Rocco Blasi - Author Life

Rocco Blasi, the author of Florio and Biancofiore Peripatetic Lovers, released their book in 2020. We wanted to catch up with the new author and see how life has been treating them since they were published.

Did you always dream of becoming an author? Yes. I began keeping a diary and writing a Kipling-like jungle adventure when I was 10 years old, during my stay at the Principe di Piemonte Orphanage in Potenza (Italy). It was the only way to attend High School.

What was your first job? Sorting Insurance policies by number in a 1000-drawer section of Kemper Insurance-- in Chicago’s Civic Opera Building. My English was very elementary then. 

How did you come about writing your book? Was that your intention or did you start writing for fun?  I translated Boccaccio’s FILOCOLO as part of my PhD dissertation at Loyola University.After years of suffocation in my files, I wanted to tell it to most people  who have never heard it  and take them back to 13 centuries ago to show them that no matter how, when, where, and why people fall in love--and how many obstacles (social, personal, physical, metaphysical, traditional and conditional) lovers must overcome--”Amor Vincit Omnia” as Chaucer’s Lady of bath  proclaims--LOVE CONQUERS ALL!!!.

What was your life like before you became an author?  I  was always an author--I wrote songs, poems, short and long stories, diaries, novels,  newspaper articles and editorials. Most of all I was a college teacher for 40 years, a husband, father, and grandfather, and a proud US Army veteran.

Did you face any struggles before becoming an author? If so, how did you overcome them?  Struggles? Life is an every-day struggle, but I have been lucky enough to survive and overcome any and all with the help of my wise, indefatigable and very practical wife Joyce.  

Now that you are a published author, how has your life changed, if at all? Since the book has not made the rounds yet, my life has not changed at all. If anything--it might encourage me to finish or rewrite other works. Finding a good agent would be nice--really nice!!!

Can you please describe a typical day in your life now?  We baby-sit two of our grandchildren thrice a week, then I play cards on the computer or with my wife Joyce, read the local Daily Herald and the New York Times, try to “clean” my basement files--I save everything, even the Encyclopedia Britannica and the Greek, Latin, Italian, French, German, and English dictionaries I used decades ago.

What is your most memorable moment of your life as an author? When Family Herald (Canada) published my short story “Green Summers” , When our daughters used my poem “Take Me as I Am” as wedding vows , When my poems were published in Italy by the Ali di Frida and BCC in 2017 and  my poem”Cos’e` Laurenzana?      ? won their Special Orioli Award  last year.

In a few words, how would you review your experience with Pegasus Publishers? My experience with Pegasus was utterly positive, professional and yet personal, accommodating,patient, and productive at all levels. I would highly recommend them to all new and published writers.  

Why did you choose Pegasus Publishers? Because Pegasus Publishers chose to read my book.

You can get a copy of the book here.