I am at heart a storyteller. Through photography I can lead you to an image, but in the end the picture is one moment in time, subjective to the viewer. Writing allows me to take you by the hand and explore multiple aspects of characters with stories that demand to be told, many of whom are loosely based upon people I have met or known. Through fiction I can embellish their worlds for our mutual enjoyment. Late last year saw the launch of Code of Silence, a novella available exclusively on Amazon, set in the raw and unpredictable New York of the 1970’s. After working primarily in short stories and novellas, I’m currently working on a novel, The Forest Hill Crow Society.
It seems that everything I have done in the past has led me to where I am today. I have been a stage actor, winterized sailboats, hung doors and made furniture as a carpenter, worked with artists as the director of an art gallery, and for more years than I care to recount sat in an office computing figures for a variety of businesses. None of which has been better or worse than the other. I’ve lived in some unique neighborhoods in a variety of cities; I love to get lost walking in a city, soaking in its history, becoming part of its life.
Now I write stories, take pictures, and travel with my wife, Kit, when we can. Occasionally we try our hand at creating unique cocktails. To me, writing a story feels like coming up with a new cocktail, adding exciting taste and sensory notes, finding new twists on old themes.
Note on the cover photo: “Wash Day” was captured on the walk down from The Alhambra into Grenada, Andalusia, Spain (2018)
Duane M. Engelhardt 