Claire Bidwell Smith

Becoming a published author has been rich in surreal experiences. Some of them, more expected than others. A few moments that I expected to feel profound haven’t, and others that seemed as though they wouldn’t be a big deal have floored me. Holding my actual book for the first time somehow wasn’t as wild as Read more…

It occurred to me the other day that I really haven’t talked much about my second book here. At one point last year I made a conscious decision to remain quiet about it for a while, at least until it had fully taken shape, but that time has already come to fruition and I’ve been Read more…

I’m wildly honored to have been featured as the Sunday Interview on the highly esteemed literary website The Rumpus today. Even more flattering than the existence of the interview itself are the incredibly thoughtful questions asked by author Gina Frangello. My jaw literally dropped when I opened the email with these questions. It was one Read more…

You can now read a short excerpt from THE RULES OF INHERITANCE on my Goodreads page. Check it out here!

One of the most common questions I was asked during my trip to NYC last week was about the process of writing of THE RULES OF INHERITANCE. People wanted to know when I wrote it, what sparked the writing of it, how long it took, what the experience was like, etc. So I thought I’d Read more…

Last week there was a Twitter hashtag circulating called #whyIwrite and it was interesting to see some of the responses. Susan Orlean said “To make sense of the world, to hear stories, to tell stories, to feel alive.” Neil Gaiman said “Because I can lie beautiful true things into existence, & let people escape from Read more…

I gave my first interview about THE RULES OF INHERITANCE yesterday, to an editor at BlackBook Magazine. (Yes, if you’re wondering, I do write about restaurants and hotels for their online guide.) They’re going to be featuring a little write-up about me and my book in the January issue of the magazine, which is very Read more…

I have been bursting to share this news for the last week or so: Australian publisher Text has officially acquired the rights to THE RULES OF INHERITANCE and will be publishing the book next year. In addition to putting out the book, they’re bringing me to Australia for a book tour. The people at Text Read more…

I’ve had a lot of great writing teachers in my life. Two of them were actual teachers, in schools with books and assignments and criticism to hand over. One was in high school and the other was in college. When I sold my memoir this year I emailed both of them to say thank you, Read more…

It’s been a busy week already, this first week of September. I got some truly incredible news about my book on Tuesday morning, that I can’t share here right now, but which has elevated my week and my perspective to unmatched heights. It’s cast a strange haze over the way I view my life, my Read more…