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About the author of Rips |
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Peter Owens is a widely published and award-winning journalist, software author, Web publisher, fiction writer, and educator. Two of his software packages, The Research Paper Writer and The Classroom Newspaper Workshop have been Tom Snyder Productions best-sellers, and KidNews, the Web site he founded and published for five years, won dozens of national awards and accolades. He has written for local and regional newspapers where his work was awarded by the New England Press Association. He has written for The Guardian of London and for McGraw-Hill’s Popular Computing Magazine. He published several short stories in the North American Review and The Smith of New York City. Owens teaches professional writing at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth where he was Teacher of the Year in 1993. Rips is his first novel. |
Interview questions from professional writer Cathy Houser: CH: How is writing a novel different from writing short stories or news stories? A novel is a sustained writing experience that happens over a couple of years and builds its own daily momentum. Characters evolve and grow, generating lives of their own. Short stories for me are a bit like feature articles. While you're working on them, they are very engrossing, and it is satisfying to work at things you can finish in a few weeks. I much prefer writing novels because they offer size and depth. But the time involved is a great professional risk. You can work at a novel for a couple of years and have nothing to show for it. News and feature stories have many elements that are similar to fiction. Scene, setting, action, dialogue, character, story line, description, and vivid writing are all important in today's more visual, action-oriented journalism. One seeming difference is that journalism must be true and fiction is made up, but fiction must have the ring of truth. It must be credible and authentic. A very important element of Rips is my attempt to create a sustained, vivid reality. I also paint, and I would consider myself a bit of a hyper-realist. I think my fiction fits in that mold. CH: Did you outline the whole book or just let the characters take you on that journey? |
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Professor, English Department and M.A. In Professional Writing Program, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, 1982-present.
Rips, a novel, America House, contract signed 1-28-2000, publication in 2000.
"Rumblings," literary essay in the book North Country, Essays on Life and Landscape in Northern New York, North Country Press, edited by Neal Burdick and Natalia Singer, St. Lawrence University, June 2000
"The Crash of the High Looping Curveball," literary essay, Bay Forest Publishing, On-Line Reader, in press.
KidNews, award-winning World Wide Web, Internet writing service for students and kids around the world. Includes stories and features by over 6000 authors from around the world. Discussion forums in journalism for students and teachers. Launched February 10, 1995 from UMass Dartmouth, moved to current location Jan. 5, 1995. Acquired by Elaine Floyd of Newsletter Resources, Oct. 19, 1998. Currently I am Editorial Consultant for KidNews.
Kids on the Net, British Web site for kids, teachers, and schools run by trAce On-line Writing Community. I designed the original Kids on the Net during the winter and spring, 1998, now being run by trAce at Nottingham Trent University, England. Currently I am Editorial Consultant for Kids on the Net.
Classroom Newspaper Workshop, Tom Snyder Productions, software for teaching the complete process of generating school newspapers and newsletters all the way from the idea stage through layout, design and production, March, 1995.
Research Paper Writer, comprehensive simulation software for teaching research and investigative writing, developed under a grant from the Apple Computer Corporation, winner of 1991 EDUCOM Distinguished Software Award and Parents' Choice Foundation Amazing Achievement Award in 1991, published by Tom Snyder Productions. Upgraded 1994, Windows version, 1994.
Super Scoop, computer program for instruction in journalism and writing, for Apple II computers, l disk, teacher's manual and student guide, published by COMPress, a division of Wadsworth Publishing Co., February, l985, Mac and Windows versions, 1993. Super Scoop-PC , a version of Super Scoop for the IBM-PC series of microcomputers and compatibles, published by COMPress, June 1987. 2nd Edition user manuals, Super Scoop, revised, designed and illustrated by me on PageMaker publishing software and published by COMPress, September, 1987.
Author of two feature-length screenplays formerly represented by Richard Curtis Associates Literary Agency of New York City, 1988, 1991.
On Your Mark, Get Set. .., computerized SAT preparation package
for Apple and IBM computers, l0 disks plus written materials; authored all verbal
sections (5 disks), published by Houghton Mifflin Company, 1986.
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The Guardian of London, frAme,
North American Review, New England Offshore, Soundings, Multihulls Magazine,
Cape Cod Times,The Register, The Patriot, Fremont News-Register, Union City
Leader, Siren, Temper, Massachusetts English Teacher, Journal of Computing in
Higher Education, "Multimedia Educational Software: A Challenging Era for Software
Design and Authorship," spring , 1992. Popular Computing magazine, McGraw-Hill,
over two dozen articles, software reviews, book reviews, l982-l985.
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Kids Rule the World, book dedication, EFG, Inc. Distributed by Writer's Digest Books, "An Interactive Internet Writing Kit," 2000, available through www.kidnews.com
KidNews rated among the Top 5% of all sites on the Internet by Point Survey, selected as Link of the Week for January 8-15, 1996 by Computer Currents Interactive, chosen by Learning in Motion for Top Ten list of educational WWW sites, Sept. 1995.
UMass Dartmouth Teacher of the Year, 1993.
Three Distinguished Software EDUCOM/EDUCAUSE Awards for Research Paper Writer, Super Scoop I and II July, 1987, July 1991.
Amazing Achievement Award, Parents' Choice Foundation, 1991, for Research Paper Writer
New England Press Association, three Special Awards in General
Excellence, for investigative journalism on the environment and public affairs
reporting, open circulation class, l974, l975, l976.
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Writing Coach, Standard-Times of New Bedford, l984-85, worked
with and instructed 17 staff writers and editors. News Editor, The Register
newspaper. Edited, designed, and supervised editorial production of 28 to 56-page
portion of paper; wrote editorials, investigative features, news, opinion columns,
Yarmouth Port, MA, l977-79. Associate Editor, Barnstable Patriot , investigative
features, editorials, news, columns, Hyannis, MA, l972-77. Interim Editor, Reporter
at Union City Leader , CA; Staff Writer at Fremont News-Register (daily); editorial
assistant at Cape Cod News ; free-lance writer, l969-72.
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Additional teaching experience:
Visiting Professor, English Dept. and MA Writing Program, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, England, winter and spring, 1998.
Assistant Professor (l98l to l982) of journalism, English Department, Fitchburg State College, Fitchburg, MA.
Instructor (l979-l98l), Cape Cod Community College. l980-8l.
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Kayaking, rowing, bicycling, sailing, golf, reading, gardening, painting, sculpting
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Copyright Peter Owens, 2000
Contact: Peter Owens, powens@cape.com
Last revised: 11-20-2000