Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Interview with Author Irene Helenowski


Irene Helenowski
Chicago, IL

Good morning, Irene, and welcome to Vision and Verse, the place for Art and Authors. Can you tell us a little about what you've written?
I have written a science fiction trilogy and am now working on a fairy tale.  I also write poetry in between.

What is your favorite genre to write?  
I do not have a favorite in particular; I am still a novice so am still figuring out what I’d like to write the most.

What's your favorite food?
I do like chicken paninis.

Tea or coffee?  
Depends on my mood, but usually coffee.

Pizza or ice cream? 
Pizza!!

Wine or beer?  
Actually, neither; I really don’t drink.  Just maybe a little champagne on New Year’s Eve.

Where would you like to visit?  
Even since I’ve seen the Sound of Music, I wanted to visit Salzburg, Austria.

Favorite musical artist.  Do you listen to music when you write?  What? Sometimes and I listen to all kinds, from classical to rock and pop.

What makes you laugh?  
The silliest things sometimes.  My mom and my brother have a great sense of humor and always make me laugh.  My 7-year old niece must have inherited my brother’s sense of humor because she says the darndest things too.

Favorite work of art or sculpture
Lady with an Ermine Painting by Da Vinci.

How old were you when you started writing? 
Always liked writing since I was a teenager but was not serious about publishing until after I completed my dissertation three years ago.

Describe your perfect evening. 
Relaxing with family and friends.

Where do you get your inspiration?  
Sometimes just from little everyday things.

What do you do when you get a writer's block? 
I try not to stress too much about it.  And I always get ideas when I least expect them.

Who is your favorite author?  Too many to list.  
I like all the classics as well as the authors I met during my writing journey.

Best book you ever read. 
Quo Vadis by Henryk Sienkiewicz.

Last book you read.  
Housebroken by Sonja Yoerg.  I did find it shed a new light on a unique family dynamic.

What would you do for a living if you weren’t a writer?  
I am a biostatistician by day.

Who is the one person who has influenced your personal life the most and why?  
Definitely my mom.  She has been through so much in life but always keeps a positive attitude.

If you could sit down and have a conversation with ONE person, living or dead, real or fictional, who would it be and why?  
Wish I could talk to my dad again.


What advice would you give someone who aspired to be a writer?  

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