Spotlight On Writers
Brad Osborne
- Where, do you hail from?
I was born and raised in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Although my time in military service allowed me the opportunity to travel all over the world, when it came time to plant roots, I returned to what has always been home for me. I was the youngest of three children, raised in a caring home, and encouraged to read from a very young age. Our mother, a teacher, had a side hustle proofreading for Doubleday, so I grew up in a house that looked like a library.
- What is the greatest thing about the place you call home?
Harrisburg, nestled in the Susquehanna Valley, is a unique place. As a small metropolis and capital of the state, it offers all the cultural events anyone could hope for and all the allure of the big city. But, with a fifteen-minute drive in any direction, you are transported to the verdant forests of Appalachian Mountains, Amish farms, quaint small towns, and a simpler, quieter way of life. It makes for an easy escape from the daily hustle and bustle.
- What turns you on creatively?
As a Taoist, I am intrinsically connected to nature and the balance it holds. It easily finds its way into the color, concept, and composition of my writing. But it is not what fuels my creative desire. I most often find my creativity fueled by the words of others. Reading the works of other great writers and poets is what lights the fire for me. My writing is a personal attempt, filled with great hubris, to emulate the people I most admire for their words. The feelings and thoughts, that other writers provoke in my head, seem to scream for ink of their own.
- What is your favorite word, and can you use it in a poetic sentence?
Wow! You are going to ask a writer for one favorite word? It seems impossible to pick one favorite, but as you are bold enough to ask, I will be bold enough to answer. If I had to pick one, it would be love. Not for the warm and fuzzy feelings it can evoke, but because it can be so many things that it almost defies definition. It is so all encompassing, yet so easily relatable and understood. It is, in that way, quite unique.
“Love lingers long when spoken, soothing balm to heart broken.”
- What is your pet peeve?
I have a few pet peeves, but I find impatience very difficult to deal with, so that is probably what bugs me the most. For one, it has become such a prevalent demeanor in our society that it is almost expected. Secondly, it is the one that I must suffer in silence. I have yet to find a kind and supportive way to tell people that the rest of the world doesn’t run by their watch. We all have limited time, but one person’s time is not more valuable than another’s. Yet we are constantly reminded that they think it is.
- What defines Brad Osborne?
It has been, and always will be, my hope that I will be defined by the words I write. A hope that, through written expression, I am able to show the deeper parts of me that are not so easily shared. In a world full of wanting and woes, I want to be defined by my lack of silence. And, even then, when my time has come, I am afraid I will feel like I did not speak out enough.
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