Vineland Author -- Cup of Coffee in Hand
My love for writing didn't come early, like some writers. John Hartig had to meet Joseph Conrad first. My high-school class had to read stories like Heart of Darkness and Typhoon to appreciate excellent vocabulary and sentence structure. I discovered that Conrad was a Polish kid who learned English, "the hard way," as it were, at the ripe old age of 20. I felt a kinship to him, myself being an immigrant to Canada from Austria. We only spoke German at home, and had to cope with the foreignness of the English language which faced us outside of our protective walls. I had to adapt quickly, or else, meet consequences with the neighbourhood kids outdoors.
But you had to have a foundation first before writing novels, or writing anything in English. I built up my foundation by reading, and reading a lot. I absorbed James Fenimore Cooper, Sir Walter Scott and Mark Twain in grades 7 and 8. I even had time for lighter reading like Hans Bricker and the Silver Skates.
When I got to high-school I wrote poetry, and then upon graduation from McMaster University, I landed a job as a news reporter. There we go, I was well on the way to launching a perfect career in writing! Well, not quite, the salary was basically minimum wages! Ah youth, and its hopes and delusions!
Dashed hopes for fame and riches aside, I've nevertheless, expanded my writing repertoire from poetry to short stories, and can currently boast the completion of a third novel. I write mainly crime fiction with a dash of romance.
But you had to have a foundation first before writing novels, or writing anything in English. I built up my foundation by reading, and reading a lot. I absorbed James Fenimore Cooper, Sir Walter Scott and Mark Twain in grades 7 and 8. I even had time for lighter reading like Hans Bricker and the Silver Skates.
When I got to high-school I wrote poetry, and then upon graduation from McMaster University, I landed a job as a news reporter. There we go, I was well on the way to launching a perfect career in writing! Well, not quite, the salary was basically minimum wages! Ah youth, and its hopes and delusions!
Dashed hopes for fame and riches aside, I've nevertheless, expanded my writing repertoire from poetry to short stories, and can currently boast the completion of a third novel. I write mainly crime fiction with a dash of romance.
- Harry Rittenhouse: My step-mother's dad lived until 103. He was still sharp as a tack with a great sense of humor. Probably making the angels laugh up there.
- Mom Passed Away: Rosa Hartig died at the age of 92 on January 14, 2012. She came from present-day Serbia and could speak 5 languages.
- Wilma de Jager: Wilma and Jan were an older Dutch couple who lived right across the street from us in Vineland. I took care of their cat when they went on holidays. Wilma died in 2014 of complications from brain tumor surgery.
- Time Portal: My diary comments from 2011 on current events and heavens knows what else.
- My Poems: What can I say? Whenever I'm moved.
