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J.M. Surra has always been a writer. He grew up near Chatham, NY, amidst a unique assortment of area writers, musicians, and regular folks.
Just a stone's-throw from the Woodstock area in one direction, and West Stockbridge in the other, his corner of Columbia County attracted any number of colorful and even bizarre characters, ranging from a bit unusual to the unapologetically flamboyant.
By their very nature, these intriguing individuals encouraged the use of imagination and far-reaching trains of thought. But there was resistance as well. J.M. vividly remembers one or two of his young friends refusing to play with him, claiming he "always told such big stories."
Were they lies? Embellishments? J.M. gives a shrug and says, "They were stories. Fiction. What is fiction but well-told lies with all the trappings? Stories require imagination, in both the hearing and the telling. Those other kids had none. So, I'll let you guess. Who did I feel sorry for; them or me?"
With a grin, he adds, "Here's a clue. I never grew bored, and the stories only grew larger!"
His early travels took him to quite a number of other states, but he finally settled in Maine, where the rural settings and the locals caught him by the heartstrings, and there, for 25 years, he lived happily.
Due to the devastated Maine economy, J.M. has become a Texas transplant. Though Texas has its good points, J.M. still loves Maine, and still calls himself a Mainer. He still has a home there, and whenever he can, he steals back to Maine to write, hike the Appalachian Trail, and of course, to visit his dear friends.
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