LocalLit author spotlight: Cean Magosky of Lockport

This Tuesday's feature in the LocalLit newsletter is a story that children and adults may both enjoy.

Recently its author, Cean Magosky of Lockport spoke via email with Herald-News features editor Denise M. Baran-Unland.

Baran-Unland: Tell us a bit about your writing background.

Magosky: I started doing a bit of poetry and dropped in on a couple casual seminars at bookstores. Then I was invited to attend the Downers Grove Writer's Workshop where I met people who provided some mentoring and feedback. I started writing short stories and the feedback was really positive so I continued to follow that road.

I used a backlog of stories my grandparents used to tell as well as things from my own overactive imagination. When I had children I saw little stories in their daily life, like this one about a new toy entering the playroom.

"Oatmeal Raisin Bear" is a real bear my mother made for my son. All the stuffed animals in this story are real and still sound, save for Chartreuse.

Baran-Unland: What types of stories do you like to write?

Magosky: I enjoy historic fiction. There's a story I wrote about a boat wreck that is connected to family history. I had heard the story for years but when I did some research I found the actual story much different. History is like a game of telephone with people adding details or leaving them out as they see fit.

Baran-Unland: Give a one-line summary about your featured short story

Magosky: A new toy joins the playroom and learns an important lesson.

Baran-Unland: Have you published any books and/or are you working on one now?

Magosky: I have a couple projects in the works about the house where I grew up and the man who built it. He was quite famous then disappeared from public life. I think it's a story that needs to be told now. It's an important story.

Baran-Unland: Where can people find more information about you?

Magosky: I'm on Facebook and have a page dedicated to my architectural history project, Schools Architecture by F. S. Allen.

I also have a blog, historicimpression.blogspot.com, which is follows the work of my late brother, Seth, and campatgoherebay.blogspot.com which is stories about my grandparent's fishing camp in Canada and other stories.

KNOW MORE

Each week LocalLit will deliver an original short and family-friendly story, or a book review, by a local author to the newsletter's subscribers.

Authors with a connection to our readership area may submit. Submission does not guarantee acceptance. Stories should be edited and between 1,000 words and 7,500 words.

To submit, contact Denise M. Baran-Unland at 815-280-4122 or dunland@shawmedia.com.

Past LocalLit authors include Ken McGee of Plainfield, Norm Cowie of Chicago, Tom Hernandez of Plainfield, Vanessa Stephens of Joliet, Anne Anderson of Sandwich, Joshua Henderson of Joliet, Peggy Lindstrom of Shorewood, Carolyn Hill of New Lenox, Sharon Houk of Joliet, James Guseman of Oswego, Allison Rios of Joliet, Colleen Robbins of Joliet, Diane Maciejewsk of Elgin, Denise Issert of Wilmington, Bill McCormick of Chicago, J. Terence (the pen name of Joe Wengler) of Plainfield, Larry Zoeller of Downers Grove, Robert Hafey of Joliet, Ramesh Shah of St. Charles, Dawn Plestina of New Lenox, Wendy Bialek of St. Charles, Vern Coop of Joliet, Alyssa Gomez of Joliet and Kathy Whitgrove of Joliet.