Chris Juliano ’03

Tell us a little about yourself! 

I grew up on the space coast of Florida, in the Cape Canaveral, Cocoa Beach area. The streets were unpaved and the beaches, uncrowded, with plenty of space to explore and to play. I work now as a gardener at the University of North Carolina creating and installing landscapes for the states’ leading administrators. 

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer? 

I realized that I wanted to be a writer when first, the words came, and then the stories and then the need to put it all together. 

What’s your writing process? What inspires your writing? 

When I write, I usually aim for five pages a day with little revision until the project is finished. I was inspired to write by different states and the stories that I constructed while living in those prospective states. 

What was the biggest thing you learned during your time as a Knight that you apply to your life today? 

The biggest thing that inspired me during my time as a Knight was the determination to finish something. To complete my education. It has helped me to push through other projects and to never quit. 

What was a class or club at UCF that helped you grow as a writer? 

American Literature was an interesting class. To discover all of the embedded themes woven throughout early American fiction was inspiring. 

Who are some of your favorite authors or books? 

I read Mother Goose, and Charles Bukowski as a child before landing on Florida writers such as Carl Hiaasen, Randy Wayne White and also John, D. McDonald. 

If UCF had a time machine, what moment on campus would you go back to? 

If UCF had a time machine, I would go back to the day that I graduated. I remember it being a day of joy and accomplishment. 

What are you currently working on right now? 

I am currently working on my next novel in the Billy Winslow series titled, Canaveral Sands. 

Anything else you want to share? 

I am excited to be a part of Art Knight, and also grateful for the space and opportunity to share my work.