Welcome to TRB Lounge. Today, I’d like to welcome the author of Knowing – Mark Cox, for an author interview with The Reading Bud.

About The Author

Mark Cox has authored six other volumes of poetry, the most recent being Readiness (2018) and Sorrow Bread: Poems 1984-2015 (2017). He has a forty-year history of publication in prominent magazines and his honors include a Whiting Writers Award, a Pushcart Prize, the Oklahoma Book Award, and The Society of Midland Authors Poetry Prize. He chairs the Department of Creative Writing at UNC Wilmington and teaches in the Vermont College of Fine Arts MFA Program.

You can find author Cox here:
Amazon | Bookshop

Interview

Welcome to TRB! In addition to your formal bio, could you share a deeper, more personal insight into your life that influences your poetry?

When I was compiling my selected and new poems, Sorrow Bread, I very much had my three children in mind. I felt that I was leaving them a record of exactly who their father was. I feel the same way about many of the poems in Knowing. “Gasoline” is a complex poem that offers a perspective on the divorce that helped shape them. The poems that reference them like “The Song that Never Ends” and “Wonderbread” are particularly dear to my heart.

Beyond the general overview, could you delve into the themes, emotions, or experiences that inspired your latest collection of poems?

Knowing, at its core, is about living comfortably with three facts we know for sure. That is, living involves loss, insists on change and ends in death. These constants give value to all human relationships, be they with other people or matters of the spirit. In this sense, the book is as much about not knowing as it is about knowing

Poetry often reflects deep personal feelings or insights. What specific emotions or experiences drove you to write the poems in your book?

Life is chock full of mistakes, missteps, embarrassments and regrets, yes? If you are not being honest about them, you are not embracing and encountering your whole self with your art. Art is very much a revelation of self, even when art seems impersonal or denies it. I have done a lot of things that I am ashamed of; being honest with myself about them is a prerequisite for change and growth. We have to come to terms with our failings if we want to approach forgiveness and some semblance of inner peace.

Many poets have a defining moment or influence that shapes their work. Can you describe what sparked your journey into poetry?

I became a poet accidentally, really. In sixth or seventh grade I had a teacher named Irma Schiele who saw some talent in me after doing a class metaphor clustering exercise. She had me stay after class and told me to go home, write a poem and have it on her desk in the morning. I did that. She marked it with an A in red ink and said write me another one. That was perhaps 55 years ago and I have just kept at it. There were times when I concentrated on song lyrics or prose, but I have been writing poetry since that day in grade school.

From initial inspiration to the published collection, how long was your creative process for this book of poetry?

Although there are some older poems in it, most of the book was written in a five year period between the publication of Readiness and Knowing. That’s probably a constant for me in terms of time. It takes between four and five years for a book to take shape. I revisit and revise heavily.

While your primary focus is poetry, have you ever considered or dabbled in other literary forms, like fiction or non-fiction?

I have written short stories and screenplays. Many of the prose pieces in my poetry books are really flash fiction or flash memoir. Narrative comes naturally to me. When I start writing something I don’t really know what shape it will ultimately take. The work has to tell me that over time.

Can you recall a defining moment when you realised you were meant to be a poet? Was this path a natural calling or one filled with obstacles?

I will answer this with a poem from my book Readiness:

Night Sky above Bassae

That sky is a kind of book with black pages. Then stars appear, cluster by cluster, syllables first, then whole sentences, shivering faintly in the frost of their fire. A passage it has taken thirty-five years to translate—still on my back, still clasping the thin wool blanket to my throat, the Greek ruins I lie within, unguarded, fenceless, bordered only by their own felled walls. To sleep on stone is to enter it. To be stilled by history is to age. What you are becomes who you are. Carbons, calcium, water, salt— basic compounds, simple chains loosing into… what? Desire? Design?

