Category Archives: Books by Sidney S. Stark

Creative Compassion

Creative Compassion

“The great gift of human beings is that we have the power of empathy.” —Meryl Streep

A neighbor in my apartment building questioned me about my work recently after I mumbled I must get back to my writing. Initially I was very frugal with my comments trying not to tell her more than she’d ever wanted to know. But it quickly became evident that she was intrigued by the research, the ‘history’ part of ‘historical fiction’. As we agreed on the blessings of technology which aids and abets the contemporary author’s exploration, I nevertheless expressed my frustration over how much is too much. I told her the novel I’m working on now suffers from an embarrassment of riches supporting the huge life of an eighteenth century French composer who happened to also be a world champion fencer; and swimmer, and skater, and horseman; to say nothing of his skill with a pistol remarked on by our own president John Adams while serving as ambassador to France.

So what’s an author to do when the glut of accolades for her character blocks the necessary empathy a reader needs to stay interested? What good is the research without the imperfections the character needs to make us feel he’s human? Continue Reading

Burdens of Privilege

Burdens of Privilege

“The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled.” —Plutarch It was over a decade ago that I sat in my first writers’ workshop at the Stonybrook Writers’ Conference. The almost round tables were configured to promote emotional connectivity and support, all good things when one’s writing is being… Continue Reading

Warp and Weft

Warp and Weft

“We don’t accomplish anything in this world alone… and whatever happens is the result of the whole tapestry of one’s life and all the weavings of individual threads from one to another that creates something.”—Sandra Day O’Connor For many years, I’ve considered layering in writing as a process much akin to that in the visual… Continue Reading

Badass!

Badass!

A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.-John C. Maxwell How can a word used to describe someone have such different meanings depending on the gender of the one being defined? That just proves how much discrimination there is in society’s expectations for its different members. I’ve focused… Continue Reading