Elizabethtown College Writing Wing Fellow Richard Fellinger has recently obtained national awards for his new novel, Summer of ’85. His book is centered around a story of a mass shooting and a summer’s love. Though fictional, Fellinger unapologetically takes on controversial issues like gun violence, leaving the audience wondering about their own beliefs and opinions.
Overall, Fellinger stated that he has always been drawn to telling stories, regardless of the genre or topic.
“I remember hearing an interview with Billy Joel, who once said ‘I didn’t get into music to become a superstar, I just wanted to make a living,” he said.
Inspired by that quote, Fellinger was determined to make a career out of what he loved: writing. After graduating from Pittsburgh University in 1991, his first job was a newspaper reporter for the South Philadelphia Review. Fellinger continued this profession for 15 years.
Being in the journalism industry impacted his writing style and opinions. “My experience in journalism has affected my writing in many ways, mostly good, I think,” Fellinger said. “First, it’s given me an identity, and when I think of the stories that have had a real impact on my memory and worldview, I’m often reminded of events and people I have covered over the years.”
Fellinger now describes himself as “an old pro” since he has worked in the disciplines of journalism and fiction over the past few decades. Currently, he still writes fiction and some non-fiction with his non-fiction works occasionally appearing in newspapers like the Pittsburgh Post.
When asked if he had a preferred genre, he said, “I believe writers write. I write what comes to me and what I feel is important to tell.”
Fellinger started writing Summer of ’85 in fall of 2017, taking approximately four years to write. This novel was inspired by various chats with his wife and the frequency of mass shootings occurring in society. Through this, he realized that this topic had the potential of becoming an extremely important story.
When the novel was completed, it was difficult to find a publisher that would support the book. “One of the big publishers told my agent that they really liked the story, but they just can’t move forward with a story on a mass shooting,” he said. “They thought it would make readers too uncomfortable.”
Luckily, independent publishing company TouchPoint Press took on the novel and Fellinger’s book was published on June 15, 2021.
Summer of ’85 has already shown to be a successful publication; it was a finalist in the American Fiction Awards under the General Fiction category and received Honorable Mention at the Hollywood Book Festival for General Fiction.
The novel obtained early praise from St. Christopher on Pluto author Nancy McKinley, who called it: “a cleverly imagined and well-orchestrated novel.”
“Epiphany” literary journal publisher Willard Cook also added to the excitement: “Summer of ’85 dazzles us with the humanity of a passionate and sensitive man who acts on his feelings with little notion of the consequence and leaves us wondering if we should be more inclined to act in the same way.”
These awards supplement those already obtained by Fellinger; on top of these new recognitions, he is Pushcart Prize nominee and winner of the 2008 Flash Fiction Contest at Red Cedar Review. Also, his story collection, “They Hover Over Us,” won the Serena McDonald Kennedy award. Fellinger has not only impacted the lives of the students at Etown, but those of the literary community as well.
In the fall, readers can expect to see Fellinger’s Ink, an anthology of old newspaper tales with an appearance of his personal essay, “My Fake News Story,” a description of his biggest mistake in his journalism career. His whole book, My Fake News Story, is hitting the markets in November after being put on hold due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
