Narrated by Val Cole

Get to know the writer:

1. What is your novel about?

It's a memoir about my cousin who was more like a loving older brother to me. He died at 47. He was a third-generation Mardi Gras sculpture artist and float builder in New Orleans. I quit graduate school in 2011 and spent one year working full-time for him. This is the tale of our relationship.

2. What genres would you say this story is in?

Non-Fiction, Memoir, Biography, Art History, Mardi Gras History, Friendship

3. How would you describe this story in two words?

Brother Lost

4. What movie have you seen the most in your life?

Either E.T. or The Big Lebowski

5. What is your favorite song? (Or, what song have you listened to the most times in your life?)

So many favorites! Fast Car, Gloria's Step, Tell It Like It Is, Window Seat, Can't Do Without You, Just, Susanne, Alison, Redemption Song, In the Meantime, Province ... I could put you to bed, you know!

6. Do you have an all-time favorite novel?

Toss-up among In Cold Blood, The Brothers Karamazov, A Confederacy of Dunces, and The Catcher in the Rye.

7. What motivated you to write this story?

My cousin was such an amazing guy! He needed to be remembered, and I needed to grieve.

8. If you could have dinner with one person (dead or alive), who would that be?

Charles Bukowski, Jack Kerouac, or Bill W. Someone willing to wear their heart on their sleeve. Since it's just one dinner, you want to make it count.

9. Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?

I'm most passionate about my wife and family. Music and basketball are my other hobbies.

10. What influenced you to enter your story to get performed?

I self-published the book in 2022. It sold several hundred copies but has since plateaued. I wanted to breathe new life into it.

11. Any advice or tips you'd like to pass on to other writers?

Writing is great. It has taken me on so many adventures. I'm always learning about writing. Even into my 40s I'm working on a master's degree in English. I would suggest remaining open to learning. I think writing, too, takes a bit of patience and sobriety. I also think it should come from the heart and contain something that you really want to say. Read poetry, too, and pray for inspiration when you're at a pause or confused.