“I write only what I love.” - Nikoletta Nousiopoulos

by Roger Zotti

New London-born poet Nikoletta Nousiopoulos says all the dead goats (Little Red Tree Publishing) “is about redemption. The speaker is in desperation over the loss of her familial relationships and their history.” It’s also “about a pilgrimage to Korifi, the ‘motherland’ the speaker witnesses in herself.”

Nikoletta wrote her book after her grandfather’s death because she believed it was her duty “to preserve his story…” And in writing about him, “I was dealing with my losses and emotions, and had to be cautious of sentimentality. Greece and Korifi have always been obsessions in my poetry. I had to write [my book] in order to move on to other projects.”

Yes, Nikoletta has a philosophy of writing: “It is a lifestyle that goes hand in hand with reading.  In Frank O’Hara’s Personism he wrote, ‘Go on your nerve.’ I try to use that as my mantra and let my association and imagination lead me through the happening of a poem. I write what I love, so no matter what my subject is, it’s always an enjoyable process.” More, Nikoletta, who practices “organicism,” says, “I try to understand poetry and its relationship to the body.”

While Nikoletta contends that poetry must be challenging – and “a good poet should be accessible” – she suggests to the reader: “Take your time and appreciate the sounds of images. I read as a poet and try to appreciate interesting phrases, rather than dissect them for their ‘meaning.’ Many times I understand a poem through what it leads me to imagine and how it creates sensations.” She cautions that while reading a poem, the reader should be prudent when “making assumptions about what the poet means. Try reading the poem out loud. When we feel the poem in our mouth, it interacts more deeply with our senses.”

What Nikoletta learned from writing her book “was that there’s always time for forgiveness. I gained knowledge and insight into my family history and the struggles that lead to my existence.” What she hopes readers take away from her volume is “to be proud of where you came from and honor your family. My wish is that all the dead goats urges readers to reconnect with their past – and celebrate their heritage.”

In his Introduction to Nikoletta’s volume Michael Linnard, CEO, Little Red Tree, wrote: “…in each poem you will find that the ‘sacred resonance’ she speaks of is at the epicenter of her Greek heritage and language as she first walked in the footsteps of her ancestors in Korifi… the poems will draw you into a world of beauty and layered imagery… enhanced by the aesthetically innovative and subtly sculpted words on the page. The emotion is raw and her honesty palpable: one can ask no more of a poet.”

Nikoletta doesn’t want to be labeled as a poet who writes only about Greece or as “a family poet” and has many intellectual interests that she intends pursuing in her work. Her next project involves exploring, she said, “the dream world and use of persona.”

For more information about Nokoletta’s book and Red Tree Publishing, visit www.littleredtree.com.

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Author Douglas Clegg believes writing “begins with an impulse to make something from the raw material of imagination.”

This was an exciting and rewarding summer for the Preston Public Library. It hosted three local writers – Amanda Marrone, Douglas Clegg, and Allan G. Johnson – as part of the 2010 CT Authors Trail. When he spoke at Preston in July, Doug discussed his books, answered questions about writing, and asked the audience questions about its writing and reading experiences.

In a recent interview, Doug Clegg said the reissued Neverland – first published in 1991 – is “a southern gothic set on the fictional Gull Island, Georgia, in the 1960s.  Two families come together at their summer ancestral house with the grandmother-matriarch.” Before long family secrets and conflicts force two cousins to journey into the woods, where they find an old shack and turn it into their clubhouse. “They name it Neverland,” he continued, “because it’s where they’ve been told never to go.”

Of course, there’s a reason why it’s “a forbidden place. If I tell more, there’d be no reason to open the book … Neverland has a supernatural edge that grows into brooding horror.” It’s worth noting that Doug spent a lot of his youth on an island off the coast of Georgia, similar to the one he writes about in Neverland.

The author of over twenty-five books, Doug said he writes “for the same reason I breathe: It’s part of my nature and my life and keeps me alive. Writing has saved me again and again – since I was seven or eight years old. It carried me through rough as well as good years.” And it’s always challenging. He continued: “If the novel I’m working on now isn’t tougher for me to write than the one before, I’m doing it wrong.”

