A week ago, on Wednesday, August 2, the writing community lost a great soul: Caleb Pirtle III.
Caleb was an indefatigable writer of non-– fiction and fiction, with some 90 books to his credit, in a writing career spanning some six decades.
He was an untiring supporter and encourager of his fellow writers. Aside from telling a good story himself, he did his best to help other writers to tell their stories.
And Caleb was a wonderful person to have as your friend. You could find none better.
Our paths crossed sometime in 2019 on Twitter. As near as I can recall. I was flabbergasted when he named me one of the top 25 mystery writers people should be reading. That pronouncement certainly captured my attention.
Who was this guy? Obviously, someone who’d been around the block a few times. But I’d never read anything he wrote. I promptly remedied that by reading his Man on the Run trilogy. I loved it and I was hooked.
Caleb Pirtle is easily the best writer who is not a household name — but should be.
A year later Caleb invited me to join a writers co-op he was putting together. Serious writers who were looking for ways to market their books. And this began a path that eventually led to a friendship with a wonderful human being.
I don’t think I exaggerate when I say Caleb Pirtle was a giant among men. And as far as I’m concerned, remains a giant among men.
For the past nine months I had the incredible privilege to be in a writing critique group with Caleb. Those nine months were nine master class sessions on the art of writing. Not only was his advice each session a pearl of great price, but his own writing was a priceless example of how to tell a story.
As great a writer as Caleb was, he was perhaps an even greater human being. He never had an unkind word to say about anyone. He saw beyond a person’s limitations to the good that was inside them. He was a kind and gentle soul who understood people where they were at and did not judge them for their failings.
Life is often unrelentingly hard and difficult. It is often nasty and brutish. Caleb Pirtle was a ray of brilliant sunlight parting the black clouds. He made the rough places plain.
One of the greatest privileges of my life was to have this man as my friend.
In Memoriam
above the pines the full moon floating
on morning’s humid heat
brightly burned our friendship for too brief a time
Comments are always welcome! And until next time, happy reading!
CW Hawes is a playwright; award-winning poet; and a fictioneer, with a bestselling novel. He’s also an armchair philosopher, political theorist, social commentator, and traveler. He loves a good cup of tea and agrees that everything’s better with pizza.
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