Nancy Duci Denofio of Saratoga Springs has been using computers to get her message out since they first emerged. So, it seemed only natural that she latch on to the social media crazes currently making the rounds, like Twitter. It was on this micro-blogging site where she voiced her opinions on healthcare reform in 140 or characters or less, tweeting links to her poetry in between, that her words caught the eye of a New York City publisher who made her dream come true.
I never thought it would happen to me; that I would be an author. It was kind of like a dream and it just continued, said Duci Denofio.
She originally thought it was a scam when publisher Don Odom emailed her and said he wanted to publish her work. That was back in March, and after a little online digging, she found he was, indeed, a respected publisher and immediately began coordinating proofs and edits of her poems. Nine weeks later, her book `What Brought You Here?` debuted on amazon.com at the beginning of June.
Odom said his quick attraction to Duci Denofio’s writing made for a speedy publication process. From the very first poem he stumbled across, which was about military service, he said he was hooked.
`As a military veteran myself, I wondered how on earth Ms. Denofio could have captured so accurately the tone and tenor and mood of military service – the alternating hours of dreariness and dread – and do it so succinctly. I then read some of her other poems and was quickly drawn into the world of 1950s Schenectady as seen through the eyes of a little girl,` said Odom in an email. `A dialogue via her website ensued and subsequently I was treated to memories of a house on corner lot, a Grandmother feeding birds with scraps of Italian bread, the simple joys of a backyard inflatable pool, a clock ticking in a hospital gift shop while waiting for results from a mother’s medical tests, the image of cartoon pictures drawn on fogged-up car window across from a graveyard.`
Duci Denofio said she writes what she knows and about 70 percent of her poems are a memoir-type style that bring the reader back to a time long before now.
`People can really reflect their life, their vision, what they lived in most of my work. They’re done in a poetry format but are more of a story that flows and you can feel it,` said Duci Denofio. `I touch on stories I hear, things that come up in the news. This is really an introduction to me as a writer.`
She wrote her first poem in seventh grade English class and saw it published in the school’s journal, something she considered quite a feat since her teacher wasn’t fond of her. This was her clue that writing was her gift.
`Just like painting is an art and sometimes you don’t need a lesson. Writing is the same thing. You either love it or you don’t. I feel like I always have to have a pad and pencil with me wherever I go,` said Duci Denofio. `I love quick writing. Give me a word and I’ll write you something.`
One of her favorite pieces in the book is called `Mama It’s Your Turn to Fly,` which is a true story told through prose.
`I’m talking to my mom, who died when I was young, and she has shown up and really does come back. It’s beautiful,` said Duci Denofio. `Another poem is about a little girl looking into a pond and seeing her sister’s face. I remember writing it at a retreat in the mountains of Vermont.`
Odom had such confidence in her writing that there are plans to simultaneously publish three books as a hardcover collection, something that is largely unheard of in the poetry world.
`It’s amazing. It’s really difficult to get a hardcover book published. I know a lot of poets and writers and have read my work and taught classes around [Saratoga County] and I’ve not heard of this,` said Duci Denofio.
More than fulfilling a dream, Duci Denofio said she wants the experience of how she was discovered to serve as inspiration for other writers hoping to get discovered.
`I hope it helps others in this situation trying to get their work published by showing it can happen. My generation sometimes rejects anything new and don’t use social networking or are afraid to get on there and learn what the young generations are doing on social networking is amazing and it can help everyone if they can only understand that,` said Duci Denofio.
`What Brought You Here` is accompanied by images that reflect the poems. Her next book is due out in a few months. Those interested in seeing more of her writing can check out her blog at www.nancyducidenofio.blogspot.com.
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