When the bus returns, as one does each morning, to complete its mountain route up or down, as may be the case—when that bus stops, the young man I was will step up into it and its patrons, feel his clothing rubbed against others’, the smell of simple breakfasts and tobacco and Turkish coffee on their breaths. He will hear the chickens squawking from their woven cages. And I will have reentered the story of the living, once again a paying passenger, jolted along, vaguely claustrophobic, but now a poet, more or less.

Describe your poetic process. Do you follow specific routines or practices that help you capture your thoughts and emotions effectively?

I imagine the creative process as an infinite spectrum of processes between two theoretical poles: the mysterious internal and the factually known external. For comprehension’s sake, I divide this continuum into three stages: Vision; RE Vision; and Revision. During the first stage, I work intuitively and naturally, getting as much on paper as possible. During this stage I often work in prose and I may write two or more pages before one element (image, word, sound, pattern, line) emerges from the boil. In the second stage selection begins, partially conscious but mainly intuitive. During this stage, I trust the flow, yet begin to ask questions about the “photo” that’s evolving within the developing fluid. The lines might start to break here. A baseline might emerge. The stanzaic form might begin to materialize. The shape of the poem’s argument and experience begins to appear. At stage three, the hard questions about purpose and craft begin. How can I use this poem to understand myself and my world? Am I challenging my own ideas and temperament? What would the poem be like if I did it differently than this? During this stage the poem is more fully outside of me, an object, and I try to ignore the intense, personal investment I have in it. I am more like a mechanic fine tuning an engine. Obviously, in the process I also move between these stages fluidly and in different orders.

Aside from poetry, do you engage in other professions or hobbies that influence or enrich your writing?

I would just encourage writers to see themselves as artists and as part of that larger world of creative exploration and expression. Engage all the other arts seriously and learn what you can from them. Within writing, this is true of genre, as well. Don’t limit your exposure to poetry alone. Engage prose of all kinds as both a reader and practitioner.

Considering the themes in your poetry, can you recommend a few other poets or poetry collections that resonate with similar sentiments?

I’ll take advantage of this moment to list some poets who I think are under-recognized. Most of them have passed now: Jack Myers, Michael Van Walleghen, Morton Marcus, Stephen Berg, Claudia Emerson, Laura Kasischke, William Hathaway.

In the world of poetry, who are the authors or works that have significantly shaped your style or thinking?

There are too many to list. I feel I have been influenced by everything I’ve ever read, in one way or another. The English Romantics were important to me in the early years. Certainly, the Confessional poets, Lowell and Sexton in particular. Some poets you might not expect, like Wallace Stevens, Robinson Jeffers and Conrad Aiken. Stephen Berg’s poems struck a chord in me. They all trained my ear in lyrical and conversational music. They taught me to be ambitious in my approach to the art of poetry.

Poets often speak of facing creative blocks. Do you encounter these, and if so, how do you overcome them?

There are no blocks if you learn to accept failure and understand that it is the ongoing process of failing that makes a few limited successes possible. You have to be able to undertake and enjoy the process of writing without imposing judgment too early in that process.

Poetry can be a delicate balance of personal expression and universal appeal. How do you navigate this in your writing?

Well, accessibility has always been important to me. I always wanted the poems to be approachable, something that people could respond to without having to be highly educated in terms of what poetry is and how it functions. The struggle is always between this wrestling that we do between artfulness and naturalness. As Lorca said, between discipline and passion. When I came up, it was common to strive for art that seemed as if it just happened organically.  As if it was not a made thing. You esteemed the re-enactment of experience over intellectual contrivance. So even those things that are the most colloquial or the most casual, the most conversational, might be things that you spent hours considering, in terms of their thematic shape, in terms of the nuances of the voice, or the kind of music that you were trying to create. But you wanted it to read as if it was very, very natural. This way of thinking about style very much influences content. It privileges personal, human, often quotidian, subject matter.

Poetry sometimes touches on sensitive or controversial subjects. How do you address potential criticism or differing interpretations from your readers?

