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SAVANNAH, Ga. — The adage, “Write what you know,” rings true for author Aaron John Curtis, whose latest novel, “Old School Indian: A Novel,” draws deeply from his Native American heritage. The book tells the poignant story of a man returning to the reservation he left during his teenage years.
In anticipation of his upcoming appearance at the 2026 Savannah Book Festival, Curtis shared insights with us about his literary journey. He will engage with readers on Festival Saturday, February 7, during an event that is free and open to the public.
When asked about his path to writing, Curtis revealed, “Initially, I aspired to be an artist. Writing was just one of the many creative outlets I explored. Over time, I realized that dabbling in multiple interests wasn’t propelling me forward. So, I made the conscious decision to focus on writing, as it allowed me to weave in my other passions. Embracing writing felt invigorating, like unlocking a new realm of creativity.”
As for his daily writing routine, Curtis shared:
: What is a typical writing day for you?
CURTIS: When I had a day job, I was very disciplined. I would get up at 5 a.m. Sometimes the alarm went off, sometimes it didn’t. But I would always be awake, and it would be two hours of writing before my family woke up. And then on Saturdays, I would write until around 2 p.m. Now my schedule’s a little freer.
: How do you get over a hump where you might not be as prolific as you’d like?
CURTIS:
I change my location. When I was working on ‘Old School Indian,’ once I got to the point where I was at a point of moving a sentence back and forth, I would change my venue. If I hit a wall, I would change my routine…walk a couple blocks up and then get back to work. That keeps me limber. But yeah, when it when you’re trying actively to work on a piece and you hit that wall, for me, a change of venue helps.
: Do you enjoy the editing process?
CURTIS: I really do. And it all goes back to my 7th grade teacher, Mrs. Temple. She assigned us a descriptive paragraph and gave us a list of everything we needed to use. And we sat down to write. And Mrs. Temple gave me a bunch of notes on how the tone didn’t match what was going on. So, I revised my paragraph. And she read both of them out loud. She was trying to get people to look a little deeper. But for me, I never would have arrived at that second version on my own. So, editors help you see more clearly what your work is about and what you should lose and what you should keep. I had to cut ‘Old School Indian’ down by half.
Aaron John Curtis will appear at the 2026 Savannah Book Festival Saturday, Feb. 7 beginning at 10:20 a.m. at the Otis S. Johnson, Ph.D. Cultural Arts Center. Curtis is also participating in the panel discussion, “Stories of Belonging: Home, Memory and Identity” Saturday at 2:20 p.m. at the Lutheran Church of the Ascension sanctuary.
For a complete festival schedule, click here.