Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Louie Mandrapilias. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Louie, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?
During the pandemic lockdown, I finally wrote my memoir (and accompanying screenplay) about my brief career as a gay drug smuggler in New York City circa 1978. My eventual arrest resulted in a unique bond between my nefarious father, Nick the Greek, a descendant of ancient Sparta, and myself.
Google “Mandrapilias”: a surname commonly found in Sparta, Greece. Meaning ‘made of stone.’
Louie, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Growing up as a closeted gay kid in the South, resentful at my father and his foreign Greek ways, I grew more rebellious as a teenager and eventually turned to a life of crime (drug smuggling) and glamour (nights at Studio 54). Only after I got sober in 1984 did I begin to examine my difficult relationship with my father. When he passed in 2018, I wanted to tell our story, but wasn’t sure about exposing some of the dark secrets I had kept hidden. At age 60, entering semi-retirement, I began work on the screenplay as we entered Covid lockdown. With so much free time, I sat in front of the computer every morning and typed away, pulling old memories out of the recesses of my brain. The resulting unpublished memoir and unsold screenplay have placed as finalists in several national competitions. I continue to submit to new festivals, work with writers groups and editors to hone my roller-coaster ride coming of age story. If I can share any inspiring words it would be: it’s never too late to begin, and to persevere.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
Since childhood, I’ve always had the ability to imagine and see things in three dimensions. If I begin with a simple thought, an idea, I may not always understand how I can get from Point A to Point Z, but if I take each step as it comes, I will find the answer. Along the way, new information may be revealed that will help me that I was not aware of, or didn’t know existed. I began my professional career as an art director, but have also been a finish carpenter and remodeled a few kitchens and baths—jack of all trades as they say. I just completed a full renovation of a historic Brooklyn brownstone in 2023 while writing the sequel to my memoir.
Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?
I was not aware of all the free or discounted writer’s workshops available to many groups: people in recovery, special needs, women, seniors, etc. After revising my memoir dozens of times, I joined an HIV Writer’s workshop that is sponsored by the Ryan White Act, and began examining my work with more seasoned writers who had similar stories to tell. I have really enjoyed the feedback I have received and learned so much from my classmates. In fact, I had my first public reading with this group last April.
Contact Info:
- Website: eliscoming.com