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DiVitto Kelly

My name is DiVitto Kelly, and welcome to my website. Here you’ll find info about my novels, short stories, screenplays, and a TV sitcom based on my career in public libraries.

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Cool newsI've wrapped up my fourth novel, Sol. It's an atypical vampire tale set in 1979 Miami Beach and Romania, a blend of vampires, Jewish delis, and New York City baseball.

 

On the burner: My fifth novel, tentatively called The Alley,  is a creature feature set near Big Cypress Reservation along Alligator Alley in late summer, 1981. I'm utilizing my experience working for the Seminole Tribe of Florida to give the story a unique flavor.

Summer of The Shark Books

Celebrate the 50th anniversary of JAWS with

SUMMER
OF THE SHARK

 


I'll be in Martha's Vineyard from June 27-28 for book talks at multiple libraries, along with instructing some fun paper mache shark crafts!  

Finley lifesavior
About

About 

I'm originally from Cincinnati, Ohio. At age 13, my family relocated to Longboat Key, Florida, where I quickly developed a fascination with sharks and other sea creatures. We later moved to New Jersey, where I developed a taste for Taylor ham, egg, and cheese.


True story: One day while combing the beach for shells, I discovered an 18-inch hammerhead shark. Wanting to have the deceased fish stuffed, but finding the cost too expensive, I wrapped it instead in aluminum foil and strategically placed it in the back of the kitchen freezer, where my mom discovered it later. Somehow, she was not too surprised.


As a kid, I read everything from newspapers to sugary cereal boxes and loved the word Riboflavin way before Kramer blurted it out on Seinfeld. Up until ninth grade, I had aspirations of becoming a professional basketball player, but at 5' 7" at the time, that probably wasn't going to happen. While commuting from Hoboken,  NJ, I worked briefly at the Guggenheim Museum in NYC and played bass guitar in a band (twice performing at famed CBGB) before spending way too much time employed at corporate-type jobs. I relocated to Hollywood, Florida, where I worked for the Seminole Tribe of Florida, where I had the privilege of managing the Dorothy Scott Osceola Memorial Library before becoming editor of their newspaper. I even volunteered to do runway during a Tribal fashion show. The Seminole elders got a kick out of that. 


After joining the local library system, the idea of writing fiction fell into place. A co-worker held a monthly writers' group that piqued my interest. During one of my desk shifts, I snuck over and sat in one of the meetings. After the instructor retired, I was asked if I wanted to head up the program. With an enthusiastic yes, I began crafting my first short story, Go Fish. About a dozen short stories later, I got the confidence and inspiration to start my first novel.

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On the schooling side, I earned an MLS degree from the University of South Florida. A certified diver, I'm also a papier mache artist/instructor, creating everything from colorful sharks to super-sized 6-foot Pop-Tarts. Check out my artist website at www.divittoart.com.


Despite being decades removed from my hometown of Cincinnati, I remain a die-hard Reds and Bengals fan. Who Dey!


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Divitto Kelly
Books
Contact

Contact 

You can contact me at divittowrites@gmail.com. I enjoy schmoozing about writing, horror films, Cincy sports, Saabs, sharks, and papier-mache art. I look forward to hearing from you.

 

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