by Marta Maretich | Nov 23, 2016 | Literacy, Nigeria, The Possibility of Lions, Writing and reading
by Marta Maretich General Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu died on November 26, 2011—and, with him died a small piece of my history. Ojukwu couldn’t have known it, but he is partly responsible for the person I am today. The General and I go all the way back. As a... 
by Marta Maretich | Jan 27, 2016 | Writing and reading
by Marta Maretich @mmmaretich Back when I wrote my blog on day jobs for writers, things were looking pretty grim for those of us who earn our living with words. Now, following a new report from the Author’s Guild, we find that the situation isn’t just grim, it’s dire.... 
by Marta Maretich | Aug 5, 2015 | Writing and reading
Ursula Le Guin is a hero of mine. As a child I read books like The Wizard of Earthsea over and over again, fully aware that the author was giving me much more than the usual story for children. Where other writers played it safe, Le Guin bravely delivered ambiguity,... 
by Marta Maretich | Jun 1, 2015 | Narrators, The Merchants of Light, Writing and reading
Cecilia Tiepolo circa 1770. This pastel portrait by son Lorenzo is one of only two known portraits of her. Nobody knows much about Maria Cecilia Guardi Tiepolo, one of the central narrators of my historical novel, The Merchants of Light. It seems strange to say this... 
by Marta Maretich | May 20, 2015 | Narrators, The Merchants of Light, Writing and reading
Lieutenant John D. Skilton Jr. If ever there was an unlikely-likely hero, it was John D. Skilton Jr. The first of the five narrators of my book, The Merchants of Light, he was also my most unexpected discovery. I had no plans to include a modern voice in this... 
by Marta Maretich | May 13, 2015 | The Merchants of Light, Writing and reading
You love Venice, like I do. With your passion for this most passion-inducing of cities, you’ve probably read all the well-known novels set in La Serenissima: Death in Venice, Miss Garnet’s Angel, A Room With a View… These books are terrific, but Venice has been a... 