Heather Carr is a literary agent with The Friedrich Agency. She says: ÒIf IÕm being perfectly honest, I never imagined a career in book publishing. As a kid growing up in the Pacific Northwest, specifically the suburbs of Portland, Oregon, the publishing industry did not exist in my mind as a real field one could work in. I grew up as the youngest of a complex, blended family with ten siblings and step-siblings, and made a name for myself in second grade convincing my classmates that god couldnÕt possibly exist (ÒI mean look at the evidence, itÕs just clouds up there!Ó I argued). I eventually found my way from Catholic school to a tiny public arts school where I was immersed in visual and performing arts (think Fame but suburban and nerdier). I focused on film photography and dance, drawn to the rigor of the latter and the sheer magic of the former.
Novelty, a scholarship, and a music conservatory brought me to a small liberal arts college in Appleton, Wisconsin where I majored in English and continued to study classical piano. Studying English felt a little like cheatingÑreading is interdisciplinary by nature. It was that same appetite for doing a little of everything and moving from a core of curiosity that made a career as an agent so intriguing, once I discovered it existed. After working as an assistant at Trident Media Group for two and a half years I joined The Friedrich Agency in March of 2018.
I have wide-ranging tastes and seek to represent writers who are also driven by curiosity and discovery, whether through formal inventiveness in fiction, like in Kiese LaymonÕs LONG DIVISION, or through rigorous investigative journalism like in Patrick Radden KeefeÕs SAY NOTHING. IÕm often drawn to poets who have turned their hand to proseÑIÕll always be interested in a writer whose dexterity with language allows them to articulate an emotion or sensibility that IÕve not previously been able to describe. Growing up in the land of glittery freezing fog and moss-draped forests, I love a moody atmosphere and setting-as-character. I was a firm believer in magic as a child so I donÕt shy away from the fantastical in literary and upmarket fiction. I particularly enjoy when genre elements are used to explore the places where language fails us.
My goal is to build a list that reflects a full range of perspectives from here in the U.S. and around the globe. Most of what I learned of my own history and that of this country comes from a life of reading, and IÕm always humbled to read writers who have been historically sidelined. When I stop to reflect, IÕm deeply honored that writers trust me with their work and that I get to have this job. IÕm passionate about working towards a brighter and more inclusive publishing industry so that all who want to can see themselves thriving in this business.
Five non-agency books I loved: DETRANSITION, BABY; PIRANESI; IDAHO; FRESHWATER; STRANGERS TO OURSELVES”