Creating characters that pulse on the page presents special problems for writers of historical fiction and memoir. Not only are they trying to breathe life into nouns, verbs, and maybe a few adjectives, they are attempting to reanimate characters who may have lived and died 50 or even 150 years ago. In this lecture, we'll discuss different sorts of research as well as specialized writerly tricks to reanimate the dead. In addition to Eric's experience, this lecture will reference the work of other writers to help advise the audience on how best to perform the Frankenstein-ian task of Reviving the Dead.

Eric Goodman’s first historical novel and eighth overall, Mother of Bourbon, was published in April 2025. It tells the story of Mary Dowling (1859–1930), the only woman who owned major distilleries in pre-Prohibition Kentucky. His sixth book, Cuppy and Stew, combines historical fiction with the faux memoir of a woman who shares his wife's name. He has taught at the Iowa Summer Writing Festival for many years and was the long-term Director of Creative Writing at Miami University (Ohio) before retiring to write full time.