Interview with Mike O'Mary, author of Saying Goodbye

About Mike O’ Mary

Mike O’Mary is series editor of the Dream of Things anthologies including Saying Goodbye, an anthology of true stories about people saying goodbye to the people, places and things in our lives with grace, dignity and good humor. He is founder of Dream of Things, a book publisher and online retailer. He is also author of The Note, a book about the power of appreciation, and Wise Men and Other Stories, a collection of holiday-related essays. For more information, visit www.goodbyebook.com.

About Julie Rember

Julie Rember is editor of the Saying Goodbye anthology from Dream of Things. She has been a newspaper reporter and editor, front desk manager at an Idaho resort, high school drama teacher, and, for the past six years, a freelance technical writer and editor. She also teaches workshops for writers on giving successful readings. For more information, visit www.goodbyebook.com.

Q: Could you please tell us a little about your book?

 Mike: Saying Goodbye is an anthology of true stories about how we say goodbye to the people, places and things in our lives. The book includes sad stories, some very funny ones, and others that mix joy with sorrow. Taken together, they serve as amazing examples of people saying heartfelt goodbyes with grace, dignity and good humor.

Q: What are you currently working on?

 Mike: I’m working on the Note Project (noteproject.com), which is a campaign to make the world a million times better by encouraging people to share their appreciation of others. It’s going to launch in April 2011, and I hope to get 1 million participants. Right now I’m looking for sponsors, bloggers and other people to help spread the word. I’m not asking for money…I just want people to tell others about the Note Project on your blog or website. In return, you’ll be associated with a wonderful project.

Q: Do you have any advice for writers or readers?

 Mike: For all the writers out there, keep at it. I believe that e-books and other recent developments in publishing are going to lead to even more publishing opportunities for authors. Just realize going in that writing is only half the battle. You also have to be prepared to do everything you can to help promote your work. And for all the readers out there, thank you, thank you, thank you. You could spend your time watching TV or playing video games or surfing the Internet, but you choose to read books. Thank you!

Q: Is there an author that inspired you to write?

 Mike: As a kid, I liked The Boxcar Children and Robinson Crusoe, so I guess you start with Getrude Chandler Warner and Daniel Defoe. From there, I’ll tell you that I used to love reading Alfred Hitchcock mystery stories when I was a teen, and then the O.Henry Awards. Beyond that, how do you choose between Faulkner and Hemingway and Joyce and Lawrence and Fitzgerald and Nabokov and Welty and Salinger and P.K. Dick and Vonnegut?

Q: What do you feel sets this book apart from others in the same genre?

 Mike: Saying Goodbye is the first anthology in a new series from book publisher Dream of Things. The goal is to publish books that fill the gap between popular anthologies of stories that are “short and sweet”—sometimes so saccharin-sweet they are hard to swallow—and the Best American Essays series, which I love, but which are much longer. Instead of short and sweet, Dream of Things anthologies will be short and deep.

Q: What is the most important lesson you have learned from life so far?

 Mike: Do what you love and feel passionate about and you will never be bored with life.

About Saying Goodbye

Saying Goodbye is a collection of true stories about saying goodbye to the people, places and things in our lives. This is a powerful book that includes a number of sad stories, as well as some very funny ones. Taken together, the stories serve as amazing examples of people saying heartfelt goodbyes with grace, dignity, and good humor. Saying Goodbye includes stories contributed by thirty-one authors from the United States, Canada, Ireland, United Kingdom, France, Italy, Germany, Australia, New Zealand and elsewhere. These stories show that there is sadness in goodbyes, but there is also irony and humor. It s perfect for book groups that want stimulating conversations about saying goodbye a topic that touches us all in one way or another. Saying Goodbye is the first anthology from book publisher Dream of Things in a new series intended to fill the gap between popular anthologies of stories that are “short and sweet” (sometimes so saccharine-sweet they are hard to swallow) and the Best American Essays series, which are much longer. Instead of short and sweet, Dream of Things anthologies are intended to be short and deep.