“The stories aren’t about violence—they’re about the preciousness of life. Each one is a reminder that this could happen to anyone.” — Jude Berman
Jude Berman grew up surrounded by books and cultural diversity, thanks to her refugee parents. After a career in academic research and running independent presses, she turned her attention to her own writing. In this episode of Uncorking a Story, Jude rejoins me to discuss her latest work, Shot: A Dictionary of the Lost, a collection of 26 short stories exploring the human toll of gun violence. Together, we explore her unique publishing journey, the role of age and experience in writing, and the power of fiction to build empathy and spark conversation.
Key Themes
Writing vs. Publishing Journeys: Jude explains the difference between building a life as a writer and actually getting published. Many of her books began in a drawer before finally seeing the light of day.
Age as a Strength: Jude emphasizes that writers often improve with age, bringing lived experience, wisdom, and deeper perspective to their work.
Breaking the Catch-22: The publishing industry favors young, “malleable” voices, but often at the expense of stronger writing that emerges later in life.
The Making of Shot: The 26 stories, one for each letter of the alphabet, “came through” her almost like a download, highlighting the role of intuition and channeling in the creative process.
On Gun Violence: While tackling a heavy topic, Jude frames her stories as celebrations of life, not gratuitous violence. Her goal: to remind readers that gun violence can touch anyone, anywhere.
The Empathy Factor: Fiction can serve as a powerful tool for building empathy, allowing readers to experience perspectives without having to live them firsthand.
The Twist Ending: Without spoilers, Jude shares that the final story in Shot points toward hope and change, setting it apart from the rest of the collection.
Buy Shot: A Dictionary of the Lost
Amazon: https://amzn.to/4mhLS28
Bookshop.org: https://bookshop.org/a/54587/9781647429287
Connect with Jude
Website: https://judeberman.com/
Substack: https://judeberman.substack.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/judebermanauthor
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jude.berman/
BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/judeberman.bsky.social
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/judeberman
Threads: https://www.threads.net/@jude.berman
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@judeberman
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@judeberman-author
Connect with Mike
Website: https://uncorkingastory.com/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSvS4fuG3L1JMZeOyHvfk_g
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/uncorkingastory/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@uncorkingastory
Twitter: https://twitter.com/uncorkingastory
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uncorkingastory
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/uncorking-a-story/
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