John Hagan's 'A Long Farewell' released this week
Lead Summary
By
Caitlin Forsha-crforsha@gmail.com
Local farm owner John Hagan’s second book, “A Long Farewell,” will be
published this week by Goose River Press.
“A Long Farewell,” a compilation of 10 short stories, was written to show a realistic view of the life of high school teachers and administrators, with different characters and themes in each story, according to Hagan.
As a retired high school teacher and principal of
30 years in the Oakwood City School District in Dayton, and a former adjunct composition instructor at the University of Dayton, Hagan had plenty of inspiration.
“What inspired me to write the book was my belief ... that educators quite often have experiences that are equally intriguing to those professionals that writers frequently choose as the main characters of their novels or stories,” said Hagan.
“Teachers tend to be pigeonholed as dour, bland, and dull; but in my observation, they are very likely to be zany, dynamic, and mischievous.”
While Hagan has lived in the Dayton area for most of his life, he has spent much of his time devoted to what he describes as his “labor of
love” – 40 acres of the original 94-acre Robbins farm near Hillsboro, which he purchased from his older brother more than 30 years ago.
Inspired by his childhood fondness for his aunt and uncle’s farm, Hagan, who still lives in Dayton, has maintained the property’s antebellum farmhouse, horse barn, and summer kitchen and has added two horses, two cats, and a dog to the farm.
While Hagan good-naturedly complains about the many chores involved with the upkeep of a farm, he admits that his property in Highland County has greatly impacted his work.
“The house, the dog, the horses, the barn, the summer kitchen, the fields, and the bridle/running path are sometimes ancillary or integral to the short stories, and they often inspire the more descriptive passages,” said Hagan, adding that the scenic view in Hillsboro influenced him in his first publication, “An Irish View of the Country,” a collection of sonnets.
In “A Long Farewell,” Hagan shows his self-deprecating sense of humor: “[L]ike Nick Carraway, the narrator of ‘The Great Gatsby,’ I regard myself as one of the most honest people I know.”
“So, I must acknowledge that my choice of teaching English is most likely grounded in my very limited options, being as I am neither physically imposing or intellectually superior, but I can say unequivocally that I have for much of my life made a study of people and believed that I could make them better, even if I could do nothing to improve myself,” Hagan joked.
While Hagan studied English in college and is an adept writer and speaker, he makes it clear that he does not take himself too seriously and refers to pictures of himself as “scary.”
This aspect of his personality shines through in his book.
To purchase “A Long Farewell,” visit your local bookstore or visit the publisher’s Web site at www.gooseriverpress.com, Amazon.com, or Baker & Taylor.[[In-content Ad]]
published this week by Goose River Press.
“A Long Farewell,” a compilation of 10 short stories, was written to show a realistic view of the life of high school teachers and administrators, with different characters and themes in each story, according to Hagan.
As a retired high school teacher and principal of
30 years in the Oakwood City School District in Dayton, and a former adjunct composition instructor at the University of Dayton, Hagan had plenty of inspiration.
“What inspired me to write the book was my belief ... that educators quite often have experiences that are equally intriguing to those professionals that writers frequently choose as the main characters of their novels or stories,” said Hagan.
“Teachers tend to be pigeonholed as dour, bland, and dull; but in my observation, they are very likely to be zany, dynamic, and mischievous.”
While Hagan has lived in the Dayton area for most of his life, he has spent much of his time devoted to what he describes as his “labor of
love” – 40 acres of the original 94-acre Robbins farm near Hillsboro, which he purchased from his older brother more than 30 years ago.
Inspired by his childhood fondness for his aunt and uncle’s farm, Hagan, who still lives in Dayton, has maintained the property’s antebellum farmhouse, horse barn, and summer kitchen and has added two horses, two cats, and a dog to the farm.
While Hagan good-naturedly complains about the many chores involved with the upkeep of a farm, he admits that his property in Highland County has greatly impacted his work.
“The house, the dog, the horses, the barn, the summer kitchen, the fields, and the bridle/running path are sometimes ancillary or integral to the short stories, and they often inspire the more descriptive passages,” said Hagan, adding that the scenic view in Hillsboro influenced him in his first publication, “An Irish View of the Country,” a collection of sonnets.
In “A Long Farewell,” Hagan shows his self-deprecating sense of humor: “[L]ike Nick Carraway, the narrator of ‘The Great Gatsby,’ I regard myself as one of the most honest people I know.”
“So, I must acknowledge that my choice of teaching English is most likely grounded in my very limited options, being as I am neither physically imposing or intellectually superior, but I can say unequivocally that I have for much of my life made a study of people and believed that I could make them better, even if I could do nothing to improve myself,” Hagan joked.
While Hagan studied English in college and is an adept writer and speaker, he makes it clear that he does not take himself too seriously and refers to pictures of himself as “scary.”
This aspect of his personality shines through in his book.
To purchase “A Long Farewell,” visit your local bookstore or visit the publisher’s Web site at www.gooseriverpress.com, Amazon.com, or Baker & Taylor.[[In-content Ad]]