Why Staten Island?
Writing is the most solitary of arts. From the placing of words on a page to their blossoming in the minds of readers, the face of the author may remain invisible. This is as true in the digital universe as among traditional sheaves of bound paper. Yet place may still define subject, shape the writer, shade the work.
I have lived all but my earliest childhood on Staten Island, the borough flung across New York City's great bay, the most rural portion of any metropolis I have yet seen. I grew up on a dirt road in a swamp in the greatest city in the world; my summers were more of dragonflies, mosquitoes and ancient snapping turtles than of sirens and stickball. My brother and I played pond hockey through winter till thaw. It's up to the reader to judge how this has affected my written work.
This site houses a sampling of my novels, stories and poems, spiced with some photography and odds & ends. Inquiries to andykass@siwriter.com are welcome. Your comments and critiques are welcome. Just put your feet up, read, and enjoy.
NEW!! -- Get a sneak peek at the beginning of the first draft of my latest project, Second Testimony of the Red Prophet (The South Road). Your comments are welcome in the Blog Page, or write to me at andykass@siwriter.com.
"Songs are really just interesting things to be doing with the air." - Tom Waits
