Today we’d like to introduce you to Tad Wojnicki.
Hi Tad, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I arrived in the U.S, speaking just two words in English, “I” and “you.” Subsequently, I earned a Ph.D. to teach college English, both home and abroad… I am your typical immigrant. One day, I flew to Mexico to smuggle my foreign girlfriend over the southern border into the US. In a place known as the “Tropical Paradise,” we got robbed at a knifepoint and expelled like Adam and Eve. My first novel, LIE UNDER THE FIG TREES tells the story. My screenplay, TYPHOON BABY tells another real-life story. I was caught in a cataclysmic typhoon with another girlfriend, currently my wife. The result is our son, Yitzhak, now 6. A love story anyone? I’m open to talk. Settled in LA, now I’m working on my Certificate in TV Writing at UCLA.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
First of all, the language barrier. I’ve never taken a basic class. However, I loved English, I loved its music and its plasticity, and I knew that one day I’ll be able to express my feelings, and then, who knows, maybe write a poem? I had a hell of a time adjusting to the societal rules and regulations. I fought with my co-workers, I’ve been fired, banned and ostracized. Also, I drove cars drunk. Looking back, I can see how damaged I had been by living in the Communist system as a youth.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
At first, I studied Philosophy of Religion and specialized in the Judaism. I wrote a 300-page thesis, I took tons of tests, and I earned a Ph.D. Soon, I was offered a fellowship by the Hebrew Union College – Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was great. My fate as a Biblical scholar had been fixed. Just as my fellowship had expired, I abandoned Philosophy and switched to Literature. I decided to write novels, become a creative writer, and write for the movies… It was crazy. I had only lived in the United States for, like a year. Soon, I started teaching at bookstores and colleges a creative writing workshop called WRITE LIKE A LOVER! and I never looked back.
How do you define success?
At the top of my laptop, I have placed a Buddha’s wisdom: “Life is what you make it.” I follow this rule. I measure my success by how well I succeed in fulfilling my innermost desires.
Contact Info:
- Email: tadwojnicki@gmail.com
- Other: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8484614/?ref_=nv_sr_4
Image Credits
Iyza Wojnicki Tad Wojnicki the cover of the RECOUNT Magazine
