Fiction writing seemed like a remote idea while I pursued careers in engineering, consulting, and, eventually, international trading after graduating from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Harvard Business School. But when I realized I was spending too much downtime in foreign airports sketching out story ideas based on people seen and conversations overheard, I knew I needed to add something else.
My years in international business provided me with an exposure to a wide spectrum of people and cultural values. While I may not have dwelled on it at the time, I found myself drawing on those encounters and characters in my writing. And earning an MFA at Southampton College helped me bring these experiences together.
I have Brooklyn roots. My wife and I now live in Amagansett, New York, a hamlet in the town of East Hampton, known as a summer escape destination for many. It’s also a good location to think or write. The long stretches of beach, the dunes and the presence of a boundless ocean stimulate the imagination.
-Allan Retzky
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