About E.S. Kraay

Olympian

From the Olympic stadium in Ancient Greece to the banks of the Housatonic River … E.S. Kraay writes stories about things that make a difference.


A native of the Berkshire Hills in Western Massachusetts, I cherish fond memories of Tanglewood, the Pittsfield Public Library, Herman Melville, Norman Rockwell, Richmond Pond, Pontoosuc Lake, the Hashim Boys, Rudy Benedetti, my Auntie and Babcia in Housatonic and my Aunt Sadie in Westfield, and so many, many other people and places that remain dear to my heart.

As a young boy, I was blessed with a wonderful English teacher, Norman Najimy.  Mr. Najimy had a passion for the written word, and his passion still burns in me and drives me to write books.  He inspired me to read every night.  That was half a century ago, and I haven’t missed a night since.  Before I was a student of Norman Najimy’s, my life’s dream was to be an archaeologist.  After that eighth-grade English class, I wanted to write books.

I wandered for 40 years in the desert and did not fulfill that ambition until 2008when The Olympian was published. Eighteen years and well over a half-million words later, I claim seven novels and two meditative collections.

My heart has led me to each story with the conviction that despite the challenges we face as members of an ever-expanding universe, someone, somewhere will always rise to do what’s morally right for this planet we call Earth and for the billions of creatures who inhabit it.

Mitakuye Oyasin

  • DWI: Dying While Intoxicated now available

      DWI: Dying While Intoxicated has arrived! “When justice is blind, it cannot read the law.” I am pleased to announce that my fourth novel, DWI: Dying While Intoxicated was published yesterday, May 24, 2012 and is now available from Amazon.com and other online book vendors.  It is available as a physical book and as an…

    Read more: DWI: Dying While Intoxicated now available
  • Where Ideas Come From: DWI, Dying While Intoxicated

    I was educated as a warrior, although I am not comfortable with claiming that title today.  I entered the United States Air Force Academy in 1967, graduated and spent a career as a pilot until medical retirement ‘clipped my wings.’  I really can’t think of another ‘job’ that is more fun than flying single-seat, single-engine,…

    Read more: Where Ideas Come From: DWI, Dying While Intoxicated
  • One Writer’s Schedule

    For most of us, creating a novel is not a whim, something you do when you feel like it.  Even with the best of ideas, you will not wake up in the morning to find a completed manuscript on your computer.  Writing a book takes discipline, and a schedule can help nurture the discipline it…

    Read more: One Writer’s Schedule

“People Get Ready”
written and composed by
Curtis Mayfield
arranged and performed by my friend
Matt Balitsaris