Robert W. Norris, Author of Expatriate and Antiwar Fiction
Norris picture

Listen to the Podcast of Autumn Shadows in August by clicking here.
Listen to the Podcast of The Many Roads to Japan by clicking here.


Shadows Cover Hello and welcome to my home page. Thanks for dropping by. I'm the author of three expatriate and antiwar novels, a novella used as a textbook in Japanese universities, and several articles on teaching English as a foreign language.

I'm proud to announce the publication and podcast of my latest novel Autumn Shadows in August. Roughly modeled on Malcolm Lowry's Dark as the Grave Wherein My Friend is Laid, it's an hallucinogenic mid-life crisis/adventure story, and homage to Lowry and Hermann Hesse. You can order it directly from Lulu Press, or from Amazon.com and other online bookstores.

David Echt, author of Messenger from the Summer of Love, wrote: "Autumn Shadows in August is a journey in miles and of states of mind...an insightful and very enjoyable read. I'm glad I went along on this personal journey."

The Midwest Book Review called Autumn Shadows in August "an engaging and entertaining novel ... an overall remarkable story." You can listen to the podcast of Autumn Shadows in August by clicking here. In the meantime, check out the information below about my other books and research.

Looking for the Summer cover
My first novel Looking for the Summer, the story of a Vietnam War conscientious objector's adventures and search for identity on the road from Paris to Calcutta in 1977, is published through Lulu Press. Check their site for ordering details. It's also available through Amazon.com and other online bookstores.

Christine Hall, editor at Alternative Approaches Magazine, wrote: "During the waning years of the Ford administration, a rather unlikely alliance was struck up between an American, an Iranian, and an Afghani.... Within weeks of this chance meeting, the American protagonist would find himself traveling overland to Iran, and then on to Afghanistan, Pakistan and eventually India, where the tale reaches a hopeful conclusion amid the squalor and depravity of Calcutta....

"In the hands of any author, Looking for the Summer would probably be a compelling read due to the inherent intrigue in the story's setting. But Norris is a masterful writer and storyteller, and he uses his craft to elevate this tale above mere 'compelling' or 'interesting' to the realm of uplifting and insightful. He deftly paints a portrait of his locations using a visual poetry that is neither self-conscious nor affected.... This is a fascinating novel, told in spellbinding English. I can't recommend it enough."Many Roads cover

The Many Roads to Japan, my novella/ESL reader about a conscientious objector's many twists and turns in his life journey, is back in print again. You can order it directly from Lulu.com. It's also available from Amazon.com and other online bookstores. You can also read it as a free online e-book. Go here for the links and info on downloading.

You can listen to the podcast of The Many Roads to Japan by clicking here.

The print version for the Japanese university market is published by Osaka Kyoiku Tosho. Click here for information on ordering.

Professor Kazushige Sagawa of Aoyama Gakuin University wrote, "Norris's story of a symbolic life is a gift from his own experience, and it gives us something good, meaningful, and inspiring.... The comprehension questions, exercises, and discussion/essay questions are quite useful in helping Japanese students to think in English and in encouraging them to express themselves in English as well. This is the ideal textbook."

The second novel Toraware, a psychological study of the obsessive relationship of three misfits from different cultural backgrounds in 1980s Kobe, Japan, was first published by Touka Shobo in 1998. It's back in print now through Lulu Press.
Toraware cover
The Mainichi Daily News wrote, "Intriguing...absorbing...holds the reader from the opening page."

The Japan Times said, "Toraware goes beyond the gaijin experience....[Norris] manages to evoke the rootlessness felt by young Japanese uncertain about their future."

Back in 1970 during the Vietnam War I became a conscientious objector, was court-martialed for refusing my order to go to Southeast Asia, and spent time in a military prison. Now I am a professor of English at Fukuoka International University. Listed below you will find a brief biography, information on my books (story summaries, cover images, chapter excerpts, reviews & blurbs), my curriculum vitae (nearly all my research papers can be read online), and some of my favorite links. Please click on what you would like to see. Don't hesitate to get in touch with me by e-mail.


 

- Biography -
- Books -
- Curriculum Vitae -
- Reviews -
- Documentary -

- Click here to read (in Japanese) about RKB's TV documentary on my life, books, teaching, and peace education activities. It was broadcast at the end of April 2004 -
- Links -
  • Links 1: Includes writer friends, conscientious objection & 1960s sites, and a search engine with over 6,000 ESL/EFL links for teachers and students 
  • Links 2: Includes my e-publishers, e-book review and resource sites, and e-author friends' sites
  • Links 3: Links to free online literary books and research material about the Vietnam War and the Psychedelic Sixties 

Copyright (c) 1998-2007 Robert W. Norris. All Rights Reserved

Last updated October 24, 2007

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