I don’t feel it is my job to teach an audience something. I have no expectations of them. It is my job to share my experience, my psychic truth, as best I can with the hope that others might find some value in it. Poetry accomplishes varied things. It connects, it consoles, it challenges, it provokes, and so on. I guess my hope is that my poems connect with readers on the basic human level, making my perspectives known.

For aspiring poets, what essential advice would you offer for their journey into the world of poetry writing?

We talk a lot about finding our voices, our authenticity. But I think the important thing for poets is to worry about listening as opposed to speaking. We have to listen to, and trust, our inner voice, pay attention to the ways in which we perceive and experience the world. We need to discover innate patterns, recognize them as such, then be able to question and alter those filters for personal and poetic evolution. Being a poet is a way of life, a way of being in, and interacting with, the world.

Thank you, author Cox, for taking the time to answer our questions and for all your insightful and interesting answers!

About the Book

Knowing

Mark Cox pulls no punches in these poems about loving, drinking, traveling, and screwing up his relationships and parts of his life. “Looking back for a low point marking the worst of my insobriety, it might be that signal moment I put out my cigarette in the holy water font of St. Paul’s Catholic church, right in front of the priest. . .” Sometimes sobering, often times funny, but always honest, the poems in Knowing aim for the heart and soul of us all.

You can find Knowing here:
Amazon | Bookshop

Tour Schedule:

• June 13: The Book Lover’s Boudoir (review)
• June 18: Lavender Orchids (review)
• June 20: Lavender Orchids (interview)
• June 26: Wall-to-Wall Books (review)
• July 1: Ashley’s Books (Instagram review)
• July 2: Anthony Avina’s blog (review)
• July 9: Anthony Avina’s blog (interview)
• July 16: The Reading Bud (review)
• July 18: The Reading Bud (interview)
• July 24: Review Tales (review)
• July 30: Savvy Verse & Wit (review)
• Aug. 9: True Book Addict (Review)
• Aug. 22: The Book Connection (Review)

Follow the tour with the hashtag #KnowingPoems

If you are an author and wish to be featured as our guest or if you are a publicist and want to get your author featured on TRB, then please get in touch directly by e-mail at thereadingbud@gmail.com

Welcome to TRB Lounge. Today, I’d like to welcome the author of Lyrical Revelations – Thomas Leslie McRae, for an author interview with The Reading Bud.

About The Author

You can find author McRae here:
Facebook

Interview

Welcome to TRB! Beyond the formal details in your Author Bio, could you share a more personal glimpse into who you are with our readers?

Thomas Leslie McRae I’m a poet, writer and author. My poetry is inspired by my personal experiences and the lives of the people around me and also my surroundings. Poetry is my way to express my mind, body and soul while reaching out to several other people with my words and God given talents.

What exactly inspired your latest poetry collection? And how do you feel you have grown as a poet, author and writer?

Life inspired my book from  every aspect you can think of, such as my job and the craziness that comes with it. My family and close friends, who are my rock and biggest pains in my ass and of course my hater’s who continue to doubt me, knock me, discouraged me but could never break me or take away my shine. I have grown as a writer because I have grown as a person and as a man. I know who I am, what I’m trying to become and how I’ve evolved creatively and spiritually. While maintaining the integrity that was installed in me by my mother and father.

Poetry often reflects deep personal feelings or insights. What specific emotions or experiences drove you to write the poems in your book?

Shoot to be honest pain and love played a huge decisive Factor. But just trying to tell a story and reach as many people as I can was a huge motivator and inspiration.

What defining moment shaped and inspired you to start writing poetry? Was it a person a thing or mixture of both?

I’ve said this on numerous interviews and I’ll keep saying it my brother Marshall Edward McRae Jr inspired me with this poem he wrote about our mother. I don’t remember the details but I still get this tingling feeling, when I think about that childhood memory it was such a warm beautiful powerful poem and it just made me say wow if his words can inspire and touch her and myself I can imagine what I can do. Because Junior was always good but I knew I was better.

