ANNE MCCLARD

Welcome to my world, one that mixes professional and personal interests. You  will find an odd mixture of food, poetry, song, and sales pitches for my two novels. I invite you to explore anything and everything you might find of interest, and to subscribe to my newsletter and website.

This site features various interest categories. I hope that you will enjoy the personal nature of the posts and information shared, and learn more about my work and consider purchasing one or both novels.

About my novels

My Ph.D. fieldwork in the Azores inspired the writing of Butterfly Dreams, which I released in August 2023. Although the novel is completely fiction, it explores and incorporates data from my ethnographic fieldnotes. Butterfly Dreams currently contends for the Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Award.

My forthcoming novel, Margaux and the Vicious Circle, draws inspiration from the dangers and adventures of my own childhood, and is the first volume of a series called The Margaux Chronicles. The story unfolds across two different time periods in late twentieth century in New York City and Colorado, referencing historical literary figures and events. Aristata Press will release Margaux and the Vicious Circle on September 30th, 2024.

Both novels fall into the genre of literary fiction and have elements of mystery, romance, and magical realism. My novels are rich with compelling characters, and multi-threaded narratives. Each book reveals multiple mysteries, keeping readers engaged from the first page through the last. I welcome and invite you to communicate with me. I would love to hear your thoughts and to answer questions you may have.

You can find both books at Aristata Press. To see other titles they publish, please visit their bookshop.org store. 10% of proceeds from your purchase will go to Aristata Press, a non-profit publishing company that publishes deserving and diverse authors who otherwise would be unlikely to find a publishing home.

Background

ANNE MCCLARD is an anthropologist who was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1961. Throughout her life she has lived all over the mainland United States, including: Colorado, Virginia, Montana, New Mexico, Rhode Island, and California. Because she moved frequently during her childhood, she developed a strong interest in cultural differences within the continental United States. So, to fit in, she honed her observational skills. Her early life influenced her decision to become a cultural anthropologist.

Other Interests

In addition to people watching, Anne has wide ranging interests. She writes poetry and fiction and songs, paints, draws, and plays bluegrass music with her friends.  She loves cooking, and especially baking. Some of her recipes are available online. Someday she plans to write a cookbook. She has several different ideas, so maybe more than one. When you read her novels, you will probably notice that food is central!

Her Books

McClard’s debut novel, Butterfly Dreams (released August 31, 2023, inspired by research she did in the Azores for her doctoral dissertation at Brown University, has received extremely positive reviews and was a finalist for the Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Award.

Her adventure-filled upbringing inspired her forthcoming novel, Margaux and the Vicious Circle (slated for September 30), the first in a series called The Margaux Chronicles. Margaux, is a young author trying to make it in the New York literary scene in the mid-nineteen-eighties who pens a semi-autobiographical novel set in Colorado from 1961 through 1968. McClard tells the story from multiple points of views, and follows two different timelines throughout. Margaux has trouble finding a literary agent until the mysterious M. Des Jardins Literary Agency comes on the scene. She  makes a number of life-changing discoveries, and solves several mysteries hidden in her childhood.

Anne McClard currently resides in Portland, Oregon, with her husband, daughter, and two dogs.

Anne works as co-publisher at Aristata Press, a non-profit publishing company which she founded with Judy Blankenship in 2020. In October of 2022, they launched their first two commercial titles: LEAVINGS: Memoir of a 1920’s Hollywood Love Child by Megan McClard, and Díganle a mi madre que estoy en el paraíso: Memorias de una prisionera política en El Salvador, Aristata Press’s first book in translation, edited by Judy Blankenship and Andrew Wilson.

This  work involves a community of publishers and writers who are passionate about reading, creating, and sharing great writing. Aristata Press is  a tax exempt–501(c)(3)–organization (EIN 92-0281706) Contributions that Aristata Press receives go directly to supporting the publication of deserving literary work by authors that for one reason or another would be unlikely to find a home in the for-profit publishing sector or be capable of navigating self publishing.

Anne also operates her own consultancy, which formerly focused on ethnographic research for the technology industry. Currently, she offers a number of publishing adjacent services, including book layout and cover design. Please inquire if you are looking for consultation on your book cover design or interior layout of your book.

Additional work activities include her own various writing projects, a mix of fiction, non-fiction, poetry and song writing. Anne’s work interests focus on intersectionality in culture and society. She believes that society needs to hear from diverse voices, not just from authors whose work might be profitable.