About

WHEN PEOPLE ASK “DID YOU ALWAYS WANT TO BE A WRITER?” I HAVE TO SAY, “NO, I ALWAYS WAS A WRITER.”

Daughter of Sicilian immigrants, wife, mother, grammy, friend, empath, dreamer, storyteller, singer, musician, author, plant rescuer, cook, lover of family, food, wine and The Beatles – the toppermost of the poppermost 🖤✒︎

As far back as I can remember there have always been three constants in my life: my love of music, reading and writing. Childhood memories of reading to my dolls; endless outpourings of adoration in the form of fan letters to my idols, The Beatles; scribblings in my diary of the mundane and the momentous, locked away for only me to see; pen-pal letters to that young marine in Vietnam whose name I’ve sadly long since forgotten; romantic notes to and from my boyfriend tucked away in an old cigar box.

In school I was the one who couldn’t wait to finish a novel so I could write a book report or spend hours working on an essay about the Great Schism of 1054. How clearly I remember the day my paper on “Doctor Zhivago” was returned to me with a big fat A+ stamped on the top in red ink followed by my teacher’s chicken-scratch: “Excellent work! We’ll make a copywriter out of you yet!”

Fast forward to another life. I’m married with two small sons. Reading to them became a daily tradition. Writing about them and to them in my journals was a joy. Some forty-plus years later and I still have those now yellowed journals which I read when feeling nostalgic or a new grand-baby enters our lives.

I never did become a copywriter or an author – life and all its trappings took over and those dreams fell by the wayside, replaced by others equally or more important. I was heavily involved with my church choir as music curator. One day I took a stab at writing new lyrics for a children’s hymn in an attempt to make it more relatable to the Gospel reading of the day. It was well-received and I felt that familiar joy of writing wriggling its way into my soul. It was a nice feeling.

Facebook became a big part of my life, connecting with old friends and making new ones. It was on one of The Beatles groups I belong to where I ‘met’ someone who commented on one of my posts. Obviously we were both Beatlemaniacs and while posting back and forth we discovered another thing we had in common: writing. We exchanged email addresses and developed a unique rapport and my new friend encouraged me to pursue my long-abandoned passion for writing. Then he shared an interesting piece of information: he belonged to an online creative short story writing group and suggested I give it a go.

That was the summer of 2017 and I was on vacation in Montauk. I replied to him that I’d check it out when vacation was over. After all, there was nothing to lose. As promised, I looked into it discovering it was more than just a little group of people writing about whatever popped into their heads on any given day. There were rules and writing prompts to adhere to such as: write a 300 word story starting with the word “impressive” and incorporate three additional required words in the body of the story. Each writer could submit up to three stories and had two weeks to accomplish this task. What’s more … it was competitive! Members of the group could vote for their favorite story and the winner would be announced two weeks later when a new assignment was posted. (To avoid “playing favorites” the authors names remained anonymous at voting time as did the names of the voters.) The love of writing combined with a challenge. No prizes were handed out, no money was awarded. It was all for the joy of writing, stimulating one’s imagination, improving writing skills, adhering to the rules and doing the best job possible.

Thinking “Hey, I can do this”, I submitted my first story on September 10, 2017 and to my utter amazement and sheer delight I came in first place on my first attempt! And I’ve been hooked ever since. What you see here on my site is a collection of every story I have written so far; a few are stories I wrote just for fun and several are guest posts by writers who have moved me beyond words. My passion for writing has been renewed. I face every new story as a challenge, determined to do my best, and I’m proud of my work. But it’s not always easy and there are times when I sit staring at my computer screen waiting for divine intervention.

I’ve been asked how I came up with the name ”The Elephant’s Trunk”. There are a couple of answers to that question. First, the elephant is my favorite animal; it is loyal, smart, loving and never forgets a kindness or a friend. Second, the word ‘trunk’ has more than one meaning: it is obviously the physical appendage of the elephant but it can also mean a treasure chest where all things precious and important are stored safely away.

My site is a labor of love and it has introduced my work to many new and diverse writers around the world; they have become my followers and friends. This site has also allowed me to reach other creative writing groups online, especially WordPress, where I have made many friends – short story writers, photographers, poets and even cooks. We share a passion for writing and a lively camaraderie. To mention names would be too difficult a task; I’d be afraid of leaving someone out and that would be unforgivable. I am proud beyond reason to say that my granddaughter Mckenna is a very talented young writer and a few of her stories appear on my site as a guest post. I see great potential in her and am sure she will go on to realize any dream she decides to pursue.

Since March, 2023 I have been seriously involved in writing music blogs. After 9 months writing for The Rhythm Section, a now-defunct music blogging site, I decided to incorporate all the music posts I had written into The Elephant’s Trunk so you’ll now find just as many music posts as stories. I have a great love of music so it was only natural that I start writing about it. As you read through my collection you’ll find quite a few references and a couple of stories devoted to The Beatles; not to include them would be inexcusable.

Thanks to the lovely people at MasticadoresUSA, The Writers Club and Spillwords who have published several of my stories and poems. I was also featured as the subject of Spillwords Spotlight on Writers (Sept. 10, 2022) and have been a contributor to Songshine Sounds on WordPress. I had the distinct pleasure of recording a number of my short stories for the BBC Radio show “Upload”. I was also interviewed live on BBC Radio on the 40th anniversary of the death of John Lennon and read my story “The Eighth of December”. That was a trip!

