J. G. Gallagher

I was born on April 11, 1944 in Far Rockaway, New York, raised and educated there. I’ve been writing fictional short stories and poetry since I learned how to form letters into words.

In 1962 I left my home town and joined the Navy. I sailed in submarines and other vessels until I completed my tour of duty in 1966. This was a rich source of material for my stories.

After the Navy, I found more to write about as I worked at various jobs. Among other things, I worked for the railroad and sailed as an Able Seaman in ammo ships to Viet Nam.

I returned to my home town in 1969. There I met the love of my life, Ann. I settled down, got a job with the Telephone Company, and in 1971, Ann and I married and began our family. These are more good sources of writing material.

In 1998 I retired. A year later, Ann and I moved to Georgia and bought a beautiful little house in Gay. I’m using the materials I gathered over the years to write my stories. In them, there may even lie a book or two.

What was the first book you read?
Growing up, the Bible was my reading primer.

What writer influenced you most?
I like John Steinbeck’s down to earth characters and story telling.

What is your favorite story/novel?
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck.

What hobbies do you have?
Writing and massacring songs with my guitar.

If you could be any mythical creature, what would you be?
A poltergeist.

Describe your most embarrassing moment.
The Jumping Jimminey leaped straight up into the air and flung me over the outboard engine and into the water. The race hadn’t even started, and I already lost.

Usually, when I raced my boat, I wore only an old pair of shorts, and I had always managed to hold on to the boat. However, this was an official race, so I had to comply with the rules. I borrowed a neighbor's motorcycle helmet and bought a surplus Navy life jacket. After I filled out the forms and showed the officials my safety gear, I was set to race.

To make matters worse, I had invited some of my classmates, in particular a girl who I had a crush on, to see me race. I had visions of taking her with me when I ran my victory lap. But there I was, bobbing on the surface, floating on my life jacket, legs and feet waving helplessly in the air while the helmet, which was filled with water, was pulling me through the life jacket to the bottom.

It seemed like an eternity, but it was only a few seconds before I got a hold of the chin strap and ripped it open. The helmet shot straight to the bottom, and I flipped over.

In a moment, I was able to breathe and focus my eyes. I looked around for the rescue boat. It was still tied up along side of the barge at the start line.

The lifeguard was lying on the barge laughing, pointing at me and holding his side. The starting judge and the other race contestants were equally amused. My boat had run up on the shore and scattered my friends and classmates. I paddled to the shore in its wake. The judge shouted at me through a megaphone to clear the course so he could start the race. Then he laughed at me again as did everyone else.

I waded onto the beach. My knees were breaking the surface as the gun went off. I turned and watched the start of the race. I heard a strange noise, obscured by the roar of the engines.

The noise was laughter. The girls were screaming and the boys were roaring with laughter and pointing at me.

Somebody's little sister handed me a towel and said, "Put it on. You lost your pants!"

What’s your midnight snack of choice?
Chocolate cake and a cold glass of milk.

What’s the last good movie you saw?
The Passion of the Christ

Who would you most like to meet?
A good agent who could make me a rich writer or, from the past, Thomas Jefferson.

Favorite toy as a kid?
Rainy days—model airplanes. Sunny days—bicycle.