Artis Henderson: Start Writing Before You Think You’re Ready
In this interview, author Artis Henderson discusses how she deeply investigated her father’s mysterious death for her new memoir, No Ordinary Bird.
Artis Henderson’s work has appeared in the New York Times, The Daily Beast, Reader's Digest and Sierra, among others. Her first memoir, Unremarried Widow, was a New York Times Editors’ Choice and named to more than 10 Best of the Year lists. Artis has degrees from the University of Pennsylvania, the Columbia School of Journalism, and the Program for Writers at Warren Wilson College. A certified master naturalist and advanced open water diver, she splits her time between Florida and Portugal. Follow her on Facebook and Instagram.
In this interview, Artis discusses how she deeply investigated her father’s mysterious death for her new memoir, No Ordinary Bird, her advice for other writers, and more.
Name: Artis Henderson
Literary agent: Anna Stein
Book title: No Ordinary Bird
Publisher: HarperCollins
Release date: September 2, 2025
Genre/category: Memoir/True Crime
Previous titles: Unremarried Widow
Elevator pitch: My father was a dashing, charismatic pilot and one of the biggest drug smugglers of the 1970s. He died in a plane crash the summer he was scheduled to go to trial—a plane crash that many people believe was rigged. In this deeply reported memoir, I set out to tell my father’s story and, in the process, discover my own.
What prompted you to write this book?
My father had always been a secret in my family; no one spoke about him. At least, not to me. People called the plane crash that killed him “the accident.” But then I got a phone call from one of my father’s best friends saying that he’d found out the how and why behind my dad’s plane crash. That conversation launched my investigation and ultimately this book.
How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?
It took 10 years to go from my early reporting to publication. Though the focus of the book never changed, my understanding of the material—and my slow realization that my father’s plane was most likely sabotaged—shifted dramatically over the course of the writing.
Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?
I learned to always trust my editor. She had such keen insights, both structurally and emotionally, and her vision for the story was so clear—a huge help when I was deep in it and couldn’t see the bigger picture. Her edits were spot-on, from rearranging the chapters in my early drafts, to slowing down difficult scenes in the later drafts. The final version of this book is a credit to her talent.
Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?
I’m still surprised by how the book’s title came about. It’s a line from Jonathan Livingston Seagull, my dad’s favorite book. When my brother read a draft of my manuscript, which included an epigraph from Jonathan Livingston Seagull, he texted me right away. “I know what the title should be,” he said. “No Ordinary Bird.” That same week, my editor reached out and asked, “Have you considered ‘No Ordinary Bird’ for the title?” It felt right.
What do you hope readers will get out of your book?
I hope readers will come to understand what my dad meant when he said, “You can’t tell the good guys from the bad guys.”
If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?
Start writing before you think you’re ready. You’ll often surprise yourself with how much you already know.
