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Bill Smoot

Goodreads Author

Born

The United States

Website

https://www.billsmoot.net

Twitter

billsmoot

Genre

Fiction, Nonfiction

Member Since

February 2019

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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 teaches college courses at Mo ...more

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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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Bill Smoot’s books

Average rating: 3.95 · 57 ratings · 24 reviews · 9 distinct works

	Conversations with Great Teachers 3.83 avg rating — 30 ratings — published 2010 — 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
	Love: A Story 4.06 avg rating — 16 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
	San Quentin Exodus 4.17 avg rating — 6 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 it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 2 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
	LOVE: A story liked it 3.00 avg rating — 2 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
	San Quentin Exodus: A Novel really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 1 rating	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
	[ Conversations with Great Teachers By ( Author ) Mar-2011 Paperback 0.00 avg rating — 0 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
	Conversations with Great Teachers Conversations with Great Teachers by Bill Smoot (Goodreads Author), Unknown Author 0.00 avg rating — 0 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

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Bill Smoot's Blog

Q & A interview

Question: What inspired you to write Love: A Story?
Bill Smoot: It has been said that what are life-problems for regular people are raw material for writers. So this work was partly fueled by seeking catharsis for some painful things I had experienced or witnessed. Of course, the same could be said of 90% of the fiction ever written. Writers, like oysters, try to make pearls from the grains of san Read more of this blog post »

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Published on September 05, 2019 21:34

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Bill Smoot finished reading San Quentin Exodus by Bill Smoot (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
Jun 17, 2026 12:16AM · like
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 currently reading San Quentin Exodus by Bill Smoot (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
Apr 08, 2026 08:30AM · like
Bill Smoot is now following Michael Doane and Andrew Diamond
Mar 17, 2026 09:57AM