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
Jesus Will Open the Door
I first conceptualized an afterlife without hell as I researched and wrote The Hamsa, my second novel set primarily in Poland from 1908 – 1945. Published in 2010, the researching and writing process took a full three years. During those three years, given the subject matter culminating in Auschwitz, I frequently contemplated good and evil,…
Have you ever had something on the tip of your tongue but chose not to say it so as not to rock the boat? I think we’ve all had that experience. Earlier this week in his minute homily, Father Mike Schmitz made a profound statement that will stay with me for a long time. He…
I just finished reading The World Played Chess by Robert Dugoni. Without hesitation, I can say it ranks among the top five books I’ve read in my 76 years of reading. My list also includes Gates of Fire, The Book Thief, Winter’s Tale, and To Kill a Mockingbird. This month, I emptied my bookshelves. Over…
