Discover new books on Goodreads

See if your friends have read any of Bill Smoot's books

22 ratings | 18 reviews | avg rating:4.68

Bill Smoot’s Followers (54)

Bill’s Bookshelves

to-read (0)
currently-reading (0)
read (23)
did-not-finish (0)

Bill’s Friends (3)

Ryan Dennis

43 books | 97 friends

Elizabeth Gauffreau

162 books | 21 friends

Carol LaHines

105 books | 40 friends

Bill Smoot

Goodreads Author

Born

The United States

Website

https://www.billsmoot.net

Twitter

billsmoot

Genre

Fiction, Gay and Lesbian, Contemporary

Member Since

February 2019

edit data

Bill Smoot grew up in Maysville, Kentucky, and received his BA at Purdue University where he was the editor of the student newspaper. He was fired from his position by the university president for the newspaper's editorial policies and then reinstated when the campus rose up in protest. He received his PhD in philosophy from Northwestern.
He has published essays and short stories in such publications as The Nation, Crab Orchard Review, Literary Review, The Sun, Western Humanities Review, Barely South, Ninth Letter, Mud Season Review, Crab Creek Review, and Narrative. He is the author of a novel, San Quentin Exodus and a non-fiction book, Conversations with Great Teachers.
He lives in Berkeley, California, and for fourteen years he taught ...more

Learn more
Ask the Author

To ask Bill Smoot questions, please sign up.

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)

flag

2 likes · like
1 comment

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)

flag

2 likes · like
1 comment

See all 6 answers from Bill Smoot…

Combine Editions
Bill Smoot’s books

Average rating: 4.02 · 61 ratings · 27 reviews · 4 distinct works • Similar authors

	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 3.88 avg rating — 17 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
	San Quentin Exodus 4.57 avg rating — 14 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
	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

* Note: these are all the books on Goodreads for this author. To add more, click here.

1 post
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 »

2 likes · Like • 0 comments • flag

Published on September 05, 2024 21:34

rss
Bill’s Recent Updates

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 · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Firecrackers by Anna Keibler. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Firecrackers by Anna Keibler <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Bill Smoot is now following Andrew Diamond's reviews
Mar 17, 2026 09:58AM · like