Edward M. Krauss

Edward M. Krauss is a writer and mediator living in Columbus, Ohio. He is author of three novels: SOLOMON THE ACCOUNTANT, a gentle love story set in 1950, HERE ON MOON, a story of deceit, divorce, and recovery, and A STORY OF BAD, two stories wound together, a murder mystery and a love story. He is also co-author of ON BEING THE BOSS, a book about effective crises management and the U.S. Constitution. Excerpts are available at www.edwardmkrauss.com

As a mediator, Mr. Krauss has experience in resolving domestic, truancy, financial, small business, and personnel grievance conflicts. He has trained many people in mediation skills, including court staffs, social workers, attorneys, high school students, and prison inmates.

*Photo by Jim Shively

 

 

PageOneLit.com: Where did you grow up and was reading and writing a part of your life? Who were your earliest influences and why?

Edward M. Krauss: I grew up in Toledo, so placing SOLOMON in the Toledo Jewish Community just felt natural and comfortable. I took the story back a few years before my time, but not many.

I always enjoyed reading, and went to the Kent Branch Library in Toledo as a child. It was a fortress-shaped building, likely smaller than I remember it. It burned down some years later, still a sad memory for me. I was, and remain, an avid newspaper reader.

We had many books in our home- I did own lots of Hardy Boys at one time - and I went through a phase of being fascinated by and reading about the many religions in the world, and also read a lot of science fiction.... Bradbury, Heinlein, and of course Asimov. What a mind, what a writer.

As for writing, I never thought about a career as a writer, but did know that I had good language skills, and could count on them. I was far better on essay tests than multiple choice.

 

PageOneLit.com: Why do you write?

EMK I've had stories, ideas, for years, so I guess the question is why didn't I write before. No idea what the answer is, I guess it is just time to get those pictures out of my head and down on paper.

 

PageOneLit.com: All three of your books (SOLOMON THE ACCOUNTANT; A STORY OF BAD & HERE ON MOON) have a positive romantic theme -- Are you a romantic at heart?

EMK Well, if you remember the line from The Goodbye Girl.... "I'm a sucker for romance." That's me. I find this love thing endlessly fascinating - certainly not the first author to feel that way. And I greatly enjoyed reading the stories of Sholom Aleichem. Not to compare myself in any way to that great author, but I think people who enjoy his writings will enjoy SOLOMON, there is a similar thread of family, love lost and found, respect.

 

PageOneLit.com: You give almost no physical descriptions of your characters. Why?

EMK I want to disappear as an author, that is, I don't want my readers to be aware of me, but rather just get lost in a story and enjoy it. I much prefer letting people feel free to create their own faces, sizes, shapes, for the characters in their minds, rather than imposing my images upon them.
 

PageOneLit.com: I found it interesting that MOON contains a mediation. Who is Carole? discuss this character?

EMK I perform mediations for the State of Ohio as part of my job. I also perform them as a private mediator. I'm certainly a strong advocate for mediation being used to resolve child care and financial questions that come out of divorce.

Carole is everywoman, just a good person in a nice family who is - wham! - suddenly faced with divorce. MOON is about how this everywoman tries to save her marriage, fails and becomes single, and enters the world of single parenting and single-again dating. One of the nicest compliments I received was a woman who told me she wished she had read the book when she was going through divorce, it would have been a help to her. That touched me deeply.

PageOneLit.com: A STORY OF BAD would make a good film - If Hollywood called and asked you to cast the movie who would you select and why?

EMK Thank you, that would be a wonderful thing, wouldn't it. Not sure it will make it to the screen, no graphic sex or violence, no car explosions or black helicopters...... But to answer your question, I guess it goes back to that earlier question about not describing my characters, so I don't have a picture in my mind... I really don't know what Terry and June look like, except a vague sense. I invite readers, and Hollywood, to insert their favorite actors.
PageOneLit.com: Where can readers find excerpts from your novels?

 

 

PageOneLit.com: Where can readers find excerpts from your novels?

EMK  http://edwardmkrauss.com
They can also write me at emkraussauthor@sbcglobal.net

PageOneLit.com: What do you hope to achieve with your books?

EMK I want to give people a good read. Not trying to teach or lecture, not my voice in their heads, just a "curl up with a good book" experience. The people in my books are your family, your friends, your neighbors, regular folks going through life, with the ups and downs that happen. I'd far rather someone said "I enjoyed the story" than "I like the way you write." As I said, I want to disappear as an author.

 

PageOneLit.com: What's next?

EMK Please forgive my one superstition, but I just don't feel comfortable talking about things underway. I do have two concepts in mind, both quite different from any of the first three books. I hope some day we are discussing them. I've also considered another Terry and June book... what happens to them, and around them, next? Maybe....


PageOneLit.com: What was the last book you read?

EMK Amy Tan's The Hundred Secret Senses. What a rich broth. She is an amazing writer.

 

PageOneLit.com: Do you have any hobbies? What are they? How do they enhance your writing?

EMK I hack away at Bridge, don't ever expect to be a top player, but I enjoy it and the friendships built at the bridge table. Good folks. I also like to garden, I'm fairly good with plants indoor and outdoor. As for enhancing my writing, don't know about Bridge, except that it sure exercises the brain, but I sometimes think about situations or themes while I'm gardening, can hear dialog running while I'm pulling weeds.

Thank you for this opportunity to talk to you about my writing.