Writing Away

by Pen, International P.E.N. Canadian Centre

Book by Pen

Genres: Writing

384 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1994

About the author

Bitten by the writing bug at the age of ten, Pen is an avid reader in addition to being a prolific writer. A native Georgian she lived in Hollywood, California for a year and a half (pursuing Film Studies – an interesting distraction) and six weeks in Asheville, NC (attempting to get herself together).

Influenced by the world around her, Pen writes whatever comes into her fuzzy little red head (currently Vidal Sassoon Merlot Vibrant Red). She writes in no specific genre as she has a variety of interests and passions about which to write.

In addition to reading and writing, Pen loves movies and music, particularly the music of the 80s and prior. Again, her passions for movies and music are as eclectic as her writing and reading.

Not a huge fan of television she is, nonetheless, currently an avid follower of ABC’s Once Upon A Time television series. So much so, that this series inspired her to write the Sword of Tilk Trilogy and influenced the writing of Nero’s Fiddle, though it is hardly recognizable in any of those tomes.

Pen enjoys reading the works of Edgar Allan Poe, Agatha Christie, Dean Koontz, Stephen King, James Rollins’ Sigma Force series, Lindsay Buroker, Kathryn Harvey and Judy Mercer (may she rest in peace). A host of other authors grace her bookshelves, too numerous to mention. She has been known to reread books numerous times.

Pen currently resides in the Atlanta, Georgia area where she is staff to two felines.

Reviews

[John Benson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the first of two fundraising books that were done by PEN Canada to raise support for their work in supporting writers around the world. Thirty six authors contributed to this first book which asked Canadian writers to write essays on places where they had traveled that had influenced them. Thirteen of these writers also contributed to the next book called WRITING HOME, which I read at the same time. The essays varied in quality but gave me a sense of different places around the world and the writing style of these different authors. The book is now 30 years old and when I looked up the different authors, I found that nine of them have since died, including the editor. A good introduction to different authors and done for a worthy cause.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a PEN fundraiser book with Canadian authors writing short stories about travel. This compilation gave me a great introduction to some Canadian writers I have never read and gave me a comforting feeling for writers I love, especially Carol Shields who is no longer with us. I travelled with each writer, immersed in their adventures or mishaps. It is an interesting book and money goes to those writers imprisoned, barred from writing freely. A perfect combination.