Kavin Senapathy—The Progressive Parent: Harnessing the Power of Science and Social Justice to Raise Awesome Kids

Advance copy: Backstories on books by NASW members

Cover of the book The Progressive Parent: Harnessing the Power of Science and Social Justice to Raise Awesome Kids by Kavin Senapathy showing the author’s name and subhead in black print and the tile in rainbow colors on a sunny yellow background.

THE PROGRESSIVE PARENT:
HARNESSING THE POWER OF SCIENCE
AND SOCIAL JUSTICE TO RAISE AWESOME KIDS
Kavin Senapathy
Hanover Square Press, August 6, 2024
Hardcover, $28.99, eBook, $14.99, Audio Book, $27.99
Hardcover ISBN-13 9781335455062
eBook ASIN: B0C1SWHZ2P
Audio Book ASIN: B0CGBT8F4V

Senapathy reports:

After giving birth in 2011, my anxiety ballooned into postpartum Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. I got through the worst of it with a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, which snapped me out of a terrified haze. Still, I yearned for certainty that I was doing everything to ensure my children would live their healthiest lives.

This quest soon led me to write professionally. I’d learned to dig into the science behind parenthood, and I wanted to share what I learned, eventually writing about the health of people of all ages. Once I saw how historical injustices are woven into the very trajectory of the science that affects well-being, I couldn’t unsee it.

My agent and I connected through Twitter. He helped me develop a proposal titled IN THIS HOUSE, WE BELIEVE SCIENCE IS REAL, framed around the viral yard sign that reads, “In this house, we believe: Black Lives Matter, women’s rights are human rights, no human is illegal, science is real, love is love, kindness is everything.” I intended to explore what believing in science means and how that relates to the other assertions on that sign.

My agent began pitching the proposal in 2021, and we soon had an offer. My to-be publisher wanted the book I had in mind but with a focus on parenting. This was a full-circle moment. I had one caveat: Rather than mostly prescriptive parenting advice, I wanted to arm readers to scrutinize prevailing parenting wisdom from a justice and science-centered lens while highlighting the activists, researchers, educators, doctors, and others fighting for justice for all children.

I conducted most of my reporting from my desk while my children attended school virtually, with some in-person reporting in my home city of Madison, Wisconsin. I spent countless hours poring over research and speaking with sources to highlight key pieces of the narrative.

If I could tell myself and aspiring authors one thing, it would be to be prepared for a potential sense of dissociation and sadness that can follow finalizing a manuscript. I’ve learned that this post-book syndrome is not uncommon, and it’s surmountable with the right support.

Contact info:

Kavin Senapathy, kavin@kavinsenapathy.com, https://www.kavinsenapathy.com
Bluesky: kavinsenapathy.bsky.social
Instagram: kavinsenapathy
Facebook: Kavin Senapathy
Book: The Progressive Parent: Harnessing the Power of Science and Social Justice to Raise Awesome Kids
Publicist: Laura Gianino, laura.gianino@harpercollins.com
Agent: Chris Bucci, cbucci@aevitascreative.com

NASW members: will your book be published soon? Promote it by submitting your report for Advance Copy.

Tell your fellow NASW members how you came up with the idea for your book, developed a proposal, found an agent and publisher, funded and conducted research, and put the book together. Include what you wish you had known before you began working on your book, or had done differently.

See https://www.nasw.org/advance-copy-submission-guidelines.

View Advance Copy archives at https://www.nasw.org/member-article/advance-copy.

Thinking of writing a book? If you are a NASW member, you may access a list of more than 200 books and online resources to help you craft your book proposal, find an agent and funding sources, negotiate your contract, learn about self-publishing, publicize and market your book, and more at https://www.nasw.org/article/write-book.

View the recording of an Advance Copy Virtual Business Chat, A Primer for Authors on Book Publicity. NASW member login required.

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Send book info and questions about book publishing to Lynne Lamberg, NASW book editor, llamberg@nasw.org.

Follow @LynneLamberg and @lynnelamberg.bsky.social for news about NASW authors, science/medical books, and writing.

Banner image adapted from original photo by Kavin Senapathy.

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Advance Copy

The path from idea to book may take myriad routes. The Advance Copy column, started in 2000 by NASW volunteer book editor Lynne Lamberg, features NASW authors telling the stories behind their books. Authors are asked to report how they got their idea, honed it into a proposal, found an agent and a publisher, funded and conducted their research, and organized their writing process. They also are asked to share what they wish they’d known when they started or would do differently next time, and what advice they can offer aspiring authors. Lamberg edits the authors’ answers to produce the Advance Copy reports.

NASW members: Will your book be published soon? Visit www.nasw.org/advance-copy-submission-guidelines for information on submitting your report.

Publication of NASW author reports in Advance Copy does not constitute NASW's endorsement of any publication or the ideas, values, or material contained within or espoused by authors or their books. We hope this column stimulates productive discussions on important topics now and in the future as both science and societies progress. We welcome your discussion in the comments section below.