Last night, after three years and eight months of hard work that began on Block Island, RI, I finished the third and final draft of my novel "Lux ex Tenebris." I can't believe how far I've come with this book and never in my wildest dreams did I think it would develop into a 350 page, 90,000 body of work. During the course of my entire graduate school experience I have slaved over it, month after month, taking it through four fiction/novel workshops at City College, slaving over re-writes and agonizing sessions where I wondered what book were other people reading during critiques. I'm glad I stuck with it. Perhaps it's a part of my "Taurus" nature - stubborn, determined and thick-skinned. Wanting to see a project through and make it into something special. Not only do I believe I've done just that, I also have left the door wide open for it become a series.
So what is "Lux ex Tenebris" about? It chronicles the lives of two men: "Cupid" - an African-American man born on Chicago's south side, who has suffered tremendous heartache at the early loss of his parents and is raised by his grandmother and grandfather, and Antonio "Tony Cupp" Cuppicciotti, Jr - an Italian-American man born in "Little Sicily" on Chicago's north side, who has long lived under the shadow of his celebrated father - Antonio Cuppicciotti, Sr. "Tony Senior" became a superstar in the Chicago Police Department due to his legendary take down of the Ferruccio Crime Family. "Cupid" (a nickname given to him by his mother after giving birth to him on Valentine's Day) and Tony Junior both do seemingly evil things, but Cupid serves as an anti-hero who struggles to find meaning in his life while Tony Junior was affected by a single moment from his childhood that puts him on a path of rancor and vitriol. Their lives parallel for most of the book until a chance occurrence brings them together. Can they put out the fire that burns within them and make a return to love? I guess you'll have to read the book and find out!
This became my masters thesis somewhere around a year and a half ago. I had another project in mind, but this book took up so much of my time that I thought it would make a great thesis. It really feels great being done with it, and my intention is to locate an agent who will hopefully land it with a traditional publisher. Why this, you ask? I believe not only could this book fare well in a larger marketplace, but I can also see a film project come out of this as well, in addition to a three or four book series. I will consider later projects for Another Shore Press, LLC, but this could be the one that gives me the exposure I'm looking for.
We'll see.
Showing posts with label literary. Show all posts
Showing posts with label literary. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Saturday, January 16, 2010
A New Year!
As 2009 left me behind and the New Year made its way forward, I have to say I've really made some sincere progress in my work and educational pursuits. This past semester was my best yet, and as the year came to a close I managed to complete both a short story compilation and a first draft of a new novel. Mystery, Malevolence & Murder Vol. 2 is complete with seven new tales of suspense and intrigue; Lux Ex Tenebris went from being a simple short story (that originally was supposed to be the eighth story of MM&M) and developed into a 50,000+ novel that also has the potential to be an epic piece.
That's the magic of doing what I love to do so much. Through the coursework I'm taking at The City College of New York I'm finding the new concepts I'm working through grow and expand into areas I never would have deemed possible. During the fall term I took a Gothic Literature class where we read Bram Stoker's "Dracula," Poe's "Tell-Tale Heart" and "The Black Cat," plus Angela Carter's "The Bloody Chamber." Personally I like those kinds of stories because the gothic works of these talented writers are incredibly versatile. I never considered this before, and I'm sure many would disagree with me, but their works can be seen both as literary and cinematic. These are fantastic tales that very discreetly reflect the social issues of their day in symbolic fashion while clearly being rooted in the basic fallacies of mankind. In my opinion, that's what has given these stories their staying power, for material goods may change over time, but the needs of human beings will always remain the same. There's an aspect of magical realism that makes these tales so intriguing even today, but they clearly reflect the basic story-telling structure, scene description and good use of dialogue that classic writers like Oscar Wilde, Jane Austin, George Eliot and Charles Dickens have implemented.
The MFA experience is giving me so much thus far, and the depth and texture of my work has deepened because of it. It has been a wise choice on my part to attend graduate school and I am taking full advantage of it!
More to come!
DB
That's the magic of doing what I love to do so much. Through the coursework I'm taking at The City College of New York I'm finding the new concepts I'm working through grow and expand into areas I never would have deemed possible. During the fall term I took a Gothic Literature class where we read Bram Stoker's "Dracula," Poe's "Tell-Tale Heart" and "The Black Cat," plus Angela Carter's "The Bloody Chamber." Personally I like those kinds of stories because the gothic works of these talented writers are incredibly versatile. I never considered this before, and I'm sure many would disagree with me, but their works can be seen both as literary and cinematic. These are fantastic tales that very discreetly reflect the social issues of their day in symbolic fashion while clearly being rooted in the basic fallacies of mankind. In my opinion, that's what has given these stories their staying power, for material goods may change over time, but the needs of human beings will always remain the same. There's an aspect of magical realism that makes these tales so intriguing even today, but they clearly reflect the basic story-telling structure, scene description and good use of dialogue that classic writers like Oscar Wilde, Jane Austin, George Eliot and Charles Dickens have implemented.
