James Janko
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James Janko's Novels
Novelist, Poet, Veteran | Author of ‘The Clubhouse Thief’ and ‘What We Don’t Talk About’ | New book ‘The Wire-Walker’ out September 23, 2025
Last month, Writer's Digest published my essay, "Letting the Body Lead: Writing Movement, Gesture, and Tension on the Page". In part, the essay describes the making of my novel, The Wire-Walker. "Creation," writes author Deena Metzger, "means bringing to life." Writing fiction is a high-wire act. How can every sentence of a story or a novel come alive? ![]()
Letting the Body Lead: Writing Movement, Gesture, and Tension on the Page
www.writersdigest.com
Author James Janko discusses the connection of the body to writing and connects it to the wire-walking protagonist of his novel.
I published in Shepherd brief reviews of the five best books to inspire peace in Palestine and Israel. The narrator of my novel, The Wire-Walker, tells the reader her life's purpose in plain terms: "To humble every man with a gun, everyone with power--that's why I was born." The five books I reviewed in Shepherd have a similar purpose.![]()
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The best books to inspire peace in Palestine and Israel
shepherd.com
James Janko shares the 5 best books on inspiring peace in Palestine and Israel. Have you read Palestinian Walks?
I will read from The Wire-Walker at Town Hall Seattle on Wednesday, October 15, at 7:30 p.m. Event location: 1119 8th Ave., the Mehdi Reading Room. ![]()
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Some quotes about The Wire-Walker:![]()
“James Janko is a marvelous writer whose compassionate imagination spans worlds.”![]()
––Naomi Shihab Nye ![]()
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“Amal [the narrator of The Wire-Walker] is Palestine’s Anne Frank. The ending is breath-taking.”![]()
—Maxine Hong Kingston![]()
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“James Janko’s The Wire-Walker is a powerfully imagined and lithely executed tale of moral clarity.” ––IndieReader (starred review) August 27, 2025![]()
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“The Wire-Walker is an aching, heartbreaking novel about a girl whose sky-high dreams cannot be contained.”![]()
––Forword Reviews September / October 2025![]()
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“A poetic combination of beauty and horror, disillusionment and hope. This novel provides an unforgettable perspective to a centuries-old conflict. I hope to read more novels from this author, a singular voice, a remarkable talent.”![]()
— Gabriel Bump, author of Everywhere You Don’t Belong
A BookTok video by Tatia Dumbadse [see link below] includes The Wire-Walker as a must-read in her September round-up. The Wire-Walker is the second book featured in the round-up. The Wire-Walker takes place primarily in Nablus, Palestine, and also in Tel Aviv. An unlikely friendship between two circus girls, a Palestinian wire-walker and a Jewish Israeli juggler are at the heart of the story. ![]()
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www.tiktok.com/@tatis_corner/video/7555941654323072269
We were delighted to sit down with James Janko, the author of The Wire-Walker, to talk about life, literary pursuits, languages, science, and the value of meditation. The link is below:![]()
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regalhousepublishing.com/2025/09/19/thats-my-story-regal-house-publishing-rhp-interviews-novelist...
That’s My Story: Regal House Publishing (RHP) Interviews Novelist James Janko
regalhousepublishing.com
We were delighted to sit down with James Janko, the author of The Wire-Walker, to talk about life, literary pursuits, languages, science, and the value of meditation. RHP: When did you start to wri...