BE14: Q&A with Paul Barile
Bookends
Welcome to Bookends, a podcast about the books, chapters, and pages of our lives and the writers behind the stories we love. Today we will get to know children’s book author and Lucha Legends founder Paul Barile. If you want to get in on the fun by doing an author interview, answer the questions you can find at writerkat dot com. Now, on with the show!
. Welcome back, bookworms!
I'm your host WriterKat. I am doing a Q&A with children’s book author and Lucha Legends Founder Paul Barile. Paul says he is a Chicago guy through and through. He has a daughter who is making the world a better place. She is a clinical social worker director in LA. Paul has been writing his entire life. His hobbies include reading, Lucha Libre, playing bass guitar, writing songs, and singing (The Grudge Brothers). He also loves to experiment in the kitchen, so people are always buying him spices or cookbooks.
A lifelong wrestling fan, Paul Barile was introduced to Lucha Libre years ago and is now a student of Lucha Libre—not as a practitioner of the art form itself, but of all of the ancillary elements, including the pageantry and the storytelling, the characters, the sights, and the sounds, and of course the food.
Outside of Lucha Libre, Paul has also spent many years in the classroom teaching in the Headstart program, as well as a variety of after-school programs. In addition, Paul spent summers working in resident camps where his love of writing began to take hold.
Later while working as a tour guide, Paul honed his storytelling skills as he showed visitors the sights and sounds of Chicago. However, he continued to teach young people acting, improv, and filmmaking.
During this time, Paul’s passion for the Lucha began to grow, and when it collided with his passion for writing, Paul knew he had to do something. He chose to create a Lucha universe like no other. Paul is not satisfied with just writing a book or two about Luchadores. He is creating an entire series featuring many of the people who make Lucha Libre what it is.
The series includes books not just about the luchadors and luchadoras, but they are also about the referees, the ring announcers, and the other people who make up the magic of Lucha.
A part of that magic is the touchstone of family because family is important in the culture of Lucha Libre. So much so that Paul has witnessed Luchadores blessing babies before a match. In his books, Paul draws parallels to Lucha Libre in the way he depicts the family passing traditions on to younger members. Many famous wrestlers take their names from their famous fathers.
As a driver for a local Lucha Libre federation, Paul has carried many great Luchadores from airports to shows. He has met some of the biggest Luchadores and Luchadoras working today.
Paul’s own legacy in the Lucha world is his nephew, the translator of his books from English to Spanish. In his quest to follow this family-oriented sport, Paul has seen Lucha Libre in five states and two countries. While in Mexico, Paul reiterates the family tie by bringing his sister and his nephew to the matches there. Stateside, he is also always introducing people to the storytelling and deeply held traditions of Lucha Libre.
Paul’s repertoire of all things Lucha includes writing dual-language books and creating Lucha Libre coloring books. He also teaches writing to adults in his spare time.
Welcome to Bookends, Paul. Wow! I didn’t know about the world of Lucha Libre before now. Fascinating. What else inspires you to write?
