The ‘House’
that Elwork built

By Tom Waring
Times Staff Writer

Paul Elwork liked to read as a youngster, with J.R.R. Tolkien’s fantasy novel The Hobbit among his favorites.
As a teenager and in his early 20s, he wrote two books, neither of which was published.
By 1999, having earned an anthropology degree from Temple, he was working for a Burlington, N.J., engineering company as an editor for its archeological reports.
A couple of years later, he decided to pursue a master’s degree in English, partly to advance in his job and partly to pursue a dream of becoming a novelist. He recalls being intrigued by the art of writing as he read over the years.
"This is the best thing in the world, to tell a story," he remembers thinking.
Elwork, who lives on Grant Avenue in East Torresdale with his wife and two young sons, attended Arcadia University (formerly known as Beaver College) from 2001-04, earning a master’s degree in English.
"It was a great experience," he said. "They have a really nice English program, and I had a lot of great professors."
For his final project, he used a book that he had begun working on several years earlier. Richard Wertime, a professor and published writer, helped him complete a draft of The Tea House.
By the fall of 2006, the book was done. And now, a decade after he began writing the book, it’s been published.
The 35-year-old author, who has had several short stories published in literary magazines, is proud of his effort. And, he’s relieved to have his first novel published.
"It’s what I wanted to do since I was a kid," he said.
"It’s what I do best, by far. It’s hard work, but it’s exhilarating."
The 172-page book, published in paperback form, tells the story of 13-year-old twins Michael and Emily Stewart. Emily discovers that she can make a loud noise from her ankle without making it move and tricks her brother into thinking there’s a ghost in their house.
The story begins in the summer of 1925 and continues through 1939. Elwork wanted it to take place between the two world wars. As he later learned, the 1920s were a time of a resurgence in spiritualism.
The book is set on an estate based on Glen Foerd on the Delaware, where the author served as a volunteer and newsletter editor. The front cover features a picture of the tea house at the riverfront mansion.
The inspiration for the novel is the story of the Fox sisters, two 19th-century girls from Rochester, N.Y., who claimed they could communicate with spirits.
Elwork considers the late astronomer Carl Sagan a hero and read his book Broca’s Brain: Reflections on the Romance of Science. It contains a mention of the Fox sisters saga.
"I’m an old fan of ghost stories, but I’m a skeptic," he said.
The book is available in small bookstores, on Amazon.com and at www.casperianbooks.com, which is the Web site of his publisher, Sacramento, Calif.-based Casperian Books.
So far, Elwork has given book readings at Northeast Regional Library and Glen Foerd on the Delaware and set up a table at the popular Collingswood Book Festival. He’ll sign books on Feb. 29 at Arcadia and March 7 at Doylestown Bookshop and would like to have it reviewed and picked up by big bookstores.
The author is not overly concerned with how many books he’ll sell. He knows the business is a tough one.
"Did I set out to write it to make a monster hit? No. I wanted to start my career, even in a small way," he said.
Now that he’s had his first fiction book published, he’s ready for his next challenge. He expects to complete his second book this year. Tentatively, it will be set in 1930s Germany and center on the making of a Nazi propaganda film.
Elwork will keep coming up with ideas for books.
"I want to spend my life writing novels," he said. ••
Reporter Tom Waring can be reached at 215-354-3034 or twaring@phillynews.com

If you buy the book . . .

To order The Tea House, go to www.casperianbooks.com
The cost is $13.50 and includes free shipping.
For more information on the author, visit www.paulelwork.com