Press Release for "The Glory Walk"

The new book The Glory Walk: A Memoir by Cathryn E. Smith (VanderWyk & Burnham, $22.95 hardcover) is more than a memoir about the author’s father. This book marries content and form in an innovative way—producing a one-of-a-kind literary experience.

The Glory Walk is a multi-layered narrative that captures readers and propels them into the heart of a powerful story. Using an absorbing blend of creative styles and unusual imagery, the author gives voice not only to each person in the story but also to the Alzheimer’s disease that steals her father’s life. Her distinctive storytelling style breaks fresh ground with an engaging blend of prose, letters, conversations, poems, and music. This memoir celebrates the complexity of family love, the enduring presence of nature, and the vibrant essence of the human spirit.

Judith Kitchen—poet, essayist, and author—says, "I enjoyed reading this book. I very much like the mix of styles and functions of the various pieces.… Everyone comes alive. I hope this book gets the attention it deserves!"

"The Glory Walk," says the publisher Meredith Rutter, "is an extraordinary literary experience that will encourage robust discussions for all readers, especially book club members." From the setup in the introduction to the final thought in the epilogue, Smith invites the reader on a remarkable journey that starts with fractured memories and ends with a life-affirming picture of one man’s and one family’s "glory walk."

The Glory Walk is available at bookstores or by calling 800-789-7916.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Cathryn E. Smith is an English professor in Rochester, NY, and a published poet. She received a fellowship in 1999 from the New York Foundation for the Arts in Creative Nonfiction in support of this work. Smith wrote this book as a way to deal with the grief of losing her father. What she discovered by working through the writing process is that a person can lose a loved one physically but find that person spiritually.