Luck & Grit: Building a Lifelong Writing Practice with National Book Award Finalist Patricia Henley

How much of your literary success depends on luck? How much depends on grit? How can you build a life around a sustained writing practice, and find fulfillment in the journey along the way? And how does community play into it?

With a writing career that spans over 50 years, award-winning Patricia Henley has seen it all. She's found her voice, and navigated industry changes and rejection, all while maintaining a sustained commitment for the writing process. Come to Hugo House May 19th for a reading from her new story collection, Apple & Palm, and discussion with Seattle writer Caitlin M. Andrews as they investigate tricks, tips, and nuggets of wisdom for establishing and sustaining a lifelong writing career. Book purchase and signing to follow, with the gracious support of Elliot Bay Book Company!

“In the town of Whistle Pig, people are living their lives. Characters recur in Patricia Henley’s latest. For example, Jill Zebrak, who in one story regularly retrieves her elderly father from the local casino and mildly tolerates his lover who is closer in age to her than him, appears in another story where she takes in two young girls after their parents die in a murder-suicide. Yet Henley’s collection is not bleak: There is a vibrant artist colony in Whistle Pig, amorous octogenarians, and a true sense of community. What Henley does best is describe how small-town life has both a frustrating insularity and inescapable points of connection. Apple & Palm looks at the ways we live and the choices we make not only for our own survival, but also for the survival of the people who surround us.” 

-Electric Lit Review