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Joseph Cavano

Goodreads author profile

url

http://www.goodreads.com/jazzman

born

Kingston,N.Y., The United States

gender

male

website

http://www.josephcavano.com

genre

Short Stories, Literature & Fiction, Biographies & Memoirs

influences

William Faulkner, Ernest Hemingway, John Steinbeck, Raymond Carver, Al ...more

member since

September 2008

About this author

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After spending part of my life teaching in the secondary schools and colleges of upstate New York,I renewed my love affair with writing two years ago.During that time ,I have put together two individual collections of related short stories, Half -Past Nowhere, and Love Songs in Minor Keys and had them accepted for publication by the first and only publisher I contacted.Patterned after Hemingway's In Our Time, Half -Past Nowhere traces the growth of a young hero as he passes from the innocence of youth to the understanding that comes only with experience. Two of the included stories, "Mountain Men" and "Phineas Rising" have been selected as finalists by Glimmer Train, one of the most prestigious of venues for the short story."Phineas Rising,...more After spending part of my life teaching in the secondary schools and colleges of upstate New York,I renewed my love affair with writing two years ago.During that time ,I have put together two individual collections of related short stories, Half -Past Nowhere, and Love Songs in Minor Keys and had them accepted for publication by the first and only publisher I contacted.Patterned after Hemingway's In Our Time, Half -Past Nowhere traces the growth of a young hero as he passes from the innocence of youth to the understanding that comes only with experience. Two of the included stories, "Mountain Men" and "Phineas Rising" have been selected as finalists by Glimmer Train, one of the most prestigious of venues for the short story."Phineas Rising," was also selected as a finalist in the Tom Howard/John Reid international contest for the short story

The second collection,Love Songs in Minor Keys is a comprehensive study of Love,in all of its manifestations.As the title suggests, the stories function as do minor keys in music.Unlike major keys, which are often bright and familiar,minor keys suggest more complexity; a kind of intensity reserved for the unorthodox or unexpected,while still retaining enough of the familiar to be easily recognizable. The collection makes for easy, if thought provoking reading, and came out in April of this year. It has already received glowing tributes from Anthony Abbott,(Ph.D Harvard)legendary professor of literature at Davidson College, and himself a published poet, Pulitzer Prize nominee and novelist,as well as David Geherin,(Ph.D, Purdue) short story specialist at Eastern Michigan University, and a candidate for the 2009 Edgar Allan Poe Award for best book of literary Criticism.My story,"Soldier's," a story about a recent chance encounter with a broken Vietnam Vet was selected as a finalist in the both the 2010 Doris Betts and the 2010 Elizabeth Simpson Smith Fiction Contests.My controversial story,"The Honey Wagon," was the Second Place Winner in the 2011 Doris Betts Fiction Prize. It will appear in the Summer 2012 issue of the prestigious North Carolina Literary Review.Another recent story, "Story Cloth," will appear in the 2012 Spring issue of Potomac Review. My most recent story,"Donors,"a story about a couple unable to have children and the terrible effects it has on their marriage is, I believe, both informative and shocking. It will appear in the May issue of North Atlantic Review.
It should be noted that top literary magazines continue to be the major leagues of creative writing. Fewer than TEN out of every THOUSAND Submissions are accepted!

Over the years, I've developed a myriad of interests.One of the most demanding ,has been improvising jazz piano.It's a process not unlike the process a writer utilizes in creating a work of fiction. In each case, you don't know where you're going until you get there. That element of discovery is just one of the many wonderful things about writing, a point I often demonstrate at my many book signings.

Having been born in "the Charmed Circle" of the Catskill Mts., it's not surprising that Nature figures prominently in many of my stories,although always as a backdrop for some universal law(the verities Faulkner called them).
A one time wine connoisseur,ginseng hunter,fly fisherman,rattlesnake hunter(pictures only) and still world traveler(India is my favorite by far) I happily reside in the South among the bones of Faulkner,Welty,Twain, Capote et al.

A new collection of short stories will appear in 2013. A novel will follow.

