Meet Sarah Fontenelle, Ph.D. | Book Publisher and Licensed Psychologist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sarah Fontenelle, Ph.D. and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sarah, can you talk to us a bit about the social impact of your business?
There is only one thing Le Bovier Publishing loves more than books, and that is…gathering people. We publish books and produce experiences that we believe will bring people together–and connect their hearts and minds. As a publisher of books, Le Bovier obviously brings writers and readers together through written language, melding hearts and minds across space and time. For our purposes, the stories and ideas shared by the talented writers we work with must meet a certain threshold for inconvenience, or convey a message of ‘resistinct,’ which is the word we use to describe the work one does to resist instincts of self-preservation. That is, we hope to inspire readers to consider, and eventually approximate, new postures of tolerance toward others, particularly toward those who might otherwise be perceived as difficult to tolerate. Le Bovier aims to promote a culture of difficult conversations, and books are the logical first step in awakening this potential for diplomacy. Beyond books, Le Bovier also produces live experiences where two or more may gather in close proximity (aka: real life). We bring together artists of various media to curate innovative, multimodal sensory experiences to attract a blend of people excited to experience the worlds we create. We want to connect performers to audiences, writers to readers, and ultimately, creatively connect the hearts and minds of people who might otherwise disagree on traditional matters of life. Le Bovier Gatherings provide space for people to commune, similar to 16th century Parisian salons that inspired cultural and intellectual change in France at the time. Our events, where two or more gather, promote vulnerable togetherness, which is something we all should practice, to combat the fears that typically hold us back from one another. The anticipated social impact of Le Bovier Publishing is a shift toward greater human connection, whereby people feel included and moved by our creative collaborations, and thus, grow in willingness to interact with others in ways that unify a rapidly dividing social world, one idea, one story, one experience–but always at least two people–at a time.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Le Bovier Publishing was initially created to publish parenting books written by me and my dad, Scuddy F. Fontenelle, III. We are both licensed psychologists and work together in a private practice, specifically with parents and kids. I was not too motivated to do the actual work of publishing, preferring to spend all my free time editing book ideas; however, that changed when two talented writers fell into my lap, forcing me to figure things out pretty quick or else lose the opportunity to publish their books. The first three years of Le Bovier, thus, has been nothing but climbing the learning curve of publishing, which has been beyond challenging, particularly when you have a full-time job and children. Though I have not yet published those parenting books, we do have three books out in the world, a YA sci-fi/fantasy duology series, “Kirasu Rising,” by Kristen Illarmo, inspired by an original music soundtrack by New Orleans band Kirasu, and a beautiful memoir, “In the Ether,” by Colleen Hildebrand. Holding the books in my hand, marveling at these tangible items bearing important messages of love and self-sacrifice, with the potential to exist indefinitely, makes the frustration, exhaustion, and tediousness of the work worthwhile. It has not been easy, but nothing worth doing ever is. Personally, it has required immense patience, humility, and faith–my greatest weakness is sustaining motivation for the routine aspects of operating a publishing company, such as accounting and marketing. So operationally, it has required a team of people, including supportive family and friends and the talents and intellects of people with skills and ideas foreign to me, to push me through the tedious aspects of publishing I’d rather avoid. Le Bovier is a true collaboration, a gathering of different people across space and time, which has led to unexpected ideas and growth. I’ve learned that every person has something valuable to offer, and that means having the humility to concede when warranted and the faith that the end products and experiences will be meaningful–and what they are meant to be–even if they’re not what I initially envisioned. My hope is the world will see Le Bovier as a modern-day version of the 16th and 17th century Parisian salons, which were hubs of creativity and debate, and catalysts for valuable sociocultural change.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Though Le Bovier Publishing is based out of New Orleans, Louisiana, an integral member of our team is Los Angeles-based voice actor, Morla Gorrondona, known for the video game, Destiny, and, in our house especially, the reboot of the animation series, She-Ra (she gives us clout with our 9-year-old twin daughters). She is currently recording narration for the audio version of Kristen Illarmo’s debut book, Without a World, the first of YA scif-fi/fantasy duology, Kirasu Rising. We love catching up with Morla in person on the West Coast–she is who we want to see when we visit L.A.!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Le Bovier Publishing is named for Bernard le Bovier de Fontenelle, a 17th century French philosopher known for his progressive philosophies and prolific writings. He is often touted as the father of science fiction, a supporter of the female voice, and the most universal thinker of his time–he is also one of my paternal ancestors. Bernard’s life inspired me to start Le Bovier Publishing as a vehicle for writing parenting books, but it has grown to be so much more. Le Bovier has become an ever-evolving process of collaboration across a number of individuals, who have offered ideas, expertise, talent, time, and resources to our mission. These people embody the concept of ‘resistinct’ because they are willing to believe in–and work for–something unseen to create opportunities for human connection. They are my dad, Scuddy F. Fontenelle, III, my husband, Alex Smith, and my cousin, Katie Windham; our first two authors, Kristen Illarmo and Colleen Hildebrand; artists Rebecca Rebouche, Jason Kruppa, Morla Gorrondona, and Katie Darling; musicians Dave Rosser, Mike Napolitano, Rick Nelson, and Justin Windham; experts, Richelle Hebert and Roberto Facundus; and literary tastemaker, Robert Wilson. Without their generosity and involvement, Le Bovier would be a business in name only.

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