantris; we will be seeing it from Moshe's POV instead of Brandon's; it is a lovely story bound up with luck, serendipity and layered with such kindness and goodness on the parts of everyone involved. I think I'll name this scroll Two Men and a Manuscript. =D

Edited September 3, 2018 by Thousandarms97

[Toaster Retribution]

Looking forward to it!

[Thousandarms97]

@Toaster Retribution Thank you so much for your patience.

Here is the fourth scroll: http://shazarose.blogspot.com/2018/09/two-men-manuscript-how-i-got-moshe-to.html which documents a conversation I had with Moshe on why he decided to acquire Elantris. It touches on other topics as well, but I have kept those in because some readers might be interested in them. If you are not, you can always skip around to just the Elantris parts. =D

 

@Toaster Retribution Yet another update to the second scroll: http://shazarose.blogspot.com/2018/09/through-mind-darkly.html Added two videos to the post: 

 

Hope you enjoy listening and watching them! =D

Warmest Regards

Sharon

Edited September 3, 2018 by Thousandarms97

[Toaster Retribution]

Interesting to see how he found Elantris :-)

[Thousandarms97]

@Toaster Retribution It is, isn't it? Felt that it was too interesting to keep to myself, so I'd just thought I'd share it with you all. =D

Warmest Regards

Sharon

 

After debating with myself for quite a while, I have decided to release the documentation of what transpired immediately following Scroll 4, as I have been quite taken aback by the read count of Scroll 4 despite having only released Scroll 4 this morning, which perhaps indicate that fans might be interested to read more (or maybe not? I have no idea).

Here is Scroll 5: http://shazarose.blogspot.com/2018/09/moshe-man-in-coppermind-scroll-5-how.html

Please note that this scroll in no way advocate or endorse fans behaving in this manner when trying to meet authors.

 

Here is the sixth scroll: http://shazarose.blogspot.com/2018/09/moshe-man-in-coppermind-scroll-6-what.html which is basically just Moshe and I discussing the origin of his name and its possible connection to a certain Stormlight character named Moash.

 

Basically out of material to craft any more scrolls until I can get more information from Moshe. Till then, hope you enjoy the above posted scrolls.

 

In case anyone is interested to learn more about Brandon Sanderson's charity The Lightweaver Foundation, I have done a brief write-up here: http://shazarose.blogspot.com/2018/09/brandon-sandersons-lightweaver.html

[Toaster Retribution]

Fun to read about the naming stuff! Good work!

 

Also, you accidentally called Moshe Moash in one of your posts :-) Anyway, I like behind-the-scenes stuff, so this is fun to read. 

 

[Thousandarms97]

Probably did. Thanks for the update. I'll go hunt Moash down right now. =D For killing Eholkar (sic).

 

 

@Toaster Retribution You wouldn't happen to know which Scroll you found it in do you? I'd rather not have to comb through all six of them. =P

Edited September 12, 2018 by Thousandarms97

[Toaster Retribution]

14 hours ago, Thousandarms97 said:

Here is the sixth scroll: http://shazarose.blogspot.com/2018/09/moshe-man-in-coppermind-scroll-6-what.html which is basically just Moash and I discussing the origin of his name and its possible connection to a certain Stormlight character named Moash.

It is not a scroll, it is this post. I bolded it for ya.

[Thousandarms97]

Kind of meta error but yeah thanks for the head's up. Let me go behead Moash right now with my Caesura sword. =D

 

@Toaster Retribution Why is 17Shard telling me this: You are not allowed to give reputation to this user."

[Toaster Retribution]

Just now, Thousandarms97 said:

@Toaster Retribution Why is 17Shard telling me this: You are not allowed to give reputation to this user."

No idea. There might be some function that ensures that you don´t upvote one person too much, in order to avoid messing with the upvote system. There is also a limit of how many upvotes you can give per day. It is 16 I think. 

[Thousandarms97]

@Toaster Retribution Thanks! =D

 

@Toaster Retribution 

Update: Moshe is currently busy living his life right now, so I will not be badgering him for more stories. In the meantime, Scroll 7: https://shazarose.blogspot.com/2018/09/reader-comments-from-scroll-2-through.html will be a compilation of reader comments to Scroll 2: Through A Mind, Darkly: http://shazarose.blogspot.com/2018/09/through-mind-darkly.html

Sharders, if you have any comments you'd like me to include in Scroll 7, please reply to this thread with your comment and how you would like to be attributed/links to personal homepage etc. I am a firm proponent of the First Amendment and freedom of speech, but please note that I will NOT be including any hateful comments in Scroll 7. So, if you are hoping to get your hateful comments inscribed in Scroll 7, I'd kindly advise you to go do something else that would be a more productive use of your time. That being said, I will accept any alternative thoughts about mental health issues, so for example, if you have say an Eastern perspective instead of a Western perspective regarding mental health, please feel free to share and I'd be more than happy to include them in Scroll 7. Thanks! =D

Edited September 4, 2018 by Thousandarms97

[Toaster Retribution]

Well, I do suffer from mental health issues myself, although I do have something more like OCD. Stories like the ones Moshe are contributing too are important way to shed light on these sorts of thibgs, and also to make the people suffering feel that they are not alone. Its always important to be kind and understanding toward people who suffer from different mental issues. I think it is hard to understand what it is like if you don’t have any. So be kind and respectful. And to those who suffer from these things: keep on fighting. Every time you can do something that normal people can, you beat the disease. 

You can add this if you like :-)

Edited September 6, 2018 by Toaster Retribution

[Thousandarms97]

That is a beautiful comment @Toaster Retribution Thank you so much for sharing. Is this what you want your attribution to be: "Sharder Toaster Retribution"?

 

@Toaster Retribution If you don't mind, may I edit your comments as such:

 

Well, I do suffer from mental health issues myself, although I do have something more like OCD. Stories like the ones Moshe are contributing to are an important way to shed light on these sorts of things, and also to make the people suffering feel that they are not alone. It's always important to be kind and understanding toward people who suffer from different mental issues. I think it is hard to understand what it is like if you don’t have any. So be kind and respectful. And to those who suffer from these things: keep on fighting. Every time you can do something that normal people can, you beat the disease. 

Please let me know. =D

 

[Toaster Retribution]

@Thousandarms97 That works great, both with the edits and the title!

[Thousandarms97]

@Toaster Retribution It is now live: http://shazarose.blogspot.com/2018/09/reader-comments-from-scroll-2-through.html

Please take a look and see if there is something I missed or got wrong, so I can go ahead and correct it.

Edited September 6, 2018 by Thousandarms97

[Zelly]

Thanks for sharing all this!  There's a great mix of information in there across so many topics!