I was born a hyphenated American in the East Bronx (Arthur Avenue and Fordham Road where Poe once walked with all his demons) coming in on a crash landing and still can't shake that hyphenated label - though now we live in a simpler place in time among the Litchfield Hills. I graduated from the only college that won the NIT and NCAA basketball tournaments in the same year but more importantly than that a Jonas Salk graduated from that same NYC school and tried to rid the world of polio and ironically another person graduated from there too - the Secretary of State - who has forgotten his proud roots and chose to begin his march toward the scent of more money.

I had stories published in literary magazines in the USA, Greece, India, Scotland, Ireland, England and Canada and live with a beautiful wife who waits for me to return from my imaginary meandering and we both helped - I swear to God - in bringing into this world three sort of nice children a boy and two girls who I hope find a mate as good and tender as the one I did long ago and far away - just like the song!

Due to the fact I have never been able to successfully get a picture of myself out to the "many requests" on the net from those who are curious about the face behind the words and never pronounce the h in Vilhotti it's
silent, I've decided to give a vivid description of myself: I once had luxurious curly hair; now my wife says about three strands are real real good curly. My eyes are the color of wine ( semi-sweet). If I stand next to a child I am nearly six foot tall - once I was six foot nine inches! My face is somewhat small for my nose and I've inherited that so-called beer gene and what accrues from that stupid thing. Hey, but listen - I'm a real good looking guy so people say with eyes never meeting mine - and believe it or not I do a mean great slow dancing and almost as good an invigorating stroll. I'm as old as winter, as young as spring - going into autumn and I shall die in the thirteenth month on the sixth week of the thirty second day; that is, if I have to die! Jerry V.