UM general engineering major Sam Berry poses in front of the Taj Mahal. Berry authored ‘Around the World in 120 Days: My Semester at Sea.’ Submitted photo
An engineering alumnus and a senior engineering major have something in common: a love for adventure and writing.
Recently both Curt Ayers III (BSChE 65, MS 74) and Sam Berry, who will graduate from the University of Mississippi with a bachelor’s degree in general engineering in May, fulfilled their literary ambitions by having their first books – a novel and memoir, respectively – published.
A native of Flowood, Berry self-published “Around the World in 120 Days: My Semester at Sea” in November 2018. In the spring of Berry’s junior year, he participated in a study abroad program called Semester at Sea, which allowed him to sail around the world with more than 550 other college students from around the country. The group visited a dozen countries and encountered numerous cultures and countless people along the way.
“When I returned home, I found it impossible to summarize my four-month voyage around the world in a single sentence or even conversation,” Berry said. “Instead, I decided to tell the full story with every detail of what it is like to sail around the world in 120 days.”
His book is a collection of his daily journals, both on the ship and in-country.
“I was inspired by my friends on the ship who shared the struggle of describing the adventure of a lifetime,” Berry said. “I was also encouraged by my family and friends who did not sail with me, but wanted to share and understand my experiences.”
Ayers has written several technical publications, so he uses the pen name “C.P. Tertius” for his fictional stories. His first novel is “Every Man Truly Lives Alone.”
According to the plot description on Amazon, the book follows the adventures of U.S. Army Capt. Keith Miller. No stranger to conflict and danger, Miller is a survivor of the Vietnam War, clandestine operations, a plane crash and the jungle. None of those experiences could prepare him for what was in store after meeting Jey, a winsome, enigmatic but unfortunately indentured Thai-Karen woman. Together, Miller and Jey journey across the exotic landscape and on the high seas of Southeast Asia.
UM engineering alumnus Curt Ayers III, who enjoys playing timpani in symphony orchestras, recently authored his first novel, ‘Every Man Truly Lives Alone.’ Submitted photo
The protagonist in Ayers’ novel mirrors his own real-life experiences. Born in Minneapolis, he grew up in Holly Springs. He earned his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering and master’s degree in engineering science from Ole Miss. He also received an MBA from the University of Houston and a Ph.D. from Thailand. He has postgraduate military degrees (U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, Industrial College of the Armed Forces and National Security Management).
Ayers retired from the U.S. Army, IBM and Burapha University in Thailand before he began pursuing fiction writing full time. In addition to his novel, he has written more than 20 short stories.
“The key to my success has been patience, doggedness and being able to deal with rejection,” Ayers said. “It took two years to write my novel, one more to find a publisher and yet another year of ‘fighting’ with the editor before it was finally published.”
Berry said his experience has been similar to Ayers’.
“Selling books is hard work, but sales have been steady and encouraging,” he said. “I am always looking for new outlets to sell and promote my book both locally and internationally.”
Both authors credit their Ole Miss engineering education with skills that have helped with their writing.
“My engineering education gave me a different perspective on the way the world works while being immersed in new and diverse cultures,” Berry said. “I was able to appreciate innovations, architecture, infrastructure and technologies in a way that my fellow voyagers could not.”
Ayers echoed Berry’s observations.
“Both at the undergrad and graduate levels, I was taught not only technical skills but how to communicate them in writing,” Ayers said.
Ayers is also a professional musician, blue-water sailor and adventure traveler. His travels have taken him around the globe several times with major stints in Latin America, Europe and Asia. He has resided in Southeast Asia for several years, where he has witnessed the plight of stateless refugees of whom he writes.
“‘Every Man Truly Lives Alone’ is their story as much as it is my own,” he said.
Berry already has a postgraduation position awaiting him at Laurel Fuel Co. in Jackson. While maintaining his day job, he plans to continue writing professionally.
“There may be more books in the future, both fiction and nonfiction, but the idea of writing an entire book is daunting,” Berry said. “If you steadily do a little at a time, eventually you’ll look back and have written more than you ever thought possible. I write every night before I go to sleep for 30 minutes to an hour, no matter how tired I am.”
Ayers’ book can be found on Amazon, while Berry’s book is sold on his website SamBerryTravels.com.