Hello! 

And welcome to Adult Fiction's first 'virtual' interview. I will be your host, RoseBlossom79, speaking on behalf of the team. Our guest author today is English Professor Kevin D'Abramo, author of Bella Ragazza: A short story, which also happens to be the Book of the Month for our Profile.

We are here at the exact reception hall that was used in the author's book. 

Stunning isn't it. We are waiting for the Professor to arrive and then our interview can start. 

~~~~

Ah! There he is now. Professor over here! (waving hands)  

KD: Hello! And you must be part of the Adult Fiction Profile. I am glad to meet you.

RB: Yes, Professor. I am. RoseBlossom79 at your service! (shakes hands with author)

KD: Please, call me Kevin Expat43. I am not at work right now, so I just like to be known as that.

RB: Very well, Kevin it is.

Waiter comes to the table and places two champagne bottles in front of interviewer and author. But they refuse to drink it, until the end. Author politely smiles at waiter after he pours the liquid in his glass!

RB: Well, Kevin, let us then start with the interview, shall we? (Author nods his head yes)

Were you always interested in becoming a writer? And how did you start this journey?

KD: I was always interested in reading. I read a lot of comic books, mysteries and fantasy stories as a child. In fact, the first story that I wrote (kind of on my own, and it was not a requirement for school) was a fantasy story. I must have been about ten or eleven and was very much inspired by J.R.R Tolkien. In high school, I enjoyed English class, and so when it came time to pick a major in the University I opted for English literature. This led me to take some creative writing classes. I found the environment stimulating and took classes and workshops with published writers, like Gail Scott and Steven Heighten. I've been writing on and off since then – I'm forty-three now – including a stint in graduate school.

RB: That sounds very interesting! Having instructors who are well known authors, must have been quite exciting.

KD: It was indeed. 

RB:  Second question: When I first read Bella Ragazza: A Short Story, I thought of the setting in New York, rather than in Canada as the bio of your story suggests. This intuition of mine was due to your Italian characters, and it happens that New York City is mostly the home to Italian residents in the United States. The dialogue in the movie The Godfather and of the show The Sopranos immediately popped in my head as well due to the Italian lifestyles  presented in both. Do you have any comments on that? And, was it your intent to write a short story about a young man's life as an Italian-Canadian?

KD: I didn't specify the setting. But I'm from Montreal, so I guess it  has the feel of Montreal. As for writing about Italian-Canadians, that's my own ethnic background, on my father's side, while my mother is of Irish-Scottish descent. My decision to write about Italian-Canadians characters comes mostly from my desire to write about what is familiar to me, "write what you know" as the adage goes. 

Regarding The Godfather, and The Sopranos, I have mixed feelings about them. I think they are both excellent in terms of acting and writing, but they unfortunately also perpetuate a stereotype of Italians as mafia gangsters. This has always been a little disturbing to me. I think maybe on some level --- perhaps unconscious – writing about Italian – Canadian characters who don't conform to this stereotype was cathartic for me.

RB: Oh, I'm sorry to upset you there.

KD: It's quite alright. Hollywood just has the intention of exaggerating things that happen in people's lives, in order to male audiences fall in love with the story .

RB: (Nodding her head in agreement)
Was there a reason why you called your story Bella Ragazza – that is 'beautiful women' on Italian, right? Would you care to explain? To me it's great sharing a piece of Italian life in stories, as I love to read about different cultures.

KD: Why did I title the story Bella Ragazza? For one thing, it seems to have a nice ring to it, and perhaps an air of mystery for an English-speaking person. In addition, the heart of the story is the protagonist Johnny trying to figure out a direction in life. Some of the older Italian-Canadians (and Italian-Americans) have a somewhat old-fashioned approach to life, i.e. they promote getting married at an early age, and settling down with a career and family.
In my story, the protagonist is wrestling with this expectation, and sort of working against it is his own way. I guess I tried to show the older more conservative perspective which would say to a young man, if you meet a girl, and she's nice and beautiful, then you should marry her. Then as the story progresses, I tried to suggest that this idea of "beauty" is kind of superficial. In other words, that is what "beautiful" or attractive is not just facial features and body types, but also the character of a person.

RB: How did you select the names of your characters? Did you want them to be Italian? And I love the way you made Johnny's grandma and Uncle Gino talk in the Italian accent. These aspects made your characters in the story livelier and genuine.

KD: I just chose typical sounding Italian names for the characters, and I tried to be faithful to the way people speak, especially the older folks, who in my recollection, still retained strong accents. Basically, I was going for realism.

RB: Now here's one that's quite interesting ... and it's based on Judith's character – as there is something mysterious about her. Do you hide any secrets in your books that only a few people will find? But you don't have to tell us your secrets for we respect your privacy.

KD: Well, if I told you it wouldn't be a secret anymore, would it? *grins mysteriously*

RB: What advice would you give to someone who wanted to write an adult age story like yours?

KD: Well, what I write is usually realism, so I look towards ordinary life for my material. I like to keep a notebook and jot down notes on my experiences, observations, as well as descriptions of people and places. Once I accumulate some notes I start to sift through them to see if anything sticks out as useful. I also like taking photos, or just looking at photos that are about some subject that interests me. In addition, I try to read as many literary books as I have time for, including short stories and poetry. I would also recommend taking a creative writing class at a college or university, where the instructors are usually published authors. It can be transformative.

RB: Do you have any authors, either in Wattpad or not, who have inspired you?

KD: I'm still new to Wattpad, but I've enjoyed stories by Mary L Tabor maryltabor, Ted Morrissey tedmorrissey, and B.G Davies BG_Davies. Over the years many authors have inspired me, some of whom include Raymond Carver, Ernest Hemingway, Flannery O'Connor, E.L. Doctorow, Margaret Atwood and Michael Ondaatje.

RB: And lastly, is there anything else you would like readers to know?

KD: As a final statement, I would say that I appreciate the friendliness of the members of the adult fiction group in Wattpad. You have made me feel welcome, which I greatly appreciate. Good luck to all the writers on Wattpad!

RB: And now that we have finished this interview, I propose a toast. To Professor Kevin D'Abramo! (Picks up her glass)

KD: A toast to being Adult Fiction's first review! (Picks up his glass)

Said in unison: Here, Here!

~~

I hope you enjoyed my interview with Kevin D'Abramo. If interested in reading his book, please go to https://www.wattpad.com/story/102644048-bella-ragazza-a-short-story. Thank you again to the author for participating in this interview. 

This is RoseBlossom79 representing the Adult Fiction team and hope you enjoyed my fancy wedding party write-up!

Take Care!