I have an M.A. in English from American University in Washington,D.C., and a B.A.in English from Marist College in Poughkeepsie,N.Y. I have also studied philosophy at the graduate level at Georgetown and have several advanced degrees in Education.
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22 posts
Joseph Cavano's Blog

Hurricane Sandy

I don't remember who it was who wrote,"I'd rather be a dissatisfied Socrates than a satisfied pig." It's been years since I first read the line; I've thought about it a lot since.
It's hard not to fill up on Life's special moments... ignore the flowers and the gentle breezes... the children at play daring you not to smile.
Still, I think it's a mistake to miss the forest for the trees... become... read more »

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Published on November 02, 2012 08:30 • 24 views

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Joseph Cavano's Books

Average rating: 3.77 · 31 ratings · 18 reviews · 2 distinct works · Similar authors

	Half-Past Nowhere 3.71 of 5 stars 3.71 avg rating — 17 ratings — published 2008	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Love Songs in Minor Keys 3.86 of 5 stars 3.86 avg rating — 14 ratings — published 2009	Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

* Note: these are all the books on Goodreads for this author. To add more, click here.

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Joseph’s Writing

Half- Past Nowhere (Literature & Fiction)

3 chapters — updated May 22, 2010 07:25am

Description: A collection of related short stories that reads like a novel.Patterned after Hemingway's In Our Time, it too traces a young hero(who looks suspiciously like the author) as he progresses from the innocence of childhood to the complicated world of the adult.Two of the included stories were selected as finalists by one of the countries most prestigious contests for the short story, sponsored by Glimmer train.

Love Songs in Minor Keys (Literature & Fiction)

1 chapters — updated Apr 23, 2009 09:15pm

Description: A critically acclaimed collection of short stories about Love,broadly defined. Each of the stories functions as a kind of minor chord in music. Strange. Unusual.At times surprising or upsetting. Sometimes even shocking.The new and the old.The bright and the dark.Fused in such a way as to create a most interesting music.

Love Songs in Minor Keys (Literature & Fiction)

1 chapters — updated Apr 23, 2009 09:13pm

Description: As below

Love Songs in Minor Keys (Literature & Fiction)

1 chapters — updated Apr 23, 2009 08:56pm

Description: As Below

"Mountain Men" (Literature & Fiction)

0 chapters — updated Oct 08, 2008 05:49pm

Description: A moving account that may remind you of Faulkner's "The Bear."In this selection,Joey has disregarded the advice of his students who have warned him not to seek out the legendary woodsman and ginseng hunter,Luther Carver, who dislikes people and has been known to shoot at strangers.Over time, Joey has somehow gotten Luther to take him into the "deep woods" and instruct him about what lives there.Even more surprising, Luther has taken a liking to him and invited him into his dirt floor cabin.After the most surprising night of his young life,Joey realizes it is time to leave. "Joey rose from the table and placed a hand gently on Luther's shoulder.He moved to the door and took one last look at the old man who still stared out the window, the only sounds to break the silence the calls of crickets begging to come inside.How many nights would the old saint sit like this he wondered? Alone surrounded by nothing but the four walls which more or less came together,nothing to distract him until the twilight signaled it was time to sleep.Joey thought of him drifting off to sleep, his head against the wall,listening to the rain on the corrugated tin roof working its way down the gutter and into the rain barrell,lulling him to a deep sleep and dreams ,if not of lions like old Santiago, then of expanses of ginseng, gold in the glow of an autumn day.He closed the door quietly and walked to his car."( to be Continued.)

More of Joseph’s writing…

Joseph is Currently Reading

Joseph rated a book 4 of 5 stars

My Reading Life

by Pat Conroy

bookshelves: currently-reading

read in December, 2010

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Joseph said: "Have just read a few chapters, but the work is as expected. . . wonderful.
If you're a writer who takes his calling seriously, this is a book for you.

