This week we have Terence Byrsa (Joe Rulli) and Mike Martinez as our featured readers.
Joe Rulli is a recently-acquired Twilight Tales regular who writes under the pen name Terence Byrsa. He has shared his fiction with us at a number of open mics and it has always been very well received
Mike Martinez is Twilight Tales’ official Secretary, scheduling guru, and chief herder of cats. He has also been known to harass local authors into appearing at the Twilight Tales mic to share their talents and abilities. No one who puts pen to paper within 200 miles of Chicago is safe from his harassment- Beware!
Following are their answers to our interview questions.

Let’s start with the basics, what’s your story called and what (briefly) is it about?

Joe: The selection for the reading is again from “The D’Medici Syndrome”. It’s the third part of the continuing story of the Pontevecchio family - wealthy, politically influential, religiously active - and problems that creep into their lives. The narrative is laid out through the eyes of 7-year old Pico Pontevecchio.

Mike: I’m editing two things right now to prepare for the reading, I’m not sure which one will be read but it will either be “Teddy Was Five”, or something from my “Bar Crowd” Series. Teddy, is about a woman who lives with consequences of her choices in life, and what may be a real situation or an alcohol induced hallucination.

What inspired this story or what inspires you to write in general?

Joe: I read “The House of Medici” last winter: it’s a great piece of non-fiction. I was awed by the historical D’Medici family’s passion for the arts, philosophy, history, religion and politics in 14th & 15th century Florence and thought it was a cool idea to transpose some of that experience into a 21st century Italian-American family.

I’ve always enjoyed writing and history - a history major with a teaching background - but it was only in the last two and a half years that I saw my writing fiction as a goal for my life. I find most of my spark for writing centers around social issues that haven’t seemed to go away: the drive of a culture away from the balanced use of reason toward illogic and emotionalism; the ongoing ghetto-ization and negative stereotyping of homosexuals; and the unbridled quest for success through the accumumation of “stuff”.

Mike: Both of these stories were inspired by what most of my stories are; the reality of life after death, at least the way I see it. Inspiration in general comes from all kinds of places for me, urban legends, music, and columns like “News of the Weird” and stupid crook stories. You’d be surprised how much of the story set-ups I write about are inspired by the lack of sense exhibited by humans.

What kinds of books draw your attention when you prowl the aisles at book stores?

Joe: In bookstores, I love roaming the history section - leafing through ancient Rome and Greece. I like to pass through the general fiction, too. I read a lot of classics.

Mike: Well, have you got a day or two for me to list them? I tend to hang out in the mystery and mysterious horror sections. Those stories always seem to have dead guys in them. But is just as likely I’ll get an idea from a real life episode in a biography, or magazine. Then there’s always the local news. If you can’t imagine a dead guy or horror story after watching the local Fox affiliate, I’ll want to check and see if you’re still breathing. If you aren’t, its likely I’ll be writing a riff about why you aren’t any more.

Have you ever been given advice as a writer that has really helped or that made you wonder?

Joe: The most helpful advice so far has been from articles by published writers who have prodded me to write everyday and to keep sending things out in spite of the rejection letters on my refrigerator. I have a couple of writer friends who have been very supportive, too.

Mike: The best advice I ever got was, “Write, and keep writing. Never stop and learn to ignore editors who want to steal the soul of your work to make it marketable for themselves.” The trick I’m still trying to learn is, when the editor wants to make my work better, and when I’m about to give up my soul just to get published.

What has coming to Twilight Tales and sharing your work taught you about your own writing?

Joe: I’ve enjoyed coming to Twilight Tales. The horror/fantasy/mystery genres are areas I don’t travel in much and have loved trapsing in on Monday evenings. I’ve gotten a lot of positive support about my writing, but also I’ve been exposed to a creativity that is horrorfyingly[sic], fantastically, and mysteriously refreshing.

Mike: That I wasn’t as bad of a writer as I once thought I was. And, that encouragement and honest critique by other authors makes you more willing to take chances and get messy with the words you put on the page. Positive support from other authors is a far better way to improve then only ever typing alone at the PC. Oh, and reading what you wrote, keeps Eric off your back about writing in general.

Finally, is there anything else you’d like to tell us about your work(s) in progress, or things on the horizon you’d like to share?

Joe: My works in progress are a few: my first completed manuscript is in fourth draft and has survived four rejections this spring/summer and is currently being considered (50 pages is anyway) by an indie publisher here in Chicago. I’ve picked back up a third manuscript after a several-month break (to finish Pico’s story). I gave myself Thanksgiving-ish to finish the first draft. There are two others in various stages of first drafts and a collection of short stories that’s crawling together, one iota at a time.

Mike: I’m not sure what (if anything) will get accepted but I have a few things out, so we’ll have to see. Then there’s always the scheduling I do for Twilight Tales. There is a lot of fun stuff coming up, but to enjoy it, you actually have to come to the Celt and read something you’ve written.

We hope you’ll join us on Monday November 10th at Mystic Celt (3443 N. Southport) to hear Joe’s and Mike’s fiction, and perhaps more discussion!