Robert W. Norris


Biography:

Robert W. Norris was born and raised in Humboldt County, California, where he played basketball in high school and junior college. In 1969, he entered the Air Force, subsequently became a conscientious objector to the Vietnam War, and served time in a military prison for refusing to fight in the war. In his twenties, he roamed across the United States, went to Europe twice, and made one journey around the world. During that time, he worked as a millhand, construction laborer, stevedore, mailman, baker, saute cook, and oil rig steward.

Norris has lived and taught English in Japan since 1983. He has an M.A. in Teaching English as a Foreign Language from Newport University in Newport Beach, California. He is the author of "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; "Toraware," a novel about the obsessive relationship of three misfits from different cultural backgrounds in 1980s Kobe, Japan; "Autumn Shadows in August," an hallucinogenic mid-life crisis/adventure, and homage to Malcolm Lowry and Hermann Hesse; and "The Many Roads to Japan," a novella used as a textbook in Japanese universities. He has also written several articles on teaching English as a foreign language. He and his wife live near Fukuoka, Japan, where he is a professor at Fukuoka International University.

Where to find Robert W. Norris online:


Where to buy in print:


Books:

Autumn Shadows in August
Ebook Price: $2.50 USD. 63090 words. Fiction by Robert W. Norris on January 29, 2010
Modeled roughly on Malcolm Lowry's "Dark as the Grave Wherein My Friend is Laid," this novel is part homage to Lowry and Hermann Hesse, part mushroom retrospective, and part middle-aged love story. "An engaging and entertaining novel…very strongly recommended for its evocative telling and unique style and presentation of a timeless tale…an overall remarkable story." -- Midwest Book Review
Toraware
Ebook Price: $2.50 USD. 71290 words. Fiction by Robert W. Norris on January 26, 2010
A psychological drama about the obsessive relationship of three misfits from different cultural backgrounds in 1980s Kobe, Japan. "Crafted in excellent style and patiently honed.... The Japanese characters are wholly convincing.... Captures the unassuagable melancholy at the deepest core of the Japanese soul." -- Kansai Time Out Magazine
Looking for the Summer
Ebook Price: $2.50 USD. 52170 words. Fiction by Robert W. Norris on January 23, 2010
David Thompson is a former Vietnam War conscientious objector in Paris on a quest to find himself in the early days of 1977. When he befriends an Iranian and an Afghan and is invited to return with them to their countries, his quest becomes a descent into his own private hell. "A fascinating novel, told in spellbinding English. I can't recommend it enough." -- Alternative Approaches Magazine
The Many Roads to Japan
Ebook Price: $1.50 USD. 20780 words. Fiction by Robert W. Norris on January 17, 2010
Originally an English textbook for Japanese university students, "The Many Roads to Japan" tells the story of the adventures of a Vietnam War conscientious objector who had to follow many twists and turns in his life journey before finding his niche in Japan. Suitable for low intermediate and above students. Excellent resource for peace studies. Good story for native speakers of English, too.

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