Q - What started you writing? I mean, is it something you always wanted to do?

A - Actually, it is something I've always done. Well, in a manner of speaking. I have always played around with short stories and essays. Some were good, some awful. And like many other writers, I had no luck publishing any of them, except for a couple a pieces that appeared in Newsday's "500 Words Or Less" column. But it's funny. I always felt like there was something inside of me -- something that I wanted to say. You know, a creative drive or something untapped that was gnawing at me. In retrospect, what was missing was the trigger or impetus

Q - Why WWII? What inspired you to write Echoes From The Infantry?

A - I had the good fortune of meeting two very special WWII veterans, to whom the book is dedicated, during a Veteran's Day speaker assembly I arranged for my interdisciplinary classes more than ten years ago. My students were captivated. I was too. The stories they told me haunted me in a way I could never really describe. I became very close with both of them. I got a glimpse into what it was like to walk around with a whole other life in your head; how difficult it is to manage both. God, if that is not fascinating, I don't know what is. I began writing short stories, then ultimately wove them together with some creativity. Prior to that, I had always entertained the thought of writing a novel, but I lacked that muse -- the right inspiration. Eddie and Bill took care of that.

Q - Obviously you are not a WWII veteran yourself. Did this make it difficult to relate to and ultimately create some of the scenes in the novel?

A - No, not at all. Naturally, no one can ever truly experience another's pain and suffering. But I do believe that people have an extraordinary capacity for empathetic understanding. That's what makes us so special as human beings. We are all bound together in this struggle with the human condition. Circumstances may vary, but suffering is universal. Everyone can relate on some level. In addition, many of the veterans with whom I spoke, two in particular, were very candid. There descriptions were vivid and haunting. In many ways, I feel like I was there. Their impassioned accounts of those experiences they had, and of course a little artful embellishment, made it easy to replicate some of those scenes.

Q - How much of ECHOES FROM THE INFANTRY is truth? How much is fiction?

A - Well, it's all truth. If you believe the aphorism "art mimics life," then it's all true.But that is just a matter of semantics. Did everything that occurs in the novel really happen? Absolutely not. Could it have happened? Most definitely. The important issue is not so much is the story true but rather does the story possess truth -- that is, is it faithful to the human condition. And you know what? Not knowing the answer is good too. The ambiguity, that cloud of plausibility, is really the essence of all good fiction.

Q - Of all the characters, who is the one who most resembles you?

A - This is one of the questions I've been asked most frequently. And my standard answer sounds canned and like more author rhetoric. But honestly, there is a little bit of me in all of the characters. I think that's true with all authors. I'm no different from anyone else. I have many sides. There are some days I'm Tim Pearson. Other times, I feel more like Patrick McNulty. I've been Daniel Erikson and Peter Swinton as well. And I think all of us, at some juncture, are John McCleary, struggling to understand things that are elusive and out of our control.But if I had to choose, I'd say the struggle that plagues James, the difficulty with reconciling the past with the present, really strikes the chord that vibrates most loudly.

Q - Do you plan to write another war piece?

A - At the present time, I am working on something a little different. There are many things that intrigue me -- war is only one. I'd like to explore those other things a little. Since ECHOES, I have had several veterans, from WWII to the Iraqi Conflict, express interest in having me tell their story. I have heard some things that would rip right through you. War lends itself to these poignant moments. So it may happen some time in the future. I can't say no. I don't think any author would dismiss a subject that has such compelling human interest.

Q- What inspired you to write The Legend of Mickey Tussler?

A- Baseball has always been my first love. It is truly a great game. I feel so fortunate to have played and coached on a fairly competitive level. I always thought that the ultimate writing experience for me would be this amalgamation or blending of this passion for baseball and my love of fiction. Hence, the story was conceived.

Q- Does this mean you plan on writing another piece in this genre?

A- Absolutely. Writing Echoes was largely therapeutic for me. There was something very cathartic and cleansing about it. The Legend of Mickey Tussler was just plain fun to write. Sure, there are some poignant moments there too, but the creation of the characters and the baseball scenes were just so enjoyable to write.

Q- Why did you make your protagonist, Mickey, autistic?

A- That was sort of an evolutionary thing. I knew I wanted to create a gifted baseball player who remained mired in the obscurity of a small, rural town. Imagine possessing this phenomenal skill that nobody knows about. Once he was discovered, however, I realized that there could be other, more significant things that might keep this character sealed off from the main stream. Like James McCleary in Echoes, so many people drift through life seemingly normal, impervious to these silent hardships.  I thought it would be an interesting fictional experiment to put this kid Mickey, who is so gifted, in a scenario that would force both him ad others to deal with his condition. It worked out very well. Teaching in a high school for so many years, I have seen my share of young people like Mickey and realize how talented so many of these misunderstood kids really are.      

Q - What does it feel like to see your name on the cover of a novel?

A - Incredible. Surreal. Frightening. Exhilarating. I have felt all of these things at some point, and many at the same time. The creative process is really unique. You begin, essentially, with nothing. Then, after hours of toiling, you have created something that prior to your efforts did not exist. That's an awesome feeling. And then to have it all come to fruition in the form of a novel that my boys pull off the shelves every time we walk through Barnes and Noble or Borders is really something special.

Q - How do you think you compare with other contemporary writers?

A - Well, I don't believe it is in the best interest of one author to criticize or evaluate another. Writers write. Critics critique. Maybe that's a cop out -- who knows. Let's just say I hope that people view my work as genuine and meaningful, with attention to the artistry of the language. I would also hope that I would never be considered in the same light as those authors whose work tends to be a little formulaic and sensationalized.

Q - What are your plans for the future?

A - Well, for the moment, I will continue just the way I have been -- teaching and writing. Although the "double life" is chaotic and at times exhausting, it's still very exciting and what I want to do.