It’s often said that those who can’t do, teach. Peter Manseau proves the exact opposite to be true; a successful writer himself, Peter teaches and inspires students in the Master of Professional Studies (MPS) in Journalism program.

Peter Manseau is the author of the memoir Vows; the novel Songs for the Butcher’s Daughter; and, most recently, Rag and Bone: A Journey Among the World’s Holy Dead. He is a founding editor of KillingTheBuddha.com, co-author of Killing the Buddha: A Heretic’s Bible, and currently is the editor of Search magazine. Though his body of work is diverse in genre and format, a common thread is the topic of religion.

Peter says that he never set out to be a religious writer, but having grown up the son of a Catholic priest and a former nun, it seems natural that he would write on religious topics. While looking into graduate school programs, Peter was told by one program director that he should write about something other than religion. Fortunately, Peter ignored this advice. “It’s important to write what you know, what you’re passionate about,” he advises, “Trust your interests, then find the part that makes it interesting to others.”

Finding the part that makes it interesting to others seems to be Peter’s specialty. “Nothing beats going out and finding information,” he says. In gathering material for Killing the Buddha, Peter and his co-writer undertook a cross-country road trip looking for expressions of God in small-town America. For Rag and Bone, Peter traveled around the world in search of the truths, legends, and myths behind holy relics. He relies heavily on his journalistic skills to bring out the essence of his subjects, reveal the stories within stories, and uncover tales hidden behind the obvious.

Peter’s writing skills translate well to the classroom where he teaches, guides, and mentors students in his writing courses. Former student Christopher Seneca says, “Peter excels in providing feedback and offering insight into new ways to look at what were once ‘finished’ pieces. Under his guidance, my writing improved with each passing week.” Peter’s success as a writer, paired with his ability to inspire and motivate his students, proves that “Those who can do, teach.”

Peter Manseau has won the National Jewish Book Award and the Sophie Brody Medal for Outstanding Achievement in Jewish Literature, and he was shortlisted for the Mercantile Library First Novel Award. He teaches in the MPS in Journalism program and is also a doctoral candidate in theology at Georgetown University.

Listen to a reading of Peter’s most recent book Rag and Bone, which took place on April 4, 2009, at the Politics and Prose bookstore in Washington, DC.