Renaissance Man John Picardi ’93 Creates Worlds Beyond His Own
Q
BY VANESSA CHATTERLEY
UINCY NATIVE JOHN PICARDI ’93
didn’t have to look very far
to find inspiration for his latest book. In Nincompoop, aspiring playwright Leonardo arrives in New York City in the early ’90s. Beyond his professional Broadway dreams, he wants to find a husband and start a family, nearly a decade before the legalization of same-sex marriage. Fresh out of graduate school, Leonardo’s new beginning is hampered by the harsh realities of the big city. Picardi calls the protagonist optimistic, ambitious—and semiautobiographical. Like Leonardo, Picardi moved to New York in the ’90s, during a time when prejudice toward the LGBTQ+ community was overwhelmingly widespread, rampant, and destructive. Picardi said the experience took a toll on his self-esteem, calling the novel a “cautionary tale.” “It has a negative effect on your psyche. ‘How come I’m not equal to everyone else?’ or ‘How come I’m being treated differently?’” he said. “[The book] is a journey of self-love, coming to terms with who I am, who the protagonist is.” Released in May 2021 by Adelaide Books, Nincompoop is the most recent of Picardi’s many ambitious undertakings. Not only is he a successful author with two published books under his belt (Oliver Pepper’s Pickle was his debut novel), Picardi is also a professionally trained chef, having studied at Johnson & Wales University; a skilled painter; and—like his protagonist—an accomplished playwright. He is the author of award-winning plays “The Sweepers” and “Seven Rabbits on a Pole,” both of which have been produced on off-Broadway and across the United States. Picardi’s own story is one that couldn’t be written without first
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UMass Boston Spring 2022
attending UMass Boston. He originally enrolled at the university with the intention of majoring in business. It was only after he took his first writing class that Picardi changed his mind, his major, and, consequentially, the trajectory of his life forever. “UMass Boston was one of the most amazing times of my life. It opened the world for me,” said Picardi, who earned his bachelor’s in English before pursuing his MFA at Carnegie Mellon University. “I had great professors who were there for me, nurtured me, believed in me, and encouraged me.” Picardi now teaches English at Framingham State University, where he’s thrilled to pass on the wisdom he acquired from former English and creative writing professors at UMass Boston— like former faculty member Geoffrey Goodale and late professors emeriti Lee Grove and Duncan Nelson. Additionally, he’s exploring his interest in painting, a self-taught hobby that has since flourished into a market with its own loyal fan base of art lovers. “You have to follow your passion because in the long run, we’re only here for a short time,” he said.
