Jacopo della Quercia is best known having numerous articles published at Cracked.com. His work has been also featured on BBC America, Slate as well as CNN Money among other places. He lives in New York, is 30 and you can follow him on Twitter.
Jacopo della Quercia was gracious enough to take some time out of his busy schedule to discuss his upcoming novel “The Great Abraham Lincoln Pocket Watch Conspiracy” as well as some other things with me.
Robert: Who were some of your favorite authors and their works that you enjoyed growing up?
Jacopo della Quercia: I loved the classics as a kid, so I read nearly all the works of H.G. Welles. Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick was also an early favorite of mine, as were the Greek myths. However, I think the one author that influenced me more than any other in my youth was Edgar Allan Poe. Even at an early age, I knew I was reading some of the best literature in the English language. In many ways, I consider him my first writing teacher.
R: When did you first become interested writing?
J: Honestly, I just assumed that writing was the type of thing historians had to be good at. After all, the word “historia” in Latin also means “tale” or “story.” It wasn’t until my junior year during a semester abroad in Florence that I began to consider the possibility of writing literature, and that was all due to the encouragement my professors at Syracuse University in Florence gave me. They’re the ones who got me into this.
R: How did you first get started with Cracked.com?
J: A very dear friend of mine named Ray Errol Fox advised me to go out into the Internet and establish a name for myself there. His exact words were “plant your flag in the sand” and stand tall beside it as if daring the entire world to take you on. It was just the encouragement I needed, since at the time I was too timid a writer to submit my work anywhere. Taking Ray’s advice, I decided to pitch some articles to Cracked, which I read daily, about some of the subjects I loved reading on the site, but which I felt were not being published fast enough: history and war. Thanks to my background in history, writing these articles came as second nature to me. Because I am genuinely passionate about these subjects, I like to think my enthusiasm shined through brightest in my early works.
R: Among the 100 plus articles you have had published on Cracked over the years which ones are your personal favorites and why?
J: My early article on lost books is one of my personal favorites if only because it was the first time I knew I offered something completely new to the website. It was heartbreaking for me to write, but at the same time an honor since it covered an important subject that would resonate deeply with the reader. The same goes for 5 Ridiculous Things You Probably Believe About Islam and 6 People You’ve Never Heard of Who Probably Saved Your Life.
Both were modest attempts to make the world a better place. However, when it comes to the types of articles I personally look forward to on Cracked, I think my pieces on the most gigantic everything in the history of war, and the one were Leonardo da Vinci was a super villain are the most fun to read.
R: What do you think are somethings about being an internet celebrity that most people don’t realize?
J: Here’s something you won’t expect: nobody will recognize you. Seriously. Almost all my articles can only be found online, and I use a portrait of the Renaissance master Raphael as my avatar. Remove the article and the avatar, and all of a sudden, you don’t exist. Probably half the students in any given classroom have read my writing at some point, but I’d be surprised if even one of them knew my name–never mind that I have a book coming out. Personally, I enjoy the anonymity if only for the rare instances when I can finally introduce myself to someone who knows my works. It’s a little bit like being Batman. Or at the very least, that’s what I tell myself on lonely nights.
The real Jacopo!
R: Where did you get the idea for your upcoming novel “The Great Abraham Lincoln Pocket Watch Conspiracy”?
J: When I was a freshman, I was given the opportunity to write about what went through Abraham Lincoln’s mind during the last few minutes of his life. Although this was just a homework assignment, it resonated deeply with me. I enjoyed writing it, but I never thought it would be expanded into a full-blown novel ten years later! It was an unusual twist of fate, especially since I had absolutely no idea what The Great Abraham Lincoln Pocket Watch Conspiracy was going to be about when I came up with the title! I just liked the sound of it: something vintage and mysterious, like an old-timey poster advertising a magician’s trick.
Fortunately, I found a way to tie nearly a century of U.S. history around the unknown fate of Lincoln’s pocket watch. Believe me, the end result was as much a surprise for me as well!
R: How would you describe The Great Abraham Lincoln Pocket Watch Conspiracy?
J: It’s a Jules Verne action-adventure starring President William Howard Taft and Robert Todd Lincoln in a race to solve a mystery stretching back to the Civil War. The book is heavily based on real events and has been heavily researched with the help of museums, historians, and scientists for the sake of historical and scientific accuracy. The book is technically steampunk literature, but is unique in that the technologies discussed are scientifically plausible using the equipment and knowledge available at the time. The book is also rich with footnotes, authentic newspaper articles, and letters to draw the reader deeper into the story to the point that they are unable to distinguish the fact from the fiction. It is a thrilling experience that will make you wanting to learn more about the real life characters featured in the story!
And lastly, The Great Abraham Lincoln Pocket Watch Conspiracy is a love-letter to my readers: a thank you for all the support and all the laughs for all these years. I would not have written this book if it was not for their encouragement, and I believe they made me a better writer by forcing me to take challenges. I owe them the very best experience my words can offer, and if they enjoyed what I wrote previously, I have no doubt they will love this adventure!
R: Do you have any advice for anyone trying to get a book published?
J: If you want to get a book published, you’ll need a large and growing group of readers to convince an agent to represent you and a publisher to work with you. Writing is a difficult market and the competition can be fierce, but thanks to the Internet, more people than ever before can make their mark on this planet. As such, my advice is Ray’s advice: go out there and offer something nobody in the world can do as good as you do. If you have a unique skill or experience, use it to your advantage. Seek help when you need it, and help your fellow writers in return. Your fight will be long and hard and it may not take you anywhere you expected, but such is adventure. Your imagination is a vast frontier. Venture forward with your head held high.
R: When and where will “The Great Abraham Lincoln Pocket Watch Conspiracy” be available for purchase?
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J: The book comes out on August 5th, but it is already available for pre-order everywhere! People can order it on-line or request a copy at their local bookstore. Personally, I suggest they do both since it is not only a handsome book, but it also makes for a great gift! I wrote this book as a summer thrill: an adventure! You might as well take it with a friend.