The closest I will ever get to giving birth, I often feel, is in delivering a new novel.
T. A. BARRON’S BLOG
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About T. A. Barron
Seeing Through the Eyes of a Whale
In this essay from 1995, originally written for Children’s Book Review magazine, I explored what it means for a story to feel true and how the threads of truth and imagination are woven together.
Profile of T. A. Barron for Princeton
by Jeff Labreque Princeton Profile 2020 PDFThe long walk to the school bus never really bothered Tom Barron ’74. It was a solid mile from his front door to the highway, connected by the dirt road that crossed a creek, wound its way around ponderosa pines and through...
Giving Birth to a New Book
I’ve often thought that bringing a new story into the world is a lot like bringing a new child into the world. Of course, a real child is much more special and miraculous than a book-child. And a real child is also more huggable and full of surprises. Even so…the metaphor still applies.
Gratitude: The Path to a Meaningful – and Magical – Life
All of us have hidden struggles – and hidden potential. And all of us, like the great wizard Merlin, have something special within us. No matter how many obstacles we face, we still have the ability to reach for the stars. We can strive, create, love, hope, sing, be kind, and work to build a better world.
Author and Alumnus Barron Donates Papers to Princeton Library
Princeton Library2016 Original Article | PDFThe award-winning American author and conservationist Thomas A. Barron, a 1974 Princeton alumnus and a former University trustee, has donated his literary papers to the Princeton University Library. The T. A. Barron Papers...
Graduates: Follow Your Dreams, Make a Difference
Commencement speakers always advise graduates to follow their dreams—and you should. But I want to offer you some practical advice on how to make that journey.
Introduction to the 2016 Edition of “The Ancient One”
The following is the introduction I wrote for the 25th-anniversary edition of my book, “The Ancient One”.
Interview with John Shumacher
John Schumacher Interview 2014 PDFMerlin’s Guide to a Meaningful Life is… a way of imagining what Merlin would say to give us hope, courage, and meaning in our lives. I’ve had a lot of fun with this—especially since I’ve written so many books about the great wizard,...
Wild Magic
The wilderness can make us feel as big as the grandest vista. On a clear Rocky Mountain night, so many stars blaze overhead that their light almost fills up the dark and fathomless voids in between.