What exactly happened in your cycle ride to Knock? How did it give you hope?
At that point in my life it was a short time after my education with Marist priests at St. Mary’s College. My faith in God was deep and strong. In my cycle ride to Knock my hope was that I would be given a miracle and my face would be healed.
After all that you've been through, what message would you like to say to your father if given the chance?
In my second memoir Arrival I describe meeting my father in later years. Then, as even now, the only message I could give him is that if he had been a good father I would have been supportive of him, that he had lost connection to me and my sisters’ and brothers’ children. His loss.
Did you enjoy working at the Warner-Lambert Research Institute? What kind of compounds did you synthesize?
Working at the Warner-Lambert Research Institute was wonderful. I looked forward to going to work every day. I describe that in detail in Arrival, trying to give non-scientists the joy and excitement of working ‘on the bench’, discovering new compounds. I discovered a range of compounds….chuckle….that were catechol O-methyl transferase inhibitors.
Tell us a bit about your thesis which awarded you your Ph.D. How was the journey of you becoming a researcher, overall?
My thesis work was about the synthesis of bicyclic beta-lactams as analogs of penicillins and cephalosporins. Overall it just felt as a progression of work I’d been doing since my days with I.C.I., continuing learning and discovering, accumulating new molecules and creating novel reactions.
How difficult is it to write memoirs from your own life? What was the idea and inspiration behind naming your first book "Survival"?
I originally began writing my memoirs as a record of my life to leave for my sisters and brothers and their children so that future generations would know about me. It was difficult at first, buried emotions coming up recalling those memories and causing tears. I hadn’t thought of publication until a classmate from St. Mary’s College, Dennis Lyons, read some of the early chapters and urged me to continue and publish. Survival just seemed an appropriate title; at times when I was a teenager I’d thought I would not survive.
How was your experience as a Professor of Chemistry? Did you enjoy teaching?
I loved teaching, passing on my knowledge, encouraging students to strive beyond what they may have imagined they could achieve. When I would have success at that it gave me immense pleasure. I was very proud of many of my students.
What inspired you to start with ErinPharm?
When I was 55 I had a cardiovascular crisis which led me into reading about developments in atherosclerosis treatments. In applying that information to my own life I decided to learn how to construct web pages so that I could share that information with others. Erinpharm expanded from there.
"Survival" has received such a wonderful response for its inspiring and excellent writing. Did you always dream of becoming a writer?
I’ve always enjoyed writing though in my career it was technical and scientific. I never thought of myself as a ‘writer’. The reviews for Survival have me thinking “what me?” and surprised me that readers have complimented me.
Tell us about your fascination with perennial flowers. What's the story behind canvas prints for sale online? Are you interested in art?
I’ve had a garden ever since I bought my first house in 1973, in New Jersey, on a half-acre. I planted fruit trees, grape vines, blueberry bushes, had a large vegetable garden, and built up over the years tens of thousands of spring bulbs. I was well known among my friends as a source of fruit and vegetables during the summer as well as a guy who would turn up for a weekend during the late fall with bags of bulbs, crocus, snowdrops, daffodils, tulips etc, and a trowel and bag of bone meal, looking for somewhere on their property to plant a small promise of Spring for them. Growing perennial flowers is just a continuation of my gardening hobby. Signing up with FineArtAmerica was just a way of sharing the beauty of perennials with others. It’s not to sell the prints. I suggest to people it’s just as easy to expand and print the photos, then frame them. Much cheaper. I enjoy all sorts of art but I think of myself as being very unsophisticated in appreciation of art.
Considering the fact that you escaped to Scotland when your father attacked you, have you heard from your family since then?
As the years have gone by I’ve been able to visit my sisters and brothers and my grandmother in Ireland often. I’m in frequent contact with my sister Patricia in England by email and I get updated through Facebook with other members of my family.
What has been the most struggling part of your journey from a broken childhood to a Ph.D.? What helps you to stay optimistic and always look for a silver lining in the darkest cloud?
My greatest struggle has been to find peace. Gardening and writing, as well as getting older and more contemplative, fulfil some of that. Being optimistic and looking for a silver lining I think is part of my nature. After all, from university on anything was better than what went before. That’s why I developed my statement: Stand up, look up, look out, see the wonder. For on the frontiers of science and medicine I do see wonder ahead.
Has "coming out" been a struggle?
“Coming out” has not been much of an issue in my life. I view myself as a scientist who ‘just happens to be gay’. It’s not my lifestyle and those of my friends who know me don’t think it important at all. After all, it’s only about love, isn’t it?
Is there anything else that you aspire to do?
I smile at that question. How would I know? Every day is a new day. I aspire to be happy and healthy.
You're a true survivor. Was it all worth it? Do you feel happy with all that you have achieved today?
It definitely has been worth it. I am happy with what I have achieved so far.
