Who Do You Think You Are?

In Who Do You Think You Are? Reflections Of A Writer’s Life, Joseph Torra, ponders his thirty plus years as a poet, novelist, editor, publisher, and teacher. With both pathos and humor, Torra discusses the challenges he has faced as an author, husband, parent—and, as a person who struggles with bipolar disease. He shares stories and insights on: growing up in a working class Italian-American Boston suburb, literary and other artists who have influenced him, painting, music, addiction, the publishing scene—past and present—as well as the importance of mentorships and community. Who Do You Think You Are?, a courageous and frank portrait of an author, benefits all readers who hope to pursue an artistic career of any form. “Torra’s characters speak in an almost poetic cadence,” said Boston Magazine. And Charlotte Innes of the Los Angeles Times wrote, Torra “Offers an intricate, sympathetic, sometimes outraged, always graceful commentary on the larger world.”

Author Biography

“Torra is unafraid to bleed in this memoir. He tells us of his struggle with his manic depression, the vagaries of addiction, and the nagging haunt of self-doubt. But Torra is a survivor and he got by with the help of his community and the centering of his family.” —The Somerville Times