And now I am a #1 bestselling author on Amazon as a contributor to the anthology “Wounds I Healed: The Poetry of Strong Women” and “Hidden In Childhood: A Poetry Anthology”, edited and curated by Gabriela Marie Milton, international bestselling author and editor of Literary Revelations..

My husband Bill is my biggest supporter and encourages me every step of the way. I read my stories to him and he’s completely honest … something I value in a partner and friend. We have two adult sons, Bill and David, and four grandkids; they are my best accomplishments and my greatest loves.

Thanks for joining me here; I hope you’ll stick around.

The Lads – Source of many an inspiration
Montauk, NY – “The End” – Our favorite vacation spot

 

My favorite photo of Jack Kerouac,
drowning in a deluge of discarded drafts.

All text, graphics and videos is copyright
for The Sicilian Storyteller, The Elephant’s Trunk and
The Rhythm Section. NAR©2017-present.

37 thoughts on “About”

  2. Well Nancy! Yes we do have a lot in common and though I have been published in two anthology books I am not a no1 author! I am so glad we have met ….it’s amazing that wordpress keeps on giving us friends and inspiration. Stay well and stay smiling 💜💜💜

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  3. Hi, found you via The Sound of one hand typing, having found him during the A to Z blogging challenge. Enjoyed your back story. It’s funny what makes you take to someone, I too have a grandson called Wyatt:-)

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    1. Hi Martine! Please forgive me for this long over-due response to your gracious comment. The simple truth is I don’t think about checking on this page and I should; I’m missing out on some very nice exchanges with wonderful people. I’m thrilled you decided to take a look at my site; thanks for doing so.
      Aren’t Wyatts just the best?!

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  4. Well, here I am, FINALLY reading your About as well! We both have the common thread of writing throughout our lives, and music as well! Our families, our friends, all these beautiful threads, that create the whole unique tapestry. What a wonderful adventure this all is!
    There are times we tuck parts of our life away, then we miss them, and find them again, but they are always there.
    I enjoy your writing immensely, and look forward to whatever I find in that elephant’s trunk!
    Thank you for sharing all your beautiful words, and most especially, the whacky ones!
    Love, D.

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    1. Dear D! I owe you an enormous apology. After all this time and the wonderful friendship we have developed, I am just now reading the extraordinarily beautiful comment you left on this page. That is a terrible mistake on my part and something I don’t do very often. Thank you for every word you wrote here, for all the comments you have written along the way and for your continued support. I don’t take friendships lightly or for granted and I apologize for not getting to this sooner.
      Love, N

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    1. Every once in a while I stop by here to check on comments; this morning is one of those times. Thank you so much, Joan, for stopping by my site and leaving such wonderful comments. And remember this as you journey through life: “and in the end the love you take is equal to the love you make”.

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    1. Sorry for this late response; I had no idea people were still reading my “About” section! It’s been a dream of mine to get to Liverpool and trace the steps the Beatles took; at this point in my life it’s doubtful I will get there. Thank goodness for their music and thank you so much for your interest in my site. It’s greatly appreciated! 🐘

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    1. Thank you, Leyde! I dig the name, too! I remember seeing an antiques shop in town while on vacation with that name and thought it would be perfect for my site. Thanks for your lovely comments. Blessings to you as well.

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    1. I’m running out of “thank yous!” LOL!! Really incredible how this WP thing just snowballs, isn’t it? I’ve made so many new friends. Love being here. So glad you read that writer’s quote; it’s a winner! 🌟

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  10. Congratulations on your success in multiple realms! I really enjoyed these glorious family pictures–no small feat. Blessings to you and the whole crowd 🙂

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    1. Thank you, Narayan. What a lovely thing to say! We are far from a perfect story-book family but we have had more than our fair share of blessings (with a few adversities thrown in). It’s very nice of you to stop by and comment. Thank you for visiting my page.

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    1. Somehow I don’t think I ever saw this message! Thank you for your lovely Mother’s Day wishes. Paperback Writer, indeed! I’ll tell you where the Beatles are: in the hearts and souls of everyone who ever had the privilege of hearing their music. A group like that comes around once in a lifetime and we are the lucky ones who got to share the universe with them for a short time. Thank you, my friend, for stopping by. Please forgive me for missing your comments from May. ☺️

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      1. No problem. Time is really an illusion.
        And as for the Beatles, I still have Sgt Pepper’s and the Double white original LP’s… (Blackbird singing in the dead of night…)
        And I was fortunate to attend a concert by Paul, 15-20 years back, here in Mexico. Magic…
        Take care Nancy.

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  13. What a lovely story about yourself and your very beautiful family. It is really nice that your husband shares your work by lending an ear and being honest. Mine does the same thing which I appreciate. Thank you, I wanted to pinch that precious little ones cheeks. Big hugs, Joni

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      1. I don’t either what a blessing is true. What a beautiful family you have. I am also blessed and try never to forget it. Thank you for sharing your happiness with the rest of us. Big hugs, blessings to you and your family. 🤗❤️

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  15. I totally agree with Simon Nancy. Thanks for your kind visit and comment on my post so I could find you and your wonderful way with words and short stories that are entertaining, interesting with a great message and short enough to keep my attention. I look forward to reading more of your work. 🙏🌷

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