The MFA experience is giving me so much thus far, and the depth and texture of my work has deepened because of it. It has been a wise choice on my part to attend graduate school and I am taking full advantage of it!
More to come!
DB
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Preparing for the Future!
When I begin my first class of the spring semester at The City College of New York I will officially be at the half-way mark of my MFA experience. The time has really flown by!
While it's always a great thing that you are enjoying life in the "present," at some point it all must end. Those of my classmates who are near the end of their MFA experience are scrambling to find something to do once they receive their degrees. Others are unsure of what they will do next. This is one of the downfalls of being in the arts. Regardless of whether you are a writer, painter, sculptor, musician or whatever - you have to always think ahead, because before you know it, change will commence and you'll be left completely unprepared. Start NOW thinking about where you want to go with your MFA (or whatever degree you are pursuing). If there are things in place as the transition begins, you could seamlessly move from one area to the next and hit the ground running. The last thing anyone wants is to be stuck in neutral while those around you are moving forward.
Right now I'm making plans on life "Post-MFA." I've been lucky with City College. It's a vibrant community with great writers and instructors. There is a deep sense of community here, and there's also a true concern among the students for the "what next?" I'm attending a series of panel discussions titled "Life After the MFA," where writers, teachers and industry professionals are speaking to us about possible career choices to consider. The last one I attended had a former City College alumnus doing a reading and discussion, along with talking about the life of teaching creative writing students balanced with pursuing his own literary interests. Great discussion! If your school offers these kinds of events I highly suggest you attend them. They can be very helpful.
As far as myself, I've come to an understanding of what I want from this MFA experience that I'm privileged to be a part of. First - I want to continue to find my voice and develop beyond my main genre of interest, meaning in addition to writing mystery novels and short stories, I'd like to segue into literary fiction, script writing for plays and film. Second - I want to make long-lasting contacts with other writers and perhaps work on joint projects after my MFA days are over. Third, I want to write and publish, hopefully on a full-time basis. Not all of us are able to do that. Sometimes we might have to work for a while until our work gets noticed. Having the MFA will allow me to teach at any university or work at a magazine or newspaper as an editor.
Perhaps the most exciting venture that I'm up to is I'm in the process of starting my own small literary press! This is exciting and I'm busy collecting data for the press. I've found ways of doing it that are both affordable and professional. Very soon I will announce on my website what I'm up to once I've completed my research. If this works out, not only will I be an accomplished author, but a businessman as well. More on that later!
I'm so enjoying being in school. The City College of New York is a vibrant community. The campus is beautiful, the program is one of the best in the country. It sits high on a hill next to St. Nicholas Park in Harlem - home of the Renaissance. So much history and tradition at CCNY, but at some point it all must end. And when it does, I promise I will be ready!
While it's always a great thing that you are enjoying life in the "present," at some point it all must end. Those of my classmates who are near the end of their MFA experience are scrambling to find something to do once they receive their degrees. Others are unsure of what they will do next. This is one of the downfalls of being in the arts. Regardless of whether you are a writer, painter, sculptor, musician or whatever - you have to always think ahead, because before you know it, change will commence and you'll be left completely unprepared. Start NOW thinking about where you want to go with your MFA (or whatever degree you are pursuing). If there are things in place as the transition begins, you could seamlessly move from one area to the next and hit the ground running. The last thing anyone wants is to be stuck in neutral while those around you are moving forward.
Right now I'm making plans on life "Post-MFA." I've been lucky with City College. It's a vibrant community with great writers and instructors. There is a deep sense of community here, and there's also a true concern among the students for the "what next?" I'm attending a series of panel discussions titled "Life After the MFA," where writers, teachers and industry professionals are speaking to us about possible career choices to consider. The last one I attended had a former City College alumnus doing a reading and discussion, along with talking about the life of teaching creative writing students balanced with pursuing his own literary interests. Great discussion! If your school offers these kinds of events I highly suggest you attend them. They can be very helpful.
As far as myself, I've come to an understanding of what I want from this MFA experience that I'm privileged to be a part of. First - I want to continue to find my voice and develop beyond my main genre of interest, meaning in addition to writing mystery novels and short stories, I'd like to segue into literary fiction, script writing for plays and film. Second - I want to make long-lasting contacts with other writers and perhaps work on joint projects after my MFA days are over. Third, I want to write and publish, hopefully on a full-time basis. Not all of us are able to do that. Sometimes we might have to work for a while until our work gets noticed. Having the MFA will allow me to teach at any university or work at a magazine or newspaper as an editor.
Perhaps the most exciting venture that I'm up to is I'm in the process of starting my own small literary press! This is exciting and I'm busy collecting data for the press. I've found ways of doing it that are both affordable and professional. Very soon I will announce on my website what I'm up to once I've completed my research. If this works out, not only will I be an accomplished author, but a businessman as well. More on that later!
I'm so enjoying being in school. The City College of New York is a vibrant community. The campus is beautiful, the program is one of the best in the country. It sits high on a hill next to St. Nicholas Park in Harlem - home of the Renaissance. So much history and tradition at CCNY, but at some point it all must end. And when it does, I promise I will be ready!
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