When I was searching for an upstate New York setting for my new novel, What Remains Unsaid, I couldn’t find the perfect town. So I made one up. I grew up in a small—very small—town. One traffic light, one grocery story, a post office, and a population of 1,500 or so spread over fifty square... Continue Reading →
Readers often ask fiction writers the tiresome question: “Which part of your story is true?” The correct answer is: “The whole thing.” After all, if a story doesn't express a Greater Truth, why bother telling it? That said, I understand the urge to parse a story for “facts.” Coming from a journalism background, I’m sensitive... Continue Reading →
When my kids were little, we went to the San Mateo County Fair for the rides and the pig races. Now they've lost interest, but I have a great reason to go: The fantastic Literary Arts lineup. An enormous amount of work (much of it by Literary Arts Director and fellow CWC member Bardi Rosman... Continue Reading →
Is there any life event more bizarre than a school reunion? After spending Memorial Day weekend in the company of fellow Simon's Rock alumni, most of whom I had not seen in decades (what, you think I'm going to say how many?), I can tell you definitively, no. For a fiction writer who enjoys playing... Continue Reading →
I took a break this past week from my novel-in-progress to finish up a short story for submission to the San Mateo County Fair Literary Anthology. Pig races and high art Now, who even knew that the San Mateo County Fair had a Literary Arts Department? Certainly I didn't. The last time I went to... Continue Reading →
AUDREY KALMAN 