Mark West is a writer and author of “It’s a Long Walk Home (a Spiritual Journey of Dubious Merit).” The memoir is, to some extent, about his walk across Spain after ending a marriage that had become emotionally abusive. Still, it’s more about his ruminations on the things that sent him there, the absurdities of modern life he contemplated while walking six hundred miles, and the healing he encountered from the emotional shitstorm his life had become. His story is told from the point of view of a middle-aged man lying in the gutter while looking at the stars.

Making Super-8 movies of epic proportions with his twin brother as a kid (which led to his parent’s whisky sours sliding from their hands as they dozed off watching) inspired Mark to get a film degree and become a TV commercial producer. Later on, he added husband and father to his resume until his life fell apart. Since then, Mark has spent his time producing the occasional commercial, creating content for websites, and working on his book.

A synopsized version of the first two chapters of “It’s a Long Walk Home…” was published in The Best of Wanderlust 2019 Anthology. Mark has written several children’s books (Althea and the BIG Idea, Milo and Pete) and has two screenplays under review at Universal (Throb and the Love Muscle, Undercover Mother). He lives in Southern California near his teenage daughter who hates him, but he has a few good friends who put up with him.

Personal note- Why do we so often treat each other like shit? I think revealing and dealing with the traumas we experience in life may help others learn and change, and indeed may help change the world. I love writing, wine, and music (preferably writing while listening to music and drinking wine) and am forever grateful mom didn’t name me Ike due to her fascination with Eisenhower. Life is good, I think…

 

THANKS

Please feel free to contact me at mark@markwestwriter.com if you have any questions, suggestions, or recipes for pizza dough (I’ve never been able to get the consistency right). Thanks for listening to my story.

-Mark

Likes: humans, love, dogs, wine, running, learning, pizza, cats, friends, rivers, brothers, sunscreen, innocence, symbols, Microfine Uniball pens, music, MacBook Air, Seattle, poetry, passion, photography, cheese, mountains, sound advice, new car smell, hummus, gratitude, Springsteen, afternoon light, eyes, maps, cool graphics, creative people, Santa Ana winds, shoulders, that little place up on the California coast overlooking the ocean, beautiful noise, Macaroni and Cheese, being alive.

Dislikes: