I'm so excited to welcome Poet and Short-Story Author Jack Donohue to Passion Between the Pages! Jack will be chatting with us about his Writer's Journey, and sharing one of his short stories with us, I Hear You Mom. Welcome, Jack!
Tell us
a little about yourself. When and how
did you decide you wanted to become a writer?
I
began writing poetry when I was in my late-teens, and it came naturally to me. I
wrote poetry sporadically over the years except at Christmas when every card I
wrote has at least one or two unique verses in it.
I
began writing prose about eight-years ago shorty before I retired; it was
difficult for me at first, and I find it more challenging than writing poetry,
but I also find it more fulfilling.
You’ve
written a number of short stories and poems.
Which one is your favorite, and why?
‘I
Hear You Mom,’ a short story I wrote about my mother is my favorite. Every word
is true, and it reflects the fact that my mother is in my thoughts daily.
How do you create your characters?
I
do it intuitively. I first immerse myself in the type of story I’m creating
e.g. a western, comedy or romance. That suggests the type of character who
would be in the story e.g. funny, angry, playful, heroic or curious. That in
turn reminds me of a person, or persons I’ve met in my life. The final character
profile is often a composite of several people I’ve known.
Do you work with a critique partner? What is a typical writing day like for you?
Typically,
I write for one to two-hours each morning. I share each completed story or poem
with eight to ten friends who vary in age, background, education, writing
skills and knowledge of the story topic. They are kind enough to give me their
honest feedback.
What is
the most surprising thing you’ve learned (thus far!) as a published author?
Each
time I publish a story or poem, I raise the bar for myself which is the way it
should be; the more I write, the better I should become. I know this is true
because when I look at some of my older stories I can usually detect a few
small tweaks or improvements I can make to them.
Have any authors or friends influenced you
in helping you become a writer?
Many,
many people have helped me over the years, some by their encouragement and support;
others by their constructive criticism, and suggestions.
Where do you write? Is there anything you need or like to keep
handy when you’re writing?
I
seem to write best in a coffee shop. Having my smart phone handy allows me to
confirm facts, or to get answers to questions which may occur to me as I write.
I’ve observed through my own experience that
many agents and publishers are hesitant to work with poets, and to publish
poetry.
Since
all of poetry success has been on a relatively small scale I haven’t had to
face any poetry disappointments. Even if I knew I would never get a poem
published I would continue to write poetry as long as I found it fulfilling,
and my friends enjoyed reading my work.
What challenges have you faced with regard
to the industry, and how have you dealt with those challenges?
Up till now, all my publishing success has been at the local
newspaper, township, state park, and hiker web page level, and I have found it
to be relatively easy. As I advance up the ladder to magazine and book
publishing, I expect to find it much harder.
Besides writing, what other interests do you
have?
I
have always been very active in the outdoors. My primary activities are hiking,
fishing and environmental education.
I
have hiked all over the country, and have completed more than 2,000 miles on
the Appalachian Trail.
A
fisherman for forty-years, I fish year-round, and have won or placed in several
bass fishing tournaments.
I
was an environmental consultant for more than thirty-years, and I continue to lead
environmental education programs both in the classroom and in the field.
These
and other outdoor experiences provide wonderful material for my stories.
What do
you like to read? What is the best
story(ies) you’ve read in 2018?
With
racks of free and discount books at the library I read anything I can get my
hands on. I try to read a wide range of
topics. This year I have enjoyed reading works by Larry McMurtry, John Muir,
Stephen Ambrose and Louis L’Amour among other, but I don’t have a favorite book
or author.
What
is the best advice you’ve been given along your writers’ journey? What advice would you give to aspiring
authors who are just starting out?
I’ve learned to read a
lot from a wide range of authors. Write every day and be open to constructive
criticism, and continue to find ways to improve e.g. writing workshops. I would
give the same advice to others.
What
are you working on now?
