Treehouse Press

Lou Dellaguzzo is the winner of our first Three-in-One Chapbook Contest. We first came across his work on the online short story journal, Blithe House Quarterly, and were immediately intrigued. His voice has a gothic mix of clarity and eeriness; his prose-style – precise and erotic. We’re thrilled and privileged to be publishing his first book.

This interview with Lou Dellaguzzo can be dowloaded

Introduce yourself and tell us where you’re from.

Originally I’m from New Jersey, born to a blue-collar, Italian-American family that would’ve given Chekhov an overload of story material. I now live in Washington, D.C., with my partner David, who’s an art historian and all-around great guy.

Are you a full-time writer or do you do other things?

Recently, I’ve been working almost full-time on my creative writing and loving it. Before that, I was a copywriter for several magazine and book publishers, and for a junior college and an abstracting service. Some jobs were in New York City. Others were in Boston and here in D.C., where I relocated after David accepted a professorship.

What other work have you published or performed?

I’ve published thirteen short stories so far. One of them “Lemon Creek,” appeared in Chroma. Most of the other stories appeared in themed anthologies like Sex by the Book, Inside Him: New Erotic Fiction, and several editions of the Best Gay Romance, and Best Gay Love Stories series put out by Alyson. My work also has appeared in online journals like Blithe House Quarterly and Lodestar Quarterly.

Tell us a bit about The Hex Artist and how the stories came about.

The eponymous story and “Pegasus on the Turnpike” are adapted from my novel manuscript Bowery Season. The work is an ensemble coming-of-age story that explores how art, friendship and love can help mend lives damaged by abuse. Set in 1970, in New York City, the novel revolves around three characters: Dale, a bisexual farm boy on the lam for draft dodging; Becky, an art photographer who pays the bills as a “massage model”; and Aaron, a smart-mouthed hustler and portraitist who hallucinates whenever he draws. In the chapbook, Dale is the protagonist of “Pegasus,” and Aaron that of “The Hex Artist.” The third story “Secret Shoppers” first appeared in Sex by the Book. It takes a humorous look at how two insecure people, eager for a passionate connection, can find each other in an unlikely way through simply buying a book.

Your book deals with troubled teenagers and young men. Were you a troubled teenager?

I’d say troubled to the power of three.

The stories in The Hex Artist explore the relationships between young men and older men, be they fathers or lovers. Can you say a bit about this?

In my youth, many of my friends and I sought relationships with attractive older men who appeared to know how the world worked. We shared our experiences, which proved to be a very mixed bag. And I took note. Some men only knew a lot about the wrong things. Then again, there were plenty more mature guys who were amazingly patient teachers and wonderful friends, in addition to being passionate buddies. Whether good, bad—or somewhere in between—such relationships can make for dynamic stories.

Are there other themes that you are interested in exploring in your work?

I don’t start out working with a theme in mind. I write mostly about unfulfilled, insecure characters put in challenging situations that allow them to discover new—and often better—versions of themselves, mostly through the eyes of others. Of course, now that I think about it, I guess this approach is a form of overarching theme. Thanks for clarifying that for me.

Did you study writing?

I attended a few writing workshops and several courses in literary theory and cultural studies.

Do you work with the music on or off? When it’s on, what music do you listen to?

I like a quiet room with the shades drawn.

The dialogue in all the stories I’ve read of yours is always amazing… have you ever considered writing for stage, or screen?

Thanks so much for the compliment. I do work hard on dialogue. It’s essential for characterization, since my style doesn’t make heavy use of exposition, imagery and interior monologue. As for the stage and screen, I’m focused on the novel form, at least so far.

What part of writing do you struggle with the most?

Not letting what I hear about the publishing market affect what stories I choose to write.

What do you love about being a writer?

Bringing interesting characters to life and letting them tell a good story.

What gets you excited about other people’s work?

A great stylist at work on memorable characters and situations.

Who has inspired you over the years?

Ernest Hemingway, Harold Pinter, Edward Albee, Christopher Isherwood, Gore Vidal, Barbara Pym, George Eliot, Anita Brookner, to name several.

Who were the people who encouraged you to be a writer? and inspired you, too?

My partner Dave on both counts. He’s a very meticulous scholar who knows how to make art history come alive.

If you weren’t a writer, what might you be?

I showed this question to Dave and he said “a policeman.” But I say a painter focused on representational art that tells a good story.

What’s next? Any plans? projects you’re working on? things in the pipeline?

I have to do another close edit of the novel manuscript Bowery Season. That’s one important thing I learned from reworking the chapters that will appear in the chapbook. I’m also half-way through the first draft of a second novel, another bildungsroman. This one is inspired by a short story I wrote called “Lemon Creek,” which was published by Chroma.