Once upon a time, while I was a grad student in Florida, I worked an odd mix of jobs. I sorted trays of sand with tweezers for a professor, a mindless task made better by the company of other sorters. I sold my art in local stores.
And I worked as the night desk/security person in the marine science building, near the end of a jetty. After locking up I walked out alone, beneath the stars, surrounded by the sea. Perfect.
And I worked as the night desk/security person in the marine science building, near the end of a jetty. After locking up I walked out alone, beneath the stars, surrounded by the sea. Perfect.
I shared a cheap, run-down apartment with another student. It had no heating or air conditioning; living here felt a bit like camping out with solid walls and a roof over my head.
But the roof needed work. One night, during a hard rain, I woke as the ceiling fell in on top of me. I was drenched with stinky, filthy gray water and covered with old insulation.
But the roof needed work. One night, during a hard rain, I woke as the ceiling fell in on top of me. I was drenched with stinky, filthy gray water and covered with old insulation.
This place was not perfect. Some might call it a slum. But comfort is relative; I met people who were homeless.
I left my old car unlocked at night, with blankets inside. People stayed in my car from time to time, especially when it was rainy or cold.
Sometimes a visitor left me a gift of an unsmoked cigarette. I don’t smoke, but it's the thought that counts.
I left my old car unlocked at night, with blankets inside. People stayed in my car from time to time, especially when it was rainy or cold.
Sometimes a visitor left me a gift of an unsmoked cigarette. I don’t smoke, but it's the thought that counts.
I became friends with other tenants and realized that dreams are another kind of wealth. Some need help.
I was able to follow my dream and study marine science. Soon I could take a blank world map and, from memory, draw every major ocean current, even many minor ones. I better understood the connections between sea and sky, weather patterns and climate change.
Years later, the working title for my first novel became “Sea and Sky”, with connections between friends from
different worlds.
I was able to follow my dream and study marine science. Soon I could take a blank world map and, from memory, draw every major ocean current, even many minor ones. I better understood the connections between sea and sky, weather patterns and climate change.
Years later, the working title for my first novel became “Sea and Sky”, with connections between friends from
different worlds.
Everything I owned fit into my old car, except for the saltwater fish tank. I caught small fish and crabs for the tank, studied them, and returned them to the sea.
When I eventually moved away for my new job as a marine scientist, I gave this tank to a friend.
Vorm, one of my characters, is a wanderer of the sea. “We live free in the water. We are not burdened with things. Our experiences . . . our memories . . . all that
we truly own is in our mind."
~ "The Dragon Dreamer"
When I eventually moved away for my new job as a marine scientist, I gave this tank to a friend.
Vorm, one of my characters, is a wanderer of the sea. “We live free in the water. We are not burdened with things. Our experiences . . . our memories . . . all that
we truly own is in our mind."
~ "The Dragon Dreamer"
I was rich. I owned the gold and diamonds reflected off the sea, and the ruby sunsets. I owned the sound of the waves and the smell of the salty air.
All this is inside me, and sometimes in my Dragon Dreamer books.
“Arak lived with the taste of sea spray, the
rhythmic sound of waves, and the remarkable colors.
Afternoon waves shimmered like hammered gold in the
slanting sunlight.” ~ The Dragon Dreamer
All this is inside me, and sometimes in my Dragon Dreamer books.
“Arak lived with the taste of sea spray, the
rhythmic sound of waves, and the remarkable colors.
Afternoon waves shimmered like hammered gold in the
slanting sunlight.” ~ The Dragon Dreamer
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