Cancel Christmas
Cancel Christmas by Rocco Martino

An Interview with Rocco...

What’s on your nightstand now?

A thriller - my breviary, the latest book I am writing, my notebook on writing projects I would like to do, and a book on humor.

What was your favorite book when you were a child?

Books on Indians, Jules Verne - Mysterious island, Robert Louis Stevenson, Daniel Defoe - all on how people faced challenges and conquered them. .

Who are your top 3 favorite authors?

Tennyson. Grisham, Merton

Did you ever buy a book just because of the cover and if so, which one?

Yes. First time I saw a book by J. P. Woodcock - Jeeves books

Was there a book that changed your life? If so which one and how did it affect you?

Many books - not just one.

Did you learn anything from writing your book?

Patience

What do you think makes a good writer?

Experience

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

Twelve

What is the most humorous thing you ever did?

In my lifetime I have attended many professional meetings with speakers presenting very important topics. Invariably there would be respectful silence, a few simple questions that the speaker could easily handle, and then respectful applause. I often wondered if everyone that applauded really understood the speaker and the implications of what had been said. I dreamed of getting up and spouti9ng absolute drivel, wrapped in highly technical jargon, and having the audience completely mesmerized over nothing. I even dreamed of a final punch line after the usual inane questions of something like "Well, my good friends, for the past few minutes I have proven that if you pick up a piece of string it will straighten out."

Well I had my chance when I least expected it, and have laughed about it ever since. It happened during my final Senate Oral examination for my doctorate. The Departmental Oral had lasted three days and had been grueling to say the least. My Research Director, who was Director of the Institute of Aerospace Studies was very pleased with my work. I had solved the problem of how hot a space vehicle would get as it re-entered the atmosphere. For my Senate Oral he asked the Dean of Engineering to Chair the meeting, and invited luminaries from inside the University and from without. He told me to be sure to keep my presentation to thirty minutes and then to handle the questions that were asked in a very courteous fashion.   While the Senate Oral was really a formality, that I had earned my degree in the Departmental Oral,. he warned me that the Senate Oral had been known to reject applicants for the Doctorate.   It was no slam-dunk.

The big day arrived. I was ready. Maybe too ready as it turned out. The Dean of Engineering acted as Chair of the meeting. He introduced me and then I started my presentation, which was ultra complex. It was a chalk talk. I was about a third of the way through my presentation, when I glanced at my wrist watch. From the silence and demeanor of the audience I knew they probably didn't have a clue about anything I had said. Twenty-nine minutes had gone. What could I do. Go on for another hour or stop and wait for questions,. In a flash I made my decision, put the chalk down, and asked for questions. A few simple ones came. I noticed that my research director was suppressing his laughter since only he and I knew what I had done. After a few minutes, I was asked to leave the room while they voted on my degree.

When I was asked to return, I was congratulated on my work, complimented on the clarity and brevity of my presentation, and given a loud round of applause. I had achieved my dream when least expected.

Months later art a social gathering my research Director and I discussed that day. We both agreed it happened often.

Who inspires you the most?

My wife.   We started out as two kids with nothing except our education, and built everything together. We have had good times and terrible times. Through it all we never gave up our inbred optimism and faith. We still look at everything around us with awe. We have been in wonderful places all over the world, met famous people, attended historic events, but have never lost our sense of wonder and awe of people. We love people, we ,love to be with them, and we love to exchange ideas. Barbara is completely unspoiled, and I share that with her. We talk always things over. We make joint decisions. She decides what we will buy, and I get to say what card we will use. Ha! But seriously, that's what marriage is all about. Sure we know some famous people and have been in wonderful places. But in the end we are glad to go home, take off our shoes, sit back, and relax in each other's company.

By the way, Barbara is as strong willed as I am, she has two honorary degrees, a Papal Decoration, a Lady Grand Cross, a dame of Malta, has served on countless Boards, and is Chair of the Board of a College.   She is some companion.

Favorite quote from a book?

There are two. The first I heard years ago but don['t know where it came from. In Latin, it goes "illigitimi non carborundum' translated as 'don't let the bastards wear you down.' The second is from Machiavelli's The Prince. It refers to new ventures, and I have been involved in many new ventures in my lifetime. In paraphrase mode, Machiavelli wrote the equivalent of: "There is nothing more uncertain of success than a new venture since it is given only lukewarm support b y those who will benefit from it, but strong opposition by all those who will be affected by it." If you think about it, naysayers are always much moiré numerous than supporters in anything. In fact, the more worthwhile something is, the more it will be opposed. That is why the first statement is so important. In my life, being aware of Machiavelli's quote, I just make sure the bastards never wear me down.

What’s the hardest part of writing a book?

Getting it published. That includes writing the proposals, convincing the agent, and then convincing the publisher. After that comes the effort of meeti8ng with people to sell the book. It is a long drawn out but very worthwhile endeavor since the effort is to sell ideas.

When and why did you begin writing?

