The Friends Who Write Books

One of the things I love best about being a writer is the chance to develop so many friendships with my readers and other writers. Being a writer is fun. It is rewarding. It is challenging. It's also a little scary putting your book out there and letting people know that it exists. Publishing is playing the long game. You have to be willing to put in a lot of time and even more effort. But there is nothing so exciting than when people buy your book, read it, and love it. Except when they tell you that they have read it and loved it.

So today, I want to share some of my friend's books with you. These are more than just writers I have stumbled across: these are real people who have woven their lives into the fabric of my real life. If you see a book that takes your fancy, please consider buying it. If not, just enjoy the antidotes as I tell you a bit about some of the people who are part of my non-fictional world.

Russell Putnam

In the 1990s, Mr. Putnam and his family lived on a ranch. I spent many days there as a kid playing with his children. I remember whittling sticks, attempting to crack a bull whip, playing chase on top of haybales, and pulling green strands of algae out of the water troughs to throw at each other. His wife also introduced me to the world of weaving, showing me how to card wool and how a loom worked. I never forgot the fascination with watching wool turn into yarn and then material, but I did use a lot of what I learned to infuse into my books. I reconnected with Mr. Putnam as an adult when he was reading my books to his wife while caring for her toward the end of her life. Turns out, he also has written books: five, actually. Mr. Putnam's books weave stories about real people with real-life skills. I have no intention of ever raising rabbits for meat if I can help it, but if I ever needed to write about the process, I would consult his book. I have already finished Wheezin', Sneezin', Fever, Cough, Cold and Flu? When it's all aroun'ja, Whaddaya Gonna Do? which is the first book I read by Mr. Putnam. It acts as both a memoir of growing up on the Texas Coast and recipes to help keep you healthy based off the knowledge of yesteryear. It also talks about plants and their various uses. This book was right up my alley, and I enjoyed every bit of it. He continues his combining of history and skills in a book on leather-making as it was done by the local Cherokee Indians. This book is on my to-be-read list, and I look forward to it. Mr. Putnam's other books focus more intently on his memories and even poetry.

Brandon Haygood

This talk of poetry brings me to another writing friend. Brandon Haygood walked into my life when he walked into a theater where I was holding auditions for my first self-directed show, Ship of Dreams. It was a massive undertaking and the biggest challenge of my 23rd year of life. I wrote "Ship of Dreams" to follow  the true-life stories of over 30 people who were on the Titanic and we performed it in 2012 near the 100 anniversary of the sinking. My favorite character in the script was Jeremiah Burke, a 19-year-old Irish man who wrote a message to his family and dropped it into a water using a bottle of holy water his mother had given him. It took an entire year, but it did wash up on shore not far from his home. In my play's version, Jeremiah ended up comforting another immigrant who was later trapped behind a locked gate. He couldn't get the gate open but stayed with her refusing to leave her to die alone. He was an important character to me, and when I saw Brandon read for him, I knew instantly I wanted him to play the role. And play the role, he did. When I think back on that show, I think back to his scenes. In fact, you can watch some of them on Brandon's acting reel. I haven't read Brandon's poetry, but I have read much of his current work in progress, and this man knows how to turn a phrase. He uses dashes of humor to explore what would otherwise deep and serious topics and does a great job at describing the intricacies of human's complex relationships and interactions. If you like to explore the vast usage of the English language, consider reading Brandon's book. (And keep an eye out for his next one, because it's going to be good. ;) )

Claude Robbins

I didn't know Claude Robbins when he released his first book, "The Ice Cream Factory aka The White House" but I did work with him to design the interior of his second, "After the White House." Both books are starkly written in Claude's voice, exactly the way he would tell you in person. I know this because he told me his story in person, but I still wasn't prepared for what I read in the book. Mr. Claude's real-life story is echoed in the voices of hundreds of other boys who endured abuse in a reform school in Marianna, Florida. In recent years, the bodies of hundreds of boys have been uncovered in shallow graves around the area: boys whose families were told had run away. In "The Ice Cream Factory" Mr. Robbins recounts his experience as one of those children, including witnessing the death of a young boy who had a cherished marble he kept in his pocket. In The White House, Mr. Robbins follows up with his adult story of the truth coming out, the legal action, and the fight of the survivors to have their collective story heard in court. This book was not easy for me to read, but it stayed with me long after I did. It is a gripping, heart-breaking testimonial to human resilience and I couldn't leave it out.

Thirzah

And if you're looking for something on the lighter side, check out Thirzah's newly-released novel "The Librarian's Ruse." This is a fun, fast read full of the witty remarks that anyone who knows Thirzah knows she is famous for. She is, indeed, the queen of puns. I got to watch her revise this book and help in its proofing stage while she was a fellow writing student. This is her first novel, directed toward a 13 to 18-year-old audience, but could be a pleasant read for anyone who likes a simple, fast-moving storyline. Her storyline follows Amelia in the kingdom of Eldnaire as she and her brother transport books and come across a crime scene that inadvertently forces her to lie . . . and continue lying. Even though the prince she is lying to is kind of cute. And her brother refuses to quit lying. And then there's the unfortunate fact that telling the truth would involve admitting her unintended involvement in a capital offense of which the punishment just happens to be death. A rather uncomfortable position for a girl who just wants to lead the simple life of a librarian. This would be my description of the storyline. If you want to read the official summary, you can find the book here. My favorite part of this book was the sibling banter. There are so few books that have good sibling relationships and this one captures the love/exasperation relationship that constitutes growing up so close to people with opposite personalities. Thirzah also has a blog where you can sign up for one of her short stories for free.

I have many other friends who have written books, too many for one blog. But I am grateful for each and every one of them and the various ways they have influenced my life. I wish them the best, that their books will travel far and wide and every copy will find its way into the hands of the reader who will like it best.