My Books

Face: A Memoir is a sensitive and engaging read, rich with detail. Thematically, …the reconstruction of surgery in Face aligns beautifully with the reconstruction of memory and personal history through writing, and I can’t say I’ve read anything exactly like it. — Melissa Oliveira in Hippocampus

FACE, published by Saddle Road Press in 2021, has won the New Mexico/Arizona Book Award, Story Circle Network’s May Sarton award, the New Mexico Press Women award and the National Federation of Press Women award. It was also shortlisted for the international Eric Hoffer Grand Prize and a finalist for the Wishing Shelf award based in London.

“Skin Craft,” a piece adapted from the memoir, was shortlisted for the Fish International Short Memoir Prize and published in Reed Literary Magazine in July 2021. You can read it here.

This book looks at the impacts on my life of an early traumatic injury that disfigured my face. I was hit by a car when I was five and dragged a half-block down the street. I lost my entire left cheek and eyelid, and had to undergo twenty surgeries over the next fifteen years, the majority of them before I turned ten.

When I went off to college I pushed all those experiences down into a deep place and tried not to think about them again. But at midlife, my life was falling apart, and I was forced to look back and confront all the heartache that accompanied those early years of surgeries, trauma, and emotional pain. It was the beginning of coming back to myself.

It is my hope that Face will inspire and move others to confront painful experiences and, ultimately, find healing, understanding and contentment. 

I was thrilled to have done readings when the book came out with Collected Works Books in Santa Fe, Chaucer’s Books in Santa Barbara, and SOMOS of Taos.

Dr. Pam Peeke featured me on her podcast, “Her,” as well. You can listen here. I also was delighted to be featured on Carly Newfeld’s KSFR radio show “The Last Word.” You can listen to it here.

On Feb. 20, Saddle Road Press hosted a panel discussion, “What Makes a Memoir Compelling?” with me and SRP authors Don Mitchell and Jayne Benjulian. Listen and view the panel here.

And thanks to Joan Schweighardt, who wrote this great interview piece for Occhi, a national arts magazine.

Unmasked, Women Write About Sex and Intimacy After Fifty, co-edited with Kathleen A. Barry, Ph.D. , was published in 2017. The anthology includes 32 poems and 21 essays written by women aged 50-87, from all over the United States, the U.K., Iran and Australia. Think mature women don't like sex? Think again.

Here's what Gloria Steinem says about Unmasked:

"Sex for women after fifty is invisible for the same reason that contraception, abortion, and sex between two women or two men has been forbidden: sexuality is supposed to be only about procreation. This lie was invented by patriarchy, monotheism, racism and other hierarchies. Sexuality is and always has been also about bonding, communication and pleasure. Unmasked helps to restore a human right."

Ireland, Place Out of Time (Weeping Willow Books, 2017), is a collection of poetry and photographs that grew out of a trip to Ireland in October 2015. We traveled from Dublin south to Waterford and Kinsale, then up the western coast, stopping to visit the Ring of Kerry, the Dingle Peninsula,  the tiny burg of Doolin and the Aran Islands, as well as The Cliffs of Moher, The Burren, and beautiful windswept Connemara. Come along with us on this lovely journey as we discover Ireland, truly a place out of time.

Praise for Ireland, Place Out of Time:

'A beautiful book that photographs the magic of a certain part of Ireland with poems that sing of the Irish.' -- Perie Longo, Santa Barbara Poet Laureate Emeritus

Heart on a Fence, a book of my poetry and photography, was published by Weeping Willow Books in 2016.

Praise for Heart on a Fence:

“Your beautiful book is a treasure. Thank you! A lovely meditation. Word and image gathered with such care.”

“Marcia, the book is gorgeous! Riches all around.”

"If you are like me and need a little beauty for the senses at the end of a long day, Heart on a Fence by Marcia Meier is for you. It is a photography poetry treasure. Treat yourself to one of her amazing photographs and one of her rich poems each day and your world will be so much better for it."

"I finally had a sweet hour to enjoy reading Heart on a Fence, and enjoyed it very much. Imagery for the heart and imagery for the eyes... May your lovely book be warmly applauded!"

My 2010 book, Navigating the Rough Waters of Today’s Publishing World, Critical Advice for Writers from Industry Insiders (Quill Driver Books), was named one of “10 Great Writing Books from 2010” by The Writer magazine. 

In its review, The Writer said: “This accessible, concise road map to the publishing industry offers an in-depth look at the impact of emerging technologies on publishing (in the future, Meier writes,  “almost everything published will move to an online format”), as well as the important differences between fiction and nonfiction publishing.  Additionally, the author covers how to work effectively with agents,  maximize marketing and promotional opportunities, and get published in magazines, newspapers and online. Meier is an award-winning journalist,  as well as the former owner and director of the prestigious Santa Barbara Writers Conference. Her book is an invaluable reference for anyone seeking to plot a course for publishing success.”

Here is what others said about Navigating:

“Reading this book actually gives you the feeling that you are sitting over coffee with writing coaches, agents, publishers, marketing professionals, and other experts. It’s a must-read for anyone who is   contemplating publishing or who has already started the process.” -  Patricia Fry, founder of SPAWN (Small Publishers, Artists and Writers Network) See the whole review here.

“Navigating the Rough Waters of Today’s Publishing World is a compendium of practical, ‘real-world’ advice, insight, commentary, and instruction for writers seeking publication in today’s increasingly volatile, rapidly evolving,  and fiercely competitive publishing industry.  (It) should be considered mandatory reading for anyone and all aspiring authors seeking to become successful professionals.” - Midwest Book Review

“Confused by the ever-changing publishing landscape? Marcia Meier shows you the way. Tapping into her extensive industry contacts, she brings you the best thinking on where books and publishing are headed in the coming years. Navigating is an indispensable resource that should be on every writer’s bookshelf.” – Arianna Huffington, best-selling author and founder of The Huffington Post

“It’s a first-rate guide to the new world of publishing.” - Lou Cannon, former Washington Post columnist and author of President Reagan, The Role of a Lifetime, and many other books

“Marcia Meier is a skilled and graceful writer whose experience as a writers conference director puts her in the catbird seat with regard to the publishing world. The insights she’s gleaned from the industry’s top agents and editors will be invaluable for any writer wondering how to proceed today.” – Davida Wills Hurwin, author of A Time for Dancing (an American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults), The Farther You Run, Circle the Soul Softly, and Freaks and Revelations.