Sherman Smith
Bewildering Stories biography
Hi, I’m Sherman and I am a storyteller and a writer. I am a novelist by passion. Short stories are fun but to me they lack the room needed to bring my characters to life. Don’t get me wrong: there are many great short stories, and it takes a special talent to write them.
My first, and third novel, I shelved because they weren’t good enough. Two Blind Men and a Fool was my second novel, where I discovered my comfort level and voice. It took a year and a half. The idea came from my short story “Poets Can’t Sing.”
Two Blind Men and a Fool is being published as Poets Can’t Sing by Elementa, a Swedish publisher, in December, 2014. Its sequel, “The Honeysuckle Rose Hotel,” is now complete and in the final stages of editing. “Changes Are Blowing in the Wind,” the third and final story in the series, is being crafted.
I wasn’t born a writer but had to work towards it. Starting out with dyslexia, I had to learn to read first and I have spent my life a passionate reader and storyteller. When not reading I have been an insurance agent, executive recruiter, stockbroker, husband and father, Internet marketing director, proprietor of a children’s book store, a deli, and a wine steward.
I was 55 when I first discovered that I wanted to be a writer — an artist. There are many artists who paint, few who produce masterpieces. It is the same for those of us who choose to paint our stories with words rather than oil. It takes work, time, passion, and the right story to craft a page-turning novel one reads late into the night.
To celebrate my 60th birthday I moved to Portland, Oregon. It has been just two years and am greatly enjoying exploring my new home. Yes, a city has a thousand stories and I hope that my new surroundings will slip me a few I can share with you. My stories are always character-driven, so if you are ever in Portland — characters are welcome.
Copyright © 2011, 2014 by Sherman Smith
