Andrew Chapin

Check out some of my recent press:

Andrea Rodgers’ Interview with Andrew Chapin - http://www.ioniannews.com/features/ar...

Daniel Vance’s Interview with John Tartaglio - http://www.ioniannews.com/features/ar...

Fairfield Mirror Coverage of From Tragedy to Triumph - Fairfield Mirror Coverage of From Tragedy to Triumph

Connecticut Magazine Preview of From Tragedy to Triumph/Book Signing Event - http://www.connecticutmag.com/Connect...

John Tartaglio: From Derek Jeter, Oprah, Now Baby - http://milford-now.com/2014/03/04/joh...

New Rochelle Teacher Co-authors Nonfiction Book - http://www.connecticutmag.com/Connect...

Redefining ‘normal’: Double amputee writes about ‘lucky’ life - http://www.ctpost.com/local/article/R...

CT Post Gives From ‘Tragedy to Triumph’ Two Thumbs Up - https://www.facebook.com/340523538547...

Check out these two Patch profiles:


http://bellmore.patch.com/groups/good...

http://newrochelle.patch.com/groups/a...

Check out this quick interview - message me for follow up

http://awesomegang.com/andrew-chapin/

OPEN INTERVIEW - message me for more details.


1) What is your name and bio?

My name is Andrew Chapin, and I grew up on Long Island reading Ray Bradbury, Walt Whitman, and Mark Twain and dreaming of one day becoming a published author.

After graduating from Fairfield in 2009 with a BA in English, I was offered an opportunity by John Tartaglio to develop a book about his life - an idea that eventually spawned FROM TRAGEDY TO TRIUMPH. It was published on December 30, 2013.

I began to teach middle school English at Thornton-Donovan School in New Rochelle in 2010. Recently, I completed my MS in adolescent English education at Iona College and asked my longtime girlfriend Amanda to marry me (she said yes).

Once I have finished seeing FROM TRAGEDY TO TRIUMPH through, I will turn my attention to my fiction novel KNOWING WHEN YOU'RE TOO YOUNG TO GROW UP. Thankful for the family and friends who have enabled me to pursue my passion, I look forward to the boundless possibilities that lie ahead.

2) What is your book title, synopsis, and where can readers find it?

From Tragedy to Triumph : The Story of John Tartaglio

Published on December 30, 2013, FROM TRAGEDY TO TRIUMPH is currently available in paperback and Kindle on amazon.com. It will be available on Nook, Kobo, and other e-book formats shortly.

Synopsis:

In 24 hours, a rare bacterial infection turned healthy 17 year old John Tartaglio to a double-leg amputee, but 15 hours and 59 minutes is all that it took for him reclaim the life that he had left behind.

FROM TRAGEDY TO TRIUMPH is his story of perseverance over a heartbreaking circumstance as incomprehensible as it is seemingly insurmountable. Amputated up to his hipbones and told he would never walk again, John would not give up on life. Instead, he rose to do what others said he could not. Walking, running, competing, but most importantly living, he proved to them what he always knew - his disability did not define him; he defined his disability.

Sharing his journey, insights, and overall perspective will help:

• How you think about yourself
• How you approach problems
• How you manage expectations and achieve your goals

From those with mobility issues who need to be reminded that living an independent life is possible to the athletes who need to push and challenge themselves that much more and everyone in between, FROM TRAGEDY TO TRIUMPH can positively impact your life.

“He has no legs. What’s your excuse?”- Christopher Mahoney, Tri-athlete

“Disabled is somebody that can’t do something, John's not disabled. John can do whatever he wants.”- Mark Spellman, Strength and Conditioning Coach

3) Where do you come up with your ideas?

Whether I’m writing fiction or nonfiction, the process is still the same. I draw on memories of the past, recalling emotions and personal thoughts I have felt in particular situations. I also review various journal-like tidbits–some that are multiple pages long and others that are no bigger than a fortune cookie fortune.

Essentially, I free-write with a keen focus on empathy as a means to make characters authentic, relatable, and understandable. After some raw, untainted words are scrawled across the page, I begin to add structure and further develop it.

4) What books/authors do you like to read?

As an English teacher and maybe also because I never want to grow up, I am drawn to books that have teenage/young adult protagonists. The Catcher in the Rye, The Outsiders, The Chocolate War, and The Pigman are some of my all-time favorites.

I have always been captivated by Dystopian novels, many of which I reread periodically. Some of my favorites are the classics Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, 1984 by George Orwell, and Brave New World by Aldous Huxley. Newer titles that have enthralled me are The Giver by Lois Lowry and The Hunger Games Trilogy.

Brett Easton Ellis books - in particular American Psycho, Less than Zero, and The Rules of Attraction - are staples of my bookshelf. Philip Roth’s Portnoy’s Complaint is another all-time favorite that is written in a style that I have used as a model for my next writing project.

5) What's your next writing project?

Fiction has always been my pursuit, so I will be working on editing and promoting KNOWING WHEN YOU’RE TOO YOUNG TO GROW UP.

This is the coming-of-age story of a teenage protagonist who unknowingly sets out on a journey towards self-discovery when he travels abroad with his high school. Unbeknownst to him, this trip will indelibly change his life when he is confronted with situations that force him to question his worldview and reevaluate himself, his friends, and his overall conception of humanity.