Goodreads asked James Dalessandro:

What’s the best thing about being a writer?

James Dalessandro The freedom and creativity. The former can be a two edged sword: you're free to work when you choose, on what you choose. You're also free to procrastinate, to work on things that are not of the deadlines. The creativity part is wonderful. It's the ultimate fantasy, creating an entire world, changing the characters to fit your mood. And you get to hang out with a lot of creative and interesting people. When I was 22, I hitch hiked to California after seeing a documentary on the Beat poets. Two years later, I founded the Santa Cruz Poetry Festival, a huge event, and I was reading and conspiring with Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Ken Kesey, William Burroughs, Charles Bukowski: amazing stuff for a truck driver's son from Cleveland, Ohio. Now, I'm consumed with history, and love research great characters and events. I get paid to learn wonderful and interesting things. I guess it's obvious that I love this work and this life.

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