Paul Spadoni

An interview with Paul Spadoni.

So, who is Paul Spadoni, really?

Like most people, I’m full of contradictions. I’m an introvert who admires extroverts. I’m quiet, maybe even shy, but I have no fear of speaking to large crowds. Most of my friends would say I’m conservative in my life views, but I like to take risks in certain areas of my life, which surprises people. My life has been shaped by my personal faith in God, but I don’t wear my faith on my shirtsleeves. I grew up very proud of my Italian-American heritage and have always had an appreciation for the sacrifices made by my parents, grandparents—all my ancestors, really—to give me a better life.

Actually, I just mean to ask, what is your occupation?

Oh, of course. Well, I usually need some context to answer that question. If it’s in relation to my construction work, I’m the owner and operator of a road repair business. By education, I am either a journalist or a teacher. I’ve been trained for both and I’ve spent many years doing both. In fact, for twenty-one years, I was actually a teacher of journalism. But now that I’m retired from teaching and only work five months a year in my business, when my friends in Italy ask me during one of my seven free months, I might say I am impensionato, retired. Now that I’ve published two books, I sometimes say I’m an author. So it depends on who’s asking and how I feel at the moment.

So, do you prefer living in America or in Italy?

All of the above. We live in Italy about four months a year and in America the rest of the time. We have homes in both places, and it works out just perfectly. We usually live in Italy in late winter and early spring, and then again for about a month in the fall. This takes advantage of the moderate weather in Italy during these seasons, and then the beautiful summers of the Pacific Northwest. Our immediate family is in the States, and that’s a strong draw to be there for the greater part of the year, and especially during the winter holidays. After a few months in one country, we start yearning for the other again, so going back and forth leaves us always with something fun to look forward to.

What’s next for you? Do you have any other books in your head?

I suppose I should write about our explorations in Tuscany and how we ended up finding hundreds of relatives—some dead, some alive—and then buying a house there. I’d also love to write about my years as a high school journalism teacher. But writing and publishing is a heck of a lot of work. We’ll see how my latest book goes over. But I probably will write more.