A literary legend once walked our local streets, later drawing from the landscape to create fictional masterpieces. In the years since, Berks has been home to many more writers. Some harness personal experience to impart wisdom to others, while others create whole worlds with the scribble of a pen.
1 | Success Story.
Reading native Deb Moore was a successful local entrepreneur, but after more than a decade of working with business owners she noticed a troubling trend: retiring Baby Boomers were experiencing depression and other health problems in an uncertain world. Drawing on her faith, Moore penned her personal insight to encourage a struggling generation. Boomers' Peace by Deb Moore, $12.99, Tate Publishing, tatepublishing.com or at Firefly Bookstore, 230 W. Main St., Kutztown, 484.648.2712. fireflybookstore.com and facebook.com/fireflybookstore
2 | Literary Treasure.
John Updike's evocative portrayals of small-town Pennsylvania were influenced by his upbringing in Shillington, the basis for the fictional town of Olinger. The two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning author became a legend in his time, and this definitive set pays homage to the late master of short fiction, bringing together all 186 of his career-spanning, unforgettable stories. John Updike: The Collected Stories, edited by Christopher Carduff, $75 boxed set, The Library of America, loa.org or at Firefly Bookstore, Kutztown.
3 | Talking Points.
After befriending a woman suffering from Alzheimer’s, Claudia Strauss wrote a series of self-help tomes, a road map for families struggling to relate. In Talking to Depression, the adjunct Albright College professor shares her own observations. “None of it is like rocket science," she says. "I want to help people tap into what they already know. Talking to Depression: Simple Ways to Connect When Someone in Your Life is Depressed by Claudia J. Strauss, $14, Firefly Bookstore, Kutztown.
4 | Diary Debut.
Joseph Szimhart broke free from a New Age sect in 1980 to become an internationally renowned expert in the field of cult recovery. In his debut novel, the Birdsboro resident draws from his professional experience to create the fictional story of a college drop-out who joins a New Mexican Buddhist commune in an effort to find himself. Mushroom Satori: The Cult Diary, a novel by Joseph Szimhart, $15.99. Ask for it at your local bookstore.
5 | Throwing stones.
Before landing on the Banned Book List in 2003, this young adult novel set in Gaza City started life as a simple classroom prompt. Cathryn Clinton, now an adjunct professor at Albright College, chose a captivating image from National Geographic and started to write. “The professor said it was the best writing I'd done,” she says. A Stone in My Hand by Cathryn Clinton, $6.99, Firefly Bookstore, Kutztown.
