Drowning Out Evil with Story

Celebrate Purim with a Free Golden Mystery

Neil S. Plakcy

Mar 02, 2026

That morning, I rewrote my entire talk.

I was scheduled to speak at a senior community in Delray Beach with five other authors. I’d prepared the usual remarks about my books and writing life. Then I listened to a podcast on the drive over. An author-psychologist suggested that when we’re overwhelmed by grief or loss, we can shift from being “human beings” to “human doings.” We can create. Act. Build something.

So I changed my plan.

Instead of talking about plot or publication, I told a story.

I told them about the day my husband and I drove our twelve-year-old golden retriever two hours away for a veterinary MRI. By the time we arrived, we knew Samwise was ready to cross the rainbow bridge. We made the long drive home without him, the car unbearably quiet.

That grief could have swallowed me.

Instead, I wrote.

I channeled my sadness into my golden retriever mysteries. I became a “human doing.” I wanted to create stories that offered comfort, escape, and maybe even a little education along the way.

When I finished speaking, people didn’t ask about Amazon rankings or publishing trends. They shared their own stories. Dog lovers. A woman helping a friend through grief. Two readers who once lived in my hometown. We connected.

That’s the lesson Joanna Campbell Slan, a former motivational speaker, has taught me: when you speak to readers, tell a story. Don’t sell. Don’t summarize. Invite them in.

Tonight at sunset begins the Jewish holiday of Purim, when we read the story of Queen Esther. When the villain Haman’s name is spoken, we shake noisemakers to drown out evil. Children dress in costume. We eat triangular cookies called hamantashen (I’m partial to mun, or poppyseed filling, while my husband’s favorite is apricot).

We celebrate resilience. We celebrate survival. We tell stories that remind us darkness doesn’t win.

Let’s drown out the sounds of evil — and tell better stories.