There’s nothing like your own voice. 
by Andy Scheer
I just spent an hour in a tire store, having my snow tires installed and getting reacquainted with an old friend.
A gifted storyteller from rural Idaho, Steve kept me captivated in the busy waiting room while the technicians changed my tires.
I’ve not seen or talked with Stephen Bly for years, but thanks to his 1994 novel It’s Your Misfortune and None of My Own, I felt like I was again talking with Steve, as well as visiting 1882 Arizona.
Steve put a lot of himself into his stories. Not just his values, imagination, and expertise in things western, but also his voice.
As I read his character’s words and the narration,
I could almost hear Steve speaking.
I’ve never experienced his novels in audio format, but I had a lot of conversations with Steve. As I read his character’s words and the narration, I could almost hear Steve speaking. The pacing, the vocabulary, everything sounded like him.
Nobody else writes like Steve, and I’m grateful he didn’t try to write like anyone else.
