My Story
I am a husband, a father, and a self-professed meathead. I have a bachelors degree in the science of nursing from Villanova University, and I work as a registered nurse specializing in pediatric intensive care at the only PICU in the state of Delaware. I care for children and families during some of the worst moments of their lives–occasionally during their last moments. This is an honor and a privilege that has shaped my view of the world and clarified my priorities in life. The human spirit is truly ineffable and indomitable, even when it’s enshrined inside of the tiniest of humans.
My faith and my family keep me grounded. And when I have some spare time I dabble in several different hobbies. I compete as an amateur powerlifter and a chess enthusiast. Whenever I can, I like to do things with my hands–woodworking, hunting, even home renovations. The more connected my heart and hands are, the healthier my mind is.
Above all else, I love to write stories. I find solace in novels and poetry and I want to provide a similar experience for my readers. I reside in Pennsylvania.
Literary Inspirations
As a novelist I am inspired by the verbose comedy of Joseph Heller–dark, absurd, and prophetic; by the philosophy and wit of G.K. Chesterton who finds truth in riddles; by the prose of Cormac McCarthy–often terse, but always biblically poetic when it matters; by the psychological depth of Fyodor Dostoevsky’s character development; by the thought speech of James Joyce; the humor of Don DeLillo; the prose of Ernest Hemingway; the philosophy and prose of Albert Camus; the creativity and faith of J.R.R Tolkien and C.S. Lewis; both the subtlety and the extravagance of Evelyn Waugh; the prose and storytelling of Flannery O’Connor, William Faulkner, Barbara Kingsolver, and countless others.
As a poet I am inspired by the poetry of T.S. Eliot, Robert Frost, Khalil Gibran, Seamus Heaney, Maggie Smith, Walt Whitman, William Wordsworth, W.B. Yeats, and countless others.
Creative Process
As an author, I am a pantser. I get ideas while I am driving to work, mowing my lawn, and especially when I am lifting weights. It is not unusual for me to imagine my stories while I am in the gym, and to daydream about working out when I sit down to write.
My creative process involves a lot of collaboration. I subject my manuscripts to criticism, and I make a lot of revisions. I would not be the author that I am today without the constructive feedback that I have received from others. In addition to the kind people who review my manuscripts, I also collaborate with the dead when I write. I’m not talking about ghosts—I am referring to the deceased masters and the living texts which survive them. I stand on the shoulders of giants.
Future Goals
My dream is to publish lots of poems, books, stories, and essays. I want to inspire the new generation of readers and thinkers. I want to motivate people to exercise their bodies and their minds.
Join me
Connect with me on this literary journey, where we can share insights and celebrate the art of storytelling.
