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That's me at the helm of the Susan A, leaving Charleston harbor.
I've loved boats since grade school, when I often drew them on Big Chief tablets. I've cruised
boats back and forth across the Gulf of Mexico, up and down the east coast of the U.S.A.,
across countless lakes and miles of rivers. At the age of seven I paddled a large piece of
Styrofoam into an storm drain and emerged a quarter mile away (this is in one of my novels). I
spent two years living on a boat. I can overhaul a boat's diesel engine, install a generator,
trouble shoot electrical problems, repair fiberglass, strip and varnish teak, run a perfect bead
of sealant, clean bottoms in or out of the water, replace zincs, polish fuel, dock in a crosswind,
run an inlet safely on the Fourth of July, navigate in fog by radar, set an anchor properly, and
survive thirty degree rolls without throwing up. I've written one novel set on a boat, which is not
yet published but hopefully will find its way to you one day. Maybe then you'll understand.
I've loved boats since grade school, when I often drew them on Big Chief tablets. I've cruised
boats back and forth across the Gulf of Mexico, up and down the east coast of the U.S.A.,
across countless lakes and miles of rivers. At the age of seven I paddled a large piece of
Styrofoam into an storm drain and emerged a quarter mile away (this is in one of my novels). I
spent two years living on a boat. I can overhaul a boat's diesel engine, install a generator,
trouble shoot electrical problems, repair fiberglass, strip and varnish teak, run a perfect bead
of sealant, clean bottoms in or out of the water, replace zincs, polish fuel, dock in a crosswind,
run an inlet safely on the Fourth of July, navigate in fog by radar, set an anchor properly, and
survive thirty degree rolls without throwing up. I've written one novel set on a boat, which is not
yet published but hopefully will find its way to you one day. Maybe then you'll understand.
A look at my bookshelf.
The books I own say a lot about who I am. On my shelf you'll find twelve versions of the Bible
and one volume from the Talmud (tractate Sanhedrin, a gift from a fellow student), along with
many books on Judaism and Christianity. I have a whole shelf devoted to books about boats
and boating (more on this below). You'll find hundreds of suspense and mystery novels
including the first five mystery novels I ever read (from the Hardy Boys series). There is a
section with most of the classics they forced on me in high school and college, which somehow
seem to have improved since then. I have several dozen travel books, a section on
architecture, about two dozen screenplays, and twenty or twenty-five books containing good
color plates of paintings, mostly by impressionists. What does your bookshelf say about you?
The books I own say a lot about who I am. On my shelf you'll find twelve versions of the Bible
and one volume from the Talmud (tractate Sanhedrin, a gift from a fellow student), along with
many books on Judaism and Christianity. I have a whole shelf devoted to books about boats
and boating (more on this below). You'll find hundreds of suspense and mystery novels
including the first five mystery novels I ever read (from the Hardy Boys series). There is a
section with most of the classics they forced on me in high school and college, which somehow
seem to have improved since then. I have several dozen travel books, a section on
architecture, about two dozen screenplays, and twenty or twenty-five books containing good
color plates of paintings, mostly by impressionists. What does your bookshelf say about you?
The view from my window.
During my last couple of years in Texas, when I looked up from work I saw the Dallas skyline on
the far side of White Rock Lake. When in need of inspiration on a novel, I'd step outside and
walk along the nine mile trail around the lake while talking to myself about the story. People
must have thought I was unhinged, one of those poor folks you see arguing with thin air, but
walking and talking somehow gets me out of ruts and helps me see new possibilities. Dallas
was very good to my wife and me. We loved our church, our friends, the museums and
restaurants. Then we headed for California, a different skyline and a much larger body of
water (think boats!). Before we moved I wondered how they would react to a fellow walking and
talking to himself on the beach out west. Then I remembered it was California. They've seen it
all before.
During my last couple of years in Texas, when I looked up from work I saw the Dallas skyline on
the far side of White Rock Lake. When in need of inspiration on a novel, I'd step outside and
walk along the nine mile trail around the lake while talking to myself about the story. People
must have thought I was unhinged, one of those poor folks you see arguing with thin air, but
walking and talking somehow gets me out of ruts and helps me see new possibilities. Dallas
was very good to my wife and me. We loved our church, our friends, the museums and
restaurants. Then we headed for California, a different skyline and a much larger body of
water (think boats!). Before we moved I wondered how they would react to a fellow walking and
talking to himself on the beach out west. Then I remembered it was California. They've seen it
all before.
The place where I am now.
At first I was confused by California. This is certainly not Texas. I had some trouble picking up
the rhythm. For example, consider this photo from my office window. It didn't turn out like I
planned. I was thinking "ocean view" but my camera had its own ideas about the proper focal
point. I decided to stop fighting it and let the camera have its way. Anyone could look out this
window and see the surf down there, but as a writer it's my job to see a little more, and a little
less. A good novel, like a good life, is about relationships. So I thought about the mighty
ocean's ebb and flow, and those little budding branches. I thought of the tree's unceasing
cycle of life and the ocean's endless motion, the absolute uniqueness of every wave and every
leaf, the rising tide and sap. I saw connections between falling leafs in autumn and retreating
waves and then I thought, "It's good that I am here right now," and I sat down to write.
At first I was confused by California. This is certainly not Texas. I had some trouble picking up
the rhythm. For example, consider this photo from my office window. It didn't turn out like I
planned. I was thinking "ocean view" but my camera had its own ideas about the proper focal
point. I decided to stop fighting it and let the camera have its way. Anyone could look out this
window and see the surf down there, but as a writer it's my job to see a little more, and a little
less. A good novel, like a good life, is about relationships. So I thought about the mighty
ocean's ebb and flow, and those little budding branches. I thought of the tree's unceasing
cycle of life and the ocean's endless motion, the absolute uniqueness of every wave and every
leaf, the rising tide and sap. I saw connections between falling leafs in autumn and retreating
waves and then I thought, "It's good that I am here right now," and I sat down to write.
I'm honored that you're here . . .
. . . because it means you want to know a little bit about me. Let's start with the first thing
most people ask: what's up with my first name? It's an old family name, brought to the new
world from a little town in Scotland called Blair Atholl, (which is between Pitagowan and
Aldclune). My family dropped the second "L" a few generations back, and being Americans
we mispronounce it, saying "eighth-ol" with the accent on the first syllable. For more about
my life and work so far, check out this brief biography. You can also read an interview I did
with Cindy Crosby, whose byline often appears in Christianity Today, and you can read other
interviews here and here. Please visit my blog, where I write about the things most on my
mind these days. And just in case all of that is not enough, I've offered a few more thoughts
on life below. If you want to get in touch, please drop me a line or leave a comment on the
blog. I'd love to hear from you!
. . . because it means you want to know a little bit about me. Let's start with the first thing
most people ask: what's up with my first name? It's an old family name, brought to the new
world from a little town in Scotland called Blair Atholl, (which is between Pitagowan and
Aldclune). My family dropped the second "L" a few generations back, and being Americans
we mispronounce it, saying "eighth-ol" with the accent on the first syllable. For more about
my life and work so far, check out this brief biography. You can also read an interview I did
with Cindy Crosby, whose byline often appears in Christianity Today, and you can read other
interviews here and here. Please visit my blog, where I write about the things most on my
mind these days. And just in case all of that is not enough, I've offered a few more thoughts
on life below. If you want to get in touch, please drop me a line or leave a comment on the
blog. I'd love to hear from you!
Athol Dickson
author