Welcome to Inquiry Editing, LLC, editing with equity in mind

I am Therí Pickens, PhD, (potentially) your developmental editor, sensitivity reader, and (certainly) word lover and bibliophile. I am an award-winning scholarly writer with two single authored books - New Body Politics (2014) and Black Madness :: Mad Blackness (2019). In them, I focus on the imbrication of race, gender, and disability in the 20th and 21st centuries, specifically in African American and Arab American literatures and cultures. I have also edited two special issues of academic journals – African American Review (Summer 2017) and College Language Association Journal (Winter 2021) – on Blackness and disability. My third edited volume, Arab American Aesthetics (2018), focuses on Arab American culture and the arts. I also an award-winning creative writer: my drama has been performed at the NJ State Theatre and I am a two-time Pushcart Prize-nominated poet. I am also a Professor of English.

Why start a business for developmental editing and sensitivity reading?

As per my usual, this starts with an anecdote. During the pandemic, I noticed that a lot of my friends were stalled on writing projects, both in fiction and non-fiction. Lockdowns forced them out of the conversations that aided in their work. Without conferences, chance encounters, and other meet-cutes, academics and creatives alike scrambled to find inspiration and motivation. Helpful by nature, I found myself looking at manuscripts and coaching folks to the finish lines of their projects. One friend remarked, “You should make this a thing!”

That anecdote is the spark. My core values keep the flame lit.

Equity. If you have three people of differing heights who can’t see over a fence, you could give them all a box to place themselves upon. That would be fairness. You could give them differing boxes according to their height. That would be equity. You could get rid of the fence. That would be justice. While I am working on justice, I’d like to provide writers with what they need to advance their writing.

As an editor, I help writers gain confidence and clarity by providing them with honest feedback. For writers whose topics include hard-hitting difficult subject matter, I help them honor the truth in their writing, while making the writing more effective. My reading sometimes functions as a “test audience” so their work makes the most impact.

As a sensitivity reader, I help writers gain confidence and clarity by examining how their work – fiction or nonfiction – speaks to various audiences or represents raced, gendered, and disabled experiences. It is often difficult to “put yourself in someone else’s place,” but writers must if they are to be compelling. I help them get the details right.

Curiosity. If we’ve ever met, you’ll know one of my oft-repeated phrases is “I have questions.” Most writers affirm that you need curiosity to write, that you write to answer questions. Yet, most writers (me included!) get skittish when it is time to revise. That kind of curiosity feels like the same that killed the cat. But, Midnight Starr, in their song “Curious,” has a rebuttal: “Did you hear about what it did to the cat? Satisfaction sure brought it back! Oh! Nine times baby!” Both as an editor and sensitivity reader, I help writers extend their curiosity even when it feels difficult and maybe a little scary.

Expertise. I realize that expert is a contested term. It brings to mind hierarchical structures designed to keep out marginalized people. ‘Expert,’ as it is widely conceptualized, tends to devalue experiential knowledge. I bring both to the table. I have traditional credentials: Ivy league degree, PhD, published books and articles, awards and honors. For a full listing, feel free to browse my personal website. I also bring experience: I live as a Black disabled woman in the United States. As an editor and reader, I combine both to help authors create their best work.

Power of the Arts to Change the World. I realize this sounds like the writer’s version of a debutante’s “world peace.” Despite or because of its unbridled hope, I believe in the power of art, especially writing. Personally, I have been transformed by the clarity and profundity of someone’s words. I learn. I get activated. I reflect. I want to work with writers who want the same for their audience. I want to help them get there.

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