FINAL REVIEW:

In the beginning, all writer's work is derivative.As we mature in this most wonderful...more "

Dec 19, 2010 09:32pm · see review

Joseph rated a book 3 of 5 stars

Going Away Shoes

by Jill McCorkle

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Dec 19, 2010 11:54pm

Joseph is currently reading:

Best New American Voices 2008

by Richard Bausch (Goodreads Author)

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Aug 24, 2010 04:45pm

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Joseph's Recent Updates

Joseph is now friends with James Claffey

Apr 21, 2013 07:04pm

Joseph said "yes" to attending the event: Joseph Cavano's "Donors"

date: January 04, 2013 01:01AM
location: http://www.authorstand.com, The United States
description: It's a great concept!. Here's an opportunity to read some great short stories without having to buy the book or literary magazine. I'm finally giving the digital world a try: read my latest story, "Donors" on www.authorstand.com. Then (if you wish)feel free to comment.

If you're a couple (or know one) who has wanted to have a child but can't, you'll no doubt enjoy my story of a young husband and his older wife who are driven to the sometimes unsavory world of the sperm donor with more than mixed...more

Dec 31, 2012 02:21pm

Joseph made a comment on Jeffrey Keeten's review of The Lower River

"As commomplace as the myth about authors being more likely to be mentally ill than the rest of the population, is the belief we are, in addition, more...more "

Jul 30, 2012 08:14pm · see review

Joseph made a comment in the group THE JAMES MASON COMMUNITY BOOK CLUB — BOOKS AND WRITINGS BY MEMBERS topic

"I guess a recent publication or two in a couple of well- admired literary magazines qualifies as "writing." I know getting into a quality literary mag...more "

Jun 09, 2012 05:11pm

Joseph made a comment in the group Goodreads Authors/Readers — Welcome Literary Fiction Authors and Readers!! topic

"Irene,
I long ago learned the dangers of words like always or never, all or none etc.
That's why I wrote that literary fiction is infrequently found i...more "

Jun 04, 2012 08:12pm

Joseph took the Never-Ending Book Quiz

questions answered:	1021
correct:	709 (69.4%)
skipped:	447
best streak:	13
questions added:	0

Jun 03, 2012 05:07pm · beat his score

Joseph is now following Jamaica's reviews

Jun 03, 2012 05:05pm

Joseph made a comment in the group Goodreads Authors/Readers — Welcome Short Story Authors and Readers! topic

"Russell,
I thought it might be interesting if those of us who appreciated such writing got to know one another and shared our insights and experiences...more "

Jun 01, 2012 05:52pm

Joseph made a comment in the group Goodreads Authors/Readers — Rules for Authors on Posting topic

"I'm glad my comment has stirred so much interest. In my view, such a discussion is infinitely more interesting than the endless notices of "books publ...more I'm glad my comment has stirred so much interest. In my view, such a discussion is infinitely more interesting than the endless notices of "books published" which fills a fair amount of space on this site and is taken seriously by almost nobody.
While I seldom waste time with the merely petulant, here a few things I feel worth noting:

David,
You are at the very least a fast writer . . .two novels in six months. May I remind you of Capote's response when he heard that Jack Kerouac often finished a story in a single session: "That's not writing. That's typing."

I'm glad you've found a hobby that pays well. Still, anyone who equates "commercial success" with excellence must come from a different planet than the one I inhabit.

Of course, it’s difficult to define a real author. They say it's also difficult to define love, but one recognizes it when he/she sees it. There are too many exceptions. Still, a good way to start may be to seek the opinion of those who spend their lives studying such things. I think it's a good idea to do so when making judgments in general. The best of these literary critics is well-educated, almost universally admired by his peers, and as free from personal bias as humanly possible. He or she has no hound in the race.
I'm not surprised when such a critic singles out certain literary magazines as representing some of the finest writing being done. A perusal of the magazine only confirms the view. I’m not surprised to see names like Alice Munro or the late Raymond Carver. I would be surprised to see the names of many who self-publish.
This is not to denigrate all who self-publish. There's often a legitimate reason to do so. Still, I'm willing to bet a "team" of self-published authors would not fare very well when put up against writers who have gone the other route. Unless you disallow that some are better than others, (a popular view in today's society of no losers but "seventh or eighth winners") I imagine the former would do about as well as a group of basketball players from the local YMCA who took on an NBA All Star team.
Finally, Russell.
Here's another generalization: It's kind of difficult not to generalize when you take on a big topic in a small space.
As to your finding regarding "authors:" Congratulations! You are heir apparent to the mythical Miss Grundy. You have found a grammatical error (typo). I imagine someone like yourself was the one to fail Faulkner in English Composition his freshman year at Ole Miss.
Your discovery automatically raises you to the stature of Shakespeare, I imagine. Your silliness reminds me of a reader who found a possible split infinitive in an article written by the rightfully well-respected editor of the venerable Virginia Quarterly who made points similar to the one's I made in my original commentary.
I hope the commentary continues. It’s been fun. Best.(less) "

