I was inspired to write “Wrathful Empathies” by several key elements:
First, the historical setting of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia itself. The novel incorporates the rich history of this location, particularly John Brown’s raid on Harpers Ferry, as a backdrop for the story.
Second, my lifelong passion for hiking the Appalachian Trail and experiencing its colorful thru hiking culture. The plot revolves around the protagonist, DB Cooper, analyzing hiker shelter journals collected from the 2,100-mile trail over 40 years.
Mystery and conspiracy theories fuel my imagination. His Summer internship uncovers a mysterious underground group called “The Kindred” and an enigmatic figure known as “Lost Mungo,” who created himself and helps to draw the reader into an intriguing mystery narrative.
The blending of historical events with fiction drama opens up the entire story. The novel traces survivors of John Brown’s first raid across generations, showing my interest in weaving historical events into a fictional narrative.
I love the exploration of time and space concepts. The character of Lost Mungo, who appears to communicate across decades without aging, was created to play with concepts of time and space in storytelling.
I believe the truth is hidden in plain sight. By focusing on data analysis, it is possible to discover the truth. The role of DB Cooper’s Summer internship to digitize and analyze old shelter journals as a key plot element eventually leads to a life changing decision. He uncovers hidden information through meticulous research. This is something we can all do.
Tibetan Buddhism provides a rich tapestry of Wrathful Entities, reincarnation of souls, and, yes, achieving Nirvana.
William Blake’s poem “America, A Prophecy is the background to the moral battle taking place. At the dawn of the American experiment in freedom, the practice of slavery jeopardized it all. It explains the names of many characters and the struggle between spiritualism and reason.