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 Born to Write
 A Blog by Author Amy Hill Hearth
 
 
 

My Word of the Year for 2017

A friend just posted that her personal word for the new year is “confidence.”

I’m not sure if she’s feeling confident or hoping that she will. Either way, that would not be my word for 2017.  Read More 

Saying Goodbye to a Dearly-Loved Father through Storytelling and Song

My beloved father died earlier this month at the age of 92. Thank you to all of you who prayed for Dad and sent condolences on his passing. My mother, who turns 91 in a few days, is doing as well as can be expected. She is very settled in their apartment and has lots of attention from her extended family as well as devoted aides who love her and loved Dad, too. Dad's life is proof that people who are happy and kind spread happiness and kindness  Read More 

What Holocaust Survivors Can Tell Us About the Use of Language

Eighteen years ago I interviewed a brilliant Holocaust survivor named Leo Petranker. He shared many observations about life, democracy, and the nature of human beings. One of his comments, in particular, sticks in my mind:

"Always watch the language of a people," he said. "When people use extreme words, like 'assassinate', this is a sign of trouble to come."

In the years since I interviewed Mr. Petranker, American culture has become much more coarse. Read More 

Violence, Race, and America: What You Can Do to Make Things Better

Many people are deeply distressed and grieving about race relations in America. There is a feeling of utter helplessness among countless Americans who don’t know what to do to make things better. As someone who has studied and written about race in America for years, I have some suggestions that I’d like to share with you.

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How to Show Support for Your Favorite Authors

I don’t have a new book coming out on the Spring or Summer schedule but I know many, many authors who do. A word on their behalf: There are ways you can help.
1) Pre-order the book. Publishers factor in the number of pre-orders when deciding on the print-run and preparing a book tour  Read More