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Words from the wise

Author Interviews

Atmosphere Press is proud to bring readers the Atmosphere Press Presents author interview series. We’re happy to have this archive of excellent interviews and author success stories for you to enjoy. Learn about writers and their books, from book title origin stories to music playlists that relate to their writing to what it was like seeing the cover for the first time.
 
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Mark Pickvet was born in Pinconning, Michigan, and graduated from the University of Michigan where he received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees. He went on to obtain a PhD in History and has written many books, especially on the history of glassware and the State of Michigan, and several works of fiction.

What makes a person believe they understand a non-fiction problem to such a degree they decide to spend four years writing a book about it? First, there has to be a need for the story—to make people want to read it. I believe the first complete story of red tape: a condition that has existed in the administration of government at all levels and in all democracies for literally centuries, a very real problem that threatens democracy as a form of governance and a problem that impacts all people meets the need of a story to be told.

Albert Jaskula is the author of the novel The Fall. He never imagined he could write a book after living in London for nearly a decade. Working as an assistant manager and then as a driver gave him plenty of time to contemplate and write down ideas for something unique. The plot evolved over time until it came together as a cohesive whole. His writing career began in a very unusual way. When he became a co-author of a children's book (which has yet to be published), he realised what a joy it was to write.

Sally Stevens has worked in film, television, sound recordings and commercials music in Hollywood for many decades, as a singer/choral director/lyricist. She has written lyrics for Burt Bacharach, Dave Grusin, Dominic Frontiere, Don Ellis and others, and her short fiction, poems, and personal essays have appeared in Hermeneutic Chaos Literary Journay, Mockingheart Review, RAven's Perch, Funny in Five Hundred, The Missouri Review, Los Angeles Press, The Voices Project, The OffBeat, and Between the Lines Anthology: Fairy Tales & Folklore Re-imagined. Her memoir, I SANG THAT – A Memoir from Hollywood was published in October of 2022.

Milda has produced, written, and directed short films, documentaries, as well as commercials for both television and radio, winning many awards for her achievements. Having the passion to write, Milda retired early, trading the whirlwind world of the Big Apple for a quiet, relaxed lifestyle in the resort city of Ostuni (also known as the White City).

Sarah Lutterodt was born and educated in England, gaining a BA degree in physics from the University of Oxford, an M.Phil. in nuclear physics from the University of London, and a Ph.D. in Education from the University of Birmingham. She has spent most of her adult life outside England, working for two years at the University of Lovanium in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and subsequently for ten years at the University of Cape Coast in Ghana. Since 1980, she has lived in the United States, where she worked as a technical training consultant for General Physics Corporation before starting her own business, Quality Training Systems, in 1997.

I was born in Brooklyn, NYC. I received a bachelor’s degree from Brandeis University and a master’s degree in English Literature from San Francisco State University. I had a forty-two-year career in healthcare at Kaiser Permanente and in the Sutter Health Care system. My positions included Director of Business Relation, writer/editor, director of marketing & community relations, and a lobbyist for Kaiser in Sacramento.

Rebecca Himmel Glassman is new to the publishing world even though she has been writing since childhood. After honing her legal writing skills while working as a paralegal for well over twenty years, she decided it was time to tap into her creative side.

Born in Zimbabwe, Mwana waMusikavanhu has a Master of Business Administration. For twenty-four years, he worked in the insurance industry and later engaged in financial planning before pursuing a role in consulting and strategy. He is currently the Chief Executive of a financial services organisation. The Sacred Passage is his first novel. Mwana is married and has three children. Mwana lives in Harare, Zimbabwe.

Maria Caponi was born and grew up in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where she spent a large part of her waking hours making up stories and working on mathematical equations. She has a Ph.D. in Physics and Astronomy from the University of Maryland, and a Creative Fiction writing certificate with honors from the University of California, Los Angeles. She is the author of An Accidental Pilgrim, a memoir in prose and verse, released in February 2024. Two of her recent poems and four of her photographs have been included in the recent publication of ONWARD, a MB Poetry Circle and Mira Cost HS book of poems (March 2024). She is currently completing a collection of personal essays. More details about her previous work and publications can be found at mariacaponi.com.