Literary Breadcrumbs: An Interview with Kevin Howard, author of Onward, At Last

I was born and raised in the Bronx, NY. I had a very happy childhood with my brother, Ruben, and my mother, Andrea. I graduated from Cardinal Spellman High School, then served four years of active duty in the U.S. Army as a member of NATO. I attended college in Houston, Texas, and graduate school in Connecticut. My career began with a one-year commitment as a FEMA Disaster Assistance Loan Officer primarily assigned to the Northridge earthquake declared natural disaster. I went on to build a successful career as a business banker but found my calling in climate risk mitigation. I am happily married and live in a nature preserve community on the Oregon Pacific coast. I am a life learner who draws strength and inspiration from my connection with humanity and the natural environment that sustains us.

You can buy Onward, At Last here.

Are you a writer, too? Submit your manuscript to Atmosphere Press.

Tell us the story of your book’s title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?

The book is about remembering who we are. In our most fundamental state, we are energy. Energy flows. Yet so many of us are stuck in a false paradigm of cultural virtues, narratives, and expectations. The title is an acknowledgment of our deepest, spiritual desire…to be unstuck so we can move Onward, At Last.

How did it feel when you first saw your book cover? Or when you first held your book in your hands?

Here was a physical manifestation of my co-creation process. Energy flowed through the prism of my lived experience to physical page, digital format, and audio expression. In a word, I felt euphoric.

Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?

The book’s inscription is “To Joyful, you inspired me to write and so I have.” On my faith journey, which originated through the Catholic tradition, then non-denominational Christian tradition until I transcended to the universality of spiritual truth. In my moment of spiritual enlightenment, I realized the language I used to reference the divine (God, Jesus, Trilogy…) was constrained by human ego (one path to truth that makes all other paths wrong). A universal, all-power, all-knowing divine is at the inflection point where all paths align with truth. In that moment, the divine asked me to co-create a new name unconstrained by human ego. I chose “Joyful.” And from then one, Joyful became my reference to Divine Source. This was the culminating expression of my prayerful communication with the Divine.

What other professions have you worked in? What’s something about you that your readers wouldn’t know?

I have been a business banker most of my career. Then as I entered my fifties, I had a deep desire to align my career with my highest purpose…to serve and do the most good for all. This desire manifested into a new career to help transition the global economy to ecological sustainability.

This is the inspiration for my commentaries; to provide the breadcrumbs for remembering who we are: sovereign members of one human family, interdependently nourished by each other and the natural universe that sustains us.

What was the most rewarding/meaningful part of publishing your book?

My editor at Atmosphere Press offered guidance that inspired me to crystallize the connecting themes of my commentaries into a coherent roadmap for self-discovery. The wisdom of the physical requirements of life reveals the undeniable truth of our emotional and spiritual reality. How we survive daily informs us who we are. Once we realize who we are, we are empowered to align our virtues, choices, and life journey with the physical requirements of life.

The publishing process illuminated the narrative prescription for self-discovery. When I hold my published book, I feel the overflowing joy of truth conveyed for the good of all.

If your book had a soundtrack, what are some songs that would be on it?

Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On?, John Lennox’s Imagine, the Who’s We Won’t Get Fooled Again, Pink Floyd’s Us and Them, the Rolling Stone’s You Can’t Always Get What You Want, and Stephen Stills’ Love the One You’re With.

What is one thing you hope readers take away from reading your book? How do you envision your perfect reader?

You are so much more than your physical body. Remembering who you are will empower you to reclaim your sovereignty as co-creator of your physical, emotional, and spiritual reality.

My perfect reader is a part of me I do not yet know. I am a part of them they do not yet know. But by steeping on the messages conveyed by the commentaries, we jointly will realize the symbiotic relationship defining our oneness.

What new writing projects are you currently working on? Or, other projects that are not writing?

Onward, At Last is my opus…the story never ends. Find the ongoing commentaries on the blog page at www.Onwardatlast.com.

How was working with Atmosphere Press? What would you tell other writers who want to publish?

Working with the creative editors at Atmosphere Press was an empowering experience as an author. Each editor internalized my message and provided insightful questions intended to sharpen, deepen, and completely unpack the expression I was intending to convey.

My message to my fellow writers: finding an editor who respects your intended message while professionalizing your authentic expression is as good as it gets for the publishing process. This is what Atmosphere Press did for me.

You can buy Onward, At Last here.

Are you a writer, too? Submit your manuscript to Atmosphere Press.