Category: Blog
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Another tremendous book club event
Last night I attended another author (book club) appearance for BONES OF AN INLAND SEA. The book group was marvelous (they are aptly named, too: Joie de Vivre) and offered plenty of really insightful questions and intelligent, encouraging comments. It was a gathering of great readers, great book lovers. The whole evening warmed my authorly…
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Review of BONES at The Short Review
The Short Review Here’s an excerpt: “Akers does not judge her characters, and as each one gets their opportunity to speak up, offering us new perspectives on their role in this complex family tangle, or giving feedback on someone we have already met, we slowly piece together the relationships and connections, and what might be…
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Review of BONES at PANK
I really love this review of my new collection. It just went live at PANK–a journal I also love. The review is (blushingly) laudatory, but also tough, respectful, and fair. My very favorite kind of review. Thank you, Carmen Maria Machado! If we ever meet in person, the drinks are on me. PANK Here’s a…
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Radical Gratitude in Real Time
[This is the transcript of a message I was asked to share with the congregants of the Unitarian Universalist Church in Hamburg, NY in November 2013.] RADICAL GRATITUDE IN REAL TIME I once had a writing mentor who told me that the way to the universal is through the particular. What I believe she…
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The Grand Facade…or Facebook Schmacebook
I’ve been hearing more and more lately about how Facebook makes some people very sad. I understand that. All the good news and awards and crowing about perfect kids and vacation photos and avowals of love…they can be a little bit overwhelming if you’re looking for some of those things yourself and not finding them.…
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My Radio Interview with Judge Penny Wolfgang
In which we talk about Bones of an Inland Sea, PTSD, writing from the male point-of-view, and haunting work.
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Clifford Garstang Interviews Me at Perpetual Folly
Interview with Mary Akers, author of Bones of an Inland Sea My friend Mary Akers has a new book out, Bones of an Inland Sea (Press 53, 2013). I plan to give you my own reaction to this wonderful book in a day or two, but for now let me share with you this conversation I…
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Interview with Robert Boswell
Mary Akers: Hi, Robert. Thanks for letting us publish your wonderful (serialized) story American Epiphany and for agreeing to talk with me about your new novel TUMBLEDOWN, which I loved. This book is satisfying on so many levels: art, craft, story, character, movement, and most interesting of all, its narrative point of view. Could you…
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Interview with Behlor Santi | Rkvry Quarterly Literary Journal
Interview with Behlor Santi | Rkvry Quarterly Literary Journal. Mary Akers: Behlor, I loved your piece, “After Philip Marries Mildred.” And I’d like to talk today a little bit about the writing process, if we could. When I was a potter, there were lots of discussions in the pottery community that centered around the simple…
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Press 53 Gathering of Writers
Last Saturday, I had the distinct pleasure of leading a workshop in Winston-Salem on HOW TO HAUNT YOUR READER for the Press 53 Gathering of Writers. What a wonderful group of engaged and engaging attendees and faculty! I thoroughly enjoyed it and highly recommend it for people who might be interested in being a part…