After 45 years as an educator and at least a decade of publishing, Elizabethtown College English Department adjunct faculty member Curtis Smith is adding two more books to his body of work.
Smith’s newest publications, the novel “(step)sisters” and the short story collection “this heart,” are his 16th and 17th books. The works continue Smith’s exploration of relationships between communities and the challenges people face in their everyday lives.
The novel “(step)sisters” follows two sisters who are close to one another and operate on the periphery of Philadelphia’s drug trade. The sisters are trying to save money and reach a financial goal, but their relationship is tested when one begins heading down the wrong path.
Smith said the Philadelphia setting was partly inspired by his own upbringing in Delaware County. Although much of his previous work has been set up in Central Pennsylvania, he said writing a novel set around Philadelphia offered an opportunity to try something different.
This latest novel is one of several genres Smith moves between in his writing career, and “this heart” marks his return to short stories about a decade after his previous collection. He tends to alternate between novels, short stories and nonfiction rather than concentrating on one project at a time.
“I’ll write a novel, and I feel like I’m confused … I put it away, pull out non-fiction, or I pull out some [short] stories. So, I think having different genres to go around with helps,” Smith said.
That approach has contributed to a career that includes approximately 16 books and more than 100 stories and essays.
His writing has developed alongside a long career in education. Smith taught high school for 33 years before coming to Etown. This academic year marks his 11th year at the college, bringing his total teaching career to 45 years.
Smith began teaching creative writing at Etown during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. His experience as an educator, especially during the pandemic, has influenced the way he views people and their experiences.
“A lot of my students were a little at risk. [I] would have to get involved with their families [and] see things that otherwise I wouldn’t have understood,” Smith said. “I think that was very good for me [to] develop some empathy.”
His approach to writing has also changed over time. Smith said that when he first began writing, he primarily focused on short stories and did not begin writing novels until roughly a decade into his career. Early on, he viewed a novel as essentially a long story. With experience, he came to understand that novels contain multiple strands and elements that make the form more complex. While he sometimes wishes he had understood that earlier, Smith said the process of learning through experience was valuable in its own right.
Smith will discuss his work and writing career during an upcoming interview with Director of the English Creative Writing Program and Lecturer in English Erica Dolson on Thursday, Oct. 15 at 7 p.m. in the Jay Lounge. He hopes that writers who want to be creative will be inspired by the struggles and ups and downs of “(step)sisters.”
“I think the big thing is creativity, no matter what you choose,” Smith said. “Hopefully out of the conversation or the readings, it might spark something.”
Smith also has two additional books planned. One is a collection of essays connected by a movie, which Smith uses as a starting point to explore subjects including politics, fame and celebrity. The collection is scheduled for fall 2027.
His next novel is scheduled for spring 2028 and will be set on a small college campus. Smith said the setting is similar in some ways to Elizabethtown.
“I love Etown,” Smith said. “So, I hope that comes across.”