How long was your creative process to write your book and what do you usually do to get motivated and inspired?

It doesn’t take long as long as I’m motivated and excited and what I mean by that is when I have no negative distractions or anyone in my ear trying to spread negative thoughts. I like listening to music to get into a flow or I may think about past events such as childhood crushes, young youthful  indiscretions or just craziness I experience and saw along the way.

Looking forward what are your aspirations as a poet? Where do you see yourself in the literary world in the next 5 years?

At this point I’m not looking at anything, just excited to be here in the moment trying to get myself more exposure and give people a chance to experience wonderful reading material that is from the heart and 100% authentic and real.

What are your favourite format of poetry? And do you ever switch or use same style and craft when writing?

I love writing rhyming poems especially since a lot of my poetry is influenced by music and rhythm and beats. I like to fantasize myself as a singer/rapper especially since I can’t do neither, but I like to pretend and use the melodies and hooks to get my creative juices flowing and sparking.

Have you ever written anything other than poetry? Such as fiction or short fiction?

Yes I’ve written two short fiction novels one based on my work experience and the other was inspired by my family, particularly on my mother’s side. The books were titled Street trash and pimp in the pulpit both were very successful despite the limited resources I had to promote and market them.

Which is more important to you loyalty or respect?

It depends on the person but today I’m going to go with loyalty. Because if you can’t trust the people who supposed to be loyal to you then there is no foundation of respect or friendship.

Which excites you more writing in general or your regular paying job? And why?

I got to be honest I’m not crazy about my nine to five job, because there’s a lot of funny people who works for the city in particularly where I work at. You got a lot of dudes  and women who smile in your face knowing they hate your guts, but instead of being real about it they want to be so called politically correct. All the while being fake and insincere I’m just getting tired of the BS too many two-faced people and yet so many of them claim to be real. If writing was paying bills regularly then I definitely would do it because I get more joy and fulfillment and even when I get writer’s block I’m still very excited and happy.

Considering the themes of your poetry and writing style can you recommend any past or current authors to potential readers?

I can’t think of anyone at this time but I will say Maya Angelou Nikki Giovanni and Langston Hughes are three of my favorite poets. And I was strongly recommended them to anyone to read.

What poets are your favourites, and why?

I already answered it Maya Angelou and Nikki Giovanni and Langston Hughes are the three greatest poets, dead or alive.

Do you have writer’s block? And how do you overcome?

It doesn’t happen often but it has happened, I just try to be patient and wait it out. Usually I listen to a song or two, or just think about something that happened to me that was funny and entertaining and before I know it I’m back writing and in a majestic poetic lyrical flow.

How do you balance personal experience and universal appeal through your poetry?

I don’t why would I balance I just speak from the heart and let God do the rest. Everything I am and done is because of him so all I can do is be me and always praise the heavenly father.

Poetry sometimes touches on sensitive or controversial subjects. How do you address criticism or differences of opinion from your reader’s?

It depends if their criticism is constructive and positive I’ll try to be more in tune and informative. But if you criticize me and talking to me crazy then I’m going to tell you off after I’m done I’ll say don’t buy the book. The sad truth is most people criticize what they can’t do, I think Martin Lawrence said it best a critic is the biggest scumbag on the Earth because he doesn’t have the talent but he wants to judge yours. Don’t get me wrong we all have our strengths and weaknesses but you can also criticize somebody’s craft with elegance, Grace and class.

What advice would you give inspired new writers who want to get their work out there?

Do your research be patient and remember that timing is everything. Always ask questions and don’t be afraid to second guess if something doesn’t sound or seem right. Trust me there’s a lot of shady people in the publishing industry, but there is also a lot of good people who is willing to work with new talent. Just use good judgment and keep a real tight knit circle around you.

What kind of poetry do you write? And which style do you like the most?

I like rhyming poetry and also what I use because I think poetry is kind of like music when written correctly it can get you in a rhythm and beat while stimulating your mind, body and soul.

