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This month, as part of our occasional series about authors on Casco Bay, we introduce Dr. Chuck Radis, a resident of Peaks Island. This summer Dr. Radis presented a reading and talk about his new book: “Go by Boat: Stories of a Maine Island Doctor<\/a>” at the Long Island Learning Center to an enthusiastic and engaged crowd. <\/p>\n\n\n\n To follow up on his excellent talk, I asked him a few more questions, which he graciously answered for this blog: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Which came first, your love of writing or your interest in medicine?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n While in college I wrote several articles for the now defunct Maine Times. It was after my second year in college that I switched from an interest in marine biology to medicine after a chance encounter with a family practice doctor on a long bicycle trip in Baja California<\/p>\n\n\n\n Did you keep a journal or is your book based on memory?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019ve kept an At-A-Glance Pocket counter in my shirt pocket since I began my internal medicine residency in 1982. By surreptitiously writing down memorable quotes or a few sentences during patient encounters I\u2019ve been able to expand or recreate house calls or office visits later that day, or months later. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Amidst a busy medical career, how do you find the time to write?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I found writing a tonic for stress. The more I found time to write, the better I felt. There\u2019s no question it helped me avoid burn-out and helped me better understand my patients. It most often occurred early in the morning before the rest of my family awakened. <\/p>\n\n\n\n How long did it take you to write your book, and what was the process of getting it published like?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The first time I thought I finished the book was in 2001. Here are 2 short essays I wrote on eventually finding an agent and getting my book published. Yes, it took a long time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A Writer\u2019s Tale – Dr. Chuck Radis (doctorchuckradis.com)<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n A Writer’s Tale Part II – Dr. Chuck Radis (doctorchuckradis.com)<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Do you have favorite authors who are physicians? (i.e., are there books out there that inspired you?) <\/strong>I\u2019ve enjoyed Atul Gawande\u2019s Better,<\/em> as well as The Beautiful Cure <\/em>by Daniel Davis, but the writers which have influenced me the most are James Herriot All Creatures Great and Small, <\/em>and nearly everything by John McFee. McFee has had, by far, the most influence on the way I tell a story and try to expand on the lives of my characters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What would you see as the unique needs and challenges of providing medical care on islands, especially in Maine? <\/strong>Besides not having lab or x-rays to assist me in diagnosis, the greatest challenge I faced was getting my patients to agree to go to Portland for testing or admission to the hospital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How does humor play a role in your writing, and in your life<\/strong>? Although I\u2019m not Jewish, I grew up with a group of very funny Jewish friends. One is a professional comedian and another is a talented magician. I was the straight man in their antics but appreciated their humorous take on nearly everything in life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Do you have ideas for other books<\/strong>? My second book was accepted by Down East Books and is scheduled for release next April. It\u2019s called Island Medicine.<\/em> The Wildflower Guide to the Flowering Plants of Casco Bay<\/em> (which I\u2019ve co-written with my know-it-all brother Rick) should be out by Christmas this year. I am the editor (and primary writer) for a book on John Jenkins, Maine\u2019s first black state senator and the former mayor of Lewiston and Auburn. It\u2019s due out next June.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Long-term, I have plans for a book on Rheumatology and autoimmune diseases (that\u2019s the specialty I eventually I went into after I left my island practice). It would be in the same vein as neurologist Oliver Sach\u2019s The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n A copy of Dr. Radis’ book can be found at the Long Island Community Library, and we look forward to reading his future books. <\/p>\n\n\n\n To read the first chapter of Go by Boat <\/em>and other essays on island life, go to\u00a0 www.doctorchuckradis.com\u00a0\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This month, as part of our occasional series about authors on Casco Bay, we introduce Dr. Chuck Radis, a resident of Peaks Island. This summer Dr. Radis presented a reading and talk about his new book: “Go by Boat: Stories of a Maine Island Doctor” at the Long Island Learning Center to an enthusiastic and … Continue reading Authors on the Bay: Dr. Chuck Radis<\/span>