Hi there! I'm Josh.
A fiction writer and poet.
I also love to read, like A LOT!
I began writing merely to explore my imagination, and then once that first story was finished, BOOM, I was hooked.
The first poem I ever wrote was many years ago. I was only quite small at the time. It had been about the character "Napoleon" from George Orwell's "Animal Farm". Something about pigs squealing. I have to admit, it was quite odd. But when I had done writing, and the poem sounded complete, I could not stop feeling overjoyed at my handiwork.
Now I write all the time, poems, short stories, flash fiction.
Reading was also a big part of what got me into writing. Having been introduced to the late greats, Kurt Vonnegut and Donald Barthelme — two writers who will forever be my primary fiction inspirations — I found a love for quick and pithy words.
If you wanted some short story recommendations, I'd say Barthelme's "Chablis" and Vonnegut's "Adam" are both undeniable.
On the poetry front, there were many who changed my perception of the art and life itself. To list just a few: Seamus Heaney, Christopher Logue, Bruce Dawe, John Forbes, Charles Bukowski. I could've named a million more, but I know you'd prefer not to read it all.
Some poems I go back to time and time again are Logue's "New Numbers", Heaney's "Gifts of Rain" and Dawe's "Phantasms of Evening".
Also check out John Milton's "Paradise Lost", arguably one of the greatest epics of all time (in my opinion, of course).
Often, when I'm not reading short story collections and poems, you will find me with my nose deep in a book. There are many which I find spectacular. The game changer was Italo Calvino's "If on a Winter's Night a Traveler". This was something that drew me out of teen adventure books and into the world of poignant, calculated prose.
The next novel I read was Vonnegut's "Slaughterhouse Five" which, living up to its reputation, left me astounded at the elegance of language. From then one, I have not stopped reading and do not plan to stop until I can see no more.
The authors who come to mind when I think of my favorites include Haruki Murakami, Kurt Vonnegut (again), Cormac McCarthy, Donald Barthelme (again), and last but definitely not least, J.R.R. Tolkien.
Don't get me started on Tolkien's Middle Earth. That is where some childish part of my heart will forever lie. As is stated in my bio, I really am a fanatic. I love it unconditionally more than I'd love my child (maybe a little dramatic but I'll go with it). So, if you ever want to discuss anything Tolkien related, my ears are always open.
Anyways, I hope you enjoy my work. I really appreciate you stopping by. Have a beautiful day filled with wonderful words that rhyme, shine and sing in your mind because I know I will.