May 31, 2012 04:49pm

More of Joseph's books…

Quotes by Joseph Cavano

“Capote's rejoinder to the Kerouac assertion that he never needed to edit his writing: "That's not writing .That's typing.”
― Joseph Cavano

1 person liked it

Topics Mentioning This Author

topics	posts	views	last activity
fiction files redux: Love Songs in Minor Keys by Joseph Cavano	17	57	Apr 24, 2009 10:41am
The Next Best Boo...: * What are you reading?	30064	27751	May 19, 2013 09:49am

Quotes Joseph Likes

“It's often a matter of sitting in front of the computer and worrying. It's what writing comes down to--worrying that things aren't going to work out.”
― Khaled Hosseini

tags: inspiration, writing

17 people liked it

“There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.”
― Ernest Hemingway

tags: good, writing

9,935 people liked it

“I believe more in the scissors than I do in the pencil.”
― Truman Capote

tags: humor, writing

30 people liked it

view all 1
Joseph Cavano's favorite authors

Joseph Cavano
author of
Half-Past...

Joseph’s Friend Comments

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Comments (showing 1-21) post a comment »

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message 21: by J.

Mar 14, 2010 10:15pm

Thanks for the add, Joseph. BTW, the j in my name is for Joe also. But being raised in an Italian neighborhood, when mom yelled for me half the block would show up. So I settled for j. Besides, it helps remind me of my insignificance.

Look forward to sharing some lit with you. Tired of reading about McNovels. (aka: most best-seller lists)

reply | flag *

message 20: by Joseph

Oct 16, 2009 09:08pm

I suspect you have traded the heat and humidity for sleet and snow. Still, Saratoga is a wonderful place, and in August, there's no place like it. Best.

Joseph Cavano

reply | flag *

message 19: by Irene (last edited Oct 16, 2009 10:50am)

Oct 16, 2009 10:19am

Hi Joseph, thank you for the friend invitation. I accept!! How interesting, my husband and I were living down the road a piece (Wilmington, NC), from 1982 to 1998. We moved to Saratoga Springs because the heat and humidity were too much for me. Also, Mom needed care, and I wanted to share that care with my siblings. Thanks again, Irene

reply | flag *

message 18: by Alice

Jul 31, 2009 01:30pm

Hi Joseph, Funny that you should say that about Italians and Jews making such good friends. My best friend was Italian. You'd probably understand why the bond if you read my book, Becoming Alice, and those early years in a lower class Italian neighborhood with those crazy, emotional, sincere, giving, and loving people.
Caio, Alice

reply | flag *

message 17: by Rosanne

Jul 30, 2009 03:11pm

Hi Joseph, thanks for being a friend on Goodreads! Also thank you for saying my interests are...interesting. In answer to your question, Middle Village is in Queens County, NY, right near Howard Beach, Forest Hills, Rego Park, Glendale (Queens), Ridgewood and Maspeth. In other words, Forest Hills & Rego Park are East of Middle Village; Howard Beach, Glendale & Ridgewood are South of Middle Village, and Maspeth is West of Middle Village. Let me know if you're familiar with these towns close to mine, okay? Thanks! ~Rosanne Catalano, publisher/editor/author, The Cat's Meow for Writers & Readers Magazine, www.rosannecatalano.net

reply | flag *

message 16: by Maria

May 12, 2009 10:05am

Thanks for adding me, Joseph; I'm looking forward to reading your books

Maria

reply | flag *

message 15: by Sanaz

May 12, 2009 07:12am

Hi Joseph,

Thanks for the friend request ,Nice to meet you!

