Tom Swift Writer’s Notebook

I signed the tall stack of books in a dash and along the way met many pleasant booksellers. Afterward, I joined four of them (and a fellow book-signer) for some Italian. Good food, great time. The next day I picked up some books — and engaged in interesting conversations about some of them. I met [...]

I have decided to suspend my writing career. I think we can call agree it’s the only prudent thing to do, given the financial crisis our fundamentally sound economy is enduring. These times are just too critical to do anything but sit and think about a subject that, like others, I admit I know almost [...]

Bob Hussey writes of Chief Bender’s Burden in the October issue of Minnesota Monthly: “Swift’s account of the treatment of Native Americans and his richly detailed portrait of Philadelphia at the beginning of the 20th century will … interest general readers.” Thanks to reader P.E. for pointing out the review and thanks to Minnesota Monthly [...]

Thanks to writer Dwight Hobbes for his interest in Charles Bender’s story. His questions and my answers were just published at the Daily Planet.

This is the only store in the known universe with a display of year-to-date sales that puts “Chief Bender’s Burden” ahead of Eat, Pray, Love — a book that has sold nearly 13 gazillion copies nationwide. Thanks to every kind soul who made it possible for me to snap this peculiar picture.

Speaking of conversations, I had the opportunity to be the guest on the Donna Seebo Show the other day. Ms. Seebo asked good questions and I would like to think I provided useful answers for her listeners. But I am allergic to the sound of my own voice, so I’ll have to pretend that I [...]