Don Silver’s new book takes on a powerful coming-of-age story

Many know Don Silver for years in the music industry as a producer, talent scout and much more. But Silver’s also an accomplished author, as we see in his soon-to-be-released book, Scorched (May 7, Holloway Press). Here’s a look at what’s in store:

After his father's sudden death, 14-year-old Jonas tries to support himself and his mother by selling weed and tranquilizers at parties–until he gets busted and sent to a boarding school for fatherless boys. To survive Lafayette Academy, Jonas and his four roommates form a tight bond. The boys vow to have each others’ backs for life--but that promise is broken the weekend before graduation when they’re drawn into a violent encounter that results in a man’s death. Twenty years later, when one of his old roommates shows up unannounced, Jonas is forced to confront his complicated past once and for all.

Max and Don talk about the origins of the book, how he got into the head of Jonas, and how the main character changed over the course of the writing process. Don talks about how he got into writing in the first place and three books later, if he feel he has “arrived.”

This is Don’s second book in the “coming-of-age” genre and we go into what about this type of story appeals to him. We also shed light on the rest of the cast, and how they grow the story in different ways.

Death is just the beginning in Susannah Marren’s new book

In mystery thrillers, a death often happens right off the bat. Such is the case with our next guest, but we also get a slew of tightly-held family secrets.

In this interview, Curtis and I sit down with author Susannah Marren to talk about her newest book, “Maribelle's Shadow,” in which the death of Maribelle Walker’s adored and impressive husband Samuel unearths the secrets and lies between Maribelle and her sisters. Curtis and I talk about the theme of secrets, a common element in Susannah’s work and why it plays such a prominent role. We also look at how Samuel’s death leads to those secrets being revealed.

Susannah has a long career in teaching gender studies and guest teaching creative nonfiction. She talks about the research she did for the book, which included interviewing many women across the country, and what she learned. She also shares her favorite and most challenging parts to write.

 

Poet makes big return after 26-year hiatus

By Max Bowen

He’s back, everybody.

Poet Stephen C. Pollock is set to release his debut collection “Exits” (Windtree Press, June 29). When his career in academic medicine wound up taking all of his time, Pollock opted to put poetry on the back burner—but the desire to return was always there.

In this interview, we look at the work collected in “Exits,” which features a different work of art paired with each poem. Pollock talks about the pairing process, how it feels to be back, and his plans for future releases.


I understand this book marks a return to poetry after 26 years. What caused this hiatus?

My original career in academic medicine intervened. After I graduated from Amherst College, I trained for 10 years to become a physician, ophthalmologist, and neuro-ophthalmologist. In 1987, I was recruited to Duke University as Chief of Neuro-Ophthalmology, eventually achieving a rank of Associate Professor with tenure. I ended up serving on the full-time faculty for 17 years.

Some physicians are able to write poetry throughout their medical careers. I didn’t belong to that group. For me, maintaining a consultative practice in neuro-ophthalmology, training residents and fellows, publishing clinical research papers in medical journals, and carrying out a variety of administrative responsibilities was all-consuming.

While the instinct to write poetry was completely suppressed throughout this period, it was not extinguished. As I cut back on academic responsibilities during my last year at Duke, that instinct began to slowly reassert itself.

How did it feel to be back?
Surprised, thrilled and thankful! Ideas for poems began to percolate to the surface beginning in 2003, and the impetus to write has continued to make its presence felt, though at irregular intervals.

Did you have to spend any time getting back into the flow of your work?
I’m embarrassed to say that I don’t actually have a flow. I have always been undisciplined with respect to writing poems, as evidenced by the fact that I have no set writing schedule. In contrast to most other poets, I lack the ability to sit down daily at my desk and call forth ideas and/or personal experiences to serve as the basis for new poems. Nor have I ever relied on writing prompts to prime my poetry pump. Instead, I wait for lightning to strike (or, mixing metaphors, for the Muse to whisper in my ear). The unpredictability of this approach means that I never know when the next poem will materialize.

Once I begin writing, however, I become intensely focused. When fully engaged and maximally productive, my efforts typically result in four new lines of poetry per day (derived from perhaps a dozen pages of notes and drafts).

Is there an overall theme to the book? If so, how is this captured in the poems?
The overall theme is mortality — disease and decline, death and remembrance. Many of the metaphors are drawn from nature. However, despite the unifying theme, the book features a potpourri of styles, ranging from formal poems to free verse to hybrid variants. At the same time, the poems don’t conform to contemporary genres. I’m hopeful that readers will sense a timeless quality to the work.

 

I like that you paired art with the poems. How did you go about selecting the works?
The decision to include visual art was an intuitive one. I sensed that many of the poems would resonate in interesting ways with visual images and that this would enhance the reader’s experience.

While a few of the images were selected solely for illustrative purposes (e.g. the image of a goldfinch and a coneflower accompanying “Seeds”), most were chosen because they offered alternative slants on the content of the poems. Though the poem “(eclipse)” drips with erotic innuendo, it’s paired with the image of a 1908 patent for an orrery, a mechanical device that replicates the motion of the earth around the sun and the moon around the earth. The sonnet “Nasal Biopsy” is ostensibly about a surgical procedure, but a cathedral door was chosen to accompany the poem because the speaker perceives gothic architecture in the anatomy of the nose and because the poem is ultimately concerned with questions of faith.