As a youngster, Doug rarely talked about his writing and later, when in college, only few people knew he wanted to be a writer: “By the time I sent off my first novel – I was in my 20′s – I wasn’t sure if I’d be a professional writer or not.” But Doug’s huge talent couldn’t be ignored. Recognizing his powerful imagination, a major publisher accepted his first book and since then “I’ve been making a living writing for more than twenty years.”

A New York Times best-selling author, what Doug finds most interesting about writing is how “it begins with an impulse to make something from the raw material of imagination.” More, he hopes readers take away from his books “a story. If I’m lucky, it’ll be a great story. Maybe some scares. I spend my adult life creating stories with the goal of engaging the reader until the last page.”

When Doug isn’t writing, he travels, canoes, bikes “and hangs out with friends or at home.”  He’s also an animal rescue advocate. The pets he has are “all rescues” and he encourages people looking for pets “to first go to animal rescue groups, such as the CT Humane Society and its local pounds and animal shelters. The best animals I’ve ever known have come from these places – and the people who run them deserve support.”

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In "The First Thing and the Last" Allan G. Johnson deals "with the aftermath of domestic violence…"

by Roger Zotti

Allan G. Johnson said his first work of fiction, The First Thing and the Last (Plain View Press),  “is about a woman, Katherine, struggling to find healing and redemption in the aftermath of domestic violence, and she does that in relation to an elderly woman, Lucy Dudley, who seeks her out. Most of the novel is about the relationship between them.” In writing about the terrors of domestic violence, Allan pulls no punches: While some scenes will make you shudder, at the same time you’ll praise and admire his honesty and courage. Allan will appear September 16, at the Preston Public Library, 6:30 PM, as part of the 2010 CT Authors Trail.

Because Allan began as a short story writer and poet, “this book was not really a departure for me but rather a coming home. I’d be happy writing fiction for the rest of my life.”  His non-fiction works were “a pleasure and meaningful” but the fiction comes “from an artistic, much deeper place. They’re just very different.”

And for upcoming writers, he has this suggestion: “I would echo the advice of Kurt Vonnegut, where he basically said if you don’t write because you love words and love story, you’ll probably be disappointed. So I think writers need to look inside themselves for why they’re writing. If it’s for fame and money, I’d do something else.”

He wrote The First Thing and the Last because “I spent many years as a sociologist and as activist trying to understand men’s violence against women, starting in the 1970s when I volunteered at the Rape Crisis Service in Hartford, CT.”  Second, several years ago his partner in life, Nora, “told me she wished someone would tell the truth about domestic violence – which planted a seed and grabbed me by the throat. Writers don’t walk away from a story when it grabs them by the throat.” Third was “the art kicked in and story came.”

Allan has a knack of getting deep inside his characters, so that we feel – in Katherine’s case – her unbearable pain. Recovering in the hospital from a brutal attack and the horrific murder of her young son Ethan by her husband, Katherine “dreams of Ethan and when she wakes and remembers she begins to cry as she feels the enormous empty space where he used to be…. She dreads the emptiness the most, something in her core gone missing beyond the reach even of memory, the sense of absence always there, appearing in the subconscious like the vague discomfort of something you were supposed to remember but whose only trace is the fading sense that you did not.” Later, when she’s thinking more clearly, she felt “an unrelenting flood of memory roaring through her mind and pelting her from every side with tastes and smells, a wound suddenly torn open.…”

“The First Thing” isn’t quickly read and forgotten – for it will resonate long after you finish reading it. Allan is a new and major voice in contemporary American fiction. … Visit www.agjohnson.us/npr for his recent interview on National Public Radio.

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Hank Schwartz’s book won this year’s Independent Book Publisher’s Gold Medal, Sports Division.

by Roger Zotti

If anyone is positioned to write about his work as a boxing promoter and fan of the sport, it’s Brooklyn-born Hank Schwartz. A WWII Veteran, graduate from Brooklyn Polytech, and an expert on satellite and microwave technology, Hank promoted one of the most famous fights of all time – the “Rumble in the Jungle,” the 1974 Muhammad Ali – George Foreman heavyweight championship bout in Zaire. (At the time, his vice-president was Don King.) Hank was also responsible for the 1973 Foreman – Joe Frazier bout in Jamaica and the third Ali-Frazier contest, the ‘Thrilla in Manila.’”

