Kenn Amdahl

After 89 Real Publishers rejected There Are No Electrons, in 1990 I formed Clearwater Publishing Company to publish it myself; since then the book has sold about 100,000 copies and continues to sell. Thank you to everyone who has bought it. Then I wrote two math books with Jim Loats, Ph.D.- Algebra Unplugged and Calculus for Cats. I also published my humorous novel, The Land of Debris and the Home of Alfredo. In answer to the hordes of people who ask me, hey, Kenn, how can I write better myself so I can live your cushy lifestyle, I published Joy Writing: Discover and Develop Your Creative Voice. Although, I must point out that "cushy" isn't the first word that springs into most folks' minds to describe my lifestyle, especially people to whom I am married. And by "hordes" I mean "imaginary." But I do enjoy writing and that book describes my own philosophy about it. While I was driving into the mountains, a voice whispered this sentence into my ear: "Some people say I ain't smart enough to have did what I done." The imaginary voice cracked me up. I spend so much time trying to write better, the idea of writing a book that was, at best, grammatically inconsistent seemed liberating and fun. When I got home, I tried to write in that voice and the result, a few months later, was "Jumper and the Bones." It's a sweet and funny little novel that kids seem to like as well as adults. A fifth-grader's question about it compelled me to write the sequel, "Jumper and the Apple Crate" which was a finalist in the 2018 Oregon Book Awards. When a friend became sick and lost the use of her legs, I started trying to learn about ALS and other neurological diseases. I became fascinated by the various theories about the causes of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, MS, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's Disease. Some of the theories are bizarre, some make sense, some are receiving lots of attention and research money-- yet I'd never heard about them. I kept notes as I did my research and finally compiled the entire project into a little book called "Revenge of the Pond Scum." Some very impressive scientists have read it, given me great feedback (as well as suggestions that I've incorporated). It's an easy read if you're interested in biology. In 2019 I finished a novel set in the haunted house of my childhood. I'd been working on it intermittently for over ten years, but early readers were unimpressed. I rewrote it maybe a dozen times and finally released The Manitou Bell in 2023. It's not a funny book, but I think it's a fun read, with ghosts and time travel and mildly scary parts. My little publishing venture has led me to meet many interesting folks, from famous guys like Dave Barry and Clive Cussler to folks as obscure as myself. I've gotten neat letters from Ray Bradbury, Tom Robbins and a host of others, as well as from prisoners, folks in the White House, students and hopeful writers of all kinds. Writing introduced me to my tribe, and it's a cool bunch of people. I've had some fun surprises, as well. Famed inventor Dean Kamen was asked on the radio about his favorite books and he mentioned Calculus for Cats at some length. I discovered that Encyclopedia Britannica had recommended one of my math books. Once, at a bluegrass festival five hundred miles from home I saw someone in the audience reading Algebra Unplugged. I had to show them my driver's license to convince them I was one of the authors. At a lunch for local writers, I introduced myself to a guy whose eyes got wide as he shook my hand. "I've HEARD of you!" he said in astonishment. I do not, apparently, look like a guy someone might have heard of. The guitar has been my therapist since high school, songwriting my secret vice. I've performed on a few CD's and set my coffee cup down on even more. I was in the acoustic group "Cottonwood" for ten years or so; we released two CD's. Now I do a few gigs as a solo. Gardening soothes me. When the harvest isn't impressive, I let the plants go to seed, collect the seeds, and try to convince my wife that's what I was going for all along. Before moving to Oregon in 2015, I've was involved with a number of book-related non profits in Colorado, and served on several boards of directors. When I was young, I assumed that Real Writers write perfect first drafts which publishers snap up with gratitude and big sacks of cash. I hope it works out that way for you.