Today we’d like to introduce you to Robert Gwaltney.
Hi Robert, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I first learned it might be possible for me to be a writer when I was in the third grade. A classmate’s mother, a local author from my hometown of Cairo, Georgia, visited our class and discussed her life as a writer. Until that moment, I thought of writers as unicorns—mythological creatures who lived in far-off places not accessible to a boy like me. In college, I took creative writing courses, but it wasn’t until I moved to Atlanta in 2000 that I seriously began to pursue writing. I took more creative writing classes, joined The Atlanta Writers Club, and joined a critique group. These last 23 years, I have been learning, and growing, and engaging in the ritual of writing. My debut novel, THE CICADA TREE was published February 22, 2022. I was recently named Georgia Author of the Year for First Novel which is a great honor.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Balancing the time to write is the biggest challenge. By day, I serve as Vice President for Easter Seals North Georgia, a nonprofit in Atlanta providing critical services to children and their families during the most critical time in a child’s development, and in all the hours between—I write. In the early morning hours before work and on weekends is when I carve out the time. Currently, I am working on my next novel, SING DOWN THE MOON, which I hope to have completed by Spring of 2024.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I write what I love to read: Southern Fiction in the gothic tradition with elements of magical realism. The Cicada Tree, which was released on February 22, 2022, is my debut novel, and I am so proud of the reception that it has received. Most people have responded favorably to my use of language, the lyrical quality of my writing, and my celebration of the feminine through the female characters I have written… I think my unique take and reimagining of the genre is what sets me apart from others.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
In my writing career, telling a good story which resonates with readers is very important to me. I want to make people feel something when they read my work—experience all the emotions I conjure within the world I have rendered. And then, I want to have the opportunity to discuss my work with those who have been kind enough to read my stories—to connect with others within these artistic endeavors—because in the end, I think we all want human connection. I know I do.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://robertlgwaltney.com/
- Instagram: @robertgwaltneyjr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/robert.gwaltney.9
