Author Archives

THE SANE ONES He called himself Mars because he claimed to be from there. He loved the public library, his oasis amid San Francisco’s Civic Center grunge. Each morning, he waited patiently outside the entrance for the gates to open along with

JUST BRING YOUR OWN FOOD   The owner of the diner asks me when I can start working with the enthusiasm of a turtle who’d just taken a Vicodin. Plastic plates move through the air, quick as birds in flight. Conversations blur into one loud

The short story below is based on the actual Mattioli Brother’s Bakery that was established by my paternal grandfather and his brothers circa 1920. Although I never met my grandfather, I heard stories of him from my father. This story is

The following story is about my maternal grandparents who emigrated from Italy in their early teen years and met in Philadelphia while tailoring, the occupation they shared. Although this is about real people and based on some real events, such

Something He Could See Himself In The empty spot on the bottom of Tattoo Tommy’s back was the only tattooless spot on his body, minus his face and head. It lived right below a tattoo of Mary that looked like one of those statues people put out

How Sibling Relationships Change Over Time—and How I Explore Them in My Novels As the youngest of seven children, I’ve experienced profound and sometimes surprising shifts in my relationships with my siblings. Born seven years after the sibling

Most—if not all—families become contentious at some point in their existence. Ordinary disagreements can escalate into long-standing battles, sometimes leading to deep rifts and painful estrangement. In some families, conflict becomes so

The influence of my family lives on strongly in my life, in my everyday decisions, struggles, and joys despite that most of my family members have either passed away or even more sadly, have become estranged from me. This is one of the main

I began writing Olive Branches Don’t Grow on Trees after a failed attempt to make peace within my own family. In the aftermath of that heartbreak, I longed for reconciliation and resolution—things I could not achieve in real life. I wanted the

This is the final drawing in my series exploring the artwork that inspired The Bird That Sang in Color. The words woven into this piece are lyrics from a song by Robin Williamson of The Incredible String Band—music that plays a meaningful role