When Hugh Gallagher appeared on the show during the previous century he
was on a roll. His novel "Teeth" was going to be released the following
day. In those early days of the internet, he was a precursor to the
so-called "influencers" of today. A college admissions essay had vaulted
him into a level of fame that bordered on the future online phenomenon
of going viral. Hugh Gallagher had gotten a huge boost in his writing
career when John Kennedy Jr., the son of the former president,
introduced him to Jan Wenner, the publisher of Rolling Stone. Gallagher
began writing for that magazine and several others. He was schmoozing
with celebrities. His novel was about to set the world ablaze (he hoped)
as he was setting out on a book tour that had been expanded because he
was going to hopefully become such a hot commodity.
So, what happened? Well, on the day I spoke to this author he was
apparently near the peak of his celebrity. The following year, his mentor
John Kennedy died in a tragic plane crash. I'm not sure how that might
have impacted Hugh Gallagher. From what I can glean online
he has kept at it but his viral days seem to be behind him. Or not?
Maybe we will still hear more from him. The world is funny that way.
Plus, we had a little extra time at the end of the show, so if you
listen to the last five minutes you can hear me talk about how I choose
the books that I feature on the show.
The Book Nook airs Saturdays at 7 a.m. and Sundays at 10:30 a.m. on WYSO 91.3 FM and streams at WYSO.org or wherever you get your podcasts.The Book Nook on WYSO is presented by the Greene County Public Library with additional support from Washington-Centerville Public Library, Clark County Public Library, Dayton Metro Library, Wright Memorial Public Library, and Tipp City Public Library.
