Books, Writing, History, and Me
In “Books, Writing, History, and Me” I share my thoughts on travel, cooking, van-life, books, the process of writing, the experiences of an indie-publisher, WWII, the Holocaust, and anything else I feel might be of interest to readers of my books. Please send me comments and let me know what you like and what you want to know more about. Everything in this blog reflects my personal ideas and feelings–a memoir of sorts, it is my perspective and any errors or omissions are mine.
An African-American Ritchie Boy – William Warfield
If you have ever heard a recording of William Warfield singing “Ol’ Man River,” from the musical Showboat by Jerome Kern, you will not have forgotten his deep, rich, bass-baritone voice. Warfield’s emotional rendering of this song about the hardship and despair of black laborers in the late nineteenth century makes my heart ache every time I…
Crossing the T’s and Dotting the I’s
When I sent what I believed to be a clean, mistake-free copy of my manuscript to a Ritchie Boy who had promised to write me a review, I was amazed when he found not only some German language that needed correction, but a few other small errors. I conveyed my distress to my editor, and…
In Remembrance of Pearl Harbor
Today is the 73rd anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. At 8:00 am on the morning of December 7th 1941, the Imperial Japanese Navy launched a surprise military strike against the US Pacific Fleet anchored in the sheltered harbor near Honolulu. Just as we today can easily remember the morning of September…
The Inside Tells a Story – Interior Design Matters
When you open a book and look inside, there are certain things a reader expects— title page, copyright page, maybe a dedication, and a table of contents, especially for nonfiction. A self-publishing author determines the content of these pages, but it could be a steep learning curve for a writer to get everything laid out…
Ten True Stories
There is no shortage of books about the Holocaust—tales of suffering, escape, tragedy. No matter how many I read, I am always delighted when I find one that brings an unusual perspective to the genre of survivor stories. These ten true stories—eight memoirs and two autobiographical novels, are some of my favorites. I recommend them…
Chicago and the Spiegels
Those of us who grew up in the 1950s and ‘60s will probably be familiar with the Spiegel name. Along with Sears and Roebuck, the Spiegel Company of Chicago was one of the best known catalog retailers in the United States. Beloved by their customers since 1912 for offering free credit and installment payment, in…
A Book and Its Cover
It may be true about people that ”you can’t tell a book by its cover,” but when it comes to actual books, the cover is an important selling tool. Certainly, this advice is emphasized in every source about self-publication. When I stroll down the aisles of a library or bookstore, or click through lists on…
Born in the USA – A Ritchie Boy
Not all the Ritchie Boys were Jewish refugees from Nazi Germany. Many were second generation German, Italian, Russian, or Polish, even Japanese. Others where highly ranked language students pulled from advanced college classes. The common thread was fluency in a language spoken by the enemy. A self-described troglodyte, Burton Hastings is one of these American-born…
Taking Your Baby to School – Finding Readers for a” Finished” Manuscript
Every writer knows that at some point you have to take your “baby” (the manuscript) into the wider world. It is said the work of writing a book is a solitary endeavor, but to get a manuscript to its best, it needs to be exposed to others. The fresh eyes every author needs are those…
Editing Dilemmas
Writers know that the work has only started when the first draft is complete. Details, additional plot twists, and character development will be added to help the story hang together. That kind of editing is fun. But, for me, the tightening and condensing of my prose is more difficult. How can I close the door…
Sign up to receive the latest news, events and personal insights from Katie Lang‑Slattery.