Michael Burns

Michael Burns

About

was born in St. Johnsbury, Vermont. My family moved to NewHampshire in 1950 where I attended high school, graduating in 1957. I deferredentrance to college to serve in the U.S. Navy for four years, seeing duty inSoutheast Asia in the early days of the Vietnam War. After mustering out of theNavy, I returned to New Hampshire where I met and married my wife, andmatriculated at the University of New Hampshire.

 

Encouraged by my freshman English teacher, I first becameinterested in writing fiction in 1963. I continued writing after being inspiredby the late Thomas Williams, National Book Award-winning author and mentor tomany young writers, among them John Irving.

 

In 1971 Ijoined the faculty of St. Paul's School, a college preparatory boarding schoolin Concord, New Hampshire. I retired from that school in 2004 after 33 years ofteaching chemistry, life science, and creative writing. At present, I am livingwith my wife in rural New Hampshire where I am at work on his fourth novel.Gemini, my first novel, was published by Poncha Press in 2001. Where You Are ismy second novel.

The Magic Word

The Magic Word

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<p style="margin:0in 0in 10pt;" class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height:115%;font-family:'Times New Roman', serif;font-size:12pt;">Elisabeth was rude and selfish and demanding, and therefore had very few friends.<span>  </span>When she sent out invitations to her birthday party, no one accepted.<span>  </span>Her mother warned her that she needed to improve her manners and to try to get along with people.<span>  </span>She told Elisabeth that she needed to use the magic word “Please”.<span>  </span>So when Elisabeth went to school the next day, she thought of her mother’s advice, “What is the magic word?” and she started saying “Please” and also “Thank You”.<span>  </span>She tried to become more thoughtful of others, and discovered that she was a much happier person.<span>  </span>Imagine her pleasure when she returned home to find out that her new friends were all coming to her birthday party!</span><span style="line-height:115%;font-family:Arial, 'sans-serif';font-size:10pt;"></span></p><p></p>

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