Spotlight On Writers
Richard Korst
- Where do you originate from?
My parents emigrated to the United States from Vienna, Austria after World War II, settling in Champaign, Illinois, the “Heartland of America.” My dad was offered a professorship at the University of Illinois and my mom, leaving behind all she knew, followed with two young daughters in tow to support her husband, create a better life for her children and escape from Russian occupancy. My brother and I were both born in the states, had dreams of playing for our hometown football team, although I only weighed 120 pounds at the time, and were raised to appreciate and ensure we went to college. My upbringing shaped my beliefs; work hard, take accountability, believe in people and, hopefully, instill your values in others.
- What do you cherish most about the place you call home?
I’ve lived in several cities; Champaign, Austin, Nashville, Cleveland and Western Springs, a suburb of Chicago where I currently live with my wife, two daughters, on the verge of flight, and two dogs. While my mind is often flooded with idyllic childhood memories, my home is where my family calls home and I cherish the sound of feet scurrying up the stairs, the intermittent laughter shattering the calm of a quiet night and the constant challenge and balance of saying the wrong thing before a door is unceremoniously slammed.
- What ignites your creativity?
Let me start by saying, at the risk of never being published again, my creativity was originally ignited by my addiction to Hallmark Christmas movies. My wife would often come down the stairs at 1:00 a.m. finding me sobbing, watching the Golden Retriever get lost for the fifth time, only to return and the end of show. Of course you’d cry, right? So, I wrote a Hallmark book. It started there but I’ll summarize what ignites my creativity today, with two Mark Twain quotes,
“Write what you know.”
“My books are water; those of the great geniuses is wine. Everybody drinks water.”
My point, write about things you enjoy and write in a fashion that is relatable to your audience.
- Do you have a favorite word and could you incorporate it into a poetic phrase?
I’m not going to give away, for free at least, any poetic phrases I might concoct (actually, it’s because I’m not that creative). What I will do is offer up a two-word sentence tantamount to my writing approach;
Be observant. Listen to people around you, their tone, their cadence, their passion, their humor and try and incorporate that into your dialogue and stories. I served on a jury a couple of weeks ago where we ended up convicting the defendant of first-degree murder. Not fun but it was fascinating observing the personalities of the jurors.
To a person, they took their role seriously, ensured any question they asked was answered and understood the gravity of their individual and collective decision. Now, that’s a story.
- What is your pet peeve?
Well, and to the chagrin and embarrassment of my two daughters, I hate eating at a fast-food restaurant where they expect you to tip them for placing a greasy burger and fries in a bag. I could say that, but I won’t to ease any tension it might create. So, let’s just say I hate it when someone steps in front of my forehand when I’m playing Pickleball. I don’t think that will offend anybody.
- How would you describe the essence of Richard Korst?
I’d really like to be clever here because it’s such a deep question and one I’ve never really pondered. Maybe I should think of this as what epitaph would I want to appear on my tombstone: “He always tried to maintain his sense of humor, tried to remain positive, believed in people, loved his family, and didn’t take himself too seriously.”
We all do the best we can with what we have, at least I’d like to think so. Let me end with a wonderful quote from Will Rogers if one ever worries about their impact on the greater good;
“We can’t all be heroes; because somebody has to sit on the curb and applaud when they go by.”
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