Childhood | College | Experiences | Favorites | Quotes

I grew up on Long Island, New York. I am the youngest of three boys, so you can probably guess that I put up with my fair share of teasing from my older brothers. Being the youngest wasn't all that bad as I became my mother's helper in the kitchen, so I am the only Rinaldi Son who knows how to cook. One strong memory I have of my childhood is of creating elaborate imaginary games with my friends. Entire sagas grew out of our play-acting with detailed plotlines and intricate characters. My passion for writing developed during middle school. Up until that time my favorite subjects were History and Math and I despised English class. Then, in 7th grade, I read The Diary of Anne Frank. That simple autobiography of a child my age facing the challenges of a terrifying world appealed to my imagination. Since I was growing up and had to divorce myself from playing with toys, why not invent new toys to be voiced on the page? Anne's diary changed my perception of writing and from that point on I knew I wanted to be a writer. I have been writing stories ever since, with my first short story being published when I was 17 years old.

On college: Along with courses in Journalism and Literature, I studied Mass Media, Information Technology and New Media. I worked for two years with the campus newspaper, The Guilfordian, where I excelled in editorial and features articles. My editorials especially garnered a following among students, alumni and faculty. It was a pleasant surprise having people I had never met before thanking me for an article I had written the previous week. I interned with two organizations during college. First, I worked as a writer and editor with Monkeyshines Publications. My biggest accomplishment for them involved my work as a lead editor and writer on their largest issue: Monkeyshines on Europe. My second internship was with the Guilford College Relations Offices, where I assisted in promoting the college to the greater community. I wrote press releases, interviewed sources and photographed events. I finished Guilford as a multiple-semester Dean's List student, most notably, during my last four semesters with course overloads on my schedule.

My first novel, The Fire of Roses, was published in 2003. It was a wonderful accomplishment as an author, but it was published just a few months before my mother died from complications with Diabetes/Heart Disease. When I surprised my parents with a copy, they first replied, "why is your name on this book?" I remember my mother later showing it off in the hospital, recommending it to nurses and doctors. I have volunteered my graphic and web design knowledge with two nonprofit organizations: Mary's House of Greensboro and Los Angeles Pregnancy Services (LAPS). These experiences benefited my leadership and brainstorming skills as I worked to promote Mary's House and LAPS to their communities and donors. My time spent with Rayonnant Productions was a joy and a half. Greg Ray, its founder, gave me free rein to create an extensive web marketing campaign that garnered Rayonnant a strong and growing audience for its productions. Landmark Community Interests (Church Impressions) equally was a blessing in my professional development. I worked as a sort of jack of all trades, tackling editing and graphic design duties on hundreds of projects. The deadline-driven team environment taught me a lot about the media business as well as working with direct clients.

My favorite genre of art would be Pre-Raphaelite/Victorian. John William Waterhouse and Lord Fredric Leighton are my favorite artists. Of modern artists, my favorite would be Pino.

My favorite writers are Thomas Merton and C.S. Lewis. While my favorite books would be I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith and The Seven Storey Mountain by Thomas Merton.

My favorite musicians are U2 and Hilary Hahn. Classical (Romantic, Classical, and Impressionist periods) being my favorite genre.

My favorite sports are baseball and golf. I played baseball throughout elementary and middle school. My entire family are New York Yankees fans with Derek Jeter being my favorite player.

Quotes from others about me:

"Greg has been very dependable, and his work is always of the highest quality. Most of all, I have to praise Greg for his level-headedness and his ability to deal with pressure. He is always kind and cordial - a real pleasure to work with."

Susana Santana
Vice President
Los Angeles Pregnancy Services (LAPS)

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"Greg Rinaldi truly went above and beyond our expectations. His designs were innovative and eye-catching, and captured Rayonnant's unique character. He was unfailingly prompt, courteous, and professional, as well as a pleasure to work with."

Rebecca Ray
Rayonnant Productions