Other than writing what do you do for fun?

I like to watch movies and TV shows go fishing with my father. Sometimes I hang out with my brother I spend time with my mother my two boys from Job corp Ronny and Kimo. Listen to music take as many naps as possible I know I sound like an old man and I try to talk to my coworkers and Friends who I actually enjoy being around specifically my peoples from sheepshead Bay Brooklyn NY.

When first writing did you have a huge support system?

No not really I had a few people who was consistently showing me love my parents were off and on my brother very rarely but eventually everybody came around. You know when I was younger I took certain things personal, but as  I get older i realize not everyone is going to be on the same page or level as you. So you have to be ready to prove them wrong, just keep your faith with God and yourself and nothing is out of reach.

Are you in a relationship? And if not do you want to be in one?

I’m going to be honest I’ve been single for a while mainly because I refuse to settle on what I don’t want, especially when I know what I do want. I prefer someone who doesn’t have kids since I don’t have any but I’m willing to see and date a young lady with one or two kids. Especially if she conducts herself  with class and Grace and actually take the time to raise her kids like my mother did with me and my brother. I want someone who’s going to bring something to the table other than her ass I also prefer someone who doesn’t come with a whole lot of baggage and unwanted drama. She doesn’t have to be a PhD graduate but just don’t be someone who has any STDs. I’m not the most religious person in the world, but I do have a relationship with God and I will appreciate it if my mate had a similar one as well. 

Do you have any awards for your poetry or been in magazines or newspaper?

Yes I’ve been in the Rockaway newspaper, several poetry blogs for reviews and interviews New York City Housing Authority magazine the bulletin I’ve even done a few podcasts as well.

Is there anyone you want to acknowledge or thank regarding your book, writing journey or in general?

First I want to thank God Almighty for giving me a talent and making sure I use it and put it to productive use . I want to take the time to acknowledge my mother and father Mrs Sylvia Annette McRae and Marshall Edward McRae Senior. My brother Marshall Edward McRae Jr my Uncle Charles McRae my cousin Anna Rose Ford. I love you all and wish you all nothing but the absolute best 

I also want to thank my extended family my brothers and sister from Sheepshead Bay Brooklyn New York base Vinson McCrae Jr, Rastislav Kovalcik, Melissa Lopez, Mr P formally known as the legend, Mark Wilkins and Rohan Bloomfield and brother Blake. Thank you all for being awesome friends and family members.

I would also like to thank and acknowledge the following people Damon Adams,Christopher Bohan, Cristo Pinto, Rhina Alcantara, Nathaniel Scott, Tyra Mosby, my sister and friend Nekema Moore and her entire beautiful family, Patricia May Khalil Abdus Sabuurr last but not least Beverly Weathers.

Special shotout to my blogger friends who have help got me much appreciated publicity.

Joleene Naylor, Maria Schneider from Bear mountain books, Rune S Nielsen, Poetry Pop Blog, Joseph Awujoola, literary Titan, Eileen Moynihan, Kenitra Mounger and how can I forget The Reading Bud Blog as well.

Thank you to each and every one of you for your support kind words and overall goodness I appreciate and love each and every one of you I’m going to take the time to think everyone who took the time to check out this interview, because the fact of the matter is you could have been anywhere and you chose to be with me so thank you. This interview is to promote my poetry book of lyrical Revelations which is a brand new very affordable exquisite poetic craft masterpiece and it is for sale on Amazon.com Barnes and noble.com walmart.com and any and every online store you can think of. It’s only $7.50 and it’s 22 pages not a very big book but it still has a whole lot to say.

Thank you, author McRae, for taking the time to answer our questions and for all your insightful and interesting answers!

About the Book

Lyrical Revelations

Join Thomas on a profound journey through the pages of his poetry book, where he eloquently explores themes of love, civil rights, religion, and more. Each poem is intentional, diving deep into the depths of the human heart and societal issues with poignant insight and heartfelt expression. From the tender verses about love to the powerful reflections on civil rights struggles, Thomas’s words will captivate your soul and inspire reflection on the complexities of life. This poetry collection is a testament to the enduring power of words to illuminate the human experience and provoke thought on the world around us.

