I learned most of my physics reading astronomy books when I was thirteen.

My father seemed to think that I might need something a bit more formal if I wanted to pursue a career, so I went to McGill and earned a document which says Bachelor of Science. I love talking physics, whether people want to listen or not, and so with another document which says Diploma in Education, I found a job which gave me regular access to a captive classroom audience.

A Master’s degree came next, something I pursued with the intent of wearing a more ostentatious gown at graduation time each June.

After many years in the field I’ve learned that telling people you are a physics teacher is a great way of either starting or stopping a conversation.

I have had the good fortune to teach at some marvelous institutions, including Lower Canada College and, most recently, John Abbott College. In 2014 I received La Mention d’honneur  de l’Association québécoise de pédagogie collégiale.

My sport growing up was football. I was recruited to play for the McGill Redmen by legendary coach Charlie Baillie, and I was proud to wear the red for five years. I was a defensive back and a linebacker. I might have continued on to the professional ranks were it not for three deficiencies: speed, size, and talent.

I boxed for a couple of years at the now defunct Olympic Boxing Club on Montreal’s Parc Avenue. (A boxing aficionado would recognize the names Donato Paduano, Vittorio Salvatore, Arturo Gatti, and the five Hilton brothers, all of whom were products of the OBC. I’ve never seen my name listed alongside any of them.) I rowed for a year with McGill’s varsity team while doing my graduate work. And I dabbled in track & field at a very modest level; I won a hammer-throwing competition in which I was the sole participant.

I like to pretend I’m still an athlete. Skiing is a passion; I have completed the 160 km Canadian Ski Marathon and I regularly compete in the Gatineau Ski Loppet and the Viking Ski Loppet. I’ve run the Montreal Marathon twice and survived thirteen triathlons.

I mentioned astronomy earlier; I’ve enjoyed this as both a hobby and a scientific discipline since before I was a teenager. The ever-increasing degree of light pollution is a source of constant frustration, and if you will permit me an editorial comment, I think it’s a crime that for the majority of humans the Milky Way is an exotic feature only seen on television commercials.

Oh, I also play a flute.  Coincidentally, whenever I practice my wife finds work she has to do in the basement.

The same year I started teaching I returned to the Redmen as a part-time coach, and I worked with amazing athletes and dedicated coaches at McGill for twenty-eight more seasons. I was a recipient of Football Canada’s Gino Fracas Award as the Canadian volunteer assistant coach of the year. I think they gave it to me out of sympathy for having endured Head Coach Charlie Baillie’s cigar smoke so long.

I have written creative fiction for as long as I can remember, at least back to my high school days.

Most of my early writing energy went into short humorous pieces which were never intended for publication. I did, however, presume that I would be a great novelist, and to that end I worked slowly and steadily, writing what would undoubtedly be a masterpiece of twentieth century literature. With the fortune I would accrue from that endeavour I would retire from teaching, write more books, do the talk-show circuit, and become Prime Minister.

Well, when the manuscript was completed, it came as a surprise to find that no publishing agents were interested in a 300,000 word epic from an unknown author with a physics degree.

My welcome to the real world of writing and publishing.

My first publication success was in Blank Spaces magazine, a short story entitled “Twenty-three Yards,”and I am indebted to editor Alanna Rusnak for her willingness to promote the work of aspiring Canadian creative artists.

I’ve now published four novels. The dystopian world of “Cromby’s Axiom” is my critique of modern society with its disturbing addiction to social media and technology. The trilogy “In the Shadow of the Goalposts” explores the world of college football and allows me to insert many of my own emotional and fascinating experiences through the various characters. My next novel will be a humorous look at a physics teacher trying to survive in a private high school in Montreal. A number of my former colleagues will relate to this one.

I enjoy exploring different genres, so don’t expect any sequels. I have a few more works in various stages, from nascent ideas to completed manuscripts. Keep your eyes peeled.

(A further note: my story “Wolverine” was short-listed for the Blank Spaces Anthology contest and will be published in April 2024. I’ll provide more information when it becomes available.)

I love my characters, I get a thrill watching them grow and develop, and sometimes I cry when bad things happen to them. I look forward to seeing more of them on the printed page. I hope you do too.