There is so much beauty in writing. Writing illustrates the art of expression, allowing an individual to expand upon intellectual thought. As a medium of reflection, similar to that of art and music, writing endows humanity with the ability to contemplate multiple aspects of life. Writing is such a beautiful thing. The possibilities are endless when it comes to writing.
At Saint John’s Catholic Prep, many people write as a hobby, and in writing, these individuals hope to spread a message of their choice. I had the opportunity to talk to Senior, Adam Reinsch, who is currently in the process of writing a book. The title of his book is “Schwarz-Engel” (Black Angel in German). I was able to talk to Adam about this book. It was interesting to hear what he had to tell me about his story, what inspires him, and what message he is trying to spread with this book.
I first asked Adam what inspired him to write this book. Adam told me that family and close friends inspired him. It all started with his cousin Cody. He has special needs, but he and Adam connect through talks of history, specifically military history. . He told me how he started playing a game, which was built around squad-based combat. Adam had created his cousin in the game, which he enjoyed. Since he did not see Adam every day, he wanted to know what was going on with his character in the game, so Adam started to write a “Commander’s Log,” to show him what had been happening. During that time, Adam began to think that he should write a book about something similar and on a subject that he knew very much about, which happened to be the Second World War. Also, the people who inspired him to write this book were a young couple named Teresa and Dan. They were so excited that Adam was so young and had such a big imagination. Dan would help him with German words that Adam wanted to add since Dan knew how to speak German. They were a tremendous driving force in his writing. Adam told me that, unfortunately, Dan had gotten into an accident and suddenly passed away in August of 2022. A big part of why he still writes is because of them, and Adam knows that Dan would want him to continue in this endeavor. He also revealed that Teresa wants him to continue writing for Dan.
I next asked Adam what “Schwarz-Engel” is about. Adam told me that the book is about an alternative history of the Second World War. The first two years of war go on as history documented but then takes a sudden turn. The Soviet Union breaks the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact and invades the German-occupied territories. The Communist Chinese won their civil war early and started the same invasion into the Japanese-occupied regions and Asia in general. The war is brought to a stalemate in both Europe and Asia. During this time, Anti-Nazi officials got a hold of the Nazi’s plans for the Jews, and the German people had a change of heart and overthrew the Nazi government. Hitler is executed, and in its place was a republic-style government. The story follows an American specially trained squad sent by Generals Patton, MacArthur, and Eisenhower. They sent them in secret because President Roosevelt refused to help the Germans, and he helped the Japanese instead, which did not sit well with certain generals. The specially trained squad is sent to Germany to help them and hopefully persuade the president to join the European theatre.
Next, I asked Adam what message he wants this book to reveal. He told me it depends on how people look at it. The book’s meaning can be many things. He says it is up to the reader to determine what they think is the meaning. Adam says his meaning of the book is that things are not always as they seem. You need to be there to know what happened or get it from someone who has a firsthand account of that event.
Then, I asked Adam if he hopes to write more books in the future, to which he responded yes, he does plan on writing more books in the future. The first chapter of this book takes place about ten years in the future from the events that are taking place in the rest of the book – so, he is hinting at a sequel book. So, for those of you, who are interested in his story, there is more to look forward to!
Finally, I asked Adam for any advice he would give anyone who wants to become a writer. The advice he would give to others is to keep a ready supply of inspiration and avoid burning yourself out from writing. Additionally, make sure you write periodically to make sure your imagination stays fresh.
Overall, it was inspiring to hear Adam’s story about the book that he is writing. It was so fascinating to hear about what this book is all about and what inspires him to write. It was beautiful. I think it is a message for all of us. To stay determined and inspired by everything around us. Adam is an example that all future writers should look up to. There is so much to write about in this world. All of us have our interests and our unique imaginations. All of us have a story to tell, whether it be true or one that we create. I am excited to see Adam’s book someday come to life, and I hope that his story encourages all of you to write something that inspires you.
The Viking Journal 