Joe Giordano is the author of the recently released Birds of Passage, an Italian immigrant coming of age story set at the turn of twentieth-century New York, when the streets were paved with violence and disappointment. His stories have appeared in more than sixty magazines, including Bartleby Snopes, Newfound Journal, and The Summerset Review.
We recently had the chance to ask him a few questions about his writing process and influences, and this is what he had to say.
Who are your top 5 favorite authors or influences, and why?
I took a UT class taught by Ben Fountain and walked out eager to write. Philipp Meyer is very talented. If I may list only three others: Dante, plus Chekhov and Salter’s short stories. All of them inspire me to improve.
What type of writing fuel do you prefer, and what – if anything – do you feel this contributes to your creative process?
I drink too much coffee. I like when it gets cold. That means I’m in the writing zone.
What inspired you to write your latest book?
My father was the last immigrant in my family. All my grandparents came from Naples. I’m old enough to have known people born in the nineteenth-century. The book is not about them, but I tried to capture how Italians of past generations thought and acted.
Pirates or ninjas, and why?
Oh, pirates. They took control of their destiny. Ninjas were mercenaries.
Give us one piece of sage advice on writing, relationships, or life in general.
You can’t be happy with someone else, if you’re not happy with yourself. Partnership requires mutual respect and having the same objectives. There’s two pieces.
If you were a cocktail, what would you be called, and what’s the recipe?
Vesuvius. Mostly quiet, but when it gets active…
One part vodka, ten parts independence.
If you were to pen a screenplay for the next summer blockbuster, what would it be about – and who would you want to see in the starring role?
Birds of Passage with Leonardo Di Caprio.
If you were to write an open letter to a famous author (living or dead), who would it be, and what would it say?
Dear Ernest Hemingway,
You wrote great stuff. I’m sorry it ended that way.
Where can we find you on a typical Friday night, and what kind of trouble are you getting into there?
I’m inside a UFC octagon, and kicking butt. Oh, wait, that’s just a fantasy.
What are you currently working on, and why does it kick ass?
I’m writing a literary thriller about an Italian-American guy who gets into trouble with the Russian mob. There’s an art theft, and the chase is global. I hope you won’t be able to put it down.
Do you have any talismans, charms, superstitions or music that inspires or helps you to write, and what’s the story behind them?
I pet my dog Sophia. We both enjoy it. Short story ideas spring from an idle comment, a photo, a memory, or observation. Innovation can’t be programmed, suddenly it’s there. I read for inspiration.
What’s your exercise or sport of choice when getting out from behind the desk?
I carry my golf bag for exercise. My handicap is double digits.
You can find Joe on Facebook and Twitter, and read the first chapter of Birds of Passage on his blog at Joe-Giordano.com.