Member Spotlight: Marlene Targ Brill

Why is writing important to you and why do you think it’s an important medium for the world? Writing of all kinds empowers readers: it takes them to another place, to meet other types of people, to see how others live. The words we write help others learn.

What are your tried and tested remedies to cure writer’s block? Take a break, whether a walk or trip to the refrigerator, although that one can be dangerous. I do my best thinking on long walks and in the shower. Sometimes changing how and where I write jogs the mind, like moving into another room or writing longhand instead of using the computer.

What is your favorite time to write? I have a certain morning routine that involves breakfast, exercise, and dressing. After handling the business of writing, I’m ready to write what I’m working on at the time.

What’s the best piece of writing advice you’ve ever received and would like to impart to other writers? Patience and persistence

What excites you most about being a writer in today’s age? Meeting readers and knowing I might have made a small difference in their lives with my words. I also still get joy from research and from opening a box of new books.

Marlene Targ Brill’s Jane Addams: The Most Dangerous Woman in America is out now with Ohio University Press.