The Sailing Adventures of Author Stephen O'Shea

      Photo courtesy of skeletoncrewsailing.com 
     Left, Captain Taylor Grieger - Right, Stephen O'Shea

Just a couple of days ago, our former English Aggie, Stephen O'Shea, crossed the Panama Canal. He is currently two and a half months in to an expedition to circumnavigate South America with a Navy veteran friend and captain, Taylor Griegor. Inspired by the experiences from men and women who have served, O'Shea also has a book on the market, From the Land of the Genesis. "It's a short story cycle about veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars-namely, their experiences integrating back into civilian life and the struggles they're forced to overcome after returning home," he added. With our greatest communication tool, the most useful wifi, we asked him to share some insights about how personal experience shaped his writing and his adventures out at sea. All aboard!

What inspired the plot? 
O'Shea: I participated in the Glasscock Summer Research Scholars Program under Dr. Marian Eide in a project called "After Combat." The objective was to investigate the effect that moral injury has on soldiers of post-millennial conflicts. I signed up. I'd my own naive, but natural, fascination with war at the time. However, I quickly found myself overwhelmed by the experiences of men and women who served - most of them my peers - and was dismayed by my own ignorance to what they'd been forced to overcome. Seeing this division of understanding between civilian and military populations, I decided to try and bridge that gap so that veterans didn't feel so isolated by their experiences, and so civilians understood better what our men and women at war have faced and will continue to face if these conflicts endure.

How did the writing process come about? 
O'Shea: Well, I'd usually find my best inspiration reviewing the interviews I conducted. Over the course of five years (and with the help of Dr. Eide and the "After Combat" research team), I was able to accumulate about 24 interviews with various enlisted and commissioned personnel. Then reading, of course. If I ever got stuck with a story, I'd pull out a good book. I find inspiration and solutions in all forms of great writing.


"I was told by a number of [people] that 'being a writer' wasn't a career option. ...A test told me that I should become a Park Ranger. I thought, 'Sure, I could do that one day. In the meantime, though, I was going to pursue my passion." 

Are there any personal experiences that helped shape the book?
O'Shea: Studying for my PhD in Scotland. I'm not sure if it's the physical distance that provided a certain clarity, or the faculty at the University of Strathclyde, or the British soldiers I interviewed (or all of the above!), but my book took a dramatic turn when I decided to write exclusively about soldiers in civilian contexts, rather than soldiers at war. The sensationalist melodrama of my early stories evolved into a more subtle, complex depiction of the everyday soldier returning home to find themselves, ultimately, alone.

Why choose literary war fiction for a genre?
O'Shea: For about six years I studied war literature almost exclusively. Tim O'Brien was probably my heaviest influence, but there was also Kurt Vonnegut, Philip Caputo, Ben Fountain, Joseph Heller - the list just goes on. That being said, I'm a sucker for great literature centered around authentic characterization, and I spent my time in Scotland immersed in the likes of Jennifer Egan, Elizabeth Strout, Junot Diaz, Kazuo Ishiguro, Ian McEwan and Pat Conroy.

How has the world around you influenced your writing? 
O'Shea: Well, without it I wouldn't have much to write about! In all seriousness, though, I treat the settings of my stories as another kind of main character. Having travelled as much as I have, and immersed myself in so many different cultures, I have a rich variety of places and memories that I can call on to create a strong sense of place. While I hate the old maxim, "Write what you know," I have to admit that my experience traveling and putting myself out into the world has been invaluable to the kind of writing that I've chosen to pursue.


The English Aggie: https://english.tamu.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2017/12/English-Aggie-November-2017.pdf 

When you get an idea in the middle of something, anything, what do you do? 
O'Shea: I immediately stop whatever I'm doing and write it down. A lot of times what I'll do is text it to myself. I'm so paranoid with erasing things from my phone/computer and/or losing journals that I'll sometimes text myself whole paragraphs - with dialogue and everything - so that I don't lose it! If it's a full story outline or a project I intent to spend much time on, I'll sit down and make a morning or afternoon of it. But there have been many instances where I've come full stop in the middle of a crowded pathway, just to pull out my phone and tap away.

Are there any spoilers you could possibly spill?
O'Shea: I'm not sure about spoilers, but I can tell you that certain thread of characters/themes/places are woven throughout the stories, so that a character who was mentioned in one might appear later on, or vice versa. I also took special care to fairly represent the demographics of the military, while most of my stories focus on the average grunt foot-soldier, I do include two stories about female characters (a physician and a medevac helicopter pilot), and another about a journalist who embedded for part of the Iraq War.

What can the audience expect from it? 
O'Shea: They can expect strong primary characters, and an honest depiction of soldiers as human beings. It certainly isn't a book that glorifies war and it's warriors - but it doesn't condemn them, either.


As a kind of continuation to the research O'Shea conducted in his novel, his trip originated as a kind of odyssey to facilitate Grieger's return to civilian life. With the decision to document it through blogs and short videos in order to spread awareness about the difficulties veterans are facing in their return to civilian life, and to offer a kind of solution, they've paired up with Mission 22 - a non-profit organization that raises awareness about veteran suicides and funds programs to help then in their journey to re-assimilate.

