The Gettysburg Writers Brigade (GWB), which has united area fiction and non-fiction authors for the past 14 years, has published its fourth anthology featuring works by current members. “Hearts of Valor, Voices of Courage” contains 13 short fiction and non-fiction stories by local writers, which capture the bravery of men and women, past and present, who seize life’s challenges and soldier on.
The Gettysburg Public Library will host many of these authors at a book signing on Thursday, Dec. 5, from 6 to 8 p.m., 40 Baltimore Street, third-floor meeting room. Revenues from the sale of the anthologies are used to further literary projects in and around the Gettysburg area.
Three other anthologies have been published that focus on the historical perspectives of the Civil War or Gettysburg. “In a slight but intriguing departure, this anthology expands the Gettysburg-centric theme to encompass courage and valor,” said Will Hutchison, writer, photographer, and creator of the 14-year-old group that meets weekly at O’Rorke’s Family Pub and Eatery on Steinwehr Ave.
Hutchison, a 26-year military veteran who moved to the area in early 2000 after retiring, has published photography collections of the Crimean War and the Battle of Little Big Horn, and written historical fiction and non-fiction books, thrillers, and Western novels.
The cover features a photograph, taken by Hutchison, of the seven-foot bronze sculpture of Elizabeth Thorn, created by local artist Ron Tunison. Thorn, six months pregnant and the caretaker of Gettysburg’s Evergreen Cemetery, provided care for the dying and helped to bury soldiers from both sides of the war.
Several other members have been involved in editing, designing, publishing, and promoting the book. Local author James Rada developed the idea inspired by a year-long high school oral history project. “I just thought it was an opportunity to teach all aspects of publishing: writing, editing, layout, and design,” he said. “In addition, it is a way for local authors to publish and showcase their work.”
Rada, a Gettysburg resident since 2004, started writing in kindergarten. “I pretty much knew throughout my life that I wanted to be a writer,” he said. Yet he didn’t pursue writing in college, convinced by his grandfather that a business degree would be more pragmatic. “But after I kept falling asleep in my accounting class, I realized that it wouldn’t work, so I switched to advertising.” Initially, he worked as a copywriter but soon switched to newspaper journalism and, ultimately, freelance writing. He published his first young adult novel in 1996 and is now 45 fiction and non-fiction books later, one of the most prolific writers in the GWB.
Ayleen Gontz is the editor of the anthologies. Gontz has a BA in Journalism and worked as a writer for newspapers and magazines before switching to magazine and book editing. She now serves as an editor for a science communication company.
“While I would love to be a published novelist one of these days, I enjoy being behind the scenes as an editor for our anthologies. I love simultaneously being in the head of a writer and the head of a reader, then figuring out what gaps the writer needs to fill. In editing, there is an important line between preserving the author’s voice and building a strong connection with the reader.”
Local author and GWB member Cyn Lawerence developed the plan for anthology writers to discuss their works at the library, along with Robert Brown, Public Services Coordinator. Since moving to the Gettysburg area, she has become involved in several groups within the Gettysburg Library, led by Brown. “Bob is always open to new opportunities to connect the library with the community.” His response to her idea was “enthusiastic and contagious,” and his assistance was instrumental to the group’s ability to plan the event, she added.
Lawrence said she has always been interested in writing – “I always kept a notebook in my purse or diaper bag throughout my child-rearing years” — but became more serious about publishing a novel during the last 15 years. Her latest published work is “A Deadly Suggestion,” a crime procedural based in the Boston area, a city she lived in for a time.
The GWB is not a critiquing group, which is important to Hutchison. He wanted a group of writers who could discuss topics central to writing and publishing. “I thought if I started a group, I might learn something.” At that time, he was the only one in the group who had been published, so he led the weekly group topics for many years. However, the GWB has now evolved to with members researching and presenting topics of interest to members. “We learn together,” said Hutchison. Writers do have the opportunity to read portions of their work aloud at one meeting per month and can opt for a critique if time is available.
One of the more unique characteristics of the GWB is its weekly meeting format. “If I had changed it to monthly, it probably would have disappeared like most others,” Hutchison said. For years, the group averaged between six and ten attendees. “Now we’re between 15 and 20, but people come and go,” he added. “There are no rules. We’re just happy to see you when you get here.”
Featured Image
The Gettysburg Writers’ Brigade has just launched its fourth anthology of works by local authors. From left, Will Hutchison, Ayleen Gontz, and James Rada.
Judith Cameron Seniura is a freelance reporter. She began her journalism career in the early ‘70s and has written for newspapers, magazines, and other media in Ontario, Canada, Alaska, Michigan, Nebraska, San Antonio, Maryland, and Pennsylvania.
Congrats Gettysburg Writers Brigade! Cheers!