Author Interview: Stanley Moss: Founder Diganzi: CEO Medinge: Travel Editor Lucire: Passionate Writer

2013 SM BW

Stanley Moss is a golden man with a vast experience and huge learning. He was born in 1948. Stanley writes as SMoss as his name resembles with a famous poet born in 1925. Stanley is CEO of Medinge Group, a global organization based in Stockholm. He is also Travel Editor of a famous New-Zealand fashion magazine Lucire. Besides many such high end portfolios under his belt, he is also a passionate writer. 

Stanley owns a blog titled Endless Road where he writes regularly. He is also Founder and Principal of Diganzi Group that is a global company enabling organizations to focus on their own brand DNA.

I am honored to have Stanley with me on my blog here in this post.

Thanks Stanley for accepting invitation and honoring my blog to have your interaction here. Let us start. What is your real name and pen name?

There’s a famous poet and art dealer named Stanley Moss, born 1925. For the record, that’s not me!

I was born in 1948, and previously published some books under my birth name- but the elder Moss was here first and has his own website under the same name, so I now use SMoss as my writing name in order to differentiate myself.

Please share some of the best memories of your childhood

Grandfather’s voice, singing to me when I was very small.

Time spent with grandfather in his kitchen, watching him cook.

Staring up at starry sky with Hopi nanny, who tells me stories in the Hopi language

Swimming in the Pacific Ocean

Arid nights in the California desert

About your education

Public schools (In USA this means government-funded education), through my degree from University of California at Santa Barbara in 1972, BA Literature

What career did you plan during your education days

I never expected to earn money from my degree work. I had always worked as a branding expert, from earliest days, starting in corporate graphic design. I come to writing later in life, a pleasant surprise.

What languages you can speak and write?

2008 Ganges

American English, bad French, terrible Italian, horrible Spanish, shards of Hopi

What is your biggest source of inspiration in life

The joyful conversations with friends, especially when sharing a meal

What hurts you most in this world

The unnecessary pain inflicted by ignorance

What is the biggest challenge you have faced? Were you able to overcome it? How?

Gaining the confidence to speak in my own voice. I think I got comfortable with it by simply living long enough to acknowledge and celebrate my own individuality and identity.

What is your favorite genre and why?

1971

Fiction- a wonderful window into the mysterious imagination of the writer!

What is the purpose of your writing?

It’s an avenue which perfectly channels the pure joy of creativity. I find so much satisfaction in the process of writing. It’s hard work, but delivers incredible pleasure and fulfillment.

Which of your work published so far? Would you like to share a synopsis of your work?

1966

I’ve written a number of novels. My earliest was an attempt at a detective novel, rather weak, unpublished, thank goodness, but I finished it, which was an accomplishment in itself. I then wrote an experimental picaresque novel about the downfall of a marriage (The Book of Deals, available on Amazon Kindle), which is interesting but in retrospect not really commercial; more the work of a young writer exploring multiple genres. I followed that with a sprawling sci-fi novel (unpublished) about an odyssey across America after Armageddon- based on Boccacio’sDecameron; I am glad nobody has ever seen that one. I later wrote The Hacker, which you know about, published a year ago by Fingerprint/Prakash, a story set in the new digital India amid the collision of old and new. You’ll also find some shorter works in print: The History and Adventures of The Outlaw Joaquin Murietta (a short memoir written in the style of magical realism); Supari, a long short story which was inspired by getting robbed on a train in India; and Hitman In Delhi, a screenplay with Sean Rooney, based on the Supari book.

What are your forthcoming writings?

I am in the midst of completing the second book of a historical trilogy- the first volume is published, but I will reveal more about it next year- stay tuned.( Much of volume 2 is set in India. Volume 3 is outlined, and waiting to be written: I’m doing the research on it now.) I have –unfinished- a novel about the art world in New York City in the 70s. Some day I hope to complete that. And I have plans for another contemporary novel set in New Delhi, which I would like to begin work on next year.

What are your future plans?

More international travel, to places I have never seen before. The farther away the better.

What four topmost things you take care of while writing a book?

1. an entertaining premise

2. sparkling prose

3. no clichés, and

4. a good villain

Your dream destinations on Earth?

At the moment, seeing the Northern Lights, and Valparaiso, Chile. I will have others!

Your origin of birth and other countries you have visited/ stayed.

Born in the USA. Lived in California, New York, London, Paris, Italy. Visited Mexico, French West Indies, Canada, Sweden, Denmark, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, ex-Yugoslavia, Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Canary Islands, Malta, Greece, Turkey, UAE, India, Sri Lanka, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Macao, Australia, New Zealand.

What best things you liked in these countries around the globe?

I especially liked New Zealand. It was “the end of the earth”, as far away as I ever got from my origins, zone of familiarity and comfort.

Your favorite place on Earth?

It could be the sacred Hopi mesas of Arizona. I feel totally at peace there.

Your favorite time of the day?

Every hour of every day is equally wonderful.

Your zodiac/ sunsign?

Scorpio

Your favorite color and why?

Red, irrationally attractive

State your signature line/ tagline/ best quote

“Let the universe decide.”