Mark Obbie's Blog, page 51

Q&A on sources

Here’s an email from a reader that I want to share and answer publicly. She asks: I was wondering—if you don’t mind sharing—how you got so much information about the church and Brother Frank, his sermon transcripts, etc. I’m assuming … Continue reading →

When the book’s about you

A trap many writers fall into is writing for their sources and subjects. When we overthink how our subjects will respond to the published story, we forget our real audience — readers unfamiliar with the characters and plot. When that … Continue reading →

Why examine a crime’s causes?

For some folks, a story like God’s Nobodies should be very short. It goes like this: Tim Ginocchetti killed his mother. When you take a life, you should forfeit your own — a sentence of life in prison without parole, … Continue reading →

Bonus chapter: the fire that started it all

This is another in a series of posts about themes found in God’s Nobodies. In earlier posts I’ve written on what the story tells us about the meaning of family, resources available to teens and their parents, and bullying of gay … Continue reading →

About Tim’s voice

Throughout God’s Nobodies, we read about Tim Ginocchetti’s voice — about how its high pitch and weak, scratchy tone drew the wrath of his mother. She sent him to therapy over and over. She demanded that he perform exercises and … Continue reading →