Member-only story
Write Now
Write Now with Michael McAuliffe
How a former State Attorney and Federal Civil Right’s Prosecutor published a novel thirty-years after forming the idea
This post contains affiliate links that may compensate the author or publication when you click on links to those products.Write Now provides a glimpse into how different people write for a living. Today's edition features Michael McAuliffe, lawyer, professor, and author of No Truth Left to Tell.
Who are you?
I’m Michael McAuliffe. I’ve been a practicing lawyer for thirty years. I’m based in South Florida (West Palm Beach), but also live part-time in Chilmark, Massachusetts. I’m married to a federal judge and we have three children.
What do you write?
Three years ago, I decided to pursue writing legal-related fiction and teaching so I set some specific goals. My debut novel No Truth Left To Tell is one of the results of that commitment. I also teach law to students as an adjunct professor at William & Mary Law School and as a senior lecturing fellow at Duke University School of Law. I still maintain a boutique law practice, but I control the number and nature of my clients to accommodate, when possible, my writing and teaching adventures.
I love engaging others about law-related issues from the perspective that one doesn’t need a law degree to have a view about the law or have a stake in the legal system. My novel is my attempt to contribute to the national conversation about race, civil rights, the rule of law, and criminal justice. I wanted to use my experiences as a federal civil rights prosecutor (and an elected state attorney) to create compelling stories about people and their attempts to find their places in the world. Some are successful and happy in the journey, while others grow resentful and harden their beliefs. That’s the usual source of the conflict and drama in my stories.
I don’t avoid any issue or topic, but I always am mindful to treat sensitive or controversial subjects with respect. My purpose in writing is to educate, move, and challenge, not insult, mock or injure. I also remember that my children (adult) will be…