Now Hank and his collaborator, Paige Stover Hague, have written From the Corners of the Ring to the Corners of the Earth: The Adventure Behind the Champions (CIVCOM).  Winner of the 2010 Independent Book Publisher’s Gold Medal in the Sports Division, the book is immensely entertaining, exciting and informative – for Hank takes the reader on an often surreal and hilarious journey behind the scenes of “the Golden Era of heavyweight boxing.”

Hank says many boxers – unfortunately – don’t know when to retire because “boxing is a gladiatorial sport … when you fight like a gladiator, you live in a world that, in your own mind, you have a position to defend. So you never want to say or think, ‘Well, I’ve had it. You take it over … and leave me alone.’ When they become mentally put down, that’s the time they’ll retire.”  Heavyweight fighters, Hank continues, “almost paint a picture of themselves as being back in the Roman era fighting in the Coliseum against other gladiators … The heavyweight fighter is a machine trained to deliver powerful blows” and today’s heavyweights aren’t as good “as those before because I don’t see any of them as delivering the amount of power and speed delivered by Ali, Frazier and Foreman. If I were back in the industry, I would [search hard] to find better talent in the heavyweight area.” This doesn’t mean Hank believes the heavyweight division is dead. Rather, he hopes its glory can be restored using “the newer technology.” The sport “can be broadcast into homes in high definition television and taken in on the Internet, allowing you to [watch] it on your time.”

One of most laugh-out-loud chapters involves George Foreman, who wouldn’t fly to Zaire – for his title fight against Ali – unless his dog Diego was allowed to sit next to him on the plane. Somehow Hank, reeling in disbelief, persuaded incredulous American Airplanes officials to permit man’s best friend to sit beside George and travel first class. Of course, Ali exploited the situation. (See pages 246-47. It’s Ali at his funniest.)

“Ali’s Last Hurrah” is one of saddest chapters. Before the 1980 Larry Holmes fight, Hank reviewed Ali’s medical records: “I suggested the fight be canceled… this would allow Ali to retire with dignity and in relative good health.” But Ali disagreed. At the end of the tenth round Angelo Dundee, Ali’s trainer, stopped the one-sided bout, proving Ali should never have fought the younger, stronger Holmes.

For more about the author and his book, visit CornersOfTheRing.com.

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(l-r) Dodie Milardo, author of “Penelope’s Cruise,”greets Frank and Barbara Burke and Bill and Amber Daoust at the signing of her first novel.

story & photo
by Angela Olsen

Historic Downtown Essex was abuzz with foot traffic on a picture-perfect Sunday afternoon on August 1st.  Amidst the friendly vendors welcoming visitors was Susan McCann, owner of Essex Books, hosting a signing of Dodie Milardo’s first novel, Penelope’s Cruise.  In an age of websites like Amazon.com, it’s refreshing to see that shops like Susan’s are not obsolete.  She personally greeted every passer-by with a warm smile, and urged them to stop and meet Dodie, who donates 90% of the net profits of the sale of “Penelope’s Cruise” to charities!

Dodie never imagined that she would pen a novel; she was a math major, and worked for one of the nation’s largest financial firms.  Several coincidences took place, one after another, and as Dodie told some of her co-workers about them, they encouraged her to write them down in a book.

In 2006, Dodie decided to start writing her novel, and at the same time, she and her husband found themselves in a secure enough financial position, where she was able to leave her job and focus on the writing.  She notes that they are not affluent, rather that living within their means, and differentiating between wanting and needing another dress is the key to financial peace.

“The words spilled out of me!  I couldn’t type them fast enough on my computer.”  In fact, Dodie was actually invited to a book signing before the book even went to press by the Killingworth Women’s Organization.  She used an on-demand publisher and is now living her dream giving love to those in need.

Eager to meet Dodie was 18-year-old Amber Daoust of Cromwell, a pretty, slender, soft-spoken girl who looks to Dodie as a mentor and female role model of sorts.  She traveled all the way from Cromwell with her grandfather and their rescue dog, Chuck, a pit-bull/boxer mix, whose previous owners burned the pads on his paws with cigarettes!  Chuck travels everywhere with them.