How did the idea of sailing come about? Why the sport of sailing for a return? 
O'Shea: It has always been a dream of mine to sail around the world. I think it's a common dream, one that a lot of people share, so when Taylor invited me to join him on an expedition around South America I really couldn't say no. The timing aligned perfectly. I was finishing my PhD, and Taylor was just getting out of the Navy. My book was in the stage where there wasn't more for me to do than wait for agents and publishers to get back, and Taylor was far from eager to settle right back into the monotony of civilian life. So, ultimately, it just made sense. That's all not to mention that sailing was the original metaphor for a soldier's journey home (The Odyssey), and that by documenting this trip we had the opportunity to reach and help thousands of veterans facing the same struggles.   

You're both out in the middle of the ocean for the most part, what do you do? 
O'Shea: It depends entirely on the weather. On a good day with decent winds, I like to think we have somewhat of a routine (it's hard to say only because there hasn't been too many "good days" thus far!). One of us has to be manning the helm (steering the boat), and we trade off every three to five hours, so in between we try to get some exercise on the deck of the boat, read books or listen to podcasts, cook, fish, and rest. If it's a bad day, you conserve energy, you rest, and you survive. 

How long do you plan on sailing before you return to land? 
O'Shea: We set off from Pensacola, Florida, and shot straight across the Gulf (during hurricane season) toward Cancun. Just yesterday we passed through the Panama Canal from the Atlantic side to the Pacific. Our plan now is to drop all the way down to Patagonia, round the tip of Cape Horn, and then scale the eastern side of South America to complete a proper circumnavigation of the continent. We’ve been at it two and a half months so far, and we expect it to take around a year total.

As of now, how was your experience been like? What has this taught Taylor and you? 
O'Shea: It’s been a wild ride so far. Being out on the water at the complete mercy of the seas… I know it sounds cheesy, but the lowest of lows are often followed by the highest of highs. We’ve weathered some pretty bad storms, rode out a hurricane and two tropical storms, been stranded in the middle of the Caribbean with no wind and dwindling water rations – and yet, you just can’t been sailing on a clear night, watching dolphins dive with the bow, activating bioluminescence like a trail of stardust. The things that happen on the water aren’t comparable to real life. You mix the delirium and fatigue with an entirely alien world, and what you’re left with is unbelievable.


So other than finding the answers to all of life’s existential questions, I think one of the big take-aways for me has been that maybe some of the most far-fetched stories you hear, maybe from salt-crazed captains, maybe they aren’t so far-fetched after all.



How did the partnership with Mission 22 happen? 
O'Shea: We reached out to Mission 22 very early in our planning period, and they hopped on board right away. They’re one of the few organizations and teams that threw their weight behind us long before there was anything material to show for it – and I think that’s a testament who they are and their mission.

Skeleton Crew Sailing started from a friendship that initiated at a high school's swim team and an invitation to Guam for research for O'Shea's book. After more or less four years without communication between each other, Grieger rekindled the friendship having read O'Shea's work online. "He wanted me to come tell the story of female pilots in the Navy, many of whom flew medevacs in Iraq and Afghanistan during their deployments. That research manifested itself as "Stepping Stones" in my collection - the best story according to my viva reviewers, " he added. 

Why document this trip? 
O'Shea: We wanted to make this trip about something bigger than ourselves. There are plenty of people documenting their sailing journeys for no other reason than to promote themselves – and the worst part is, they’re not even telling it straight. We wanted to give an honest depiction of life at sea, minus the romantic bull, while bringing attention to an issue that hits home for both of us and is underrepresented in society at large. The videos came about by asking the logical question of, “what’s the best medium for reaching the broadest audience today.” And while I wish I could say writing, it’s not. It’s video.


All that being said, I didn’t finish a PhD with the intention of picking up a camera and editing film for the next portion of my career. We had been in talks with a cinematographer and old friend who was going to join us as a third crew member and film the journey underway. He bailed just days before we were set to depart, however – tried to take down the whole expedition in his wake – but we pushed off anyway, and I took over with the videoing and editing. It’s tough work, and I’m still learning, but it’s still just another medium for storytelling so I often feel fulfilled after completing a full episode.

With two hearts full of passion for the open seas, both Grieger and O'Shea stress the fact that it doesn't take millions and a lifetime experience of sailing to go the adventure they've both set out. "You just need to want it badly enough," he said. 



"I had about $5,000 to my name when I finished my PhD. Taylor a bit more, considering he bought the boat for around $20,000 and funded the refurbishing of it. And sure, we’re both broke now – but the reason we’ve made it this far on our own dime and with a little help from Patreon is because we’ve been willing to learn, to adapt, and to work hard. We refurbished the entire boat ourselves. We mounted and installed a whole new engine when the cost to hire out labour would’ve been extortionate. We made many mistakes, yes – and it was incredibly hard work – but we never stopped learning, and we were always willing to get our hands dirty.


And we’re still learning. Just yesterday, our transmission slid while we were in the middle of Lake Gatun, between the Atlantic and Pacific locks of the Panama Canal. We had to suck up our pride and ask another sailboat to tow us through the lake and locks to get to repair facilities outside of the canal. But we made it. And that’s been the theme. Things are going to go wrong, and it’s not one day going to suddenly “get better.” But if you accept that, and you take each challenge as you go, I think you’ve tapped into something transcendent," O'Shea added.  

For more on their journey and how to hop aboard, visit https://www.patreon.com/skeletoncrewsailing.

Follow their adventures at https://www.skeletoncrewsailing.com/ 





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