Portland-based writer Dan Stone is working on a crime novel about Caravaggio, an Italian Renaissance artist who murdered a guy over a bet on a tennis match and then spent the rest of his life on the run. Stone’s heading back to Italy to retrace Caravaggio’s conman wanderings, and he’s put together some sweet rewards that let backers get in on the investigation. We asked him to elaborate on the whole mysterious affair below.

What brought you to Caravaggio?

I spent the summer and fall of 2009 in Rome, and one of my favorite pastimes was walking a route through the city that hit all the Caravaggio paintings in churches. I’d stop for an espresso near the Piazza Navona, then wander into the San Luigi dei Francesi. After that, I’d head towards the Piazza del Popolo, have a glass of wine, then visit the Santa Maria del Popolo, where some of Caravaggio’s greatest works hang in the Cerasi Chapel.

While in Rome, I started reading about his life, and I discovered that the streets and piazze where I spent my time were the same places where Caravaggio engaged in sword fights and brawls and love affairs and run-ins with the cops. He was already my favorite painter, so when I became fascinated and obsessed with the details of his life, deciding to write the novel was a natural next step. I spent more than a year researching before beginning the first draft.

How’d you end up on Kickstarter?

I’ve always admired Kickstarter’s grassroots and democratic structure. It fills a real need in the world of arts funding in two essential ways. First, by allowing people who might not have a lot of money to contribute to a project. As a backer, there’s an exciting sense of collaboration. And second, someone with a good idea for a creative project can raise the means to realize his or her goal. Raising money for art is not an easy thing.

I also appreciate the way Kickstarter is like a microcosm of the marketplace — projects are pitched, and then people decide to support them or not. There are no shady favors or backdoor deals. It’s wonderfully simple and honest.

Any tips for people bringing their book projects to Kickstarter?

In describing your book project, give people a taste, but don’t overwhelm them with material. Think of it as a movie trailer or the back-cover copy of a novel. Definitely produce a video, even a simple one, and offer a brief excerpt of your work.

As for the rewards, try to come up with something more original and interesting than simply copies of your finished book. Think of what you can offer your backers that will make them feel engaged in the process, rather than only getting a token of the result.

Digging the vile of sand reward. Was that an obvious choice for you or did you ponder that for a while?

That one came to me pretty suddenly. I’m excited to retrace Caravaggio’s path up the coast, figure out where he collapsed, and collect some sand that just might contain an atom or two of his remains. Then I get to smuggle it back into the country. Should be fun.

I see you backed Y La Bamba, also from Portland. Do you know the band?

I’ve seen them play in Portland, and I’ve served Manhattans to their lead singer. Go see them if they come to your town. Super fun show.

What writers inspire you/your writing?

For this novel, I’m reading a great deal of early crime fiction, especially Dashiell Hammett, and I’m spending a lot of time with Crime and Punishment. I’m also listening to plenty of Enrico Caruso as I work. 

You’ve written poetry, prose, and translation in the past. What have you written and translated? Where can people find your writing?

Here are links to a couple poems:
Equator
Displacement

And I have work forthcoming in the journal 236, including translations of the Italian poet Giuseppe Ungaretti. Here’s one:

CANTO

1932

Rivedo la tua bocca lenta
(Il mare le va incontro delle notti)
E la cavalla delle reni
In agonia caderti
Nelle mie braccia che cantavano,
E riportarti un sonno

Al colorito e a nuove morti.

E la crudele solitudine
Che in sé ciascuno scopre, se ama,
Ora tomba infinita,

Da te mi divide per sempre.

Cara, lontana come in uno specchio…

- - - - - - - - - -

SONG

1932

I see again your slow mouth
(The ocean of nights rolls towards it)
And the mare of your loins
In agony falling from you
Into my arms that sang,
And sleep returning you

To a blush and to new deaths.

And the cruel solitude
That each discovers in himself, if he loves,
Now an infinite tomb,

Divides me from you forever.

Beloved, far away as in a mirror…

You bartend. What bar can people find you at in the event they want to quiz you on the Italian Renaissance?

Come see me at the Slammer Tavern on Saturday nights. I’m also at Bunk Bar on sort of a random schedule.