Father and Son chronicles Joseph Sutton’s relationship with his son Ray, giving a year-by-year account of his thoughts and feelings for Ray as he grew…
“I’ve read most of Joseph Sutton’s books and find him to be the most readable writer I’ve ever read.” —Emily Williams, storyteller
“I enjoyed A Class of Leaders and the theme of questioning authority. Today the No Child Left Behind Act graduates many domesticated robots who are…
Kim McMillon, host of Arts in the Valley at radio station KYOS-AM, interviews Joseph Sutton about four of his books: Morning Pages, The YEARS the…
“Without a doubt, Joseph Sutton’s Highway Sailor is one of the best road novels I’ve ever read.” —Hal Goldstein, actor
“I enjoyed A Class of Leaders immensely. I would highly recommend it to anyone who likes to read about the many challenges a teacher faces…
“I loved Joseph Sutton’s Highway Sailor. especially his fresh voice with its quirky wisdom and poetic imagery…”
My Writing Year is my favorite of all of Joseph Sutton’s books because it is about the creative process
Joseph Sutton has a lot to say about writing in My Writing Year. I particularly liked his emphasis on actually writing—getting words down as a…
Joseph Sutton’s My Writing Year is perfect for every aspiring writer out there. He has so much to say about writing and persevering at writing.
Joseph Sutton is a man in love with WRITING. He gifts the reader with 52 inspirational essays why writers are the luckiest people in the…
There are 52 short entries—one for each week of the year—that deal with everything from “How to Write and Love Doing It” to “Writing as…
“Joseph Sutton’s “San Francisco Giants: A Fan’s Journal” is a wonderful, wonderful book. It’s not just the celebration of the San Francisco Giants winning three…
“Joseph Sutton’s “San Francisco Giants: A Fan’s Journal” chronicles three championship seasons. The hook of it is not only a succinct journal of San Francisco’s…
“As a father of an 11-year old Little Leaguer, I find Joseph Sutton’s “San Francisco Giants: A Fan’s Journal” truly remarkable. It’s touching what he…
“Joseph Sutton has created a rare story that everyone will want to read — kids, adults, baseball fans, anyone who wants to know that with…
“What a great idea Joseph Sutton has, combining the San Francisco Giants’ three World Series championship seasons with reflections on coaching his son’s Little League…
Today I looked for “writing process” quotes on the Internet and found six of them. To make it lucky number seven, I’m adding my own…
I vowed to write an essay each week on the writing process. I found out that no matter how I was feeling or whether I…
Since it’s a few weeks before a new year begins, here’s a list of my writing resolutions: (1) Set deadlines/lifelines for myself if I want…
Did you ever proofread the galleys of your own book before it was published? It’s boring—until you find a typo, otherwise known as a mistake.
A few years back my friend in Portland, Steve Carey, told me about a woman who went to different coffeehouses, put a stack of her…
“As a former teacher, I think Joseph Sutton’s A Class of Leaders is amusing, heart-warming and instructive.” —Judith Levy-Sender
It is now possible for writers to present their work on the Internet, not only in written form but in audio-visual form as well.
I believe getting feedback for your writing is necessary. It’s a good idea to have someone else read your work before typing up a final…
I contend that a real writer doesn’t write when he feels like it, he writes five, six, seven days a week because writing is his…
I’m trying to get you to stop procrastinating and start writing that story, essay, poem or book that’s been on your mind for God knows…
I just finished reading an article on the Internet—”What is it Like to Teach Black Students?”—by Christopher Jackson, a white history teacher who taught in…
My editor is a man who puts a flame to my ass, which makes me want to jump, shout and start doing. Since I haven’t…
A lot of people are hesitant to write because they feel that every word has to be perfect the first time out, that whatever they…
Some writers never send their stories or articles to magazines, nor do they query agents or editors about their book manuscripts. Why? They’re afraid of…
If you want to hold a real, physical book written by Joseph Sutton, you can order from this website or you can walk into or…
… the best way to write is to write as swiftly as you can without looking back. Read what the following writers have said on…
I spent a great deal of time revising “Week 36—The Complete Story.” I wanted you, the reader, to understand exactly what I was trying to…
There are many reasons why writers write. Anger, Revenge, Happiness, Depression, Redemption, Synchronicity, Discovery, Beauty, to Inform, to Inspire, to Entertain…and the list can go…
“A Class of Leaders is a wonderful novel. It’s well told, moves briskly, has a moral, and it looks back at a time (1969) and…
Many writers have asked me, “What should I do if I have to write something, or feel like writing something, but don’t know what to…
“I thoroughly enjoyed A Class of Leaders. The students’ voices, in their speech and written notes, are exceptional. It’s Joseph Sutton’s best.” —Gerald Rosen, author…
While teaching at Fremont High School in South Los Angeles, I wrote in my journal, every day, for four months, and used those notes to…
I’m going to take a ramble into the crevices of my mind to see what comes out of me. Here I go: I’m sitting in…
“I was intrigued with the whole concept of the democratic classroom in A Class of Leaders and how Joseph Sutton brought it to life. I…
Today is Tuesday. I really don’t feel like writing because I have a headache, sore throat, a bad cough and I’m weak. Here’s a conversation…
It may have taken him over 40 years to get his book published, but San Francisco author Joseph Sutton is proud and excited about his…
“I couldn’t put A Class of Leaders down. Joseph Sutton’s novel is a captivating read with fascinating insights and interesting subplots.” —Ray Balbes, artist
My cousin Ben called me a few days ago. “Joe,” he said, “I’ve read everything you’ve written about writing on your website. What you’re really…
There’s a quote taped to my desktop computer that’s staring me in the face this very second. It comes from a writer who’s influenced me…
Which instrument is best for writing a first draft—the pen or the computer? The pen, for me, is a little more physical, visceral, tangible, tactile.…
“I was almost in tears after finishing Joseph Sutton’s A Class of Leaders.” —Hal Goldstein, actor
“It was the time of riots, drugs and the Vietnam War. It was 1969. Josh Sampson, a white teacher in an all black inner-city high…
Is there a secret to writing? “Yes, of course there is.” What is it? “It can be summed up in four little words.”
What does the writing process mean to you? “It means you shouldn’t be afraid of your internal voice.” What do you mean by that? “What…
I know that most writers have to work at another job to survive in this world, which leaves them little time and energy to write.…
Since I became a writer 40 years ago, I’ve had to dish out a lot more money than I’ve taken in…I would be a millionaire…
Sometimes I say to myself, “I want to write about the writing process except I don’t know what to say. I’m lost. Here I am…
When the woman Jake Massry lives with leaves him for another man because he can’t succeed as a writer, and his old world father, on…
The time is 1969. Joshua Sampson, a history teacher in a black ghetto high school in South Central Los Angeles, finds the only way to…
Sometimes a story idea pops into a writer’s mind while writing or while doing something else. Sometimes it comes from out of the blue in…
Where does a writer get material to write about? I can’t speak for other writers, I can only speak for myself. I get my material…
A lot of beginning writers wonder if they’ll ever discover their “voice.” I surely thought the same when I began my writing career.
Today a person can find any type of quotation on the Internet within seconds. I sometimes browse the Internet to see what other writers have…