AUTHOR
“Sometimes it helped to put herself in a crowd. Even if the people were mostly strangers, she still liked having someone close by. But not this close.” – from “The Interruption” I never know what will come from sitting down with a friend, let alone from encountering a stranger. People invariably surprise me. Any given moment... Continue Reading →
How much effort is enough? How much attention? How much “success”? Leading up to the publication of my recent novel, Kohelette, I couldn’t help but be aware of all the publishing professionals said a successful author should do to launch a book. The pitches, the marketing, and the business of it all stayed in my mind well... Continue Reading →
Kohelette: A Novel came out this past Wednesday. I'm beyond thrilled! Advance readers may have had the novel for a while already, but I've still relished sending it out into the world more broadly, first with a recent excerpt appearing in The Polk Street Review 2026 and now with this past week's publication. There may... Continue Reading →
“She wants to do something new with her life, but she may need the dead to help her do it.” - Kohelette: A Novel How do you feel about doing new things? Energized and excited? Uneasy? Overwhelmed? I've been paying extra attention to how I answer that question as we've entered the new year. To be... Continue Reading →
"It’s the memories of care that strike me in a different, deeper place." - from "On Memories and Acts of Care" I'm pleased to share "On Memories and Acts of Care," which was awarded the 2025 Award of Merit (Best in Book) prize in The Polk Street Review 2025. Watch the Youtube reading below or keep... Continue Reading →
"I’m tempted to call it a mystery the way a person can be gone and yet not be. Perhaps it’s one of those things a person makes peace with never fully figuring out." - "The Book Accident" I'm pleased to share my recent essay The Book Accident," which appeared in the Gals Guide Anthology: Female... Continue Reading →
Callie J. Smith 