LillyGrillzit Interviews gg.zaino
An inspired writer reveals some of his epic and varied past and influences
1. Greg, you are Super Hero of the world for one week. What 2 things do you accomplish?
….I would run faster than a speeding bullet- bend steel with my bare hands- leap tall buildings in a single bound and preserve Truth – Justice - and the American way… that’s three things isn’t it. Never mind…
2. What was the first moment that defined you as a writer? When you knew...
….that would be my first year in college. My first class was English 101 @ University of Maryland- European Division in Wiesbaden Deutchland. I always wrote, but had never attended college and received formal instruction. This was 18 years after high school mind you.
I handed in a 2 page short story called “May Blossoms” this was on a Friday. I had written it hastily; two hours prior to class. This was my first writing assignment of my first semester, of my first year at the university. I had an entire week to prepare and edit it, but failed to take advantage of the week and instead took a trip to Paris. I winged it and handed it over doubtfully.
My instructor, Dr. Tobi Levin had each student read their story out loud to the rest of the class. I finished my reading sat down not knowing what to expect. A gal two rows over was wiping the tears from her eyes and nodded to me. She must have been having a bad day I figured.
The class ended- Dr Levin met me in the hall and told me she was extremely happy I decided to take her class, telling me my paper was exemplary and had I ever taken any writing classes. I thanked her – said no I hadn’t as another male student stood close by. I thanked Dr Levin and said “Ciao!” very European you know.
His name was Bora Togo, a Turkish student whose dad was the Turkish Counsel General in Germany. He approached and asked if I could tutor him because he thought I had it going on. Well, I told him I’d be glad to help, but I was in the same boat as he was. He insisted.
That was the year 1990, and we remain friends to this day. I sent the story to my dad and his wife told me he had tears in his eyes as she read it to him. I knew right then, that if I could affect my dad in that manner, I was a writer. My wife read the story that evening and she likewise choked up by story finish. It felt like magic!
3. Who is Elliot? Has this character of Elliot been a surprise to you? How has he affected your writing? Has Elliot evolved?
… Elliot is my ever faithful, ever laughing, forever learning- mongrel hound. He is an extension of me as sure as I’m sitting here. He and I share many of the same qualities and many times I speak of myself using the animal as my catalyst, my voice- my reason.
The hound’s character has developed over this past year. His story wasn’t meant to go anywhere, or survive after his first tale, but it did… It has surprised me how easily this story flowed and I seem never to run out of new material with this guy.
I didn’t own Elliot at the time.
His story was a simple note I wrote to myself one day, because he and I had enjoyed been and beef burritos for our evening meal. I thought to myself that he and I shared everything. It was a great relationship. He humanized me like no other. He’s been my champion, my unlikely protagonist, my tragic hero, my side kick… my conscience.
We even shared the byproduct of those burritos which was an ample helping of the hounds gas. I wrote it- people laughed, and they are laughing still.
The boy and I just this past week celebrated our thirty seventh story and first year anniversary. Maybe the 38th- no matter- we have a lot of them.
4. I get your weather reports most days, do you really live in a tropical paradise? Has your habitat influenced your life as a writer?
…Do I live in a tropical paradise? Hmmm… This is the end of the world here in the Keys Lori. A paradise for some, like myself- Libby- and the hound Elliot. This is also a place of vacation for drunks and the obnoxious from around the globe. Hemmingway chose to live here and Jimmy Buffet likes it here. Time stands still here- Must be Paradise.
Let me ask you- How’s the weather up yonder in Little Rock? Was the temperature eighty two degrees today? Are your house plants 30 feet high? Do you have Key Deer walking the streets with roosters and chickens tagging along? Where else can you fish for Tuna, Sailfish, Grouper, Tarpon, Mahi-mahi, Swordfish, Shark, Mackerel, Barracuda, Lionfish, and a full bucket of others.
Some call this Paradise- I’m one of them. We who reside here are really a very small community. As far as influencing my writing- sure, but then again so didn’t prison and heroin addiction followed by homelessness. Where I am I call home… today I live in “PARADISE”. Tomorrow is a maybe, Today’s all we have after all- isn’t it?