Good Luck,
Sanaz

reply | flag *

message 14: by Meen

May 11, 2009 06:34pm

And hearing you play one day in NY!

:)

reply | flag *

message 13: by Meen

May 11, 2009 06:34pm

Hi Joseph, your work sounds really interesting. I look forward to reading it!

reply | flag *

message 12: by Rebbie

Mar 12, 2009 04:22pm

Hope you got my message of thanks. Still learning how to work the site. Looking forward to reading HALF PAST NOWHERE.

reply | flag *

message 11: by Hollis

Mar 09, 2009 11:22am

Thanks for the add. Of course, I like fantasy fiction just as much as the next person, but proper literary fiction and classic writing will always be the most important thing for me.

reply | flag *

message 10: by Beth

Mar 01, 2009 06:58pm

Hi Joseph,
Thanks for befriending this mystery author!

reply | flag *

message 9: by Joseph

Jan 16, 2009 09:43am

Thanks, Melissa.And thanks to all my friends at Goodreads who listened in.I think improvised interviews are a lot of fun.The 45 minutes flew by for me. I hope you found something of interest or value .
Best.
Joe

reply | flag *

message 8: by Melissa

Jan 16, 2009 06:51am

Hello Joseph

Great interview on The Odd Mind. "Just because it's authentic doesn't mean it's relevant", very good advice.
I look forward to reading Half-Past Nowhere as well as your upcoming release.

Best wishes,
Melissa

reply | flag *

message 7: by Joseph

Dec 30, 2008 11:39am

Audrey,
It was my pleasure.Have a lovely and healthful New Year. Best.
Joe

reply | flag *

message 6: by Audrey

Dec 30, 2008 09:11am

Happy New Year, Joseph. Thanks so much for the friend request and the book suggestion. I'm looking forward to reading your book, "Half-Past Nowhere", as well.

reply | flag *

message 5: by Dottie

Nov 24, 2008 10:11pm

Joe -- I am thoroughly enjoying your comments in many places around Goodreads including groups of which I'm not a member and so cannot respond. But two recent posts touched upon Truman Capote and with each I found myself in complete accord. A fascinating human, a fascinating writer, and his work makes wonderful reading as well as re-reading.

I am also reminded how wonderful that original production of A Christmas Memory was -- why is it that the powers that be feel such beauty needs refreshing in order to appeal? People even those who are younger can find the appeal in the true and inherent wisdom of older works. Yes, I believe that, even now, or am I simply being a Pollyanna?

Thank you for your insights -- and I'll continue reading.

reply | flag *

message 4: by Victoria

Oct 24, 2008 11:19pm

hi!
thanks =) you have a very wonderful selection also!

-v

reply | flag *

message 3: by Sophie

Oct 16, 2008 08:10am

Hi thanks for the friend request I'll spread the word to the other Saratoga ladies I know. I saw you're from Kingston, I lived there most of my childhood. I can't wait to check out your book. I admit you've got me curious. :)

Sophie

reply | flag *

message 2: by Jody

Oct 12, 2008 07:42pm

Joseph, thanks for the friend invitation and thank you for taking the time to read the Chemistry chapter, I'm delighted that you liked it. I'm looking forward to checking out your work.

reply | flag *

message 1: by Ilyn (last edited Oct 02, 2008 02:08am)

Oct 02, 2008 01:24am

Hello Joseph,

How are you? Thank you for accepting my friend-request and for joining “Happy & Brainy”. Good fortune on Half-Past Nowhere.

Please visit the “To the Glory of Man” group when you have a chance.

Enjoy the week. Warmest regards.

reply | flag *

Joseph's Bookshelves

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Joseph Cavano

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