What-Iffing in Historical Fiction
In 1845 near where I grew up in southeastern Illinois, a woman named Betsey Reed stood trial, accused of murdering her husband by poisoning him with arsenic. This is the factual basis for my new novel, The Glassmaker’s Wife, whose publication date is this Tuesday. On Thursday December 8 at 6pm, Eastern time, I’ll be…
Read MoreJoining a Community of Writers
It’s been a glorious Thanksgiving weekend. On Thursday, Cathy and I provided a meal for, and enjoyed the company of, six people associated with our MFA program. Friday, we decorated for Christmas. Yesterday, we finished preparing our patio for winter. Today, we’re meeting friends for dinner. Lovely connections with people all around. Such connections are…
Read MoreThanksgiving, Old Photos, and Memoir
At the start of this Thanksgiving week, I remember the family dinners of my childhood. As long as she was able, my grandmother Read hosted. She lived in a modest frame house cattycornered from the Berryville Store in southeastern Illinois. At one time, she and my grandfather had managed that general store, but he died…
Read MoreSay the Secret Things: Memoir and Power
In October, I taught a two-day workshop at a local public library. Our focus was on writing about moments from our pasts that still haunt us in some way. We wrote about things that hurt us, that shamed us, that left us with guilt and regret. Along the way, we also revisited moments of joy…
Read MoreJust Give It to Me: Clarity in Fiction
Without intending to, we sometimes withhold important information about the premise of our narratives in our attempts to be mysterious. The problem with such a strategy is it can lead to confusion. Readers can spend too much time trying to figure out the context of the story. As a result, their attention is kept from…
Read MoreShhh!: The Writer and Silence
Each Saturday, whenever the weather permits, Cathy and I enjoy a picnic at our local metro park. We have a spot away from the beaten path, and we like relaxing there after the stresses of the work week. We start in the spring, once it’s warm enough, and we keep going until autumn cools enough…
Read MoreThe Nuanced Lives of Strangers
Yesterday, Cathy wanted to go shopping, so I ended up on a bench outside the fitting rooms at Macy’s. At one point, an elderly gentleman ushered his wife to those fitting rooms. She appeared to be a bit confused about where she was to go, and the gentleman said, “To your left.” She started to…
Read MoreThe Pause before the End: Our Characters’ Interior Lives
When I walked into my office this morning, I found Stella the Cat lying in a patch of sunlight. She loves the sun, and she likes to roll over on her back to invite a tummy rub. Each time I pet her warm fur, a great feeling of calm comes over me. Everything in my…
Read MoreWriting Historical Fiction
Yesterday, I received advance copies of my forthcoming novel, The Glassmaker’s Wife (Dzanc Books). The official pub date is December 6, but, of course, the book is available for pre-order now from wherever you prefer to purchase your books. There, that’s the end of the self-promotion. I mention the book only because I want to…
Read MoreMemoir by Canned Goods
Showboat Pork and Beans, Chef Boyardee Ravioli, Campbell’s Tomato Soup, SpaghettiOs, Dinty Moore Beef Stew. When I was a teenager in the seventies, all I needed was one of these, a can opener, a stove, and I had myself a meal. In those days, my mother worked. She worked in the laundry or on the…
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