Mainstream Fiction
Date Published: August 3, 2018
Publisher: L&A Publications
Most people make at least one really harebrained decision in their life. Just ask Tony Piza. Deciding he needs a “paid vacation” for a year after college, Tony lands a job teaching at a Catholic elementary school. Talk about the Moby Dick of miscalculations. His pathetic effort is making him look bad, crimping his love life, and leaving him feeling guilty. A new approach, fueled by his irreverent humor, makes him a hit with his students. But it riles the powers that be. A showdown seems inevitable. Whether he can survive it—well, that’s something else.
Interview with J. F. Pandolfi
Can you tell us a little
bit about the characters in “Mr. Pizza”?
Yes. (Cheeky pause) Oh, you wanted me to expound on that. I’d be
happy to. The protagonist is Tony Piza. Tony is a college senior who’s having
second thoughts about going to law school. He decides to take a year off, but
he also needs money. He sees teaching as a paid vacation, and lands a position
in a Catholic elementary school. (No teaching certification required. Eureka!) On
day one, reality smacks him in the head. The main story revolves around how he
copes with the demands of the job, and his own need to grow up.
Sister Theresa is the other sixth-grade teacher. Energetic and
dedicated, she’s pretty much everything Piza isn’t. But there’s another side to
her, which we discover as the story unfolds.
Colleen O’Brien is a fifth-grade teacher who’s a few years older
than Piza. Beautiful and smart, she’s a no nonsense purveyor of truth, who has
no problem taking the snarky Piza down a peg or two.
Mother John is the school principal. A good-hearted woman grown
cynical from years of dealing with school politics.
Bob Giacobbi and Monsignor Lombardo are the Board of Education
president and the parish pastor, respectively. Two alpha-males with no love
lost between them. The only thing they have in common is an intense dislike of
Piza, particularly his irreverent sense of humor.
Piza’s family and friends also play a significant role in the novel.
He’s especially close with his sister, Patty, a seventeen-year-old with Down
syndrome. Bringing them into the story not only allows us to see a different
side of him, but also presented an opportunity to occasionally get him out of
the school environment.
Can you tell us a little
bit about your next books or what you have planned for the future?
I’m about a quarter of the way into my next book, as yet untitled.
It’s a sequel to “Mr. Pizza”, but takes place twelve years after the first book
ends. I felt there was more of his story to be told. Also, a number of
reviewers specifically asked for it. It was heartwarming and immensely
gratifying to see readers take an interest in the life of my fictional
character.
How long would you say
it takes you to write a book?
Tough question to answer. “Mr. Pizza” took about two years, but I
wasn’t working on it every day. I’m devoting more time to the new book, and
hope to finish it by the end of next Spring. Ever the optimist.
What is your favorite
childhood book?
“Johnny Tremain”, by Esther Forbes. (It’s also one of Piza’s
favorites. Go figure.) Even as a kid I was interested in the American
Revolution, which is the setting for the story. Also, being on the cusp of
adolescence when I read it, I found the young protagonist’s disabling ordeals to
be a revelation. Never having experienced a tragedy at that point in my life, seeing
the way Johnny handled adversity was an eye-opener and a lesson in courage and
fortitude. I also found his passion for a cause to be empowering.
If you could spend the
day with one of the characters from “Mr. Pizza”, who would it be? Please tell
us why you chose this particular character, where you would go and what you
would do.
You’re just determined to make me think, aren’t you? I’d have to
say it would be Sister Theresa. Obviously, nobody knows her better than I do,
but she’s a complex woman and I’m certain there are layers to her I never managed
to get to. In essence, I want to know more about her.
She’s a very hip nun, for 1973, wearing a modified habit instead
of completely draping herself in black. But she’s still a nun. We’d have to go
someplace we were both comfortable. So I’d take her to Fordham University’s
Rose Hill campus, in the Bronx, N.Y. I’d gone to school there, and she’d visited
it a few times when she was in college. Beautiful setting
of tree-and-shrub-lined paths, and a place where people wouldn’t
gawk at a guy and a nun strolling around.
We’d talk. A lot. And I’d hope she was comfortable enough to share
at least some of her secrets; ones she couldn’t quite bring herself to reveal
in the book. I’d listen, wouldn’t judge, and lighten the mood if need be with
attempts at witty observations. Then I’d do my best to convince her that it
wouldn’t be inappropriate if we walked a couple of blocks off-campus to Arthur
Avenue, and got some really amazing Italian food.
What was the hardest
scene from “Mr. Pizza” to write?
There’s a scene involving Piza and his life-long friend, Frankie
Falco, which occurs in the second half of the novel. Going into detail would
give too much away for anyone who might want to read the book. But it takes
place at a rest stop on the New Jersey Turnpike. Not exactly the most obvious
place for a cathartic exchange. In terms of the actual writing, the words
seemed to pour out. But the encounter was so intense that I was emotionally
drained when I finished.
What made you want to
become a writer?
A love of words. I know that sounds like a canned response, but
it’s true. I also enjoy the challenge of creating an entertaining story, and breathing
life into characters who didn’t exist before I set fingers to keyboard. (I just
realized I’m edging perilously close to having a God complex.) Finally, I
needed a vehicle for my humor. I don’t have the iron gut you need to do
stand-up, so writing was the next best thing.
Just for fun:
(a Favorite song: “Hey Jude”. Big Beatles fan.
(b Favorite book: “The Beastly Beatitudes
of Balthazar B”, by J.P. Donleavy.
(c Favorite movie: “It’s a Wonderful Life”. Is it a bit hokey?
Perhaps. But it’s my annual dose of hope, and I’m sticking with it.
(d Favorite tv show: Of all time? “The Sopranos.” Currently, “Ozark”.
Dark and delightful.
(e Favorite Food: Toss lasagna and moo shu chicken into a ring,
and let them battle it out for first place.
(f Favorite drink: Water. It’s refreshing and humble. Like me.
(g Favorite website: You mean other than “The Avid Reader”?
About the Author
J. F. Pandolfi went to Fordham University as an undergrad, then taught at a Catholic elementary school before attending Fordham Law School.
Practicing law certainly had its moments, but to call it "utter euphoria"—well, that was a stretch. Plus, the voices that had taken up residency in his head (rent-free, the deadbeats) kept insisting that he share his writing with the world. An award for his flash fiction piece, "Psychology for Dummies", convinced him that the voices might be on to something. And so he called upon his fond memories as a teacher, which served as a backdrop to his debut novel, "Mr. Pizza".
J. F. also briefly believed he had won the New York City Marathon. Alas, it turned out to be a dream, apparently brought on by an acute case of restless leg syndrome.
A staunch supporter of the fight to eradicate adult illiteracy, J. F. was accorded a Special Recognition in Literacy Award for his efforts.
Contact Links
Purchase Link
1 comments:
thanks for hosting
Post a Comment