You can find Lyrical Revelations here:
Amazon | Barnes and Noble

If you are an author and wish to be featured as our guest or if you are a publicist and want to get your author featured on TRB, then please get in touch directly by e-mail at thereadingbud@gmail.com

Welcome to TRB Lounge. Today, I’d like to welcome the author of Surviving Chaos: How I Found Peace at A Beach Bar – Harold Phifer, for an author interview with The Reading Bud.

About The Author

Harold Phifer was born in a deeply segregated South It is here he learned how to survive the harsh life of being unnurtured and unloved on the streets of Columbus, Mississippi. His first twenty-five years were spent dreaming, hustling, and ducking bullies at every turn. After graduating Mississippi State and Jackson State Universities, he became a highly specialized Air Traffic Controller, living and working as an international contractor, serving numerous tours in lraq and Afghanistan. Because of those experiences of being so close to death and the Taliban, he had no choice but accept the Tee-shirt while authoring his memoir “SleepWalking Out of Afghanistan: Walking it all Back.” Next, Harold followed up with an expanded autobiography, “Surviving Chaos: How I Found Peace at A Beach Bar,” which is a combination of two books through different phases of trauma all meshed into one big novel.

You can find author Phifer here:
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn | TikTok

Interview

Welcome to TRB! Beyond the formal details in your Author Bio, could you share a more personal glimpse into who you are with our readers?

I’m a small-town author that spent half of my life in the deep south. That would be Columbus, Mississippi USA. I was boxed in by an absent father, schizophrenic mom, bullies that didn’t hesitate to belittle me due to my mom’s condition, and an abusive aunt who made sure I never got more sunshine than my mindless older brother. Of course, you must throw in the abject poverty. Luckily, I can joke about that upbring, yet many-a-times, I do speak of being too poor to live in the projects (or section 8 housings).

Honestly, I formed a plan at a young age (about 11 years old). I knew if I could make it to college my world would drastically change. Of course, it did change and I got recruited as an Air Traffic Controller. After 23 years with the Federal Aviation Administration, I retired then went to work as an International Contractor but doing the same type of work.

Beyond the blurb, could you delve into some unique aspects or pivotal moments from your book?

The moments that touch me are probably not great moments for the reader. Such as, “A Moment in the Sun” and “The Walls Stand Silent Now.” Those reflections remind me of the pure terror I had not knowing if my social life at 7 years old was over. With “The Walls Stand Silent” I couldn’t stop vividly seeing my mom going through her episodes of mayhem. I cried a lot when I wrote those stories.

What drove you to explore this specific theme in your book? Is there a central message or insight you aim to convey to your readers? Yes, Resilience. The need to believe in yourself and find inner love even if it doesn’t exist outside of you.

Every book has its roots. What served as the catalyst for this one – a personal experience, a persistent idea, a transformative event, or something else entirely?

Loneliness, Fear, Insecurities, Lack of love and Support, and Constant hunger

How long was the journey from conceptualizing the idea to seeing the final version of this book?

I knew I was going to write this book around the age of 20 years old. I think I officially started at 35 years of age (just framing how to do it) and finished at 57.

As a writer, what are your future aspirations? Where do you envision yourself in the literary world five years from now?

I do have a unique sense of humor that I try to expose in my books. I have written in Fiction (“Fool Me Thrice: Money Changes Everything” by Dean Conan) and Non-Fiction (“Sleepwalking Out of Afghanistan: Walking it All Back” & “Surviving Chaos: How I Found Peace at A Beach Bar” by Harold Phifer). Surviving Chaos is a merging of two books (SleepWalking Out of Afghanistan & The Bicycle Lady). “The Bicycle Lady” was never published. However, I think I will continue to write in both genres but mostly Fiction. Fiction is much more fun and not as tough on my state of mind.

