“I am a published author [now] and couldn’t be happier. I guess my message to others is to just keep doing what you enjoy and you may end up being exactly what you always wanted to be.”
-Patricia Holmes
A member of the Writers’ League for two years, Patricia lives in Houston.
Scribe: In what genre do you write?
Patricia Holmes: My first published novel, Searching for Pilar is fiction, but it is inspired by true events. I have also recently published essays about current social trends, including “The Lingerie Party” and “Tips for Men Who Still Don’t Get It.” Both were published in the past six months by Texas Lawyer. I enjoy telling stories with a social message. I have also written memoir pieces about what it was like to be a woman breaking into the legal profession in the early 1980’s, but I haven’t decided on a final format in which to present them.
Scribe: What writer would you most like to have a drink with and what are the first questions you would ask them?
PH: Amor Towles. Your knowledge of Russian history and culture is so accurate. What did you do to become so knowledgeable? Were you working on A Gentleman in Moscow for all of the twelve years since your first novel, The Rules of Civility?
Scribe: What book would you want to have with you on a desert island to keep you sane?
PH: Tolstoy’s War and Peace. I first read it in high school and I reread it about every ten years. I love Tolstoy’s writing and his social message. My PhD dissertation was a study of his theories on power and non-violence as a tool for revolution and his influence on later activists.
Scribe: What have you learned from your association with the Writers’ League?
PH: I attended the Agents and Editors conference last June. It was an amazing experience! All of the panelists were informative and I met some interesting writers. The Writers’ League put on a great panel in Houston at Brazos Bookstore earlier this year. I learned useful information about how book stores select books to sell and creative marketing tips from the panelists.
Scribe: Where do you see your writing taking you in the future?
PH: I love the process of writing and the self-discovery that comes with it. Although Searching for Pilar is not at all autobiographical, the exploration of the importance of family, different types of love, community, and the existence and role of God in our lives, has allowed me to explore feelings I had never verbalized. I can see myself writing a memoir and a study of ethics in law firms in the future.
Scribe: What is one recent Texas related book that you couldn’t put down?
PH: Joanne Fox Philips’ Revenge of the Cube Dweller is set in Tulsa and Houston. I read it nonstop while on a plane trip and couldn’t stop laughing. It’s about a clever, middle-aged, female internal auditor of a mid-stream energy company who uncovers and reveals fraud, pomposity and greed.
Scribe: Is there anything else about you that you would like to share with the world?
PH: My 94-year-old mother has a motto that I have embraced: “Just keep moving.” I have been fortunate to have had several careers in my life. I went to the University of Missouri to be a creative writer/journalist, but ended up falling in love with non-US history. So, I got a PhD in Russian and South Asian History instead. After teaching at the Universities of Missouri and Tennessee, I took a research and administrative job with a big law firm in Houston for four year while I had my two beautiful daughters. Law school followed. I spent the next 30 years in a fulfilling career as a public finance lawyer, writing trust indentures and offering statements that resulted in the building of hospitals and other non-profit enterprises. After retirement, I finally went back to my original goal of being a writer. Now I am a published author and couldn’t be happier. I guess my message to others is to just keep doing what you enjoy and you may end up being exactly what you always wanted to be.
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Thanks, Patricia!
If you’re a Writers’ League member and you’d be interested in being interviewed for our Meet the Members feature, email us at member@writersleague.org for more information. It’s a great way for other members to get to know you and for you to share a bit about what you’re working on!
