About
Mitchell Waldman's fiction and poetry has appeared in numerous journals and anthologies. His work has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and Best of the Web. Waldman is the author of the novels The Visitor and A Face in the Moon, and two story collections: Brothers, Fathers, and Other Strangers and Petty Offenses and Crimes of the Heart.
He also serves as Fiction Editor for Blue Lake Review.
Mitchell grew up in the Chicago area and attended the University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign, where he received a B.S. in Psychology, the University of Texas at Austin, and Southern Illinois University, where he earned his J.D. He worked as a writer and Attorney-Editor for a legal publishing company for thirty-seven years before retiring in 2022.
He enjoys rock music, cycling, baseball, and a good ale.
Mitchell lives in Rochester, New York, with his partner, journalist and poet Diana May-Waldman, author of the poetry collection A Woman's Song and Poetry Editor for Blue Lake Review.
Together they have co-edited the anthologies Wounds of War: Poets for Peace and Hip Poetry.
Mitchell and Diana have six children and six grandchildren.
The Visitor - Mitchell Waldman
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What inspired you to start writing?
I was an avid reader as a kid. I remember reading a lot of sci fi -- Ray Bradbury, Robert Heinlein, all of that. Then there were the literary novels, later one. Hemingway, Philip Roth, and there was my Larry McMurtry period. And the bad books, some so bad I thought -- "Hey, I can do that!"
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Can you tell us a little about your latest book?
He wakes up in a different body. So begins the journey of Ash—short for Pin Asher9919—who awakens on a hospital bed on, he believes, a different planet after an automobile accident took the bodily life of an Earth human named Edward Fleishman. Ash is told he was the victim of a serious brain injury and miraculously recovered from being brain dead in a coma, but Ash feels he knows the truth: his spirit has replaced the distressed spirit of the former Edward Fleishman. And so Ash's new life on earth begins, complete with a spouse who is a stranger to him, a body he is not sure how to use, a world he must learn to navigate, and a government he can't trust. Some had said that The Visitor is a unique blend of science fiction, social commentary, and human drama. It stands out for its exploration of identity, alienation, and the human condition, themes that may resonate with readers of speculative fiction and literary works alike. It may appeal to readers who enjoy introspective narratives and stories that challenge perceptions of reality, much like works of Philip K. Dick or Kashuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go. Its unique blend of genres and themes may make it a compelling read that stands out in the literary landscape.
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