I’ve dropped out. Reinvented Sunday. I’ve given myself permission to not read my e-mail, catch up on Facebook, converse with other writers on LinkedIn, or review in my head all of the things, including writing my blog, that I ought to be doing. I feel liberated, relaxed, utterly euphoric. I dip into one magazine […]
An Invitation If you are a resident of the great Northwest or, more specifically, the Skagit, Whatcom, Island county country north of Seattle, do join me for a reading and discussion of my latest novel, HOME FIRES, at Village Books 1200 11th Street, Bellingham WA, 98225 Friday evening, June 6th, at 7PM Book signing […]
From Downton Abbey to Dallas, from The Sopranos to Days of Our Lives, family sagas keep us thirsting for the next chapter. Maybe it is to escape our own lives, but I don’t think so. I think it is to escape the loneliness of our own crises, to recognize them in the lives of others—after […]
The relationship between creativity and madness is a longstanding topic for psychologists and artists alike, but answers elude all. Nevertheless, the question continues to haunt students of the human psyche. So, if others think you half-mad to be a writer, or if you sometimes fear they may be right, take a look at this take […]
I’m delighted to present author-friend, Heidi Thomas’s account of the role of family sagas in her writing life. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ How many of you have read a book and become so invested in the character(s) that you hate for the story to come to an end? Whether it’s a likable detective or a boy who would […]
Family secrets are imprisoned stories. The silences, the unnamed people or events that threaten the family’s sense of itself or bring stigma are erased by silence. Such is the power of language—cease speaking of it, naming it (or the person), and it ceases to exist. But someone knows or they’d never get passed […]
If you’ve never read Oliver Sacks, you should. He is a physician, neuroscientist, and best-selling author of twelve books, the latest of which, Hallucinations, was published in 2012. No dry scientist, his eloquence reaches deep into what it means to be human. In the February/March AARP magazine, he “muses on the gift of a long […]
After years of learning the craft of fiction writing, authors face a greater challenge, one they may not have much talent for–getting their work out into the world. Here, in another interview with Kate Williams, is my story of publishing and promoting HOME FIRES.
For those of you who like to listen to authors talk about themselves, here is Part One an interview conducted by Kate Williams.
Readers of fiction look for characters whose lives will rivet them, carry them places they dare not go. As an author of fiction, I greatly admire those who seek those stories among those around them—stories that need to be told. So today, I gives me great pleasure to introduce one such author, Jaana Hatton, who […]
The short story is enjoying a resurgence, and it’s no wonder it’s been rediscovered in these days of fractured time. I’ve always loved them and admired authors who can take a moment of life and distill it into its essence. Here are a couple of collections I recommend to you. They are very different, but […]
In case you haven’t visited the Amazon site for HOME FIRES lately, here’s the latest review of HOME FIRES. It’s author, John Reinhard Dizon, is the author of Nightcrawler, Tiara, and many other thrillers . ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Catharsis for Christmas? Home Fires by Judith Kirscht is an intense and intricate family drama centered on the life […]
Judith Kirscht lives and works in the beautiful Puget Sound area. She is the author of four published works of fiction with more to come soon!
