About
Jamie Beckett
Jamie Beckett was born without incident during Christmas week 1958. His delivery occurred in a sparkling clean, modern hospital, conveniently located near a thriving metropolis known as Phoenix, Arizona. Two years later, Ma and Pa Beckett, perhaps fearing their children might spontaneously burst into flames one sunny afternoon, pulled up stakes and moved eastward in search of a more humane climate.
With his fighter pilot father at the wheel, Jamie, his older brother, mother and two dogs were chauffeur driven for nearly three thousand miles in a 1953 Jaguar XK roadster. Several days later that fine British two seater came to rest in the suburbs of Hartford, Connecticut. It was there that the family stopped and made a home for themselves rather than drive even one more mile in what can only be described in retrospect as, Luxury Steerage Class accommodations.
Small in stature and light of frame, young Jamie attempted to distinguish himself by excelling in sports during his high school years. However, a previously undiscovered aversion to extreme physical pain sidelined Jamie's plans to become a hot property on the gridiron. Switching gears in hopes of one day earning himself a much coveted letter jacket, Jamie inexplicably gravitated in the direction of Track and Field competition. Sadly, his most fervent attempts to become a pole vaulter were horribly inept. He left the squad quietly in mid-season, by mutual agreement.
Throwing himself into academics thereafter with every bit as much effort as the average house plant puts into the search for extraterrestrial life, the name Jamie Beckett became synonymous for a time with the more modern term, "slacker." A dubious personal choice that came to be at the core of many a rousing dinner table conversation.
Graduating from Glastonbury High School, almost certainly as the result of a fortuitous clerical error, Jamie parlayed his almost total lack of experience at anything useful into a very nearly lucrative position in the dishwashing department of the soon-to-be defunct Farm Shop restaurant. Applying himself as never before, within weeks Beckett had transformed himself from a menial laborer into a bedridden young man suffering the effects of mononucleosis.
It goes without saying that Beckett's formative years were the very embodiment of the term, "downward spiral."
By religiously adhering to a seemingly random approach toward career planning and establishing no viable long term goals, Jamie experienced the pleasure and occasional pain of earning his living as a truck driver, apple cider presser, electronic technician, marketing rep., musician, mechanic and even spent a three year stint as a commercial pilot. Diversity has surely been the watchword of his professional life.
The only constant in Beckett's life has been writing. His first contribution to a published work came about as the result of a high school history class assignment several decades ago. His first novel, Burritos and Gasoline, was written in between naps and diligent viewing of episodic television programming in 2004 - 2005.
Enjoy!
At present Jamie lives quietly in central Florida along with his wife and two daughters. His greatest personal achievement may be the discovery of his recipe for what his girls call, The World's Greatest Pancakes.
A man could do worse.
Media Appearances
Listen to Jamie chat it up with Yvonne Perry on her "Writer's in the Sky" podcast. Download a copy from iTunes, or click the links below.
Jamie discusses writing in general, Burritos and Gasoline specifically and his unique take on the debate regarding traditional publishing vs. self publishing vs. Print on Demand publishing.
Yvonne has a long and growing list of great interview subjects available on her site. After taking in Jamie's June 8th show, search the archives to see if another of your favorite authors is listed, or waiting to be discovered.
Visit Yvonne's Blog and voluminous Podcast archive at: http://yvonneperry.blogspot.com/
Enjoy!
