Students Hear From an Alumnus Author
Peter Marzano, '68, gives out signed copies of his novels to students.
Peter Marzano, '68, Shares His Journey to Being an Author
On November 7, The Writing Studio welcomed back award-winning author Peter J. Marzano, '68, to discuss his career and offer guidance to inspiring young writers.
Marzano is the author of an award-winning trilogy of books: Litany of Sorrows, Search and Deception, and, most recently, Taken from Carinhall. Before authoring award-winning books, he authored essays and took tests at Monsignor Farrell. During his time at Farrell, Marzano was a quarterback and wrote for the student newspaper.
After Farrell, he attended Staten Island Community College. After his studies, he served a four-year apprenticeship at the NY Telephone Company, starting his career in sales. His career with technology spanned 45 years, 21 of which were spent traveling internationally.
Peter Marzano, '68, annually visits Monsignor Farrell as part of events held by The Writing Studio, moderated by Ms. Dawn Guerriero, throughout the school year.
It was not until his retirement that his writing journey began. Like all journeys, Marzano’s is unlike any other, with the idea of his debut novel, Litany of Sorrows, coming to him in a dream one night. After trying to fall back asleep, he felt compelled to write down his dream, which would start it all.
Marzano discussed his writing process by presenting Excel spreadsheets, highlighting characters and events for his novels. He discussed the importance of having others read a writer's work before it is completed, as writers often cannot notice mistakes in their own writing. For Litany of Sorrows, he discussed how alpha and beta readers helped to develop the finished product.
His trilogy, although fictional, highlights momentous events throughout history. Marzano did extensive research to provide historical context in his novels, highlighting the dark reality of the time periods in which they take place.
Peter Marzano, '68, talks with students about his journey to becoming an author and shared advice on writing, editing, and the process of publishing a book.
Marzano has received the Pinnacle Achievement Book Award for all three of his books, with Taken from Carinhall winning the 2024 International Impact Book Award for Historical Fiction/Mystery.
During his visit, Marzano shared exciting news about future projects. He discussed how the upcoming fourth installment of his series was nearing release, along with audiobooks of the first three books, arriving in Spring 2026.
He also presented students with an amazing opportunity to be featured in his upcoming fourth book. Students will research and write about the real-life events the book is based on for a chance to be featured in the historical background chapter of his upcoming project.