Writer, Historian, Analyst
Writer of fiction, creative nonfiction, biographical profiles, historical accounts, analytical reports. Researcher of anything that strikes my interest—or yours.
Querying agents for my debut novel:
MAGICAL LIGHT
Reminiscent of a faster-paced Amy and Isabelle (Elizabeth Strout), MAGICAL LIGHT (96,500 words) is an upmarket, book club novel for readers who enjoy Liane Moriarty’s page-turning revelations, as well as Anne Tyler’s memorable characters and strong sense of place.
Pitch
After a childhood of unanswered questions and the shocking death of her husband, Marissa remains stuck as an artist and in her relationships until she buys a rundown Chesapeake Bay cottage and her distant mother, struck mute by a stroke, begins to communicate “yes” and “no.”
Plot
Marissa Beckett (48), an abstract painter, cannot process her grief without knowing why her husband, the renowned Professor David Beckett, overdosed on opioids. Did he intend to die?
Determined to move on, Marissa buys a decrepit cliff-top cottage near the Chesapeake Bay, shifts her focus to commercial art, and works to become closer to her long-guarded mother, Lindy, who is mute and immobile after a massive stroke. Meanwhile, Marissa’s daughter, Campbell (19), angry and bewildered over the loss of her father, searches for evidence that would explain why he acted so erratically in the months before his death.
Marissa’s mother, Lindy, has her own secrets to reveal. Will anyone ask her the relevant “yes” and “no” questions that will unlock the family’s hidden past?
To heal their relationships, Marissa and Campbell must gain access to Lindy’s pre-recorded audio files or remain frozen, frustrated, and blaming themselves and each other for actions beyond their control.
Curious?
For more information, contact me via the form below or find me on:
Creative Nonfiction
Deeply researched historical accounts that pull the reader into the past. A renowned fresco artist escapes death 60 feet above the floor of the U.S. Capitol; an African American messenger saves priceless Senate records during the British invasion of Washington in 1814; bootleggers roam the corridors of Congress; the solemn and extraordinary funeral and burial services for Abraham Lincoln.
Nonfiction Projects
Institutional History
“The Senate,” Princeton Encyclopedia of American Political History, Princeton University Press.
“Written by more than 170 leading historians and social scientists, The Princeton Encyclopedia of American Political History gives students, scholars, and researchers authoritative introductions to the subject’s most important topics.”
Analytical Reports
Congressional Research Service (CRS) reports on Congress and House and Senate rules related to committee, amending, debate, and voting procedures, as well as specialized topics, such as resolutions of censure and the parliamentary rights of territorial delegates to the House of Representatives. Go to CRS Reports and type “Hudiburg” into the search form.
Website Content
Proposed and provide content for an educational website feature, Capitol Stories, sponsored by the U.S. Capitol Historical Society. Stories on the saving of Senate records during the War of 1812, the artist Constantino Brumidi, first woman Representative Jeannette Rankin, John Quincy Adams’ fatal stroke in the House Chamber, and the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the role of NAACP lobbyist, Clarence Mitchell.
Public Speaking
Speeches, panelist discussions, educational seminars, including a lecture recorded by C-SPAN and featured during Women’s History Month.
American History TV: Legacy of Jeannette Rankin
“The life and legacy of suffragist, pacifist and politician Jeannette Rankin, the first woman elected to Congress.”
Biographical Profiles
Biographies of prominent politicians, Supreme Court justices, social reformers, journalists, and artists. Read a chapter on Representative Marcy Kaptur in American Originals: Northwest Ohio’s Polish Community at Home, Work, Worship, and Play.
Other profiles are in:
The Historical Dictionary of the Gilded Age; The Homefront Encyclopedia; The Historical Dictionary of the 1940s; Encyclopedia of United States Indian Policy and Law.
About Me
I grew up in a small Chesapeake Bay community that provides the natural and cultural setting for MAGICAL LIGHT. As a writer and historian, I have contributed pieces to the Washington Post, The Hill, reference books, and websites for the U.S. Senate, the Library of Congress, and the U.S. Capitol Historical Society. Much of my career has been spent in legislative organizations: the U.S. Senate, the Maryland General Assembly (MGA), and currently, the Congressional Research Service, the nonpartisan, in-house think tank for Congress.
My debut novel, MAGICAL LIGHT, reflects a return to my earlier passion for fiction, fostered by taking dozens of creative writing workshops at the Writer’s Center, as well as classes at the University of Maryland taught by novelists Edward P. Jones and Howard Norman.
I am a frequent public speaker on the history and current operation of Congress and have appeared on local television programs and C-SPAN. Previously, I worked as a history instructor (University of Central Florida), a manager of educational programs (MGA), and as a tour guide at the U.S. Capitol and the Kennedy Space Center.
I have an MA in American History from Indiana University and an MPA in Public Administration from the University of Baltimore. For more information about my educational and professional credentials, check out my LinkedIn profile: Jane Armstrong Hudiburg.
