vicfortezza

What's it all about? Why are we often unhappy

even when in good fortune and good health?

Born in Brooklyn in1950 to Sicilian immigrants, I began writing in 1975, trying to make sense of the bittersweet mystery of life. I don't know that I've come to any intelligent conclusions, despite the manuscripts piled in my closet.

I've been fortunate enough to have had 49 short stories and a one act play published in small press magazines. I have two novels and a story collection in print. Those stories are of the Twilight Zone/Hitchcock variety. The links to the right will take you to samples of my mainstream work. I've also written several essays for buzzle.com. They are listed under the last link. You may spot me on the streets of Brooklyn, hawking my books. Stop by. I'm not as scary as I look. Free PDF of A Hitch in Twilight available til thanksgiving. Sign Guest Book or email me.

Art is a lie that reveals the truth - Picasso

Yamaha - My

much abused

companion.

(Thanks Ma)

Comex

Wall St.

Softball

Champs

'84-'86

Batting 10th

Skydive East

6/30/85

Thanks, Adam

It's morning in

America

Gastaldi

Flames B Champs 1987

Thanks, "Human"

St. Mary Mother of Jesus

'55-'63

Handicap: 17-21

Mondays Noon

Forest Park

Thanks, Cuz & Ed

Tending Bar

Hedges Cafe 1981

Thanks to the great

staff, especially

Laural, Marie &

Paulie

Lafayette H.S.

Redmen

RG Varsity

'65-'66

Thanks to Coach

Murray "Ace" Adler

& Coach Marty Senall

Western Michigan B. A. 1971

Hitchhike:

Kalamazoo to L.A.

and back - July '71

What the heck was I

thinkin'?

0 0

0 0 0 X 0 0 0

E T T E

LB MB LB

C C

S S

Asst. Coach ''71-''73 (Kalamazoo)

Loy Norrix H.S. Knights

Thanks to Coach Bob Barringer

& all the assistants & players

Asst. Coach Lafayette H.S. Redmen

''75-''77

0 0

0 0 0 0 0 0 0

E T T E

LB LB LB LB

C C

S Thanks to all the players.

Dad fished out of

Sheepshead Bay in the summer, worked construction the rest of the year.

Mom was a tireless

homemaker.

I owe them everything .

The Future Mrs. Vic?

Never say never

Brief History of an

Italian-American Writer

People at work say this

looks just like me. One

thing I know, as a disciple

of Fred Blassie (RIP), I'm not a

"pencil-neck geek"!

Thanks (I think) to

Thomas Arambarry

End Quote:

"Life is a struggle -

stick to your goal."

-Sister Grace Alfreda-

One tough old bird, may she rest in peace.

Whitewater

rafting 1987

Delaware

Water Gap

Thanks to:

Big Lew

L'il Bobby

Adam, Cap

Roy, .V.Tartag

Bluesman

Shectman

Yankee Clipper

Vic's Canon

"Rude Awakening" Unknowns 1988

Thanks to Julia Davidson

"The Power of Prayer" Forbidden Lines '91

Thanks to Charles Overbeck

"Unplayed Melodies" Voices from the Edge '92

Thanks to Cathy Burburus/Robert Baldwin

"Nowak's Dreams" Carnal Chameleon '93

Thanks to Christopher Mohney

"Distinctions" Soapbox 1994

Thanks to W.F. Gentry II

"His Destiny" Razor 1994

Thanks to Susan R. Higgins

"One Billionth of a Lifetime" Window Panes '95

Thanks to Daniel Crocker

"Pigs" Sink Full of Dishes 1996

"Run of Luck" Sink Full of Dishes 1996

Thanks to Ditch Cat

"Triple Witching Hour" The Blue Lady '96

Thanks Donna Taylor Burgess

"The Man in the Box" Cabal Asylum 1997

Thanks to Ren Hayes

"Network 2015" L'Ouverture 1997

Thanks to ??

"Lessons Learned" Neologisms 1997

Thanks to Jim Fay

"Matthew's Sins" Skunk's Life 1998

Thanks to DB Pedlar

"The Dead Pool" The Black Abyss 1998

Thanks to Cinserae S.

"Fear" Hellp! 1998

"Appearances" Hellp 1999

Thanks to Joe Musso

"Daniel in a Den of Liberalism" Literary '99

Thanks to Archie Wayne Mangold

"Fairy Tale" The Story Exchange 2000

Thanks to Tracy Johnson

"Rain and Rhubarb" Elements 2001

Thanks to Bernard Washington & BULS

"Button" Black Petals Summer 2001

Thanks to Kenneth J. Crist & John Gollihar

"Strain" The Late Late Show Summer 2002

Thanks to Chris Fletcher

"The Last Laugh" Thought Magazine Summer 2002

Thanks to Kevin Feeney

"Psychology" SpinningS Magazine Summer 2002

Thanks to Victoria Valentine

"The Sad Song" 13 Stories Sept. 2002

Thanks to Jennifer M. Brooks

"Fairy Tale" Skyline Magazine July 2003

Thanks to Victoria Valentine

"Defining Moment" Keep It Coming Feb. '05

Thanks to Kelli Ballard

"Homecoming" Black Petals Jan. '07

Thanks to Kenneth J. Crist

"Trade-offs" Skyline, Summer '07

Thanks to Victoria Valentine

"Layers" - La Fentetre (Paris) June '07

Thanks Deborah Rey & Alan Ansell

"Threes" - Spinning S Annual 2007

Thanks to Victoria Valentine

"Actor-Activist" - Skyline, Fall 2007

Thanks to Victoria Valentine

"Just a Joke" - Literary House 2007

Thanks to Victoria Valentine

"Panorama" - Skyline Winter 2008

Thanks Victoria

"Mystery by the Bay" Mississippi Crow #7

Thanks Nadia Giordana

"Pristine" Morpheus Tales #1

Thanks Adam Bradley

"Hip Hop" Bottom of the World #1

Thanks F. M. Vorassi

"Numb and Number" Bottom of the World #2

Thanks F. M. Vorassi

"What Is Life?" Faraway Journal Fall 2008

Thanks Daniel Massey

"Colors of the Day" The Other Herald Oct. '09

Thanks to T F Rice

"Real World" Salit Magazine

Thanks to Heath Ritch

"Heart vs. Head" Down in the Dirt 080

Thanks to Alexandria Rand

"Getting It Wrong" Unheard Magazine March 2010

Thanks to Greg Moore

"The Best Revenge" Literary House Review 2010

Thanks to Victoria Valentine

Bungee Jumping

Coney Island 1991

What was I thinking?

Working the Gold & Silver pits with some of the finest and nuttiest people on the planet.

'83 - '07

In memory of Vittorio & Gaetana Fortezza, whose daring and sacrifice gave their often ungrateful son the privilege of America.

RIP

I grew up on Bay 37th Street. We played Stickball, Skelzy, Ringaleevio, Johnny-on-the-Pony, Chinese Handball & I Declare War

Thanks to everybody who lived on

"The Block."

To order a signed copy of any of my books ($15), email me.

John Dewey H.S.

Paraprofessional

'77-'80

Thanks Peggy & Michelle B.

NYC

Marathon

1979

5 hrs.+

Camp Tioga - Summer '77

Who stole the shirts?

This page was last updated on: July 2, 2010