Amber learned of a contest Dodie was having, where the best romance stories would all be published in a book.  I looked at the youngster and said, “Romance?!”  It turns out that although Amber’s story is not a steamy anecdote, she has lived well beyond her 18 years, raised by her grandfather, and, well, has a tale of survival much like Chuck.  Writing is her passion, and Dodie was blown away by her remarkable story and gift for the written word.  She is now in the process of applying to college!

For people who love to give, but prefer not to read romance, Dodie Milardo will donate the $15 for Penelope’s Cruise to the charity of the buyer’s choice, and send the book to military personnel.  For more information please visit: www.togiveisdivine.com.

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Michael Maderia, Stonington High School graduate, 1969, authors a book that simplifies a massive subject.

by Roger Zotti

I taught wine for a long time and I find that people look for an understandable way to approach it, because the subject intimidates them,” said Michael Maderia, author of The Song of Wine: Music as a Metaphor for Wine.  Writing his book was “an effort” because it meant “simplifying a massive subject that is intimidating.” So Michael used “another subject – music – that doesn’t intimidate us because we grow up with it.” He added that his musical background “is that of a lover of music. I have no professional background. I’ve played guitar and drums most of my life. But really this book isn’t written from the point of view of a music or wine expert. It’s written by someone whose favorite moments in life – well, music and wine have been a big part of those moments. And I found they go together really well.”

A Certified Sommelier, Michael has worked in hospitality for twenty-five years. In the 1980s, he said, “I took over the dining-room management at Flood Tide Restaurant at The Inn at Mystic and we had a pretty good wine list written by a purveyor. But there was no one on staff who understood wine.” So he educated himself and researched wine “pretty much the way someone would write a term paper – by studying and investigating and making sense of the subject.” And he hasn’t stopped learning and teaching:  “I was an inn-keeper for twenty-five years and have taught wine both to wait staff and dinner classes.”

How and where does one start with wine? I mean, I suppose I have to pay big bucks for a bottle of “quaffable” red or white. “No!”Michael said.  “This book recommends a procedure exactly for that.” Of the five thousand grapes used to produce wine, Michael suggests learning eight of them – “and I list the eight in the book. Once you learn the eight and reach a comfort level with them, after that you can begin to explore elsewhere.”

Here’s what Michael – who now works as a sommelier at a private golf club in Rhode Island – hopes readers take away from his book: “As we choose the music of our lives, we learn to understand what we enjoy. We love the music that’s part of our lives.” It’s the same with wine. “There’s this worry in wine drinkers they’re supposed to taste and enjoy what someone else likes – and that’s not the case. I’d be happy if people realized that their own favorite wines should be their own favorites.”

Reaction to the book has been good, though Michael admitted “it’s not a subject that will ever be a best-seller. It’s a specialized subject. The people who have enjoyed it – especially young people new to wine – have found it helpful.”

Michael Maderia took a diverse and daunting subject and – in clear, often lyrical prose – demystified it and made it exciting and enjoyable. His metaphoric technique demonstrates his knowledge, passion and appreciation for wine and music. The Song of Wine is a marvelous introduction to wine.

So, folks, forget what Miles, Paul Giamatti’s character in the film Sideways, said about Merlot and instead let’s treat ourselves to a glass.

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This just in:  On July 8, summer officially started for book lovers when, at the Janet Carlson Calvert Library, Franklin, the  2010 Connecticut Authors Trail was launched.  Nineteen authors will be traveling the trail this summer. The finale takes place at Mohegan Sun’s Cabaret Theater, September 23. (Visit http://sites.google.com/site/ctauthortrail2010 for more specifics.)

On July 13, Amanda Marrone appeared at the Preston Public Library. Though Amanda’s novels – Devoured, Uninvited, and Revealers – are aimed at teens, anyone who likes clear and stirring storytelling, along with an occasional fright, will enjoy them.  All of her characters, she explained, “just want to fit in and belong, given the unique situations I thrown them into.”

Consider Devoured  (Simon Pulse). Shortly after we meet Megan Scones, the main character, her twin sister Remy comes on the scene. Remy, killed in a car accident nine years ago, is – yes – a ghost, a ghost with whom Megan sees and converses.

