Today we’d like to introduce you to A. C. Burch

Hi A. C. , it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?

The path to my life as a full-time author was circuitous, to say the least. I trained as a classical musician, performing with chamber groups and symphony orchestras throughout New England. A few years after graduation, in dire need of a “day job,” I became a computer programmer. Years in IT led to an administrative position at a major university. It was only upon retirement that I began to write full-time, which, looking back, I wish I’d done decades before.

For more than 35 years, I’ve been a resident of Provincetown, MA, a former fishing village at the tip of Cape Cod. I’ve been blessed to have several artists and writers as friends and neighbors. Their influence—and the beauty of the Cape—have had a profound impact on me. Provincetown has felt like home since I first visited this unique place. It’s not an understatement to say that I knew I had to live here. It might be better put if I said, I knew if I didn’t live here, I’d never live my best life. Photographs of the area’s beauty are attached to make my point.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?

I wouldn’t say my path has been smooth. As I took on more responsibilities at my job, juggling a musical career grew increasingly problematic. My weekends were taken by rehearsals and performances, leaving me little to no time for friends and loved ones. Soon, I was hard-pressed to describe anything that wasn’t a job. I had a home I never spent enough time in and an apartment in Boston that was just a place to sleep during the work week.

I also grew disenchanted with the changes at the university. An institution that once offered a solid education and advancement to first-generation collegegoers was abandoning that legacy and focusing on more affluent families who could afford to pay rapidly escalating tuition. It became hard to rationalize why I was giving everything up to support a decision I disagreed with, so I vowed to retire at the earliest possible opportunity and did just that.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?

I’m best known for writing LGBTQ fiction with an emphasis on chosen families. The two books of The HomePort Chronicles (The HomePort Journals and The Distance Between Us) tell the story of a group of friends spanning gender, age, and sexual preference who create their own family. My book of short stories, A Book of Revelations, features people on the margin who risk all to become their genuine selves.

I’m most proud of how I’ve learned and grown as a writer. I enjoy connecting with my readers, whether in person or on social media. Hearing how my writing has affected them is immensely satisfying—the sense that my words have had an impact means more to me than applause. In hindsight, I realize I’m far more suited to being an author than a musician. Besides that, I have much greater independence and better control over my time.

I’d like to think a few things set me apart as an author. I write about challenging situations with humor and (hopefully) grace, embedding the message that we are all more alike than we might think. Some authors feel humor is out of place when writing about complex or challenging subjects such as gender and sexual preference. I think differently; laughter draws one closer to a story and tends to make characters more relatable. We’re all human and share this mysterious experience called life, which can be funny and brutal, sometimes simultaneously. If someone relates to a character, they often set aside prior beliefs and become more accepting of differences they might not have initially embraced. We need more of this.

Readers have told me that the two books in my HomePort Chronicles remind them of Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin, who used humor to reach millions of readers. His memorable characters have, as he calls it, a “logical” as opposed to “biological” family and reflect a vibrant community that embraces people from all walks of life. There’s a lot of power and joy in Maupin’s message. Especially these days. I’m flattered by the comparison to such an amazing author and hope, in some small way, my words also inspire others to see the humanity in those they might not understand.

We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up?

I have two favorite memories that are bound together: I grew up living by the water and started sailing at the age of eight. My mother fashioned a sail out of a bedsheet and attached it to a five-foot wooden flagpole. I’d row out to the middle of the lake, use one of my oars as a rudder, and let the wind carry me to shore. Then I’d row back out and do it all over again. This would continue for hours as my grandmother watched from the porch of her summer cottage, never seeming to lose interest in my exploits. When I was finally so tired that I couldn’t row anymore, I’d beach the rowboat and run to visit her. There was always a snack waiting and always something to discuss. She spoke of her childhood, parents, and grandparents, and I eagerly absorbed her stories of those long-gone days. Stories that, decades later, I’ve incorporated into my writing.

I learned tenacity from the long row out to the center of the lake. I learned patience from waiting out the calm moments and letting the wind guide me where it would. From my grandmother, I learned respect for the past, the power of story, and how to face advancing age with dignity and grace.

Those summer days passed all too quickly, but they remain my favorite memories. Even now, when I guide my sailboat to its mooring in Provincetown harbor, there are moments when I imagine my grandmother is watching and waiting for me to come ashore.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://acburch.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/acburchauthor/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ACBurchWritings

Image Credits

Ric Ide (headshot) & A. C. Burch (Provincetown images)