This is likely a tough question, but do any of your poems in this book stand out?
It’s an easier question than you might think. “Seeds” is the best sonnet in the collection, and “Syringe” is probably the most original and creative long poem I’ve ever written. “Arachnidæa: Line Drawings” seems to connect with readers, given that it was a finalist in one statewide competition and was awarded second prize in another statewide competition.

What’s the editing process once you’ve finished a poem?
Intense and merciless. Editing, often over months or years, is critical to achieving the desired outcome. I’ve learned that a satisfying first draft almost always begins to exhibit flaws after sufficient time has passed to afford an objective assessment. For example, the eight-line poem “(eclipse)” underwent 19 revisions over as many years.

I really like the cover for the book. Where did this concept come from?
I’m so glad you like the cover. This is the first opportunity I’ve had to discuss how it came to be.

The first step was to select a photo. I knew I wanted a black-and-white image, so I reviewed hundreds of stock photos filtered by terms such as “mortality” and “death.” Most of the options consisted of skulls or illustrations of the grim reaper, which seemed more appropriate for decorating a Halloween party. However, when I came across this image of a bare tree against a threatening sky, I immediately gravitated toward its ambiguity. Is the tree dead, or is it merely dormant? Do the ominous clouds portend a storm? I also loved how the main trunk contrasts with the lightest part of the sky.

The next step was to crop the photo for a 6" x 9" format, which I did in a way that preserved the visibility of both trunks but didn’t allow the tips of the branches to extend to the cover margins.

I then selected Adobe Caslon Pro as the font for the title. (This is a contemporary version of the font originally designed by William Caslon, an 18th-century English typographer). Consistent with all of the headings in the book, the title was rendered in all caps with the first letter larger than the rest. Note how the serif of the uppermost arm of the “E” points directly toward the serif of the adjacent “X.”

To the casual observer, all of the letters of the title are white. But that’s an illusion. All are shades of light gray, and each letter is a different shade. My objective was to maintain consistent contrast across the title. However, because the clouds become darker from left to right, the letters of the title had to do the same if they were to appear similar to an observer. The letters of the author’s name also employ a range of light grays in order to achieve the same effect.

Other features of the cover that required decision-making included: the position of the title; the font sizes of the title (66 pt / 46 pt); the position, font style, and font size of the author name; and the distance between letters. Regarding the latter, the “X” and the “I” in the title had to be separated by an additional 2 pt in order to keep their serifs from touching.

Do you foresee more books in the future?
Given my age (67), reduced life expectancy (due to longstanding multiple sclerosis), and my undisciplined and unpredictable writing schedule, I doubt that additional books will be forthcoming. But you never know…

Debut author Jessica Vitalis talks about her unique take on Death

Imagine this: The Grim Reaper approaches you one day and asks if you want their job. Crazy, right? But it's this idea that kicks off Jessica Vitalis' book “The Wolf's Curse.”

The Great White Wolf is very, very old. And she is very, very tired. For hundreds of winters, she has searched for someone to take her place. But she is invisible to most people. In all those years, only three have seen her. One died young. One said no. One is still alive — a 12-year-old boy named Gauge.

In this interview, Jessica and I talk about worldbuilding and character creation that preceded writing the book and how she is reflected in Gauge. She takes us through the process of becoming a published author with Greenwillow/HarperCollins and her advice to those with a book and the goal of seeing it on store shelves.

Jessica and I also dive into her other work and what about this story made it stand out from the others. She talks about her transition from Columbia grad to writer and what she had to learn along the way.

In writing, Elizabeth Splaine's books took her on a journey of research

From heart surgery to Hitler's family, author Elizabeth Splaine covers quite a bit in her books. In this interview, she and I talk about her newest book, “Swan Song of a Jewish Diva,” slated to be released late next year. In this book, a Jewish opera singer rises to fame and becomes Hitler's obsession. In what has become the norm for her work, this book called for a lot of background research, and the result is a lot of learning for Splaine.


We take a long look at some of the new ground she covered, and share a few interesting historical facts. Splaine's most recent book, “Devil's Grace,” also taught her much, but began with a strong suggestion that she write about the light. She also recorded the audiobook, soon to be released, and she shares how her background in opera helped prepare her, as well as the new tricks she had to learn.

Caitlin Garvey's debut novel looks at love, loss, and the meaning of moving on

Author Caitlin Garvey's debut novel, “The Mourning Report,” looks at the passing of her mother and the 

subsequent battles she had with depression and being admitted to a psychiatric facility after a suicide attempt.

In her book, she interviewed the people who were part of her mother's care, including a hospice nurse, a priest, an estate planner, a hairstylist, and a funeral director. If she figures out how they could function after being so close to her mother’s death, then maybe she can learn how to navigate her own life. Caitlyn shares some of the stories told in these interviews and what they meant to her, as well as what she thinks it means to “move on.”

This book is scheduled to be released in print and electronic formats on Oct. 6 through Homebound Publications.

Rhode Island Author Expo, Part 3

Well, here we are, the final round of interviews from the Rhode Island Author Expo. Up first, Angelina Singer talks all about her soon-to-be-released book, “Forgetting What I Couldn't Remember.” Like much of her previous work, it touches on a personal part of her life.

Up next, The Pie Sisters make their big return! Leigh Brown and Victoria Corliss talk about their fourth book and how they co-write effectively.

Mary Catherine Volk believes that loved ones that have passed still have things to tell us and do so through signs, as she explains in her book, “Believe in Forever.”

Wrapping things up, Sam Kafrissen has a new book out in his Doherty Mystery series, and shows us how the character has evolved over the many titles.