Honorably discharged from the All-American Division and the Army after three years of service, our poet begins the climb to the wreckage of his past that would be the basis of his first collection, The Naked Truth of a Common Man 101 Poems.
This two-fisted drinker stumbled through 30 years of hard drinking, living the life of an Idaho ranch hand, driving long-haul trucks, a roughneck in the oil patch, and being a corrections officer working death row for the State of Idaho. And, yes, his life includes a stretch as a homeless drunk writing poetry on the streets of Boise, Idaho.
On his way to a ranch to find work while hitchhiking in the rain, our poet learns that the man who picks him up is famed Idaho cowboy poet Charlie Smith. Such begins a friendship that changes our poet's life. With Charlie as our poet's boss and in-between cleaning greasy old restaurant hoods, Charlie teaches Gary the craft of poetry..
We now find our author with 10 years sober living and doing two things he really loves - driving big rigs coast to coast and writing poetry again.
Also our poet is the owner of Stillriver Procuctions a small production company producing audio theatre. The first production and hopefully just one of many more to come can be found at Castle Creek Radio.
