Patricia Weil
About Me
I know the world of this novel; I grew up in it–in Selma, Alabama, to be specific. The Clanton of A Circle of Earth closely details the small city of Selma. I thought it wise not to use the true place name, as that might set up the reader to expect a different sort of novel. Circle is not political per se; yet to my mind much social commentary is there, for the person who is alert for it.
As a very young adult, I wanted to see much more of the world than Selma. For my undergraduate degree, I was sent to a private woman’s college, designed to better prepare me for the world where I was. After graduating, I left the country altogether, to live in France for a period of years. Since that time I have lived both in Europe and Africa, as well as other parts of the States. At this time my husband and I live in an older suburb, Hyattsville, Maryland, once a small town just outside Washington DC. We also have a primitive old farmhouse in the Sinking Creek Valley area of Southwest Virginia, without which living in the DC area–though beautiful and historic--just might not be possible.
My Master’s degree is in English, this choice being made for the love of writing. I was torn between literature and psychology. I have spent most of my professional life as an English teacher. I retired early and pursued the other love, by becoming a certified Life Coach. My greatest pleasure in this area is teaching classes in stress management, which I often do on a pro bono basis.
My love for literature remains unchanged. Someone has said that literature contains “the best of what’s been thought and said in the world.” I agree with that.
