Featured Writing

Empty movie theater

With This Money

by Claude Chabot Lily had found the powder room in haste, and rapidly finishing her customary ablutions before the start of the feature, hurried to the stairs. This was her ritual before every picture she had seen, and though she could resist it, she felt fully at ease only when…

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The book cover for "In the Shadow of the Valley" by Bobi Conn.

The Penmen Profile: A Q&A with Memoirist Bobi Conn

by Pamme Boutselis A Kentucky native, Bobi Conn grew up in an Appalachian holler, withstanding a tumultuous childhood while developing an innate love for words and the natural beauty of her surroundings. Both still run deep and she’s instilled each in her debut publication – recently released – “In the…

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The Penmen Profile: Graphic Artist and Novelist Mira Jacob

Rebecca LeBoeuf When a young woman returns home to find her father talking to dead relatives, she realizes there are secrets that have been haunting her family, stemming from a trip to India that was cut short 20 years prior. Mira Jacob’s debut novel, “The Sleepwalker’s Guide to Dancing,” was…

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The Penmen Profile: Irish Author Ethel Rohan

by Rebecca LeBoeuf Irish author Ethel Rohan’s debut novel, “The Weight of Him,” follows the journey of an obese man attempting to turn his life around and finding support in his community after a loved one’s suicide. Rohan’s Irish roots shine through in the landscape for this book and in…

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The Penmen Profile: Memoirist Kevin O’Hara

by Rebecca LeBoeuf Kevin O’Hara’s passion for his Irish roots have been the impetus for his memoirs. His first book, “Last of the Donkey Pilgrims,” recounts his eight-month and 1,800-mile journey around Ireland in 1979, with only his donkey, Missie, and the small cart she pulled. O’Hara’s second book, “A…

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The Penmen Profile: Acclaimed Southern Writer David Armand

by Rebecca LeBoeuf David Armand’s peers often compare the Louisiana native’s writing to that of William Faulkner, Cormac McCarthy and Thomas Franklin, his southern heroes. Armand has three published novels, a poetry chapbook and a recently released memoir, “My Mother’s House.” The latter focuses on his childhood memories of his…

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The Penmen Profile: “Southern Gospel” Memoirist Mark Beaver

by Rebecca LeBoeuf “Suburban Gospel” draws upon high school teacher Mark Beaver’s religious background and what life was like for a teen coming of age in the ‘80s. The memoir debuted in early 2016 and has drawn positive response from Kirkus Reviews, Publishers Weekly and many of Beaver’s peers. The…

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The Penmen Profile: Memoirist for Survivors, Laurie Jean Cannady

by Rebecca LeBoeuf Memoirist Laurie Jean Cannady focuses on poverty in the United States, community and domestic violence and women’s issues in her writing and lectures. Her first book, “Crave: Sojourn of a Hungry Soul” (2015), was selected as an Indiefab Book of the Year 2015 finalist and The Root…

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The Penmen Profile: Journalist Turned Memoirist Nancy Nau Sullivan

by Rebecca LeBoeuf Nancy Nau Sullivan’s background as a journalist has proven beneficial throughout her career as a writer, but has provided some challenges as well—particularly in fiction and memoir, which don’t adhere to the concise rules of journalism. Her memoir, “The Last Cadillac: A Memoir,” published in April 2016. Sullivan’s short stories have appeared in…

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The Penmen Profile: Versatile Writer Peter Grandbois

by Rebecca LeBoeuf Peter Grandbois is an author that does it all. From writing fiction, nonfiction, poetry and plays, Grandbois has two novels, one book of short stories, a memoir and a collection of three novellas published. His Etruscan Press novel, “Nahoonkara,” was a finalist in the 2011 Foreword Review Book of…

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The Penmen Profile: “So Many Africas” Author Jill Kandel

by Rebecca LeBoeuf Creative nonfiction writer and memoirist Jill Kandel traveled the world and now writes about those experiences. Kandel first submitted her book, “So Many Africas: Six Years in a Zambian Village,” to Autumn House Press‘ full manuscript competition. After winning the Creative Nonfiction Award in 2014 and being published a  year…

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