Nick Owchar

Los Angeles

Contributing Writer at Los Angeles Review of Books

Editorial Director at Pitzer College

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Articles

Chawne Kimber Selected as Vice President for Academic

2 months ago | globenewswire.com | Pitzer College |Nick Owchar

Claremont, Calif., March 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pitzer College announces the selection of distinguished mathematician, administrator, and artist Chawne Kimber as Pitzer’s Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty. Her term begins July 1.
Blurbs Matter - Even if Simon & Schuster Doesn’t Think So

Feb 26, 2025 | medium.com | Nick Owchar

Nick Owchar·FollowPublished inE³ — Entertain Enlighten Empower·5 min read·--(image credit: Wikimedia Commons)Christopher Buckley’s recent commentary piece “The End of the Book Blurb. Thank God.” in the New York Times is a real throwaway —in fact, I’m a little surprised at how substance-less it is (even though I’m sure the editors paid a nice freelance fee just to have his name in the section).
Pitzer College Names Webb Schools’ Bob Fass as Vice

Jan 10, 2025 | globenewswire.com | Pitzer College |Nick Owchar

Claremont, Calif., Jan. 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pitzer College announces the selection of Bob Fass to serve as the College’s vice president for college advancement. Fass most recently served as chief advancement officer at The Webb Schools in Claremont. He begins at Pitzer on Feb. 1. “Fass’ extensive experience, demonstrated success, deep roots in Claremont, and passion for education and social impact position him well to lead and elevate our advancement efforts,” said President Strom C.
I Thought My Book Cover Was Great, But Now I’m Not So Sure

Dec 2, 2024 | medium.com | Nick Owchar

Which is better—a beautiful image or a punch in the gut? Nick Owchar·FollowPublished inE³ — Entertain Enlighten Empower·5 min read·--Book covers really matter. Consider the case of Peter Benchley’s Jaws. His concept/vision for the cover of his 1974 mega-seller falls pretty flat. Check out this early draft of the cover:Credit: “The Making of Jaws’ Iconic Book Covers,” PRINT Magazine 6–19–2020I get what Benchley was going after here: A serene village is seen through the immense jaws of a shark.
A WALKER IN THE EVENING

Dec 1, 2024 | kirkusreviews.com | Nick Owchar |Kristin Hannah

A dramatic, vividly detailed reconstruction of a little-known aspect of the Vietnam War. A young woman’s experience as a nurse in Vietnam casts a deep shadow over her life. When we learn that the farewell party in the opening scene is for Frances “Frankie” McGrath’s older brother—“a golden boy, a wild child who could make the hardest heart soften”—who is leaving to serve in Vietnam in 1966, we feel pretty certain that poor Finley McGrath is marked for death.
Summoning Spirits

Oct 31, 2024 | medium.com | Nick Owchar

An encounter with a demon takes center stage in this excerpt from “A Walker in the Evening” (forthcoming)Nick Owchar·FollowPublished inE³ — Entertain Enlighten Empower·7 min read·--Ouija board (Credit: Wikimedia Commons)Author’s note: Halloween’s here, and here’s something slightly creepy from my novel “A Walker in the Evening,” which publishes in December. In the following excerpt, the narrator and several characters attend a ceremony to call on a spirit for its assistance.
Why Haven’t You Read Project 2025?

Oct 14, 2024 | medium.com | Nick Owchar

There’s a navigation tool to help you understand it; it’s not too lateNick Owchar·FollowPublished inE³ — Entertain Enlighten Empower·7 min read·--Photo credit: Project 2025 websiteI think I have one answer for the question in the headline above: Because Mandate for Leadership, the Project 2025 document, is long. I mean really long. If you’ve glanced at it, and it’s available for free download here, you might agree.
Who Inspired You As A Writer?

Sep 26, 2024 | medium.com | Nick Owchar

Who Inspired You As A Writer? When I think about a college professor who really cracked open the literary world for me, I realize it sometimes had less to do with what he said and more with how he said it. His name was Ricardo Quinones. He was in his late 50s, carried around a cracked leather satchel stuffed with papers, and had an office organized by a tornado.
My Copyediting Experience Was Great-Until I Found a Mistake

Aug 12, 2024 | medium.com | Nick Owchar

Writer’s note: This is the latest in a series of posts about my publishing journey, which will culminate later this fall with the publication of A Walker in the Evening: A Novel. Watch out for that branch. Sorry to start this post with the worn-out cliche “You can’t see the forest for the trees,” but I can’t help it. For me, it sums up my novel-writing experience. Nothing has ever seemed more appropriate.
Is My Book Any Good?

Jun 27, 2024 | medium.com | Nick Owchar

Introducing My Summer SeriesWell, my friends, I've just gotten back edits from my publisher, responded to them, and now my manuscript of A Walker in the Evening is in the hands of a copyeditor. While I wait to hear back, I've decided to do something. I'm launching this series of short pieces about my publishing journey, what it's been like, what's ahead, etc. Maybe some of this will be useful to those who have written books and are eager to share them with the public. I hope so.