Since the accident, Megan’s father has been in a “persistent vegetative state” at a local nursing home. As Remy’s behavior becomes increasingly alarming, Megan discovers her sister is trying to tell her something. Is it a warning? If it is, of what is Megan being warned?  Enter Luke, a “hot guy… fabulous biceps,” whose sister Kayla disappeared a year ago. Megan learns she and Luke have something in common and it’s not only that they’re teenagers: Like her, Luke sees ghosts.

Amanda, who grew up on Long Island and now lives in Connecticut, is correct when she said her books “are fast-paced, escapist fun.” She added, “I try to have a deeper thread running through them.” In Devoured, the deeper thread involves Megan, her mother, and the secret her mother has been hiding about her husband’s wishes.

Ray Bradbury and Stephen King are two of Amanda’s biggest literary influences. One reason is that they “put a macabre twist on the ordinary.” They also place “every day people in extraordinary [and often paranormal] situations.”

Amanda’s stories all have, she explained, “a paranormal twist, wherein even a Fairy Tale themed amusement park [in Devoured] holds a dark secret. Reading Bradbury and King helped me look for the dark underbelly of the mundane.”

The best advice Amanda ever received about writing is “to have someone else read your work before sending it out – someone other than your mother.” The worst advice is to be “wary of anyone who says you have to write a certain way to succeed. What works for one writer won’t necessarily work for another.”

From the opening sentence, Devoured hooks the reader. The reason is that Amanda has mastered the technique of “what’s next?”  With their strong narratives, her books propel you forward because you want to learn what’s going to happen to the characters she has so expertly created.
Amanda has written a series of books for middle grade students, too. For more information about her and her works, go to www.amandamarrone.com.

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Dr. Tracy Lewis’ latest book, The Truth About Angels: Hollywood Versus The Bible, is her response to the portrayal of angels by Hollywood.

by Maren Schober

Wouldn’t we all like to know the answer to that question? Many of us believe in angels but hear all kinds of conflicting ideas about who they are and what they do.  Some folks even have personal encounters with angels.  Author Dr. Tracy Lewis of Tulsa, OK is one of these people.

Tracy’s latest book entitled The Truth About Angels: Hollywood Versus The Bible, is in response to her belief that most of the information being presented today about angels by Hollywood in films, television and in music is far from the truth.

“I started writing this book in 2005,” Dr. Lewis declares.  “I believe that Holywood producers, actors and writers continuously misrepresent angels in their films. I wrote this book as a theological discourse and response to movies and television shows taking liberties with the Bible and with God.  I simply want the Truth about God and His magnificent angels to be made known. God is my source of inspiration. I have a genuine love for Him, His Word, and for people.  Whenever I write, the topics are always issues close to my heart.”

What can one learn about angels in this author’s book? Plenty!

“The story has three parts. In part one, I present short summaries of past movies and television shows that focus on angels.  I point out the fallacies in each film.”

“In part two, I tell the truth about angels from a theological perspective and provide scripture references for facts such as angels only assume human forms, angels fight for God’s people, angels are not omnipotent, and angels are too numerous to count. This section includes an Angel Quiz for my readers and provides in depth answers to the most asked questions about angels.”

“In part three of my book, I offer several outlines for readers that can be used in study groups , theology classes, youth groups and Sunday School classes.”

One night while driving home through a long dark tunnel, Tracy experienced something extraordinary.

“I was exhausted.  It was late at night and very dark. As I proceeded to drive across the bridge between Virginia Beach and Hampton, I could see the Hampton Tunnel approaching in the distance. When I entered the tunnel, I remember being in the left lane. The the next thing I remember was a stern voice saying, ‘Wake up!’ The sound of the voice startled me awake! I opened my eyes and gasped loudly as I sat up and quickly grabbed the wheel of my truck.  I realized that I had fallen asleep at the wheel, yet I was even more startled by the fact that I was now driving out of the tunnel exit into Hampton.  I was also in the right hand lane!  I kept replaying over and over what happened.  I began to cry as I thought of what could have happened, and then my tears turned to laughter and shouts of joy! Needless to say I remained awake for the rest of my drive.”

“An angel saved me that night.  He woke me up, and he even guided my truck through the tunnel. Many times since then God delivered me at the hands of His angels.”

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