READER'S ROCK LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE VOL 2 ISSUE 4 NOVEMBER 2014 Volume 1 Issue 1 June-July 2013 | Page 10

about being true to ourselves and our power to create our happiness , and diabetes offers an interesting way to experience that , of which I know something . I ended up changing many things in the novel version , except for the core . Now the story ' s fuller , better , deeper , more colorful . And , if people like it , then we ' ll make the movie .
The idea for the cover art was revealed to me by Sally , the seven year old daughter in the story . She ' s a talented artist and she drew it for Paul , her father -while I was writing the final chapter- and I saw it . I also paint and I thought , “ I ' ll draw the cover .” But I kept liking Sally ' s version better . So I collaborated with a cover artist to create an image that gave me a feeling as close as possible to Sally ' s drawing .
And that ' s a universal theme , “ It ' s not what
Peter sailing ( foto by Annie Wood )
You are one of the friendliest celebrities I ' ve ever met or cyber-met , is that a natural part of your personality ? Is it difficult to carve out personal time for you and your family when you are involved in so many
happens to us but what we do with it that
Always . Life influences my art . I am endlessly
projects ?
determines our misery or happiness .” So , like
curious about us human beings , what ' s around
Hemingway said , I chose to write this story
us , inside us and beyond us . When I travel I ' m Thank you for the ' celebrity .' I guess , yes , it
about this thing , this experience that I know
exposed to what ' s not ' the usual ,' which is
must be a part of me . I ' m naturally in love with
about .
always a generous source of material and
people , even when people scare me or annoy
inspiration . You can hear a lot of it in my
me . I love to connect , I guess that ' s why I ' m a
The story is not about a disease or an
podcast , “ M A D N E S S ”
storyteller .
addiction . Those are symptoms . The story is
( http :// peterarpesella . com / home / Podcast / Podc
universal , it ' s about family , relationships ,
ast . html), and read about it in my blog , “ How
For me family ' s important . My wife and I are
ambition , self-awareness , love , commitment ,
About This ?”
both aware that it is very good and important
courage , failure , success , fear , denial ,
( http :// www . peterarpesella . com / blog
/).
for us , as people and artists , to be happy with
choices , dreams lost and dreams fulfilled , all
each other . So we make it happen .
built into the passionate , beguiling , fascinating
I know that when you were working on the and gripping life of this New York City family . cover for your book you had a print that Is this your “ one ” book of a lifetime or just
“ inspired ” the book . Which came first the the first of many projects you have I wrote it to bring joy , entertainment and art or the idea for the book ? planned ? inspiration to many . One out of three will do ,
too .
The idea for the book came first . I was
Oh , god , yes , it is one of several projects .
pregnant with the story of “ Good Like This ” for
Prior to “ Good Like This ”, I had a short story
What ' s up next ? Do you have any exciting
a while . It originated as a screenplay which
published , and , as a storyteller I certainly will
projects our readers would like to know won an award . Producers loved the story and continue telling stories . about ?
Yes . The most immediate one is an Amazon the characters , but the diabetes element “ wasn ' t commercial .” They asked me to rewrite it using cancer . I ' m very flexible as a writer , but What was the most difficult part of the pre- Single where I ' ll expand on some blogs I wrote not when it comes to the heart of the story -It publication experience ? that gathered a lot of following and would ' ve become a different story . Again ,
appreciation .
“ Good Like This ” is not about diabetes or
If you mean the time immediately leading up to
addiction , per se , just as “ Nemo ” isn ' t about a
publication date , the most difficult part has
You travel a lot do your travels influence
fish in the ocean , or “ Dog Day Afternoon ” isn ' t
been the final details and final approval .
your art ? about a bank robbery . “ Good Like This ” is Because up to that point I could always think ,