WESTBROOK – Nick Chanese has made a living analyzing and discussing great works of literature, teaching high school English for the past 10 years, but recently he decided to produce his own work. In March 2010 he published the young adult novel, “The Smile,” in paperback through Createspace, a publisher affiliate of amazon.com.
Chanese grew up in Raymond, but enrolled in Westbrook High School in his sophomore year and graduated in 1998. Since then, he went to the University of Delaware, graduating in 2002, and how lives in the area of Hartford, Conn., where he teaches.
The book is the story of a 15-year-old girl’s first real romantic relationship, and the complications that come from the volatile relationship she has with her divorced mother. He will be appearing at Walker Memorial Library in Westbrook at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 11, and this week talked to the American Journal about his journey toward becoming an author.
Q: Have you always wanted to be a writer? What sparked your interest?
A: I have always loved writing, but over my academic career, I found most of my success in academic, research-based, analytic writing. As I started my master’s in English literature, I realized that if I continued down that path of being a student of literature, I would spend most of my time writing about writing, and I decided that I would much rather create than critique and analyze. And then, serendipitously, in the summer of 2006, I was accepted into the Central Connecticut Writing Project at Central Connecticut State University. That summer institute jump-started my return to creative writing and connected me with people and opportunities that continued to motivate me to get this book published.
Q: Who are some of your biggest influences?
A: For this book, there were two big influences. One was a book called “Upstate,” by Kalisha Buckhannon, whom I had the opportunity to meet. Her book about two young people in Harlem is moving and beautifully written. It’s an epistolary novel that allows each character to grow and move through an evolution of their own words and styles. It was one of the main reasons I chose to write this book in the first person. The second book is called “Bloody Money,” by Leondrei Prince. I found this book by accident in my school’s book room. It is one of the most poorly written books I have ever read. The author has no understanding of basic grammar constructions or spelling. The cover actually says that the book will “Grip You in It’s Clutches.” It has characters named Dog and Zoop Loop, and preys on every stereotype possible. Despite all that, the book has a 4-star rating on Amazon and two sequels. I decided that if that book could be published and accepted, I could be published and accepted.
Q: What was your inspiration for this book?
A: This book arrived entirely by chance. While I was in the Connecticut writing project in 2006, we would spend every morning “Writing Into the Day.” We would just have some sort of writing exercise to get the day started and our minds going. On one particular day, we were given pictures of students and asked to write about our pictures. My picture was of a young black girl who was giving the camera a mischievous grin. From that picture, I wrote the first few pages of the book, almost exactly as they are today. After I read my piece to the group, an English professor who was in the room said that there was something in my passage and that I should continue writing it. So I did, and a year and a half later I had my first major draft.
Q: Did you start out catering to a young adult audience, or did it just happen?
A: It just happened. When I wrote, I didn’t really think about who the story was for. I really only focused on Renee and the story she needed. I wanted the story to be honest and real, and I focused more on that than who would read it. Even now, I suppose it is a young adult novel, though I don’t feel as if it is a book that adults can’t enjoy.
Q: How difficult was it to get published by Amazon? Did you try other avenues first?
A: It’s not difficult at all to get published by Amazon/Createspace, but that is because they are a non-traditional publisher. I was actually awarded a grant by the Central Connecticut Writing Project to get the book ready for publication, so, in a way, they are partially responsible for its publication, as well. I did try other avenues first, but there was little response from more traditional publishers. I have been incredibly lucky that people have reacted so well to the book. It is being used in college young adult literature classes and is used in at least one high school in a reading intervention class. One of the teachers of that class told me that they students will argue over who gets to read the book next.
Q: What are you working on right now?
A: Most of my time is being spent on being a dad. I just had my second daughter five months ago, so that cuts into my writing time quite significantly, but I can’t complain. I do have another book in a very early incomplete draft. It’s called “New Americans,” and is a much different book than “The Smile”. I have also started outlining a book that takes place in Maine, but that one is still very early in its creation. My goal is to have a complete draft of “New Americans” done by next summer.
Nick Chanese, a 1998 graduate of Westbrook High School, is the
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