Dorothy Nelson – författare

Dorothy Nelson's first book to be published in the United States focuses on a demented, dysfunctional Irish family. The Crawford family is dominated by Da (Joe), a manic-depressive thief and liar who has spent two years in prison for exposing himself in the woods to young children and couples. Ma is a weak and downtrodden victim of her husband's violent temper who occasionally flirts with her son Benjee, an overly sensitive boy with little hope for future happiness. As the narrative passes back and forth between the members of the family (in a style reminiscent of Ann Quin), a compelling portrait of abuse and its consequences is constructed, one that contains both horror and humor in the sexual and social sicknesses of the characters.

This writers' handbook aims to advise and support new and more experienced teen and adult writers with a passion for fiction writing and poetry. The author draws on their 35 years as a community workshop leader, tutor and university lecturer in creative writing and covers ways to get started, tapping into the imagination, and a variety of writing workshops suitable for writing groups, students, creative writing tutors and individual writers. The author also discusses their personal writing experience and encourages writers to read well. This book references fiction by successful contemporary authors and examines the various techniques employed.