Since
I write short stories and poems each of which can be completed relatively
quickly, I usually work on multiple stories at a time. At present, I am
completing a Christmas poem, a story about a life lesson learned, and going on
a ‘bottle hunt’ as a kid. I have also just started a story about a poacher of
trout.
“I Hear You Mom”
Yesterday, as I ran out the front door, I hastily blessed
myself. When I heard my mother’s voice tenderly scold, “Do it right,” I stopped,
and made the sign of the cross properly.
Though my mother passed away fourteen years ago, I still
hear her voice often. She’s always there to remind me, in case I temporarily
forget, all the many things she taught me.
I don’t need to refer to diaries, old photographs or
diplomas to verify significant dates in my life; my mother has branded those
dates in my memory bank. For instance, when I’m handed palm each year at
church, I hear my mother’s voice recite, “Jackie, you were baptized on Palm
Sunday, and your sister Mary was baptized on Easter Sunday.” And, whenever I
look at the scar on my right knee, I can hear my mother’s voice, “You got that
scar on your first day of school, when you tripped and fell in the playground.
You got three stiches.”
No one had to observe my mother’s attendance at daily mass,
or hear her distinct Irish brogue to know she was a devout Catholic, and a
proud Irish-American; it was evident in the way she lived her life. Like the
way she would sprinkle holy water on anyone leaving the house, and the small
green shamrocks that would mysteriously appear on my lunchbox, or the covers of
my school books.
With mom ever-present, I learned to be mindful of everything
I said. Like one beautiful late March morning when I greeted mom, “Happy St.
Patty’s Day.” She softly chastised, “It’s Saint Patrick’s Day. Say it properly
son. He’s the patron saint of Ireland, where he drove out all the snakes, and
explained the Holy Trinity to the people symbolically, by using a three-leaf
clover.”
Born and raised on a small farm in County Cavan, Ireland, my
mom’s speech, and now my speech, is peppered with Gaelic words.
Whenever I’m clumsy or do something foolish, I hear my mom
playfully call me an, “Omathon” (Om-a-thon). And when I look at old photographs
of myself as a young lad, I can hear her soothingly call me her little,
“Gossoon” (Gos-soon). When a day is dreary and cloudy, I can hear her lament,
“It’s a droddy (drod-dy), cloddy (clod-dy) day.” Every time I see a narrow,
grassy, country lane, I hear her gentle voice tell me it’s a, “Boreen green.”
My mom’s Irish expressions are always prominent in my
consciousness too.
When I experience a sunny, cool spring morning, I hear my
mom’s joyful voice, “It’s a good day to take the cattle to the fair.”
Days when I hike, and encounter an uneven, difficult stretch
of trail, I hear my mother say, “It’s a rocky road to Dublin.”
Wonderful postscripts are the moments when my boyhood
friends include Gaelic words and expressions in their own vocabulary. It’s
obvious; they’ve heard my mom’s voice too.
Lately, my mother has been speaking to me more frequently in
the kitchen. After pouring boiling water from the kettle to make a cup of tea,
my mother’s favorite drink, I can hear her say, “Always keep the kettle full of
water.” I never understood why this was always so important, but I do what I
was taught, and refill the kettle.
At least two or three times each year, I make Irish soda
bread; my mom’s recipe. It’s a big hit with everyone who tastes it. After I
assemble the ingredients and put it in her old Pyrex bowl, I place in it the
pre-heated oven at the appropriate temperature. As I close the oven door, I
hear her voice remind me, “You forgot to use your knife to insert a cross on
top of the dough. It will let the bread stretch and expand as it rises, and
help heat get into the center of the dough while it cooks.”
When I take the soda bread out of the oven, I hear her
gently scold, “I know you want to eat it when it’s piping hot, but it will cut
without crumbling if you let it cool for a while.”
I never know when I’m going to hear my mother’s voice, but
when I do, I embrace and cherish those moments fondly. And whether I’m alone or
with someone else, I always respond, “I hear you mom.”
Enjoy all of Jack's Stories on his new Blog!
