Unsung Writers

Inside Random House, New York

Now that I’ve immersed myself in all manner of writerly pursuits, I’m discovering wonderful writers who have no fame. They’re a mixture of talents—some who’ve been at the game for decades, others who are just starting. And yet, they all have something to say and they say it well.  Their talents may vary but their common denominator is their readership. It’s small in comparison to those who favor the blockbuster novelists, the ones on the best seller lists, the ones whose names are as well-known as the names of Hollywood celebrities.

The writing business is like that. Not everyone who is any good gets the acclaim they deserve. You work and work and work, and hope and hope and hope that your words will register with more than a few.

Passport photo of Hemingway when he was married to Hadley, 1923
From Wikipedia

This came to mind the other night when I was reading another chapter of The Paris Wife by Paula McLain. It’s the story of  author, Ernest Hemingway and his wife Hadley. It’s also about Hemingway’s early years as an unsung writer. What set him apart from many other struggling writers was his passion for his craft. He dreamt large. And when his wife accidentally left three years of work on a train, he naturally sank into the doldrums, but after a short while, he picked himself up and started anew. Gertrude Stein, a friend of his at the time, thought the incident was a lucky one. It forced him to reconsider what he’d written. Some other writer might’ve given up, but he didn’t and now we sing his praises.

With self publishing today, there are even more countless unsung writers than in Hemingway’s time. I admire their gumption even though some should’ve left their work on their computers or in their desk drawers. Finding good stories to read is like mining in that murky stream; there are gems, if only we look.

Click on Escape to go to Peregrin Publishing to purchase

One book I highly recommend is one I was a part of ( ha ha).  An excerpt from my grandmother’s story (the one I’m still writing) is in this lovely book.  I know it’s a bit of self-promotion but ESCAPE, an anthology, is full of many unsung writers with talent—short story writers, essayists, poets, and even graphic storytellers. It’s also a book that’s illustrated by artists, also unsung.

Some of the writers in Escape have been published many times, like Kristin Butcher and Jocelyn Reekie. Kristin’s story, Waltzing Annie Home, is about an old woman’s waltz back in time—full of heart and heartache.  Jocelyn Reekie’s Of Whales And Men takes the reader on a journey under the sea to witness an encounter with a whale, so vivid you know she’s  plunged those depths herself. Others like Sheena Lynn Gros are newbies, but nonetheless their talent is huge. Sheena’s story, The Doorway, will make you shudder and wonder what it means to be a family and how so many get it wrong. D Ross Fisher’s The Float Pilot speaks of getting away from it all and how fate plays an unexpected role. Murvey Farewell by Margaret Nyland speaks of youth and dreams and young love and how one plays off the other not always with the desired results.  Jim Creighton’s Escape is a jewel of a story about a man with dementia who keeps trying for a solution to his problem, with startling results. Peter Davies’ Campbell Joe is a graphic short story beautifully drawn; the ache and pain of a man down on his luck leap out of the pages.

There is so much more: every story, every poem, every illustration in this anthology is worth a visit.

ESCAPE is just one example of work done by unsung writers. I plan to keep looking and finding gems like this one, too often hidden behind the bestsellers.

Have you found a gem worth sharing? I’d love to hear about the treasures you found.

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