Reflections of Literature: An Interview with Michael Zucaro, author of Wave Pulse

Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Michael Zucaro‘s friendships weren’t as supporting as those he found at Bishop Loughlin H.S. and Fordham University, then Columbia University Grad School. Teaching at the City University of New York and later at New York University, Michael developed communication with a variety of students, some from global countries. Much of these experiences helped him see and develop writing as communicating.

You can buy Wave Pulse here.

Are you a writer, too? Submit your manuscript to Atmosphere Press.

Tell us the story of your book’s title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?

I think it came from an event I experienced at Atlantic Beach, seized by a nine-foot wave but spared by God. That poem came to me in 2018.

How did it feel when you first saw your book cover? Or when you first held your book in your hands?

When I first saw that image in a collection of eight or so, I was very impressed by its enacting of the title and its vibrant colors.

Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?

Writing came to me while I was strolling in the park a block west of my grad school. That was a short story based on my cousin’s experience with her boyfriend. After that, other memories arrived in fragments that didn’t impose many pages, so they became poems eventually. Some were evolving while I studied the great English and American authors, but the poems were inspired by events in my life.

What other professions have you worked in? What’s something about you that your readers wouldn’t know?

I taught courses in appreciating literature, especially in its reflections in our own lives.

What was the most rewarding/meaningful part of publishing your book?

A very impressive part was arranging the poems in categories I hadn’t originally thought about. Two days after its assignment, I thought of Eye on Love, Money Galore, etc. Although it was quite surprising, I’ve felt quite comfortable about each section.

What is one thing you hope readers take away from reading your book? How do you envision your perfect reader?

I hope readers see their own experiences as compelling and worth recording, in their own formats.

What new writing projects are you currently working on? Or, other projects that are not writing?

I hope to polish my short stories. Also, I need to collect my photographs of New York, Vermont, California, Italy, France, etc. into a book arrangement.

How was working with Atmosphere Press? What would you tell other writers who want to publish?

Working with Atmosphere Press was a pleasure in learning various new connections with readers, including those at some national magazines. These connections might be quite valuable to other writers.

You can buy Wave Pulse here.

Are you a writer, too? Submit your manuscript to Atmosphere Press.