199 ratings | 31 reviews | avg rating:4.30

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Tess Callahan

Goodreads Author

Website

http://www.tesscallahan.com

Twitter

TessCallahan

Genre

Literature & Fiction, Short Stories

Influences

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show..., https://www.goodreads.com/au ...more

Member Since

January 2009

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Tess Callahan is the author of APRIL & OLIVER, (Grand Central Publishing/USA, Random House/UK) and DAWNLAND (Little A). She is a TEDx speaker on creativity and curator of the creative writing website: www.muse-feed.com, a toolbox for aspiring writers. Her short work has appeared in AGNI (Pushcart Prize nomination), Narrative Magazine (Story of the Week), The New York Times Magazine, National Public Radio’s “Three Books” series, Powell’s Books Original Essay Series, the Best American Poetry blog, Boston College Magazine and the anthology The BEST LITTLE BOOK CLUB IN TOWN. She holds a BA in English from Boston College and an MFA in Creative Writing from Bennington College. A dual citizen of the USA and Ireland, she lives in Northern NJ and Ca ...more

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Combine Editions
Tess Callahan’s books

Average rating: 3.52 · 4,307 ratings · 767 reviews · 5 distinct works • Similar authors

	April & Oliver 3.45 avg rating — 3,873 ratings — published 2009 — 25 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Dawnland 4.12 avg rating — 430 ratings — published 2024 — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	April & Oliver by Tess Callahan (Goodreads Author), Abby Craden (Narrator) really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 3 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	True Tales from The 90-Day Memoir: Pandemic Stories by Alan Watt, Nicole Fuentes (Goodreads Author), Jody Susan really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 1 rating — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	An Exorcist Tells Her Story (Stranger than Fiction Book 3) by Talilah Siddy, Tess Callahan (Goodreads Author) 0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Tess Callahan's Blog

Literary Prospects Interview with Kelley Vick

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Host Kelley Vick interviews Tess about the spark behind Dawnland, the source of her characters, the role of the natural landscape, and her writing and publishing journey. They discuss the interplay between writing and meditation, including a Carl Jung method called Active Imagination, and developing an inner barometer for whether beta reader feeder resonates or not. For anyone in Read more of this blog post »

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Published on September 16, 2024 18:13 • Tags: amy-hempel, kelley-vick, literary-prospects

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Tess’s Recent Updates

Tess finished reading Rural Versus Urban: The Growing Divide That Threatens Democracy by Suzanne Mettler	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Oct 02, 2025 02:39PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Rural Versus Urban by Suzanne Mettler. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Rural Versus Urban by Suzanne Mettler <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Tess entered a giveaway Starting From Here by Paula Saunders (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Aug 24, 2025 04:12AM · like · see giveaway · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Starting From Here by Paula Saunders. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Starting From Here by Paula Saunders <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Tess rated a book it was amazing A Small Tale of Uncommon Grace by Carrie Birde (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Birde’s delightful debut novel A Small Tale of Uncommon Grace is a literary cozy fantasy fairytale perfect for both YA and adult readers looking for a positive worldview. With a strong focus on connection to nature and animals, it invites readers to ...more
Jul 31, 2025 09:37AM · 3 likes · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of A Small Tale of Uncommon Grace by Carrie Birde. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — A Small Tale of Uncommon Grace by Carrie Birde <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Tess rated a book it was amazing Welcome to Murder Week by Karen Dukess (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I was fortunate to be gifted an advanced copy of Welcome to Murder Week, a fake murder mystery and genuine family mystery complete with a stirring romance. Instantly I was absorbed by the setting and moved by the charm and complexity of the character ...more
Jun 11, 2025 07:25AM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Welcome to Murder Week by Karen Dukess. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Welcome to Murder Week by Karen Dukess <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Tess and 1 other person liked Kelly_Hunsaker_reads ...'s review of Dawnland: "Dawnland by Tess Callahan is a thought-provoking story about family dysfunction, how secrets undermine us, and the complex nature of love. The characters are flawed and real. They are the people we know and care about. Their emotions are ours. These " Read more of this review »
Jan 12, 2025 07:25PM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Dawnland by Tess Callahan. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Dawnland by Tess Callahan <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Tess is now following Linzie (suspenseisthrillingme) and ReadThisAndSteep
Jan 01, 2025 12:22PM
Tess rated a book it was amazing IN BETWEEN: Creativity Set Free by Don Freas	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
You don't need to have seen the spectacular sculptures of Don Freas in person to be moved by this book. His intimate explorations of his creative process and the "material meditation" of making art are deeply inspiring for anyone endeavoring to creat ...more
Dec 12, 2024 09:32AM · like · see review
Tess rated a book it was amazing The Way Life Should Be by William Dameron (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 16, 2024 04:49PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Way Life Should Be by William Dameron. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Way Life Should Be by William Dameron <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Tess rated a book it was amazing Winter Loon by Susan Donovan Bernhard (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Sep 16, 2024 04:49PM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Winter Loon by Susan Donovan Bernhard. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Winter Loon by Susan Donovan Bernhard <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

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Quotes by Tess Callahan (?)

“All your life you're yellow. Then one day you brush up against something blue, the barest touch, and voila, the rest of your life you're green.”
― Tess Callahan

tags: change, life-experience

120 likes

“This is what I think. Addiction is just a way of trying to get at something else. Something bigger. Call it transcendence if you want, but it's a fucked-up way, like a rat in a maze. We all want the same thing. We all have this hole. The thing you want offers relief, but it's a trap.”
― Tess Callahan, April & Oliver

tags: addiction

47 likes

“Infatuation burns itself out,' she says. 'Friendship mixed with old chemistry--that can last a lifetime.”
― Tess Callahan

tags: fiction

45 likes

See all Tess Callahan's quotes »

Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
Challenge: 50 Books: Cecilia's 2010 List... 50 books and still reading	79	242	Dec 21, 2010 07:23PM
Challenge: 50 Books: Kristina's 50 books a year	90	252	Dec 25, 2010 08:44PM
The Seasonal Read...: Spring Challenge 2013 Completed Tasks - DO NOT DELETE ANY POSTS IN THIS TOPIC!	2808	780	May 31, 2013 09:02PM

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Tess’s Quotes

“I feel that art has something to do with the achievement of stillness in the midst of chaos. A stillness which characterizes prayer, too, and the eye of the storm. I think that art has something to do with an arrest of attention in the midst of distraction.”
― Saul Bellow

139 likes

“The past beats inside me like a second heart.”
― John Banville, The Sea

tags: memories, past

2426 likes

“We can make our minds so like still water that beings gather about us that they may see, it may be, their own images, and so live for a moment with a clearer, perhaps even with a fiercer life because of our quiet.”
― William Butler Yeats, The Celtic Twilight: Faerie and Folklore

tags: silence

159 likes

“If you bring forth that which is within you, Then that which is within you Will be your salvation. If you do not bring forth that which is within you, Then that which is within you Will destroy you. —THE GNOSTIC GOSPELS”
― Peter A. Levine, Healing Trauma: A Pioneering Program for Restoring the Wisdom of Your Body

13 likes