Are there other topics or projects you’re currently researching or writing about?

Yes, I have a book about the “Follies of being an International Contractor or Expatriate.” Of course, Not officially named yet. Then, there’s the sequel to “Fool Me Thrice: Money Changes Everything” by Dean Conan currently named “A Fool Indeed” by Dean Conan (Not yet released).

While your focus is on non-fiction, have you ever been tempted to venture into the realm of fiction?

Yes, see: “Fool Me Thrice: Money Changes Everything” by Dean Conan.

Can you recall the moment when you realized you wanted to be a writer? Was it a path filled with challenges or a passion you seamlessly transitioned into?

I realized back in high school I wanted to write. But I also knew I had a unique story (or past) I wanted to tell, yet without being a book of Sorrows. Therefore, I pulled out all the bizarre and humorous details I could possibly recall and placed them in “Surviving Chaos: How I found Peace at A beach Bar.”

Describe your writing process. Do you have any routines or rituals that help you stay focused and inspired?

I put myself in the mindset of reliving the events that took place. That way, I was able to deliver as if it was happening in real time even after all those years.

Outside of writing, do you have another profession or area of expertise?

I’m an Air Traffic Controller with around 37 years of experience.

Given the theme of your book, could you recommend one or two other reads that resonate with similar ideas or insights?

That’s a tough one. Since, I wanted to infused hardship with humor then I would say my book is a combination of the movie “Antwone Fisher” with Derek Luke (also adapted to the book “Finding Fish” by Antwone Fisher) and Denzel Washington. Then, there’s the movie “Pushing Tin.” But the character is more of a huckster and mischievous teenager. I can’t say any one author influenced me. I do love Stephen King, James Patterson, and the social-life authors like Steve Harvey and Terry McMillan.

In the vast realm of non-fiction, are there specific authors or books that have profoundly influenced your approach or thinking?

Not really. I had stories I wanted to share with the world. If I found them to be zany or funny, then others would too.

The dreaded Writer’s Block—does it ever hinder your process, and if so, how do you navigate past it?

Oh yes! I stop and find other things to do. Like, go to a movie or watch a sporting event. Eventually, the vision comes back even if it takes months.

Non-fiction often requires a balance of research and narrative. How do you strike that balance, ensuring your work is both informative and engaging?

I try to dredge up all details from that time frame and bring it forward to what people can relate to today. Or I try to spell out the details to the extent the readers can understand or emphasize with me.

Writing non-fiction can sometimes mean delving into controversial or sensitive topics. How do you handle potential criticism or differing viewpoints from readers?

There are lots of things I try not to touch. But if it’s central to the story (or needed for understanding an event), then I try to respectfully talk about sensitive details without making lite of something that can be taken as an insult.

For those looking to embark on their own non-fiction writing journey, what piece of advice would you deem invaluable?

I do try to bring out the uniqueness of my stories. There’re so many books about life and people experiences. Since, so many before me have spilled their guts, I wanted my journeys to be worth picking up but with little to no likeness to anything that’s been read or written before.

Thank you, author Phifer, for taking the time to answer our questions and for all your insightful and interesting answers!

About the Book

Surviving Chaos: How I Found Peace at A Beach Bar

For more than fifty years, Harold Phifer’s childhood living conditions remained a secret, even from those who thought they knew him best. No one knew about his past growing up with a mother who suffered from mental illness; a greedy aunt; a mindless and spoiled older brother; an absent father.

It wasn’t until an explosion in Afghanistan that his memory was blasted back into focus. This book is the result of a long, cathartic chat with a stranger at a beach bar, where Harold finally found some peace.

You can find Surviving Chaos, How I Found Peace at A Beach Bar here:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

If you are an author and wish to be featured as our guest or if you are a publicist and want to get your author featured on TRB, then please get in touch directly by e-mail at thereadingbud@gmail.com