An Interview with Gary Demack

A native of southern California, Gary graduated from Duke University, Florida Atlantic University and the Naval War College. He first embarked on a career teaching Political Science, and then served as an intelligence analyst with the National Security Agency for thirty years, serving in various capacities at home and abroad. After retiring, Gary moved to central Florida, where he enjoys writing, golf, and swimming and lives with his wife, Tracy. He has combined his lifelong interest in genealogy and Civil War history in The Broken Fife, a historical novel loosely based on the life of his paternal great-grandfather, Junius Hart.

Tell us the story of your book’s title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?

It took a while. Once I found the receipt for the fife that the Confederate Army bought him, I started to imagine why he would have needed a new fife in the midst of the war.

How did it feel when you first saw your book cover? Or when you first held your book in your hands?

It was amazing. Seeing it was one thing; holding it was an altogether unique experience!

Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?

I wanted to write a dissertation as part of a PhD. program focusing on Civil War history, but since that would have involved way too much time and money, I decided to write a biography of one of my relatives, which magically got transformed into a work of fiction involving a couple of those relatives.

What other professions have you worked in? What’s something about you that your readers wouldn’t know?

Intelligence. Everything!

What was the most rewarding/meaningful part of publishing your book?

My daughter’s and my wife’s reactions.

If your book had a soundtrack, what are some songs that would be on it?

Marching band music from the Civil War era played on a fife, and other music from that era.

What is one thing you hope readers take away from reading your book? How do you envision your perfect reader?

Don’t give up hope.

My perfect reader would be someone who wants to stretch his/her boundaries of what they think they know about race relations and overcoming odds stacked against them.

What creative projects are you currently working on?

A prequel to The Broken Fife.

How was working with Atmosphere Press? What would you tell other writers who want to publish?

Working with Atmosphere Press was great! And to other writers, I would say: Keep at it. Keep that wastebasket handy and don’t forget to kill your darlings, no matter how difficult that may seem.

Are you a writer, too? Submit your manuscript to Atmosphere Press.