5. If you could go back to any year of your past life, would you? Why?
I’ve been a castaway all my life and still am one I suppose. I’ve lived on the edge of society, and by the same token took lunch with a Governors wife, the first lady of Alabama. My life has been one overflowing with gusto.
No one year is any better or worse really. It’s how we choose live during times of hardship as well as days of butterflies and vanilla ice cream. Some get knocked down and stay on the mat. Bullshit, that’s not living. That’s only me though.
I once had a loaded gun to my head with the hammer pulled back. I lost my three little girls to divorce- I overdosed two times on heroin. I spent two years of my life a prisoner of the state as well as a prisoner of my own mind.
I don’t know which was worse. I’m alive. Is there any need to go back to either enjoy happy memories or attempt to change bad ones? Naw, the ‘here and now’ is just fine by me.
6. Who are your two favorite print authors? Why? Have they influenced your
chosen path of writing?
… John Steinbeck is my number one pick. Steinbeck wrote for the common man; he wrote for me. His language is easy to follow and his characters take on personalities like those of no other author’s quite do in my opinion. Steinbeck was no ego-maniac- he was humble, and quite common himself. His words speak to me of the balance and fairness we should all aspire to achieve as part of the animal kingdom- humans are capable of so much destruction as well as wonder.
He saw injustice and wrote about it. He was marked as a communist sympathizer by those McCarthy paranoids. That spelled trouble back in John’s day.
He spoke out for the labor movement and labor unions during the depression era. The country was in peril, the drought and resultant lower mid west left in what was referred to as the Dust Bowl sent tens of thousands, of deported farm families west to pick fruit. There was a deluded belief that prosperity could be found there. Wrong.
Steinbeck actually worked alongside other migrant workers digging irrigation ditches as part of Roosevelt’s New Deal the employment plan; maybe the CCC, don’t quote me on that.
He did that, lived in the camps and got his hands dirty in order to get closer to his subject matter to better understand. To “Feel” the fight to exist.
After working on his novel The Grapes of Wrath about the injustice suffered by migrant depression families- which by the way is perhaps Steinbeck’s most well known work… after sweating over the novel for that entire prior year, he was ready to hand it over to the publisher.
He was extremely nervous over how it would fare and confided in his long time friend Charlie Chaplin that he feared perhaps this was his worst novel ever. Imagine that! The man held no pretense. He was utterly human- a good man that had guts!
My mom gave me my first Steinbeck back in 1967- Travels With Charley - A story about the author. A story chronicling his trip – The man and his hound saw America together. Great book- sound familiar?
My second author… Hmmm? OK- got it. GG.ZAINO! He’s real- shoots from the hip- is gutsy- his sense of humor many times redirects the eye. He’s a magician with his words.
7. You are a survivor. You tell some of your story in your Hubs. Do you think your survival was random, or reason?
… Lori - I’ve dined with NATO Generals, German and American politicians while studying Art in Europe. I’ve worked the polling stations and presidential candidate’s headquarters. I’ve walked through the Sistine Chapel, stood inside the Coliseum in Rome, ate snails and drank wine in Paris… I’ve also slept under a cardboard roof on the streets of Providence.
Working as a counselor at a psychiatric hospital I personally took care of an extremely grateful Rhode Island Superior Court Judge’s, favorite nephew. Three years prior, that same judge handed over a two year suspended prison sentence to me. We had a good laugh over that.
I’ve befriended all sorts and breeds of people. Some in powerful positions, who believe they held ~ and those who felt powerless. I’m not picky about who I break bread with, as long as I’m not getting a snow job.
My survival has taught me that there is nothing random about life. I’ve also found that within our western culture there is no reason. A higher consciousness exists- of that I am certain. I choose not to use the term God. We’ve had enough Gods passing through in our short history as a civilized species to choke a wood chipper.
I live in an ordered universe. Does anyone doubt that it is? This same universe finds me worthy of saving. It stays in place by agreement within itself. I agree within that I am part of it- not separate from it… I honor the natural world; the seen and unseen…
The very ‘Best’ is yet to come I believe~ the times they are a changing!
Peace to you Lori girl, life sure is a hoot!
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