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22 ratings | 18 reviews | avg rating:4.68

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Bill Smoot

Goodreads Author

Born

The United States

Website

https://www.billsmoot.net

Genre

Fiction, Gay and Lesbian, Contemporary

Member Since

February 2019

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Bill Smoot grew up in Maysville, Kentucky. He received a BA in philosophy from Purdue University and a PhD in philosophy from Northwestern.
A lifelong teacher, he recently taught for fourteen years in the college program at San Quentin Prison. He is the author of Conversations with Great Teachers, a book of interviews with teachers of subjects ranging from brain surgery to horseshoeing.
He has published essays and short stories widely, and his novel, San Quentin Exodus, appeared in 2026. Not So Long Ago, his short story collection, will be published in 2027.
He lives in Berkeley, California, with his faithful German Shepherd, Artemis.

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Popular Answered Questions

How do you deal with writer’s block?

Bill Smoot Fortunately, I've never experienced writer's block. Though many years ago, I heard the late fiction writer Leonard Michaels answered this question in …moreFortunately, I've never experienced writer's block. Though many years ago, I heard the late fiction writer Leonard Michaels answered this question in a way that made a lot of sense to me. He said he would try to do something--anything--that he could be accomplished. Wash the dishes, mow the grass, bill some bills...anything. I think his idea was that if you could be unblocked in something simple, it might spill over into one's writing.(less)

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How do you get inspired to write?

Bill Smoot "Inspiration" may be overestimated by writers or aspiring writers. I do sometimes experience bursts of energy that may pass for "inspiration," but for…more"Inspiration" may be overestimated by writers or aspiring writers. I do sometimes experience bursts of energy that may pass for "inspiration," but for the most part what I feel is not so much inspiration as motivation. For the series of short stories I've been working on, the motivation is usually a germ--an event or even an image--and from that seed I try to grow a story. In one case, it was simply a large brick house. In another it was a memory of a doctor in my home town. In another it was a story someone told me of eating fried crow. In the case of my novel, Love: A Story, it was the opening scene in which the main character sees a baby stroller rolling down the street (that actually happened to me). I feel there's a story there, and I am the farmer whose mission is to grow it. (less)

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Combine Editions
Bill Smoot’s books

Average rating: 4.13 · 75 ratings · 37 reviews · 4 distinct works • Similar authors

	San Quentin Exodus 4.59 avg rating — 27 ratings — 4 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
	Conversations with Great Teachers 3.83 avg rating — 30 ratings — published 2010 — 8 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
	Love: A Story 3.94 avg rating — 18 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
	Promises Kept 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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Bill Smoot's Blog

Q & A interview

Author Interview with Bill Smoot

1. How did you get the idea for this novel?

Back in 2013, I started teaching in the college program at San Quentin Prison. Walking into the prison in those early days of volunteering, I found myself gazing up at the high walls and wondering how someone might escape. My experience was very much like Allison’s on her first visit to the prison. Then, as fiction writers Read more of this blog post »

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Published on September 05, 2024 21:34

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Bill’s Recent Updates

Bill Smoot made a comment on Janine’s review of San Quentin Exodus " Thank you for your heartfelt comments on San Quentin Exodus. "
Sep 21, 2026 11:51PM · see review
Bill Smoot made a comment on Ruth’s review of San Quentin Exodus " Thank you, Ruth, for your thoughtful and heartfelt review. Good readers are the greatest gift to a writer. "
Sep 12, 2026 01:46PM · see review
Bill Smoot made a comment in the group Goodreads Authors/Readers — Readers Groups Scams topic " My novel, San Quentin Exodus, was published in June and I have been shocked by the great number (and in many cases, the sophistication) of attempted s ...more "
Sep 09, 2026 12:43AM
Bill Smoot rated a book it was amazing Firecrackers: The Exploits of an Expat in China by Anna Keibler (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
In this book, the reader sits on the shoulder of a young teacher who plunges into real-life China with what sometimes seems like reckless abandon. The vivid times described are by turns thought-provoking, poignant, funny, and frightening. Whether ski ...more
Jun 16, 2026 02:15PM · like · see review
Bill Smoot is now following Andrew Diamond, Kate, and Janine
Mar 17, 2026 09:58AM