04-13-2023 Howard Magazine - Flipbook - Page 46
COPING
CREATIVELY
Author Michelle Paris’ journey from widowhood to novelist
BY KAREN NITKIN For Howard Magazine
PHOTOGRAPHY BY KARL M. FERRON
ichelle Paris has turned the central tragedy of her life into a darkly comic
romantic novel.
Her debut book, “New Normal,” is a fictionalized account of her own
abrupt widowhood at age 40. Written over 15 years, with the support of friends made
in a Howard Community College writing class, it is a tale of friendships, mid-life
dating, and the embarrassing missteps of daily life.
“This book is not specifically for people who have had a similar experience,” says
Paris, who grew up in Laurel and lives in Elkridge. “It’s for anybody who wants to
laugh and feel good and just enjoy the ride with a character who has had some real-life
experience.”
In 2004, Paris and her husband, Donald Mitchem, were settling down in their
Florida home to watch a movie, when Donald suddenly said he didn’t feel well and
went to the bathroom.
Paris’ voice still shakes with emotion as she tells what happened next, all these years
later, with gut-wrenching detail.
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| Spring 2023 | howardmagazine.com