US author Curt Ayers who,
under his pen name C. P. Tertius, wrote “Every Man Truly Lives Alone;” a
historical novel set in South East Asia in the period between the Vietnam
War and the Tsunami of 2004.
Adventure, politics, romance, culture and travel - these
are just some of the ingredients of “Every Man Truly Lives Alone” - a
historical novel penned by Curt Ayers, writing under his pen name, C. P.
Tertius. Curt spoke about his novel at the December 30 meeting of the
Pattaya City Expats Club.
The novel is set in South-East Asia between the Vietnam War and the tsunami
of 26 December 2004. Like most historical fiction, the major events and some
of the characters in the novel are real, while other characters and the
dialogue are imagined. Some of the historical events depicted in the novel
were moved in time or space.
Board
member Richard Smith updates members on the activities of the Cross Culture
Group, providing free English lessons to various Thai workers in Pattaya.
“Every Man” tells the story of a U.S. army captain and a
Thai-Karen woman with whom he falls in love. It draws attention to the
plight of stateless refugees, in particular the Karen hill tribe who live on
the Thai-Burma border. (The novel is available online from Amazon and Barnes
& Noble. One reader on the Amazon website described the book as follows:
“Very interesting narrative of an ex pat’s lonely journey in Asia. It
captures a man’s insight, life and inner most feelings in an Asian
culture.”)
Curt said that it took him two years to write the book, another year to find
a publisher, Hellgate Press, and yet another year working with the editor
assigned by the publisher. Curt said that the editor helped to sharpen the
narrative, making it read less like a documentary and more like an action
novel (which is what publishers are looking for). The editor wanted more
dialogue, but Curt said this was challenging to do in a story that features
Western characters who don’t speak the local languages.
Member David Meador reminds
members to sign up for the upcoming trip to Laem Chabang & various
manufacturing facilities there.
A lively question &answer session followed Curt’s
presentation. Many questions were asked about the refugees and the history
of Burma, particularly around the time of the Second World War. Curt
described a ring of different ethnic minorities along the borders between
Burma and India, Bangladesh, China, Laos and Thailand. He said that these
ethnic groups have basically been at war with Burma for the last 40 years.
Some of the resistance armies are financed by the drug trade. Curt said that
if it weren’t for the presence of these armies, what happened in the killing
fields of Cambodia might well have happened to the ethnic minorities of
Burma.
For people looking for more insights into the culture and history of
South-East Asia, Curt recommended a book (“Burmese Days” by George Orwell,
published in 1934) and two movies - “The Lady,” released in 2011, which is
about Aung San Suu Kyi and her husband, Michael Aris; and “Beyond Rangoon,”
a 1995 film about an American tourist travelling in Burma during the 1988
uprising.
Curt Ayers is a former military officer, corporate executive and university
professor, who is a semi-professional musician, blue-water sailor and
adventure traveler. He has resided in South-East Asia for several years.
Concluding the meeting was Master of Ceremonies Richard Silverberg providing
an update on upcoming events. He then called on Roy Albiston to conduct the
Open Forum where questions are asked and answered about Expat living in
Thailand; Pattaya in particular. For more information about the many
activities of the Pattaya City Expats Club, visit their website at
www.pattayacityexpatsclub.com.
