Bill Smoot - Author "Love: A Story"

Bill Smoot

Bill Smoot is a professor at UC Berkeley, a teacher at the San Quentin Prison Project, a professional photographer, and the author of “Love: A Story. He grew up in Maysville, Kentucky. His life as a writer began at age sixteen when, following an announcement at school that President Kennedy had been shot, he heard a classmate say, “I hope he dies.” In response he wrote an opinion piece for the school paper, and from that point he took up the pen as a kind of sword, trying to fight, in his modest way, for things humane and things true.

He received his BA from Purdue University where he was editor of the student newspaper, The Exponent. In his editorials and columns, he weighed in on the issues of the day. In response, the university president tried to fire him as editor and was forced to back down when the campus rose up in protest.

Mr. Smoot received his PhD in philosophy from Northwestern University and taught at Miami University in Ohio. He moved to California where he taught in private schools for four decades. His essays and short fiction have appeared in a number of publications, among them The Nation, Ohio Review, Literary Review, Crab Orchard Review, Orchid, Tupelo Quarterly, Narrative, and Salon.com. He is also the author of Conversations with Great Teachers, a book of interviews with great teachers from across the country, and has been a fine art photographer specializing in black and white. He currently teaches in the Osher Institute of Lifelong Learning at UC-Berkeley and at the Prison University Project at San Quentin Prison. Mr. Smoot lives in Berkeley with his dog, Artemis.

Love: A Story is an examination of the choices that comprise a life. The book is a kind of philosophical musing on life and relationships, but also a compelling and intimate story about the relationship between two people—and the ups and downs therein—that’s wholly relatable and engrossing. It begins as Michael, a forty-year-old prep school teacher in Berkeley, is driving home from school and sees a baby stroller rolling down the street toward him. He slams on the brakes, jumps out of his car, and catches the stroller. The moment is symbolic: His wife is about to become pregnant and he wants to be a father more than anything in the world. The narrative moves back to meeting his wife four years earlier, when she is a young Singaporean-American, a nude model and a student in the chemistry Ph.D. program at Berkeley. They fall in love and marry. At the wedding, his friends are concerned about the age difference but agree that these two could “make this crazy thing work.” She struggles to heal her childhood wounds as an immigrant in America while he wishes to recreate the warmth of his small-town boyhood. The novel follows the development of their relationship and the decision each makes about whether to remain committed to a marriage that is less than perfect.

I’m so excited for you guys to connect with Bill, check out his new book, and follow along as he continues to ask readers to consider the nature of love, life, and storytelling.

I'd love it if you'd introduce yourself, what you do, and what you're working on.

I am Bill Smoot, a teacher and a writer living in Berkeley, CA. I just published my first novel, Love: A Story. I am currently working on a series of short stories set in a small town in Kentucky, much like the town where I grew up. I am also a part-time teacher. I teach college classes at San Quentin Prison.

How did you get started?

I really started as a writer when I was a junior in high school. The day the principal announced over the PA system that President Kennedy had been shot, a boy in my class said that he hoped Kennedy died. I wrote a piece for the student newspaper about it, and I really feel that I became a writer at that moment. I’ve been a writer ever since, even during years when I wasn’t actually writing.

What inspired the work that you're doing?

I write best when I recognize something as a germ of a story. For example, my process of imagining my novel began with a scene—which actually happened to me—of a husband driving his car and seeing a baby stroller rolling down the street; he slams on his brakes and jumps from his car to stop it. He and his wife at that time are trying to get pregnant, so he reflects on the symbolism of what he just did. Well, that was the germ of the novel, and writing the novel was essentially answering questions embedded in that moment. Who was this husband? Who was the wife? What were their backgrounds? How had they met? What were the challenges of their relationship and how would they meet those challenges? Would they have that baby?

 So some germ is always my inspiration in writing.

 As for teaching, it is the human interaction that inspires me. I think of teaching as giving a gift. But it’s complex. One doesn’t just say “here” and hand the receiver a package…give a lecture, for example. It has to be done in a certain way, because this gift is not a physical object, like candy in a box. The challenges of teaching are the complex questions around how to give a gift. You have to know what you’re giving. You have to know the receiver. You have to know in what manner to give it. It’s fascinating to me. I once traveled the country seeking great teachers and asking them how they did it. That project became a nonfiction book called Conversations with Great Teachers. 

What is your biggest passion? Do you feel like you're living your passion and purpose?

My greatest passions, then, are teaching and writing.

What is your joy blueprint? What lights you up, brings you joy, and makes you feel the most alive?

And these two passions are what bring me joy. Of course, joy, likehappiness, is a broad word and can refer to many different kinds of moments in life, from winning a tough tennis game to holding a puppy in your lap. It is a very contemporary American thing to think about joy or happiness as a goal. I think joy is a by-product of pursuing one’s passions.

How do you live intentionally? Are there tools/resources/practices that you rely on to help you stay mindful and grounded?

Tools…? Well, just self-reflection and self-awareness. And part of this is relying on the wisdom of the ages. I have always been a student of the humanities (my PhD is in philosophy), and I try to remember the “works for me” bits I’ve picked up over the years. For example, the ancient Greek emphasis on balance in all endeavors. I think there is great wisdom in that and I try to remember it.

What would your younger self think about what you're doing now?

I think my younger self would be pleased by my older self. 

Do you have a go-to mantra or affirmation?

For self-affirmation I hug my dog.

What is your biggest dream?

I would like my writings to be read and appreciated. And I would like my teaching to have a positive impact on my students.

To learn more about Bill you can connect with him on Facebook here and Twitter @billsmoot and you can find his book Love: A Story on Amazon here

Joy Corner is an interview-style blog series brought to you by Seek The Joy Podcast. Our mission continues to be a desire to share your stories, truths, joys and inspiration in your words. We invite you to join our corner, and share your joys, passions, and moments of inspiration as we continue to seek the joy, together. Join this series here