With a red hat that doesn't go, and doesn't suit me, …
If you are interested in blogging or want to promote your book, please contact E. B. Davis at writerswhokill@gmail.com.
Check out our April author interviews: Two WWK members have new books out this month. Look for James Montgomery Jackson's interview about his fifth Seamus McCree novel, Empty Promises, on 4/4. Tina Whittle's sixth Tai Randolph/Trey Seaver novel, Necessary Ends also debuts this month. Her interview will be on 4/18. WWK veteran, Sherry Harris's interview posts on 4/11. The next in her series, I Know What You Bid Last Summer, is now available. Grace Topping interviews KB Owen on 4/25. Please join us in welcoming these authors to WWK.
Our April Saturday Guest Blogger Schedule: 4/7-Cindy Callaghan, 4/14-Sasscer Hill, 4/21-Margaret S. Hamilton, 4/28-Kait Carson.
Congratulations to our writers for the following publications:
Tina Whittle's sixth Tai Randolph mystery, Necessary Ends, debuts on April 3, 2018. Look for it here.
James M. Jackson's Empty Promises, the next in the Seamus McCree mystery series (5th), will be available on April 3, 2018. Purchase links are here.
Dark Sister, a poetry collection, is Linda Rodriguez's tenth published book. It's available for sale here:
Shari Randall's "Pets" will be included in Chesapeake Crimes: Fur, Feathers, and Felonies anthology, which will be published in 2018. In the same anthology "Rasputin," KM Rockwood's short story, will also be published. Her short story "Goldie" will be published in the Busted anthology, which will be released by Level Best Books on April 25th.
Shari Randall's second Lobster Shack Mystery, Against the Claw, will be available in August, 2018.
In addition, our prolific KM has had the following shorts published as well: "Making Tracks" in Passport to Murder, Bouchercon anthology, October 2017 and "Turkey Underfoot," appears in the anthology The Killer Wore Cranberry: A Fifth Course of Chaos.
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Monday, April 23, 2012
Are you willing to wear purple?
With a red hat that doesn't go, and doesn't suit me, …
5 comments:
Excellent, thought-provoking post, Jim!
I have always thought that, if I was honest and authentic in whatever I wrote, my beliefs would be apparent without my having to beat the reader over the head with them. I think that's what's really behind the "art for art's sake--no politics" position. They hate being beat over the head.
I look at my poetry and my fiction, and I have to say I think readers would have an idea of where I stand on the important issues of the day, even though I don't write anything overtly political.
I think of other authors who do this, as well. Margaret Maron, Julia Spencer-Fleming, John Lescroart, Louise Penny, Nancy Pickard, Michael Connolly, Val McDermid, Deborah Crombie, many others. Without any didactic lecturing, they write so honestly about issues that one knows instantly where they stand.
Linda,
You've made a key point: people do not wish to be bludgeoned with a political viewpoint (or at least one in which they disagree!)
That, as you note, does not mean our worldview cannot imbue our writing through our characters and their acts.
~ Jim
What a beautiful story, Jim. I was quite touched by it, and I could see you share my beliefs. I love the Pete Seeger song you mentioned. Indeed, I've been a great fan of his for many years as well as Woody Guthrie (before my time) and others of his ilk that follow on with their tradition.
I was too busy with small kids to march against the Viet Nam War, but I supported the movement. I did march against going into Iraq. I still think it was a major mistake and only esculated the problems in the Middle East.
Like Linda, I'm hoping my viewpoints subtly come out in my writing without being divisive with those who disagree with me politically. It must be one of the reasons I admire the mystery writers she does - at least the ones I've read. I'll have to read the others, too.
Gloria,
I'm glad you enjoyed the story. I will admit that I still like to read it every once and a while.
~ Jim
As I'm not one who enjoys reading books that have a "message," I doubt I'd want to write those kinds of books either, though I'd probably have a character here or there spout my ideals.
My blog, however, tends to lean toward the didactic or philosophical. It's not always intentional, but since I was told back in high school that my poetry tends to take a didactic bent, I guess I come by it naturally. :o)
Nice post, Jim. I say, Wear the Purple!
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