We chat with James A. Cusumano, who has been a successful entertainer, scientist, corporate executive, entrepreneur, filmmaker, and holistic hotelier. In his new novel I Can See Clearly: Rise of a Supernatural Hero, it is the story of a talented teenager seeking the Meaning of Life and his Life Purpose, while fighting the grip of the CIA.
Hi, James! Tell us a bit about yourself!
I grew up in New Jersey, the oldest of 10 children—six girls and four boys—one born about every 2 years. My mother was essentially pregnant for 20 years, and my father was a postman. So you might imagine, we were far from well off, financially. As youngsters, all of us worked to help the family cause. Shining shoes and delivering newspapers during the frigid Jersey winters got old fast. It wasn’t for me.
After a couple of years of piano lessons, at age 15, I became the keyboard player and then the lead singer for a group that played for dances, parties, and weddings. Growing up close to New York City, during the birth of Rock and Roll music, it wasn’t much of a leap in those days to move into recording. Entertaining with some of the early pioneers of rock music such as Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, Fats Domino, and Buddy Holly & The Crickets was not only a “blast”—it taught me a lot about leadership and understanding all kinds of people, especially prima donnas!
I enjoyed entertaining, but another love tugged heavily at me—science—especially mathematics, chemistry, and physics. After seven years at Rutgers University for a B.A. in chemistry, and a Ph.D. in chemical physics, I found myself working in corporate America as a research scientist and eventually as a research director, meshing the principles of science and business.
An entrepreneur at heart, I subsequently moved to Silicon Valley where I co-founded two public companies, Catalytica Energy Systems and Catalytica Pharmaceuticals. The latter company grew in less than five years, from several people to more than 2,000 and had a value on the stock exchange of more than $1 billion before being sold.
I next returned to my entertainment roots as an executive producer when I founded Chateau Wally Films and produced the feature film, “What Matters Most,”, written by my now deceased wife, Jane, who directed the film on location in the Texas Panhandle, while fighting stage-4 breast cancer. It starred our actress-daughter, Polly, now Polly Cole, wife of Joe Robert Cole, screenplay writer of The Black Panther film. “What Matters Most” was released in 2002 on Lifetime Television and in more than 50 countries.
I then moved to Prague where my wife, Inez, and I bought, renovated, and opened Chateau Mcely in 2006 as an award-winning 17th-century, castle, spa hotel and forest retreat, chosen by the World Travel Awards as “The World’s Leading Green Hotel.”
I have brought to Chateau Mcely, international change-makers like Deepak Chopra and Lance Secretan, who discussed the power and potential of accessing higher levels of consciousness as a means to create long-term happiness and fulfillment. I am particularly interested in the power of altered states of consciousness that lead to Conscious Leadership and Life Purpose.
I’m the author of nine fiction and nonfiction books, the most recent, the novel, I Can See Clearly: Rise of A Supernatural Hero, released as an e-book and audiobook on December 15, 2020 and in hardcover on March 16, 2021.
Having worked successfully at several eclectic business endeavors, I became passionate about giving something back to the greater, common-good. All of my successes were the result of working with talented, motivated, people. People who wanted to make a difference in the world. People who helped me make good decisions. People who implemented challenging work, sometimes, work they thought not possible. I wanted to share with others what I had learned along my personal and professional journey. Starting about 2010, this I did through seminars at Chateau Mcely, presentations, at corporations and universities, and a commitment to becoming a published author, as a more effective means to spread my messages.
After the chaos that was 2020, have you set any goals for this year? If so, how are they going so far?
I Can See Clearly was Book 1 for the Luc Ponti series. I have just finished the first draft of Book 2, entitled, Seagull’s Revenge. However, there will be a lot more work before its publication, which will likely take place in the fall.
Quick lightning round! Tell us the first book you ever remember reading, the one that made you want to become an author, and one that you can’t stop thinking about!
The first novel I recall reading was Mark Twain’s Tom Sawyer. The one that made me want to become a writer is The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. I’ve read it several times. In this beautiful fable, there are numerous powerful insights on living a great life. The overarching message of the novel is that you must look inside, not outside, to find happiness and fulfillment.
When did you first discover your love for writing?
I first became intrigued with writing fiction at age 9, when I used my mother’s ancient typewriter to create my first essay—Trip To Titan. However, I started my writing career decades later with nonfiction books and eventually moved to what I call Wisdom Fiction—simultaneously entertaining the reader, while integrating throughout the narrative, the fundamentals of what I had learned along the way—information and concepts that could have a positive influence in creating a more successful and fulfilling life—elements like inspired leadership, values, life purpose, elevated consciousness, and passion.
Your new novel I Can See Clearly: Rise of a Supernatural Hero is out March 16th, 2021! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
If it were for marketing the book, it would be four words, “Uplifting, intelligent and enlightening.”
For the books “essence,” it would be, “Superhero creates humanity’s sustainable future.”
Now, what can readers expect?
Book 2, “Seagull’s Revenge,” demonstrates again, Luc Ponti and his SPI Team’s capability of saving humanity from self-destruction.
What inspired you to write I Can See Clearly: Rise of a Supernatural Hero?
I wanted to use what I’ve learned, personally and professionally, over several decades to touch the hearts and souls of the 13+ readership with ways they can lead a happier and more fulfilled life, and simultaneously help create a better world.
Were there any challenges you faced while writing? If so, how did you overcome them?
I had to learn when and to whom to show my early drafts, and how to internalize their constructive critique in ways that ignored my ego and resisted the social hypnosis of many years of programming my subconscious.
If it’s not too spoilery, do you have any favorite moments that you loved bringing to the page?
There are a number of exciting moments involving Thay, a Buddhist monk who becomes Luc Ponti’s good friend and his Consigliori. Thay is no ordinary monk. He was born in the Bronx to Vietnamese parents, educated in a Nepal Monastery, graduated summa cum laude from Harvard with degrees in philosophy and physics. He has a high-rank black belt in taekwondo, is a master chess player, plays video games on his iPhone to improve his concentration and, although an Asian monk in appearance, he speaks with a disarming heavy Bronx accent. He’s spiritual, yet cool, smart, and does some of the most unexpected things!
What’s the best and the worst writing advice you have received?
BEST ADVICE: Write what you love and love what you write—don’t do it just for money.
WORST ADVICE: Write the kind of stuff that’s selling big at the time.
What’s next for you?
Book 2 of the Luc Ponti Series and trying to interest Netflix or Amazon in doing an episodic series based on the book series.
Lastly, do you have any book recommendations for our readers?
Read Paulo Coelho’s, The Alchemist. Read it slowly and think about every line of the narrative. Here’s an example from the book.
“Your Personal Legend is what you have always wanted to accomplish. Everyone, when they are young, knows what their Personal Legend is. As time passes, a mysterious force begins to convince them that it will be impossible for them to realize their Personal Legend.”
There are numerous powerful points like this throughout the book. Write down the ones that touch you heart and soul and look at them on occasion.