I started writing at a young age - twelve. I wrote my first short story when I was in grade eight. I continued my writing in high school, writing many papers on diverse topics. At one time I wrote a paper on battle tactics comparing the Macedonian Phalanx with the Roman Legion. I was fourteen. At fifteen I won an essay contest. I edited our High School yearbook at sixteen, and wrote many articles. I won scholarships to the University of Toronto in English and History and used the funds to study science and mathematics. In the University I wrote articles for the campus newspaper. My first book length piece was my thesis for my master's degree.     It was very complex. While I wrote many papers in undergraduate work this put a whole new dimension into my writi9n g. As I began my doctorate program, I wrote a radio play and found drama to be exiciti9ng. I was inventing the dialogue rather than reporting on what others had written and said. I found the two to be somewhat similar. For nonfiction I had to create the drama; for fiction and drama, I had to report what I imagined. It was all mental - writing what was in my mind - whether from study or from imagination. Hence fact and fiction became similar in terms of writing. I looked on book as giving scope to fully explain a topic. The rest of this historic perspective on my writing is a list of my publications.

What books, people or ideas have influenced you the most?

Scores of people have influenced me in my life. First and foremost are my family - my wife Barbara, our four sons, and now our twelve grandchildren. In one way or another they have all had a major influence on my life, my work, and my actions. In particular Barbara has been a complete partner in all my accomplishments and plans. Without her by my side, it is doubtful that most of this would have been accomplished.

Beyond my immediate family, I have selected three persons who stand out more than any of the others. They are my father, Dr. John Mauchly, and Sir Winston Churchill, with Pope John Paul II closing in on that third slot.

My father, or Pop as I affectionately called him, was a brilliant man. He was an artists, albeit with food. It would have been easy for him to have been a great writer. He authored two books on recipes for chefs, and authored a monthly series of articles in a professional journal for seven years.

My father was wise, the most brilliant man I ever met or hope to meet. from him I learned patience, how to analyze a problem thoroughly before acting, and how to make decisions and stick to them. My father told stories all the time. Even when they were sad, they were full of humor and good will. he had a saying for everything, and those sayings have stayed with me all my life. Now my own children often quote them back to me. Pop not only gave me life, but he nurtured that life to be a major factor of what I am today.

John Mauchly was a brilliant man who invented the computer. I tell his story in another book on ENIAC. I was fortunate not only to come to know him, but to be his partner in a business venture. We travelled together, worked together, and told stories to each other. His encyclopedic knowledge shaped my own inter-disciplinary endeavors.   Best of all, John was instrumental in my marriage to Barbara, a marriage that has now lasted forty-eight years. His wife Kathleen was one of the first programmers in history. She and John decided it was about time I got married. So in 1960 they had a dinner party and invited their daughter's classmate from Chestnut Hill College to dinner. We were married the following year. We are the first computer couple in history, picked not by a computer, but by the inventors of the computer.

As a boy I had heroes. For me the greatest of these was Winston Churchill. he wrote, he led, he swore, he was a man' man, and he was not afraid to state his mind. I have read just about everything he has written, and have listened to many of his speeches. The ones of greatest impact on me was during the dark days of 1941-1945 during the Second World War after he became Prime Minister at the lowest point in that war that started in 1939. I was a boy soldier, my brother was in the Dental Corps of the Army, and many classmates were in uniform. He broadcast not just words but courage. I hope my words have just a minimal part of such an impact. My one great regret is that I never met him and had a chance to speak to him. I felt, though, as if I knew him. After earning my doctorate, my first job was with Sir Robert Watson Watt the man who invented radar. He had been a member of Churchill's war cabinet and had many stories of this great man. These stories out flesh on the dry bones of official biographies enriched and enlivened, of course, by what he said and wrote

Of all the others, the one who stands out is Pope John Paul II. I met his many times and engaged in conversation on many levels with him. He was very charismatic, brilliant, with a steel trap memory. His language skills were unbelievable. And yet, despite his power, despite the great awe that surrounded him, he still portrayed the simple village priest, full of love and caring for his flock. I was indeed privileged to have come to know such a giant of all history.

So these are the men who influenced me. I must also include my mother. Despite the fact that she died when I was only eight years old, the memory of this kind and gentle lady has affected my life and my relationship with others.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I always wanted to write. From the age of twelve onward. The results speak for themselves. Twenty books and hundreds of articles and papers.

What inspired you to write your first book?

Is there a message in your book that you want readers to grasp?

The message is simple - powerful persons can manipulate government for their own ends, and those ends rarely consider the needs and desires of the common people. This book is a wake-up call as to what is happening to our most cherished institution - our freedom. The cost of re-election and the desire for re-election is putting a 'for sale' sign on some of our representatives.

What books have most influenced your life most?

I read quickly and hence scores of books over the years have molded my thinking. In most cases, these books has verified or strengthened my opinions. At times, they have created new approaches, and even new ideas. In all cases, I have then pursued other sources to verify before committing. The 'Great Books' are certainly a major source of my thinking and opinion formulation. So is much of history, especially biographies of great men. Foremost amongst these are biographies of our founding fathers.

If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

Victor Hugo, Alfred Tennyson, Stephen Leacock

What are your current projects?

Writing a history of the computer and a book on Truth in Science and Religion.

Do you see writing as a career?

Now

If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?

No except to try and make it more satirical.

How long does it take you to write a book?

Three months to write and six months to0 edit and change.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I talk to my reader in my mind and proceed accordingly.

What do you like to do when you're not writing?

Sail

What does your family think of your writing?

They read what I write. They comment, and they often like it. If not, they tell me.

What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?

How easy it was

Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?

Often. Normally very complimentary.

As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?

Go to the moon